The Older Paradigm of Women's Specific Bikes
Argenti and Kaz both are correct, but let's dive a bit deeper into women's specific design (WSD). Their answers allude to an old paradigm of WSD. It appears to be based on anthropometric measurements collected by the US Army around the 1950s. Here is a relevant 2017 interview with Stephanie Kaplan, a product manager with Specialized. These data showed that the average woman had relatively longer legs and a shorter torso than an average man of the same height.
Operating from those data, manufacturers would typically make a WSD bike that had a relatively shorter top tube than a men's bike in the same size. Obviously, they would also offer smaller sizes (the average woman is shorter than the average man, which is probably beyond debate), women's specific saddles, and narrower handlebars.
Compare Boardman's current MTX 8.6 women's bike to the men's version of the same bike, you can see this paradigm in operation. A frame's reach is basically how long it is, and its stack is basically how tall it is. I'm comparing two frames whose absolute size is relatively similar below.
Medium women's MTX8.6:
Recommended rider height 157-170cm
Stack 615mm
Reach 387mm
Small men's MTX 8.6:
Recommended rider height 160-172cm
Stack 602mm
Reach 391mm
Basically, compared to the equivalent men's frame, the women's frame has a more upright position, and it's slightly shorter.
Some Companies are Challenging the Old Paradigm
Some manufacturers, like Trek and Specialized, initially embraced the older WSD paradigm by offering different frames. More recently, at least these two manufacturers have gone more to a modified unisex approach. They offer the same frame measurements to men and women. However, they make sure to offer smaller sizes, and they alter the contact points for the bikes actually sold to women.
In the interview I linked, Kaplan discussed the data that Specialized obtained from their Retül service. Retül was an independent bike fitting company that Specialized bought, so Specialized now have current and accurate measurements on riders. Kaplan said that in that data, they didn't see any justification for offering different geometries in the same frame size. Thus, they feel able to accommodate female riders with the same basic frame. However, given a frame size, the saddles are different, and women may have narrower handlebars. Additionally, they expanded their size range. For example, I am 5'5". I recall that when I first bought a road bike in 2001, I had a 48cm Specialized Allez, and that was the smallest frame offered. Current road bikes now have a 44cm size.
Bonnie Tu, who runs Liv (a sister company of Giant Bicycles that only offers women's bikes), has said that a unisex approach basically means that the bikes are made for men. She is clearly correct in at least some instances; my current gravel bike is a small Parlee Chebacco, and Parlee only offers 4 sizes, small through extra large. Shorter female riders are likely to have fit problems on the small frame. Whatever good things I have to say about the Parlee, they clearly didn't consider women's sizing at all. The approach taken by Trek and Specialized is far more thoughtful.
Not all manufacturers are going the unisex route! This 2017 review of Canyon's women's CF SLX bike outlined Canyon's approach:

Canyon’s online ordering system collects body dimension data from all its customers, including height, weight, and leg and arm length. While this information helped people identify which frame size to purchase, the data — now over 60,000 entries strong — also gave the engineers at Canyon a clear picture of the biometric and anatomical make-up and requirements of its customers.
That data not only showed some fundamental differences in the male and female dimensions, but also the exact nature of those differences. Most notably, Canyon found that, contrary to popular belief, women’s legs are only marginally longer than men’s legs for a given height. However, their arms are consistently shorter (by 2cm on average) for a given torso length. According to Canyon’s data, women also tend to be shorter and lighter, and they have greater pelvic flexibility.
Taking all of this data into account, Canyon designed the new WMN frame geometries with slightly higher stacks and shorter reaches compared to the unisex frames. The WMN frames are also lighter than the unisex versions for a given size, feature more aerodynamic profiles, and the size range now extends down to 3XS to cover rider heights as low as 152cm (5’ 0″).

Which approach to bike geometry is correct? That may be impossible to answer without getting anthropometric measurements from a true random sample of the population. One criticism of the older measurements is that they are much less ethnically diverse than the global market, and they may not have been taken consistently. I believe Kaplan argued in the podcast I linked or elsewhere that the Retül measurements are much more accurate than the US Army ones were. However, the people who get fits from Retül are different from the people who shop online for Canyon bikes, and both are different from the general population. Their data could be biased - although if you believe the US Army data are correct, it is hard to come up with a scenario explaining how Specialized's sampling scheme would bias their data that way.
We Want All Riders to Have Access to Bikes That Meet Their Needs
There is another dimension to the question "is this bike suitable": does this bike have the capability to meet my needs? I think this doesn't apply to your situation, but the old WSD paradigm was to "shrink and pink" the bikes, and also to down-spec them.
It's possible that some spec changes are warranted. Some of those issues are discussed here and here. For example, the Specialized Allez and Dolce are entry level road bikes, but the Dolce is a women's frame and the Allez is unisex. The Dolce has less aggressive geometry (more upright, steers slower) and has more vibration damping features than the Allez. This may make sense for entry-level female vs male riders. (Alternatively, it may be what the male-dominated bike industry thinks women want, and they may be wrong.) Canyon, in the quote above, said that its women's frames use lighter (but more aerodynamic) tubing than same-size men's bikes. I am guessing their assumption is that on average and controlling for height, women will put out less power than men. They don't need heavier tubing; they won't benefit from the additional lateral stiffness, and they will benefit from greater vertical compliance. (Note: frame stiffness may not matter that much for any rider, but this is another story.) In addition, Bonnie Tu has emphasized that

It takes a female cyclist to understand what makes a ride painful or uncomfortable, and what will make a woman feel more relaxed. It needs to come from a personal experience, so it has got to be designed by women.

She might be wrong, but the bike industry has historically failed to disprove her.
Aside from warranted spec changes, we don't want women's bikes to be crummier versions of the stuff available to men. In a podcast interview with Velonews, Berne Broudy discussed how she and multiple pro or competitive female athletes she knew would often ask for the men's bikes, because those had the component specifications they wanted. As another example, I recall than the 2010 Specialized S-Works women's shoes had a lower stiffness rating than the men's S-Works shoes - I know this because I have a pair of the women's shoes due to fit reasons (discussed below).
More subjectively, Broudy discussed on the podcast that the early marketing and overall messaging for women's bikes and products was ultimately condescending and sexist. This impeded take up as well. Further, Broudy pointed out in the podcast and the excellent companion article that some products originally designed for women were adopted by men side as well. She pointed towards the cut out saddles pioneered by Georgena Terry and the later Specialized Power Mimic saddle. Thus, it is possible to make at least some unisex products that actually serve all genders well.
That Frame Could Potentially Suit a Male Rider, and it Might Suit You
Back to the original question! Does the frame fit you? You can move the stem lower on the steerer tube if the stock position is too high for you.
Its components aside from the saddle may have been identical to the men's version. Hence, color aside, this bike is potentially suitable for some men, perhaps even many men. It will not be suitable for all men. We can't say for sure if it's suitable for you personally. That is what matters. If it fits (or it can be adjusted to fit) and the components meet your needs, then you could consider it. I will assume that Boardman specced a women's saddle, and it's more likely you'd want to change that (but it's not guaranteed). If so, I suspect it will be wider than the average men's saddle. I'm not familiar with front suspensions, but I guess it's possible that the suspension they chose was selected for the average weight of a female rider in the height range it was designed for. If you're heavier than this, it's possible you might find it's too compliant for you (i.e. your weight pushes it down more than it was designed for). This is speculation on my part.
Getting into the social aspects of WSD bikes is going to be primarily opinion based, and thus not really suitable for discussion on Stack Exchange. I will say that some fairly knowledgeable cyclists will know you're on a WSD frame. I think that most of these people would not judge you for it. I think that those who do judge you are doing humanity a disservice. The average person on the street probably won't know. The average rider I met never made a remark about my ladies shoes. The distinction between men's and women's paint schemes may be getting less distinct. Besides, pastels may well come into fashion for men. You could be setting a trend. (My shoes were all white and they matched my bike.)
On a Personal Note
As a side note, I'm a 5' 5" male cyclist. My bike is white with pink accents. I have a pretty long torso. I'm 1 inch taller than my wife, but my hips are actually a bit lower than hers. I have actually worn one pair of women's specific Specialized shoes because the last was identical but for the tighter heel cup, which fit my feet.
So, while I'm proportioned more like a stereotypical male under the old WSD paradigm, issues of fit definitely resonate with me. I can typically ride the smallest unisex bikes of (I think) all major bike manufacturers, although their seat tube angles are a bit more slack than I prefer. This typically causes some toe overlap, which isn't relevant on road bikes, but may sometimes be an issue off road. Also, a lot of shoes don't fit my feet well!!


Should I upgrade the hub, cassette or wheel so my bike will make a sound when I don't pedal?

It's the freehub rachet mechanism in the hub that makes a rapid repeated clicking sound when you stop pedaling. The cassette is not involved as it slides on the splined freehub body and has no moving parts. (Older technology freewheels combined the sprockets and rachet mechanism on on unit though.)

Silent or quieter hubs are usually considered an upgrade. If you really want a noisy hub you can but a replacement hub and have the wheel rebuilt. Wheel rebuilds almost always require new spokes and take a couple hours of labor so it's very often more cost effective to simply buy a new wheel.


See this answer.

So long as the BCD (bolt circle diameter) and bolt pattern (4 bolts, 5 bolts) matches up between the cranksets, you can swap rings between cranksets.

For example, if you have the Ultegra compact and got the Dura-ace regular double, the BCD's will be different and you can't swap them. However, if they are both compact or both regular doubles, they will have the same BCD's and you can swap the chainrings.

Some may complain about possibly different chainring widths, but in practice between 10 and 11 speed you wouldn't notice the difference (if there is any).


This is probably normal, but if the chain goes slack in small/small or completely taught in big/big, you may need to adjust the length of your chain accordingly. If it does both, you likely need a longer cage derailleur, but keep reading and you'll know how to check on that last case and know for certain.
Each cage length for a given derailleur is designed to take a minimum sprocket size, a maximum sprocket size, and a maximum number of teeth difference between running the bike in big chainring/big sprocket and small chainring/small sprocket known as "maximum capacity" or "total capacity". That final number basically defines how much extra chain the derailleur cage can take up and thus how wide of a gear range you can run. For example, a Shimano 105 RD-5700 rear derailleur has a minimum sprocket size of 11t, a maximum sprocket size of 28t, and a total capacity of 33t. To find out whether your drivetrain is within the total capacity range of the rear derailleur that you're running, use the following formula:
([teeth on largest chainring] + [teeth on largest cog of cassette]) - (teeth on smallest chainring] - [teeth on smallest cog of cassette])

for a 50/34 crankset in combination with an 11/23 cassette, you would have
( 50 + 23 ) - ( 34 + 11 ) which is equivalent to 50 + 23 - 34 - 11 = 28. You might see different orderings of this formula, but it's simple arithmetic so the number will come out the same.
If the number comes out to less than or equal to your derailleur's total capacity rating then you should be fine.
It's worth noting that you can push this if you feel comfortable doing so, but it's likely that the gears you're supposed to stay out of anyway (the aforementioned big/big, or small/small) will become totally unusable. For this reason it's probably best that you just adhere to the manufacturer's rating.


Can a tapered BB be installed in either direction?

Short answer: no.

If you're lucky the axle is simply installed the wrong way round so rather than swapping the cups, swap the axle round and see if that fixes the problem.

The two cups have opposite threads, one left hand thread and one right hand thread. If you swap them and force them in you will cross thread the frame, and that's ugly to fix.

Unfortunately that also means you can't just get another lock ring and put it on the drive side as a spacer. But if you're lucky you'll be able to find another spacer from a modern BB with plastic spacers that fits. Or you could use a thread locking compound to reduce the amount of movement.

What you really should do is get a BB with a longer axle, or a derailleur that fits the bike. But those BB's are old or cheap, and if you're buying a new one you should get a sealed/cartridge type bottom bracket (of the correct axle length for your bike). That will fix the problem and give you a BB that doesn't need servicing.


Bike feels like it is getting stuck when I start pedaling or increase pressure as I go up hills

To summarise the comments, it sounds like your rear wheel has some freedom of movement where it shouldn't.

If you stand beside the bike and wiggle the top of the tyre sideways, can you perceive any movement?  You shouldn't be able to feel anything.

Try the same sideways push at the front or rear of the rear wheel.  Again no motion should be detectable.

I'm going to go with a broken axle, a loose axle nut or stretched skewer, or a bearing problem that is permitting lateral play in the wheel rim when under load.

Good news is all this is fixable.  Take the rear wheel out and start investigating, and do let us know what you find.


Those are three different sizing standards

First one is 20mm inner tube diameter and 622-630mm inner wheel diameter
Second one is inner wheel diameter of 27inches and inner tube diameter of 3/4 - 1 inch
Third is rather more confusing. The 20 and 25 refer to the inner diameter of the tube in mm. The 700c is a measure of the diameter of the wheel but c is not a nit of measurement, its a standard that came about while tire standards were being written. 700c essentially means a diameter of 622mm or 27 inches.

Your best bet is too find the same tire you currently have

  http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html

If you have any more doubts check out the website above


What components are recommended for entry level mountain bike?

Here's the short list of should haves in mostly descending order:

Coil or air sprung fork with rebound adjustment, minimum of 80mm travel. Specs any lower than this aren't actually meant for actual mountain biking. Maybe a little unpaved riding, but not mountain biking. Replacing a fork is expensive. Buy a bike with a fork as described and the subsequent parts listed here will almost certainly follow.
Double walled rims. Single walled rims suck and you will trash them. Double-walled rims are almost always stronger and longer lasting, and often lighter.
At least an 8 speed drivetrain. I'm just talking about the cassette (the rear gears). Multiply that with the 3 up front and you've got 24. This will give you decently tight gear ratios and keep you clear of the low quality parts that come in 7 speed configurations. If you're willing to spring for it, go 9 speed as much for the quality increase as anything else.
Mechanical disc brakes. You can get by with V-brakes, but a nice pair of mechanicals (typically Avid BB5's or BB7's) will make a world of difference in terms of modulation. A word of warning though, some entry level hydraulics are worse than decent mechanicals. Make sure you try them and make sure they stop you before you buy. All disc brakes require a good handful of hard stops to achieve maximum power, so keep that in mind as well when test riding.
Freehub rear wheel. Stronger and more durable than the older style thread on freewheel type hub.
Cranks with removable chainrings. Cheaper cranks have riveted on chainrings which means when the chainrings are worn out you have to toss the whole crank. That's lame.

Here's what not to get if you're looking for best bang for your buck in a beginner/intermediate package:

Anything full suspension. Just don't bother at the low price point unless you have a really good reason. You'll get way more bike if you stick with a hardtail.
Anything other than an aluminum or maybe steel frame. Aluminum is going to be the most common, steel usually disappears at the intermediate-ish price points, and then re-appears at high end price points. Aluminum is likely your ticket.
Anything from a department store or anything from a brand that also sells at department stores. The brands that have fallen from grace have been bought up by big conglomerates and prey upon people with brand name recognition, especially at lower price points. Avoid.


What is the purpose of this small block on the handlebar?

My bikes had one. You would simply put your bike against the wall with just that "thing"  and your saddle touching the wall.

It would prevent scratches and made sure your bike doesn't fall.

That thing was made of some sort of rubber/plastic so your handlebars wouldn't simple "slide"  down the wall making your bike fall when you put it against it.

Also. Because of the rubbery consistency of the "thing"  you could put your bike against a wall in weird angles that would otherwise cause your bike to fall.


Can a 21 speed Shimano Tourney groupset get converted into a 7-speed?

Yes - note that some bikes will still need the front derailleur to help prevent the chain from falling off, which defeats the lightness goal, and only makes the bike slightly simpler.

You'd use the upper and lower limit screws to force the FD cage to an appropriate place, and then can remove the cable and shifter.


How does one wipe clean and oil the chain? (maintenance details)

Wipe the chain down with a rag to remove dirt and old lube.
Apply lube while spinning the chain. I tend to use quite a bit (a small drop on every second chain link or so). It’s cheap and the next step takes care of any excess.
Wipe down with a rag before the next ride.

In dry weather it can be sufficient to do step 1 only and skip applying new lube for a couple hundred kilometers. It can also be a good idea to use “dry” or “wet” lube depending on the season.
Edit to answer the comment: “Dry” lube is less sticky and good for dry environments where sand and dust sticking to the chain is your main concern. “Wet” lube is stickier and more viscous, best for wet weather because it’s not so easily flushed out of the chain.


Multiple double holed punctures on the rim side of tube

These are pinch flats, also known as snake bites. For more info, you could have a look at What are pinch flats?, Best practice for patching snakebite pinch flats on skinny tubes
 and Is there anything I can do to prevent snakebites (pinch flats)?


Identifying Bottom Bracket on Merida Scultura 7000e

As per the documentation provided on Merida's website, the bottom bracket standard is PF86.
Source


Ultegra 6800 chainrings and Claris r2000

Claris - https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/product/component/claris-r2000/FC-R2000.html
Ultegra - https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/product/component/ultegra-6800/FC-6800.html
They have the same PCD and chain line which are the two measurements that show you whether the chainrings will sit correctly. I would be surprised if they weren't compatible based on this but I'm not 100% sure they are so take this with a grain of salt. Their Q-factors are different but I doubt most people would notice 3.4mm difference.


Are you required to cross the finish line on a bike?

UCI regulation 1.2.109:

  The rider may cross the finish line on foot, provided that has his bicycle with him.

Note that "his bicycle" may be a teammate's bike or a neutral service bike (and that "he" may be of any gender but the UCI are too lazy to rewrite their rules).


As stated by Daniel R Hicks, these are roller cam brakes.

Sheldon Brown sells a few extra long reach brakes: the Odyssey 1999 Extra Long Reach Caliper Brake and the Action© Extra Long Reach Caliper Brake. Tektro C-326 seems to have adequate reach, but the problem is since its designed for beach cruisers, the rims have to be quite wide. I don't know if the other brakes listed have this problem.

A relatively easy solution is a drop bolt, which is a device which allows you to mount a brake lower than the frame is designed to. You can make a drop bolt and use a regular reach brake instead of hunting down a 100 mm reach brake. These are reasonably common with the Raleigh Twenty crowd, for example. In the picture below from Sheldon Brown, he has a Raleigh Twenty with a short reach caliper!

(Image from Sheldon Brown)

Note that this is a hack, so its YMMV/at your own risk.

A real drop bolt looks like this:


Converting to 1x11 SRAM drivetrain with 8/9/10-speed HG Freehub

11-speed SRAM cassettes that use an 11 tooth small cog do not require the XD driver body ... Shimano 11-speed MTB cassettes fit onto 8/9/10 speed hubs, but Shimano 11-speed road cassettes do not.

Basically correct. MTB cassettes with large low-gear sprockets can be made with the spider overhanging the drive side of the hub a little, so the longer freehub isn't required. I've been told on this site that some larger 11 speed road cassettes also do this and will fit on a 10 speed freehub.

I'm not sure this is a totally hard a and fast rule, so I think what you'll need to do is ensure that whichever cassette you buy will fit in a 10 speed freehub body

  SRAM 11T and Shimano MTB 11-speed cassettes are cross-compatible with Shimano and SRAM derailleurs/shifters.

Yes.

  would this 1x11 upgrade be as straightforward as replacing the existing Shimano components with the SRAM components.

The conversion should be straightforward. One difficulty may be finding a narrow-wide chainring that fits properly on your triple crank. Shorter chainring bolts are typically required to attach a single middle ring rather than middle and large.


I presume you mean the rear derailleur jumps to a higher (harder to pedal) gear when you stand up to pedal hard, right?   This is a common rear derailleur problem, happens only  under high chain tensions, and more likely with inexpensive or worn rear derailleurs.  It shouldn't do that, as it can be dangerous to the rider.  So you need to get it fixed.    Your rear derailleur either needs an adjustment, or a replacement spring,  or you need to replace it with a new or better one.


The easiest way to submit data is to right-click on the map and choose "Report a problem".  This pops up a small form with a marker.  You drag the marker where the problem is, and you pick a category and type something to explain the problem.  In a few days, a human being reads it and (assuming he/she agrees) fixes it.

For instance, Google Maps would send bicycle routes near my house to a road with a killer hill.  There's a reasonable alternate route that adds only about a quarter of a mile, but avoids the killer hill for a much more gentle hill.  So I reported it.

In a few days I got an e-mail that said "Your Google Maps problem report has been reviewed, and you were right! We'll update the map soon and email you when you can see the change."

Sometimes you'll also get an e-mail afterwards that says "Google Maps has been updated to correct the problem you reported. You can see the update here, and if you still see a problem, please tell us more about the issue:  (link)"

And now those same bicycle routes, by default, route along the gentle hill instead of the killer hill.


Will an 11-speed SRAM shifter work on an Alfine 11?

No. SRAM shifters (and regular Shimano shifters) don't have the right cable pull to deal with an Alfine hub.

You need the Alfine shifters or ones marked to be compatible with Alfine (Jtek barends and Versa brifters are two of the 3rd party options for road bikes, for example).


Fork seized to frame: can I just hammer it down now?

To remove the fork the tapered spacer on the top need to be loosened. Tap the top of the fork (maybe a little harder than you have). Then push the fork back up into the seated position. This should allow some clearance between the tapered collar and the headset bearing. Removing the split tapered collar should make everything loose enough to disassemble. Lay all the pieces out as you remove them and take a photo. It can be confusing putting it back together as the parts only fit together one way. If the bearings are open caged type you can clean and regrease them. If they are sealed then they will need to be replaced.


In case of inner tube, difference between 1.90 and 1.95 is totally negligible. The tubes will be completely interchangeable.

Rather than carrying a few spare tubes on your bike at all times, experienced riders most often carry only one spare tube + patch kit. It takes less space and weighs less than multiple spare tubes. It's rare to catch more than 1 flat on a single ride, and if you do, patching a tube takes only a few minutes.


There are several options, you could make your own if you are the handy type. Or there are many ready to purchase from a local shop or online. Most of the ones that I see have a 120lb limit. So you would be close but probably fine as the max weight is generally higher than that listed for liabilities sake.

As for store bought option there are a lot of different companies that make trailers for bicycles both for hauling cargo, and touring applications as well as child carriers of course.

Here is one design just to give you an idea. The last time I saw a similar one in a shop I think it was about 200 bucks.

http://www.jbi.bike/web/checking_product_description.php?part_number=98014

The type shown above attaches to the rear axle by way of that long arm at the front. Building one could be tricky if you don't have the proper tools and I imagine you would need to buy an axle intended for it.

If you want to go the DIY route, I found this write up that looked interesting and could be helpful.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-cargo-trailer--200-lb-capacity,-$30-for-pa/


Some things to consider:

The plugs only purpose is to be strong enough to not move up when you tighten the headset down.
The steerer will be clamped by the stem, so the stem will reinforce the steerer once clamped.
The top cap recommended torque is probably 4-6Nm.
Support the top of the steerer from crushing. Although it is often recomended to add a 5mm spacer ontop of the stem so the top of the stem in not flush with the top of the steerer to help with this.

So my advice if you're worried about the steerer's integrity would be tighten the plug to a lower spec than you think and try it with the top cap, only tighten the plug further if the top cap pulls it up.
As the stem will clamp the steerer with more force than the plug expands with, you shouldn't worry about the plug damaging your steerer as you ride.
So, torque specs are in general only advisory in the sense that they will a min and max value. If you're careful and mindful of what you're doing, you don't need to look at the plug torque at all, just tighen enough so it doesn't ride up, making sure at no point you pass a damaging amount of torque (more than 10-13Nm in this case).


Help Identifying what derailleur hanger I can use

There is this type of adapter, which requires a screw to hold it in position. The screw in the adapter should be attached to a cam nut that syncs into the end of the dropout.


What you need is known as a "Chain ring spanner" or a "Chain ring peg spanner". Very cheap to purchase.


Keep your front brake. It does the most work, it will stop you much faster than your rear brake ever could hope to. Take a look at a motorcycle, the front brakes are always much larger than the rear. Whenever you brake, on a bicycle, motorcycle, in a car, more weight is transfered to the front wheels, so the front tire has more traction to stop you with.

That said, sit down a minute and think about what you're going to do if you remove your rear brake, and one day your front brake stops working while you're going down a hill. Right about then you'll wish you had just put up with the extra 400 grams of weight.


The broken section of the crown race seat suggests there is an air gap between the crown race seat and the steerer.
There's not enough information present in the photos to answer the question of the risk of failure.
Many unicrown forks have the blades welded to the steerer directly. Because yours seems to show a continuous diameter from the crown race seat down, it's hard to tell whether its got a crown race ring of this style:

or if the "crown" is one big sleeve for the steerer with the legs welded to the sleeve, the race seat machined into the top of it, and the steerer brazed into it.
If the steerer is one piece with whatever the legs are welded to and the part with the bad/broken joint is a separate crown race ring, then complete failure would be something along the lines of a very loose headset. Losing control of the bike in a dangerous way is conceivable if that happened.
If you do have a sleeve type design and this break has resulted from a gappy or incomplete braze/weld/bond between the steerer and the sleeve, that's pretty sketchy.
Your options are:

Try to find a suitable replacement, which could be difficult.
Just have a framebuilder make you a fork or fix this one. Normally this would be pretty crazy, but I don't know how much your motor kit costs, so maybe it's worth considering.
Transplant the motor kit on to a different basic folder. Might be the most economical.


What can I use to replace a Shimano Deore LX RD-M581?

You can in fact use any modern Shimano derailleur for 7, 8 or 9 speeds that meets the total capacity and largest sprocket requirements. The reason is that Shimano used the same cable actuation ratio (ratio of cable length pulled to lateral cage movement) for MTB groups below 10 speeds.

If you want a derailleur that works as well as possible, get the current highest level 9 speed option. That would be the Alivio RD-M4000 which accommodates 32 to 36t largest sprocket and total capacity of 45. Rear derailleur specs are here: https://productinfo.shimano.com/#/spec/MTB/Rear%20Derailleur. You can look up various options.

Note: when I accessed that page there appeared to be many errors, so Shimano might be in the process of an update. Correct info can be found in the archive PDF files here: https://productinfo.shimano.com/#/archive.


How to compare an IGH (Shimano Alfine 11) with a 10 speed cassette and 3x chainwheel?

I think you’ve told it to do an Alfine hub with all 3 chainrings and all 10 cassette sprockets, so the computer is obliging.

Just include one chainring and one sprocket value to get the Alfine table.

Then calculate another table with all 3chainrings and 10 sprockets but no Alfine

You’ll get things more like this:

You’ll need to pick your own chainring and sprocket values for the Alfine, point being you can customise these to get the gearing you want. I put in random values (32,17) which give the Alfine something like the range of the 3x10 setup

Edit: a gain ratio of 1.9 may/will feel nothing like a gain ratio of 1.2 when you're climbing, so keep playing around with numbers for the IGH chainwheel and sprocket


Nothing is suitable for your requirements as-stated.

30-40 pounds is 15-20 kilograms.  That's like carrying two or three complete bicycles on your handlebars.  The weight will decrease the quality of your steering and will pre-load the suspension at all times.

That much added weight will increase inertia, make the bars slow to turn, and once turning will resist stopping.  So it will feel laggy and lethargic.

Additional weight also increases the chance of a front-wheel step-out on turning.  Normally a bike has a balance of about 40% of your whole weight in the front to 60% of your weight on the rear, or 40/60 to 30/70.  Adding 15 kilos on the front will make it 50/50 or worse, front-wheel heavy.

Experience it

For a simple demonstration to help make the point clear, go find something weight about as much as your heaviest intended load.  A half-bag of Cement, 40 blocks of butter, or 20 litres of water would be ideal (don't use small children as test weights, they're squirmy and loud when dropped.)

Then put the weight on top of your bars or on your forearms.  Stand over your bike, and try to shuffle or scoot your bike back and forth, and round a turn or in a circle.  Feels super unstable, right?  Especially if you bump through something that's not flat, or some gravel.  Now imagine that on the road ?

Alternative Solutions:

The bike can carry substantial loads.  Your problem is limiting it to "over a suspension fork"

1) Lock out the suspension fork, if you can.  Downside of this is that you're now riding with all the weight of a useless suspension fork.  To use your suspension, you'll have to unbolt the front rack completely.   Additionally, there's a chance the lockout will self-unlock, if you hit a large-enough impact.   This will upset any rack, because its mounting points have just moved in relation to each other.

2) Change your suspension fork for a rigid fork, and fit a normal front rack permanently.   Here's a heavy-weight front rack rated for "up to 45 lbs/20.5 kilograms"

  Notice how it bolts to the front wheel axles, and has mounts higher up that attach to your upper forks (ie where your bike has sliding stanchions)

3) Cargo bike!  Probably outside budget, but you could have a massive load carrying ability on your bike.  Some designs have the wheel out the front, some have two wheels, some have the load at the rear.

4) Bike Trailer - again not exactly what you're asking for, but at least this option is removable easily.  Most good designs use some sort of permanently mounted hitch on the rear axle which stays on your bike, and the trailer disconnects with a quick-release coupling like a car trailer ball joint, or some sort of kingpin like a truck trailer.

I personally use an old kid's trailer as a cargo trailer, and it works well enough.  Mine's rated to 20 kilos of liveweight, and I've found 50 kilos to be a comfortable maximum.  I have towed 100 kilos in it but that was ridiculous.

Options like Panniers and back packs aren't really suitable for that level of mass.  Backpacks really should be under 5 kilos, and ideally not even used at all.  Panniers (carrier bags) are generally cloth and are generally limited to 10-20 kilos depending on design and construction.

Final thought - depends a lot on what you're moving, but sometimes paying money for delivery works out better financially.  If you only get big things like this once a year, its hardly worth spending a lot of money on it.  Delivery fees can be surprisingly affordable or ridiculous, so plan ahead.


This appears to be a disc brake spacer (block).

Such a spacer may be inserted in the disc brake caliper between the brake pads. When the wheels are removed, and hence the brake rotor, an inadvertent pull on the brake lever might move the pistons* so that the rotor cannot be inserted any more. It is even conceivable that the pistons might be dislodged entirely – with rather messy consequences. A spacer block inserted in the caliper prevents such mishaps.

Swifty pointed out in the comments the blocks need to be scrupulously clean lest brake pads get contaminated with oils transferred during insertion.

*In a hydraulic disc brake the brake pads are pushed from either side into the rotor by hydraulic pistons. After releasing the levers the pistons do not move back entirely. This is due to a mechanism that automatically compensated for pads and rotor getting thinner from wear.


Fitting question for first trekking bike - differences in stack and reach

Impossible to tell you whether a couple of centimeters either way will make a bike fit you better. A slightly lower bar may actually suit you better than a higher bar, even though you value comfort over speed. You might feel slightly more stable with a little more weight on the front wheel.

Honestly you just need to ride the bikes back to back and make a decision as to which you feel comfortable with.


Steel will rust, given time. Riding a nice bike on salty roads will scratch it up, but you can minimize that.

Frame exterior:

Wiping a steel bike down with a greasy rag as a preventative measure certainly won't hurt, and it may help (particularly if you already have any scratches in the paint). I think you'd be better off concentrating on cleaning it frequently. If you can, clean the bike at least somewhat after each ride, concentrating on removing salt and sand from the drivetrain. I just let my bikes air-dry, but patting them dry when you're done makes sense.

There's a lot of good cleaning advice in this question's currently accepted answer, so I won't repeat it, but the important bit is to get rid of salty water as quickly as possible.

Frame interior:

Protecting the inside of a frame seems to come down to mostly preventative measures. Essentially, you can oil the inside of the frame, seal it off completely, or both.

There are frame saver sprays you can get, and I've heard of people using either fish oil or linseed oil to coat the inside. (Food-grade linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, can spoil if not refrigerated, and I suspect fish oil can as well, so I'd be wary or using either.) Sealing it off can cause condensation to evaporate much more slowly, so I'd avoid doing that in very humid climates. In most areas, this probably isn't a concern unless you live by the sea or ride through torrential downpours regularly; salty water, like you'd pick up from wet, salted roads is much more of a problem anyway. I don't live in a particularly humid area, so I've never worried about the insides of my steel frames.

In conclusion, a combination of preventative care coupled with frequent cleaning will keep your bike happy in the winter.


I am 1.7 m tall and bought a MTB with a frame that is 3-5 cm too big

A bike with too much 'reach' i.e., the bars are to far forward and low would only affect seat comfort if you are not able to band your spine enough and are having to rotate your pelvis forward as well.

I'd check your seat height, fore-aft position and tilt for proper adjustment first. There are many guides for seat height and fore-aft position available online. For for-aft position look up the 'knee over pedal spindle' (KOPS) method which will give you a good approximate seat position.

Note that moving the seat forward to be more upright in your upper body also moves your feet relatively further back which can rotate your pelvis forward and exacerbate the discomfort you are experiencing.


What model of bike does Alicia Vikander use in Tomb Raider (2018)?

Details original Bike used in the Tomb Raider movie 2018:  SE Bikes Tripel, Saddle Books Champion Standard B17, Vera Citywide tire - SE Bikes logo on the front of the frame -  handle grips purple - red pedal - Rear tire is possibly Kenda K-152. Kenda road tire in yellow.

details of bike

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Change into the middle gear in the cassette and check the chain is straight. Otherwise, you may need to remove a bottom bracket spacer (usually 2.5mm thick) from the drive side and move it to the non-drive side or vice versa. (Of course, make sure the chainring does not contact the chainstay on the frame to avoid damage)

Failing that, you mention in the comments that you changed the chain recently. If your previous chain was very worn, it might be that the chainring is now also worn and might need replacing.


Can a Reynolds 753 aero fork steerer tube be unbent?

If by "steerer" you mean the top tube that turns in the bearings, it would be very bad for that to be bent, since it would seriously muck up the bearings, and ever getting it straight enough to NOT muck up the bearings would be unlikely.

Apart from the bearings, with something like a conventional steel fork the twin concerns are fractures in the steel and fractures in the welds and/or castings that hold everything together.  Generally if the bend is ONLY in the length of the metal tubing of one or both fork tines, the likelihood of a fracture is pretty small.  But it's so hard to be sure that there are no beginning stress cracks in a weld or casting that using the fork (with or without straightening) is risky.

If an attempt is made to straighten the fork, it's important that it be done carefully, in a way that will not put further stress on welds and castings.


What type of lubricant/grease is most suitable for brake and shift cables?

A heavy grease may introduce drag between the cable and housing, so a light lithium grease is preferable.

Lubricants can trap dirt and grit, meaning a greased cable would work better than a dry cable initially, but soon become contaminated such that the greased cable is worse.

Using a teflon-coated cable will avoid the need for lubrication and prevent water from being in contact with the steel strands.


Most thru-axle front hubs have endcaps that pull straight off and are held in place with o-rings to gently create some friction.
You can use the thru-axle to gently rock them back and forth to work them off if they're sticking. On yours, if you have the kind that pull off, poking something through those holes and pulling that way should also work.
Some hubs have endcaps where one or both thread onto the main hub axle. Your symptom combined with the holes on the endcap in the video suggest yours could be like this. Try poking a tool, i.e. a 3mm allen or small screwdriver shaft, through the holes on each side and screw them towards each other and see if anything happens. If it is a hub with threaded endcaps, snug them down tight and you should be good. If not then take them off, make sure the bearings have no play and are pressed into their bores without issue, grease the contact surfaces of the endcaps and make sure they're all the way in, then put your axle on tight with greased threads and you should be fine.


What would be a good style of bike for Big Guys

Short answer, this isn't going to be easy.

Your first decision is abut Timespan. Do you intend to lose weight?

If no, you're going to have to buy a bike rated for your weight.
If yes, buy a cheaper bike and expect to break some parts of it.  Used is totally fine.

An average off-the-shelf bike might have a load rating of 90 kilo (200 pounds)  or 110 kilos (~250 pounds) and is therefore unsuitable for you at this time.

FAT BIKES are not designed for fat riders - instead the name comes purely from the 4~5 inch  (100-125mm) tyres and they are intended to float over sand and loose surfaces without loosing traction or cutting through.  A couple of fatbikes I found were rated to 200 and 250 pounds respectively!

I'd recommend a used bike with these features, and why:

A Rigid mountain bike (also known as a hybrid or commuter) because it has no suspension components to fail on you.
A bike with 26" wheels because they're common as dirt, and you're likely to use up a couple.
Commuter tyres which are relatively smooth (the knobbly ones are really only for offroad, and riding them on the road makes it less fun.  This can be an upgrade after you get the bike.
Steel frame is fine for your first bike.
V brakes not calipers and not disks (because disk brakes will make it harder to find replacement wheels when they bust)

Your main breakages will be spokes and punctures.  So as the need arises you will have to learn to patch tubes and change spokes, and true a wheel.  Certainly a bike shop will take money off you for doing this work, but its not hard and in the long run buying the tools will be cheaper than shop fees.

High spoke count wheels would be the single best thing you can find.  MTB wheels tend to be 32 spokes, with some 24 or 28.  Ideally you'd use a wheel with 36 or 40 or even 48 spokes purely to increase the load abilities.  Double-walled rims with eyelets for spokes are a great idea too.   Wheels built for tandems would work well on your bike, if they are the same size.  Heck you can even ride a tandem solo!

If you prefer to buy new, I'd avoid buying on-line for this - you would benefit from a conversation with your local bike shop.  Whereas a $50 or $100 used bike is usable and disposable once you've worn it out and ready to buy a better bike for your new weight.

If your weight is unlikely to decrease (perhaps medical reasons) then you might need to look at a trike purely for the increased carrying capacity of two rear wheels.  But they're less fun to ride and not cheap.

Don't take offence, I'm not trying to be harsh here - I started at over 110 kilos thanks to a sedentary office job and too many pies.

Since you're starting out, another tool that is very useful is a way to record your progress.  If you have a smartphone, look at http://www.strava.com/ for a recording tool that tracks your location and speed, and plots your times over user-defined segments.   Ignore the leaderboard - you're interested in your progress over time.

Remember to get padded shorts - you might think your backside already has padding and that's why you're riding, but its not that simple.

Links to read  http://chicargobike.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/youre-not-too-heavy-to-ride-bike.html


Front wheel requires weight for traction: is this applicable to icy conditions?

I'd look at which situations you are encountering tire slips in.  If you are encountering tire slips in cornering, studs are probably the way to go (or much more conservative riding).  If you are having trouble while you are braking, you may consider adjusting your technique to be much more rear brake heavy or rear brake alone.

I find that no matter what I do my pedal stroke is so sloppy and unbalanced that I almost never pedal on ice.  Generally I just try to coast over ice sections keeping my body as relaxed and centered as possible.  Major direction changes (without studs) are pretty much out as well.  I try to keep my weight off my handle bars so that I am not tempted to move the front wheel quickly or with any real force.  If you are going to try and turn the front wheel, it should be a feathered movement.  More than anything it takes practice and watching out for icy spots.  I probably fall (on ice) less than once a year now.  When I started riding in the winter (even with studs) years back it was probably closer to every other week.


Usually road jerseys will have different fits, both within a brand and across brands depending on the intended application.

If you have one with a short front it will likely be a tight fit intended for a racing position (i.e., low bar height) and typically combined with bib shorts which come up just under your belly button. Combined you will should not be showing your stomach even when standing.

That all said, if you are intending on riding in a more upright position, this type of jersey probably won’t be a good match as I find they can also pull across the chest in a more upright posture. These jerseys also tend to have a very tight fit, for aerodynamics, which can also be less than ideal for any off-bike situations.  (For racers there is no such thing as an off  the bike situation, even when sleeping).

I would personally look for road jerseys with a “casual” or “relaxed” or “classic” cuts.  They will be a bit longer in the front and the shoulders will have more room for riding upright. Mountain bike jerseys (cross-country) can also work well in this application.


Sounds like your headset is loose. Have you properly rebuilt the stack order of the bearings, cups, shims and lower race?

Also make sure your star nut / top cap is pretty snug with the stem bolts loose, so you can fully seat the headset stack. Then tighten the stem bolts on the steerer tube.


Santa Cruz Chameleon tire and wheel choice

I assume by 'hybrid tire' you mean a wide slick or semi-slick suitable for street use. You can fit any tire that is not too narrow for the rim, and not so large it interferes with the frame. The rims are 40mm so anything above 1.75" will work (although putting a narrow tire on this bike is not necessarily recommended). The stock tires are 3" but you would not want to go above that for street use.

As the bike has disc brakes you can swap the wheels out for smaller diameter ones. Going to ISO 599 rims will drop the bike 12.5mm in addition to whatever effective wheel diameter reduction you get by fitting smaller width tires.

I won't question why you want 26" wheels, but I will question why you'd buy a new bike then swap out a expensive major component ... err, well, I guess 26" wheel XC mountain bikes are not really available any more, but then have to consider if you'll have a hard time finding 26" disc brake MTB wheels (unless you wanna have a set built of course).


What type of Hayes hydraulic brake is this?

Looks like you have a set of Hayes HFX Max G1, you can use these pads. Surprisingly, a lot of other people experience the same issue as you.


You should evaluate your objectives.  What advantage do you feel a new wheel-set or groupset would provide?  If your objective is to ride faster, then I would suggest you invest the time in building your aerobic base and physical strength with interval training and some resistive weight training.   If your objective is to look cool then do what you wish but it is unlikely that
 1. a stock carbon aero wheelset exists for an 8spd hub
 2. it would be cost effective to have a set of wheels built with your existing hubs.

Also,  your stopping power will be compromised in wet weather if your bike has rim brakes.

A bike is not like a car where an upgraded component can improve performance. You are the engine and there are minimal gains to be had with components perceived to be better. A pro cyclist or strong amateur can outperform most on a $100 big box store bike.


How to replace a tube with only one quick stick?

I only ever use one tire lever.

Deflate the tube
Use the lever to pull the tire lip over the rim opposite the stem
Slide (with a little force) the lever around the rim until the entire lip is free
Keep the other lip in the rim and remove the tube
Slightly inflate the new tube and place it in the tire
Shimmy the tire into place
Start seating the lip from the stem and work around to the opposite side
Use the tire lever (if necessary) to pry the lip back
Inflate the tube and make sure the lib is clenched all around

I suppose that there could be a reason that this is the wrong approach.  There may be a reason that using two levers is better.  BUT, I always use one and haven't noticed a problem.


I have seen one that mounts to the brakes but do not know where to find one.


My derailleur completely "opened" up. It is now almost a straight line. What have i done to my derailleur?

Figure 1. The way Shimano imagined it.
It looks like you have the first link of the mechanism mounted 90° clockwise. Try again.


Can your rims wear down from too much braking?

Short Answer: Yes

Longer Answer: Yes, but maybe not for the reasons you are thinking of. Rim wear is mainly caused by dirt and grime that gets caught between the brakes and the rim, rubbing it like sand paper. The most important thing to do is clean your rims and pads as often as possible. For that matter clean your drive train as well.

As far as different materials go, it is a lot easier to bend back steel than aluminium or carbon. So if you do have a steel rim you are better off if something goes wrong. There is a tool called a dental caliper (pictured below) that can help you find out if your rim is worn down.

Here is an interesting story and some good info on bent rims.


Is a sprung saddle the answer to the saddle problems on my commuter bike?

I used to despise the antiquated look of sprung saddles - then I got one on my retro-bike. Despite all of my preconceived opinions I immediately took to the sprung seat.

Clearly not for the road-racer, the sprung saddle has its place in regular riding, where roads are not exactly smooth. Given the choice of a couple of springs in the seat or a Kona-tractor-style-rear-suspension setup, the couple-of-springs has elegance in how it delivers comfort. Energy lost through compressing the springs is actually returned with marginable 'pedal bob'. The weight of the springs is negligible, your back wheel will thank you for them, even though only you and not the bike is being suspended.

Given the roads you describe I would definitely recommend a sprung saddle. You would not drive those roads without the weight being suspended, on the bike your legs are the suspension, it would be nice to give them a break after a hard day's work, so why not go with the sprung seat.


650c x 25 or so should work fine as a replacement for that if all else fails...  This is because they are the same ISO Diameter.  That's an International Standard for measuring tires that takes the diameter of the bead as the measurement, since that's the primary interface from wheel to tire.  Most tires are labeled by their inflated diameter, + or - some cheating on sizes, deep tread patterns and just generally not having good standards in the industry among different countries making them.  ISO takes none of that into account and simply measures where the tire meets the rim.

Both 26x1 and 650c are 571mm ISO.  The second number in any of the Metric tires is simply the width.  Your 26x1 is about 25mm wide, so you should look for a 650cx25 tube, or thereabouts.

One more thing, I say that size or thereabouts because tubes are rubber.  They stretch.  It usually isn't a problem if they are just a little big or a little small.  Given the choice, err on the side of them being a little big.  So even if the closest you can find is 26x1.25 or 650cX28, that should work fine too.


How to remove this Shimano cassette (actually: freewheel)?

Thats a Shimano freewheel, not a cassette. You need a freewheel remover like Park Tool FR-1 to remove it. Note that this is not the same tool as the cassette tool (e.g. Park Tool FR-5 for Shimano-type cassettes).

See this link on how to remove it with the freewheel remover (Recommended method), or this link on how to destructively remove it without the freewheel remover (not recommended; primarily for freewheels don't have a remover available).


What are the advantages of a custom frame for a touring bike?

Unless you are of extremely uncommon proportions, you won't find much riding advantage in a custom-made bike— there's plenty of room to tweak a mass-production bike for the a perfect fit through component swaps. Moreover, unless you buy from an experienced touring-bike specialist, it's entirely possible that a custom-designed bike might have little annoyances that'd get caught in the prototype phase for production bike.

Most great cycling adventures have been taken on a mass-production bike of some sort. I rode across the USA on a used $300 Fuji, and it was fine (though a better wheelset would have been worthwhile had I had the budget). I've taken medium-distance tours on a 30 year old Schwinn Varsity, too, which meets all your criteria except packability— that bike fits fat tires, has comfy relaxed geometry, and you can fix pretty much everything on it with an adjustable wrench. By all means, if you have plenty of money and would enjoy a custom bike, buy one, but if funds are limited, I'd spend them on travel as opposed to the bike.


Does Abus print blind bitting codes on their D-Lock bikes (or do thieves go through the trouble to

As per question, I had e-mailed the manufacturer (Abus) regarding the meaning of the number.  Apparently it is the serial number of the item (bike lock) itself.  Also Per e-mail from the manufacturer,

  "Due to security reasons it is not possible to order spare keys with this number".

On each YourPlus key card is the YourPlus code for your key/lock as well as the lock's serial number.  I'm not sure if Abus partners would be able to request a new key for serial number x (perhaps a thief working at a key shop) or look up yourplus codes for specific serial numbered locks, though I highly doubt the latter.


I try to put out a constant amount of effort no matter what slope I'm on:

A constant 'cadence' of 60 to 90 RPM (that's how fast you spin the pedals)
A constant force on the pedals

The useful energy you put in is proportional to a product of the force multiplied by the cadence: spinning faster at the same force results in more energy input.

To keep my cadence and force constant, I change gears: if it's spinning too easily/quickly and I'm going too slowly, then I change up into a higher/harder gear; on a hill if it's too hard to spin (at 60 to 90 RPM) then I change down into a lower gear.

I'm always seated (not standing on the pedals ... except when riding over bumps on the road).

With many (21+) gears you can find a gear (or a range of gears) to match the slope.

The pros on TV are sometimes sprinting etc. You don't necessarily want to ride like they do, when you're commuting (and a self-described newbie).

FWIW now that I'm more practised (5 times/week since March) I sometimes find myself taking a hill in a bigger gear than I used to: but still sitting, and spinning quickly.

  Obviously its easier to pedal in lower gears but then I feel like I'm just wasting my energy pedaling quickly and not getting anywhere.

When approaching a hill from the bottom, approach at a good speed: fast cadence, high power, and a big gear.

When you're onto the up-hill, increase your push slightly (to try to maintain your cadence even though you're now going up-hill). Depending on various things (short hill, enough reserve power) you might thus get all the way up the hill without changing gear (but this might be exhausting) and finish before you're even tired (you complete it quickly because you're going quickly).

If you can't power up-hill in the big gear then your speed (and therefore your cadence) begins to drop. It's not worth letting your cadence drop: if you allow your cadence to halve, for example, then to maintain your power output you would need to double your pedal force to compensate (which you're not strong enough to). So whenever the terrain drags your cadence down to some minimum (e.g. 70 RPM) then shift down to an easier gear to compensate. Don't change down too far: only one gear at a time and only as necessary.

The end result is that you're always pedalling at a good cadence and with a strong force: and that is as fast as you can go! Not "wasting your energy".

When you change gears (especially on a hill) it's convenient if you have nice gears which let you shift quickly while you're loading the pedals, or which require you to ease up on the pedals (to avoid grinding and jumping the drive chain) for only a small fraction of a second.

Postscript:

I since moved to a hilly area (a few years ago) so I've had more practice. Wearing bike shoes (so my feet can't slip from the pedals), I now stand on the pedals to climb hills. My endurance has improved, so now I can sustain that for about 100 breaths consecutively before getting tired and sitting down.

On a horizontal, you want a sustainable effort (you don't want to become exhausted after a couple of minutes).

On a hill you may use a higher, less-sustainable effort because:

If you reach the top of the hill before exhaustion then you won't need to sustain it
If the ride is a mix of faster (flat) and slower (up-hill) segments, it's the slower segments that take more time, and so are those into which it's worth putting any increased effort.

Standing on the pedals puts quite a bit more weight (force) on them, so you can be in a higher gear and go faster etc. I almost never use the bike's lowest gears any more: the hills up which I used to spin, I now climb standing.

In summary I think my earlier advice above is good, but with practice some people grow out of it.


What are the benefits of purchasing a complete bike from a respectable brand? (Road cycling)

Warranty - buying one bike from one supplier means the whole thing is under warranty.  New bike frames may have anything from one year to lifetime warranty, but often have a rider about "must be assembled by an authorised and qualified bike shop"

Integration - all the parts will physically fit into the frame quite well.  Stuff like internally routed cabling simply works better when the parts are all specified on the one build.

Compatibility - Its not your problem to make sure that a front mech and a chainring set match up.  A complete bike will work from new as it is supposed to with no fiddling and fettling.

Set price - a complete bike has a set cost.  A build has an unknown end cost because you may not find the parts you need at a fair price.  On the other side, the parts you need might be in your possession already so have zero net cost.

Timeliness - you want to ride your new bike, not spend time assembling and troubleshooting it.

Suggestion : Since you can afford a high-level bike like a canyon, and time is valuable, just buy it and ride it and spend the time on maintenance.


What's the difference between a Gran Fondo and an Étape?

All three terms refer to mass participation events that are open to amateur cyclists. They are timed events but they are not races, although some of them are very competitive and there are sometimes prizes on offer for the best times.

The Etape du Tour is French. Each year two stages from the Tour de France are replicated on closed roads for amateur cyclists to enter.

Gran Fondos are Italian. They are timed events with one of the best known being the Maratona Dles Dolomites.

Century Rides is the term used in the United States.

In the UK and in France they are also called Sportives or Cyclo Sportives.

These events are very popular with cyclists and the largest attract thousands of participants.


They're not entirely the same bike (despite the model names). You have to engineer a disc brake fork to be reasonably stronger in some ways than a rim brake fork.

You probably won't notice a difference in shifting or ergonomics once you get past a certain point (for a lot of people, I'd say this is Tiagra/105; however the psychology of having an ultegra shifter or whatever will make things feel smoother even if they aren't noticably smoother, for some people). The braking will be stronger with the disc brakes, and easier to stop if you ride in wet weather. On the other hand, repairing rim brakes just requires a few hex keys and a few minutes and anyone can do it (vs a hydraulic system).

Really though, you have to try both bikes in the context you'll use them. You may like one better than the other. You also have to think about how teh disc brake and rim brake bikes cost the same -- disc brifters+brakes are more expensive than their rim counterparts, along with the cost of the wheels and stuff. So, where is the rest of the stuff being cut down in price?


There are multiple ways to talk about wheel/tire sizing. "700c" is an old standard that's actually the exact same size as "622" or "29er".
622x14 is the ISO standard way to refer to the rim's bead seat diameter.
700x33 is "622x33" in ISO standard sizing. 622 means it will fit a 622 rim. 33 means that on some standard rim, the width of the inflated tire is 33mm. There's no real standard used for measuring tire width, so "same size" tires from different companies may differ by 1 or 2mm...

According to this handy chart on Sheldon Brown's website, anything from about 20-28mm width should work great on your 14mm rim.

Look for 622x20 to 622x28, or 700x20 to 700x28. You could go as large as 33mm wide, like your cross tires, but I think you'd prefer the on-road handling of tires that are more safely within the recommended range.

Whether you go more towards the high end of that range or towards the low end of that range should depend on the kind of roads you'll be riding on. If the roads are nice and smooth, 20-23mm tires may be the way to go. If there's bumps, potholes, train tracks, etc, go with 25-28mm.


If the notches are about 25 mm apart, this may be your baby:

On the Park Tool website there are two very informative documents on freewheel removal, and destructive freewheel removal, which should answer all your questions.


Did any manufacturer ever try using more, but lighter spokes to minimize weight?

To the best of my knowledge, and my ability to find reference in any old catalog or tech manual, no, that concept has not been tried on a commercial scale at least. It may have been tried on a local scale.

I don't have the math to prove it, but I suspect the balance point between how thin the spokes would need to be to reduce the weight enough to offset the additional weight of more spokes, and the tensile strength those spokes would require to maintain the strength of the wheel without breaking would prevent any weight benefit from being gained, and I know that spokes thinner than 1.8mm have a far greater likelihood of breakage. The butted 2.0/1.5mm spokes which were popular in the late 90's for XC racing wheels proved that to me.

Perhaps we could get the Math or engineering SE guys to comment here?


Needed training time or speed for each category of racer

Speed is very difficult to use as a measure due to the fact that the measurements have to occur in an uncontrolled environment. Power, on the other hand is great because it's unaffected by the environment - it's a pure measure of what you're capable of doing at that moment on the bike.

A lot of power data has been collected by awesome folks like Andy Coggan who coaches racers of all different categories. One of the key measurements that folks use is W/kg in this analysis.

So a much better number for comparison would be 4.44 W/kg for functional threshold power (FTP) (average power over 1 hour) for the median Cat 2 racer. For the purposes of comparison, to win the Tour de France requires >6.4 W/kg FTP.

Here's a link to Andy's excellent article about power profiling where he talks not just about FTP, but what your power profiles should be for different durations (eg 5s, 1min, 5min).

Here's a direct link to a spreadsheet where he lays out what the numbers are for riders of different categories.

I highly recommend buying a copy of Andy and Hunter Allen's book: Training and Racing with a Power Meter, 2nd Ed:

http://www.amazon.com/Training-Racing-Power-Meter-Hunter/dp/1934030554/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286482928&sr=8-1


How might I measure the proportion of a ride spent in various hand positions, or has it been studied?

The cheap solution would be to obtain a bunch of stopwatches. Label one for tops, one for hoods, one for drops, etc. When you switch hand positions, stop the current stopwatch and start the applicable next one.


Buying a bike that has been idle in a garage for years?

Its entirely possible the bike is good and safe to ride with a bit of air in the tires and shocks/forks - this would heavily depend on the climate in the garage it was stored in and condition it was in before being hung up.

Presuming the bike looks in good condition with little or no surface rust, the following are the things that might need attention apart from what a regular service would entail (regular service is things like chain clean and lube,tuning brake check etc.

Tires/tubes - Personally I would be putting on new tires and tubes. They may be OK, but the rubber will have hardened and not be as grippy as tires should be. If they look OK, check them after each ride for a few rides to be sure they are OK.

Brakes - Check they are not seized and work reasonably well. Seals could be gone, so look for leaks around the calipers, Keep in mind if it has not been used for a while, leaks may not show up immediately. Presume the pads and discs have been contaminated.It may just be dust and good clean will fix it, but in a garage that dust may contain oils. Budget for new pads and if needed give the discs a really good clean and put new pads in
Depending how its stored, a brake bleed may be needed. If Dot fluid I would suggest a bleed regardless as DOT is hygroscopic (Absorbs moisture) and after 10 years it will probably be contaminated.

Shocks/Forks - Best to give these a full service with new seals and O-Rings. If you don't want to go that far, a basic service is highly recommended. These are expensive bits to replace so its cheap insurance. Check for pitting and corrosion on the stanchions and shock damper body. They will be ridable - for a while - with pitting, but the cost of replacements on such and old bike makes it uneconomic.

If there is surface rust on things like the chain, things like a new chain and new gear cables may be in order. These are low cost items so should not be a concern. Apart from these components, a bit of surface rust largely cosmetic.


How can I remind myself to lock a rental bicycle at the end of the ride?

Counting Method

Count the number of steps you must perform at the end of the ride and then refuse to leave the bicycle until you have done all the steps.
For example - End Of Ride Steps:

Park the bike
Lock the bike
Get the backpack

That's three steps.
When you are ready to leave the parked bike you have three things you must do. Don't leave the bike until you have done the three things.

Acronym Method

Create an acronym of the different things you need to do at the end of the ride and refuse to leave the bike until each letter is identified.


Type of permitted folding bikes on London trains & Tube?

Some UK rail companies, such as GWR (who operate some local trains in West London as well as mainline services) only consider bikes to be folding if the wheels are up to 20".

  Folding bikes with a maximum 20-inch wheel can be carried as luggage without any restriction. Please make sure you fold it before boarding.

That would exclude the bike you've pictured, unless you can pack it in a bag and call it luggage (checking the size of that too)


The spring tension of front derailleurs is not normally configurable.

Addressing your difficulty shifting up, have you checked whether the High limit screw is preventing the mech from moving all the way, forcing you to stretch the cable until the shifter reaches the ratchet point?

The shifter is normally able to freely pull cable slightly beyond the ratchet point to allow you to ensure a successful shift, releasing the tension until the ratchet point so that the cage does not foul the chain running on the selected chainring.


Online stores which stock larger cycling gear?

Try Aero Tech Designs. They have shorts, jerseys, outerwear and liners and go up to 6XL in many items and styles.  The have large gloves as well (under accessories).

As a guy who fluctuates between XL and XXL one recommendation I want to make is that you consider bib shorts.  You can wear them under any kind of shorts if you don't want the lycra look. The primary advantage of bib shorts is that everything stays in place, rather than shifting, or in my case the waist band rolling down.


Disadvantages of run 650B wheelset on a 29'er

But you don't know your bike would handle any better with 650.  In an earlier post you said you liked your  wife's bike.  Wheel size is not the only difference unless they are otherwise the same bikes.  Put your wife's wheels on your bike and try for yourself.  My 29er is better than my old 26 is every way.

The clearance is only 1/2 the difference so a change of about 2 cm. But 2 cm is enough to notice. Not just clearance you change geometry.  But that may be a good thing for your supertanker.

Also the weight of the wheel and tire will effect the performance.  Even how easily it turns Angular_momentum.  A lighter wheel and tire will be more nimble to turn.   A lighter 29er might give you (a bit) or what you are looking for.  In the end a different frame geometry may be what you need.  I think you are putting too much on wheel size alone.


Disc brake rotor compatibility and recommendation

This doesn't answer your question, but your problem before the question.

If your brake body is moving about, the problem isn't the existence of the shim (which is used by all brakes when they upsize) but either:

the bolts holding the shim/adapter to the bicycle or the brake to the adapter were not properly torqued and loctited.
the bolts holding either the shim or the brakes are too long and are bottoming out so they can't lock down properly
the shim was poorly made and has a defect that is causing it to move
your bike store is either incompetent or trying to upsell you something

Note that brakes are supposed to move when the bolts are slightly loose so that you can properly center the pads against the rotors. Then you clamp them down to the proper torque tolerances.

Since most people want to go up in rotor size to have more effective braking, you'd be bucking the trend in going down. Are you 100% confident in the mechanical skills of your LBS?


How important is it to clean your drivetrain?

I used to work on a fleet of cyclists' bikes who used their bikes as part of their full-time job, where it was usually raining and dirty. I changed a lot of drivetrains and oiled a lot of chains over the years. That said, I don't have any kind of empirical data to say that doing x will make your chain last y% longer. But I can speak generally about the relative factors at play, and what is worth considering when you're looking at your own personal bike / fleet and trying to decide where to invest your time and money.

First, it makes a huge difference who is riding the bike and how they ride. If they are a bigger person who likes to mash the pedals, they will burn through drivetrains much faster than a smaller person who tends to spin. Some people, the 200lb+, aggressive riders, needed new drivetrains every 2 months. A smaller, more cautious rider who tends to spin might take a year or more to wear out the same chain.

Another big factor is what kind of lube you use, and what conditions the drivetrain actually experiences. The ultimate cause of the chain wearing out is the holes for the pins will wear out as the pins rotate under tension and sand or dirt works in, effectively acting as sandpaper along the inside of those holes. How you oil the chain, and what kind of oil you use, also plays a big role in how much dirt and grime get picked up. Personally, I think a wax lube is really good at keeping grime and sand out, and makes my chain last longer while needing less cleaning. I probably apply a fresh coat about once a month. But you might also consider using a dry-season lubricant and a wet-season lubricant if you experience big seasonal swings in weather.

Ultimately, though, I think it comes down to how much you ride and what kind of relationship you want to have with your bike. Some people identify strongly as a cyclist and get a lot of personal satisfaction out of optimizing their ride and keeping their drivetrain and bike perfectly clean. You can certainly go the other way, I think the majority of people who own a bike will probably never clean the chain. Most people probably never wear through a chain, either. So if you do either, I think you're on the right track.


Re: your saddle being too low.

One way to check if it's at the correct height is to sit on your seat, put one foot on the pedal and try to "straighten" your leg - with the pedal at it's lowest point (the other being at the top) there should be a slight bend to your leg.

This video's quite informative: seat height


Why is there a distinction between friction and indexed derailleurs?

With the possible exception of the newer electromechanical shifting systems, the derailleurs themselves are not "indexed"; they move within a range according to the cable movement. The shifters control the cable movement, and are the thing that are indexed — not the derailleurs.

Most likely what people are referring to is whether the derailleurs are part of a part of a group that uses indexed shifting. But assuming the same high-low range, take-up capacity (for a rear derailleur) and cable pull ratio, a derailleur that was originally part of a friction-shifting group should be interchangeable with an indexed shifting group and vice-versa.


How to calculate bike stand-over height using frameset geometry and wheel radius?

A good approximation can be made using some basic trigonometry and common sense.

I will use WR as wheel radius (i.e. half the wheel diameter) and the numbers refer to the distance indicated in the picture you uploaded.

First of all, the height of the vertical tube (aka the vertical projection of the tube) is just sin(5)*1.

Then the distance between the ground and the bottom bracket is WR - 8.

So, the distance from the ground to the top tube would be H = sin(5)*1 + (WR - 8)


They come with bolts because QR's typcially don't clamp with enough force to keep the wheel from slipping forward.

It looks like you have rear facing dropouts, so you should easily be able to use QR's if you get yourself a Surly Tuggnut.

That little circle on the side of it is a QR adapter. You just pop it in and then slide your skewer all the way through.

It's not a bad idea to have a chain tensioner anyway. One on the drive side will help you get the chain tensioned correctly when mounting the wheel. I personally like to use chain tensioners on both sides so that the wheel doesn't get knocked crooked if I hit a bump. I've had it happen. It sucks.

I've used a bunch of chain tensioners and can say from experience that the Tuggnut is by far the easiest to use on the market, partially because it's the only one I've ever found that requires no tools. It's also the only one I've ever found that has a QR adapter. The built-in bottle opener is handy too.

After that little rant, I feel I should mention that I am in no way affiliated with Surly. The tuggnut is just a really good product.


Which front and rear lights can run while charging?

USB rechargeable lights are not typically designed to be run off of USB power continuously, they're only designed to be charged over USB. I run The Bike Light Database, and have tested dozens of different USB rechargeable lights. A few models will run while plugged in, but typically do not charge if turned on, and only run at the lowest output setting.

If you're already going to be getting a DC-DC converter, you would be better off getting a headlight that runs directly off of DC power. It'll be cheaper than getting a battery-powered light which you don't intend to use the battery of, and probably more reliable.

There are hundreds of options for super cheap (both in cost and quality) bike headlights which run on 8.4 V. You can probably find one without a battery pack, or if you do buy one with a battery pack make sure to recycle the batteries because they tend to be unsafe and low quality. You could also look into higher quality lights which use an external power source; many different manufacturers sell them and they pretty much all take a 2.5x5mm DC barrel plug at a nominal 8.4 V. The Fenix BT20 is a good example of one such light.

Cheap generic Cree U2 light (left), Fenix BT20 (right)

It's going to be harder with taillights. I don't know of any taillights which operate when plugged in to USB, and I also don't know of any affordable taillights designed to run off of an external power supply. Your best bet might be to look for a taillight meant for vehicle usage and get a DC-DC converter which will put out 12 V. Trailer lights can be gotten for cheap online, or if you wanted something more visibility-oriented you could get a light like the type found on tow trucks and emergency vehicles. I did that using a 12V battery pack and a TIR3 light I got online and wired up:


There are around 8 different rim sizes that fit tires all called "26 inch." Many are obsolete. The tires all have different Bead Seat Diameter (BSD) and are thus not interchangeable.

The ones you are most likely to see in your local bike shop are as follows (largest to smallest):

26 x 1-3/8" = BSD 590mm. Often found on middleweight 3-speeds.

650B (aka 26 x 1-1/2") = BSD 584mm. Mostly found on French or French-style touring or sport cycles. It has found new life as the new "27.5"er MTB size.

650C (aka 26 x 1-3/4") = BSD 571mm. This uses about the same rim diameter as the 26" tubular race tire. Occasionally used on small racing frames.

Last but not least,

26" mountain or cruiser (aka 26 x 1.75") = BSD 559mm. THIS is the most common size in the USA for the last seventy years, and the size you need.

You can ignore the old inch-based designations if you wish to avoid confusion, and use the ISO sizing standard instead. It is printed on the side of every tire made since about 1964, and consists of two numbers: the tire width in mm, and the BSD in mm. So if you want a 26 tire that fits your mountain bike rim but is only an inch wide, you should look for a tire marked 25-559.

Personally, I do not like tires that small for city riding, as they must be kept at very high pressure, and even then, they are prone to pinch flats. I prefer tires at least 1.25" (32-559), and am riding a 1.75" (47-559) tire right now.


You have a specific training question that your coach ought to be able to answer for you, and I will not address that here. A larger general issue is one that I will address, since it is of wider interest.

Your general concern is that you won't be able to simulate race conditions in training, especially long steady output. However, speed is determined by power and drag and you can work on each piece even where you are. A rising tide lifts all boats so the power developed while climbing hills and during intervals will mostly be transferable to longer steadier output, especially if that output is substantially below functional threshold power (as it will be for most half- or full-IM efforts). Similarly, you can work on positioning to minimize drag, on your bike handling in rolling terrain (unless the slopes are too steep and the roads too technical), and changes to minimize rolling resistance.

So, the general answer to your general question is that one can separately evaluate and train the components that make one go fast even if training conditions are different from racing conditions. It just takes a way to measure and evaluate progress in the separate pieces, so you can "translate" variable terrain performance to flat terrain performance.

In your particular situation, look toward the bottom of this bike.SE answer to see an example of time splits for an IM. Your swim and run times put you closer to the front of the pack than the middle, but you have lots of room to improve in your bike split. Your run and swim splits suggest that low power isn't your particular issue -- though you can always work on more. Your bike split time suggests that aero drag is likely to be your issue. Your coach can help you work on aero drag even on uneven terrain. To measure and evaluate improvements both in power and in drag may require some additional instrumentation.


Where should I prefer and avoid cartridge bearings in a bicycle?

I'll keep this answer short and simple.
Cartridge bearings from reputable manufacturers such as NTN, NSK and FAG will outlast their loose ball bearing counterparts assuming no maintenance is done.
90% of the issue arises when people do not use cartridge bearings from reputable manufacturers. As such, the argument that cartridge bearings are "unreliable" compared to their loose ball counterparts arises.


What can I do to keep my rear derailler in good condition when commuting in the snow?

There's not much you can do aside from cleaning your drivetrain often and thoroughly. In the winter, ice is far less of a mechanical issue than is rock salt.

You may indeed have some corrosion in the entire drivetrain by this point, not just the deraileur, or possibly just dirt if you're lucky. I'd do one major cleaning at this point, and see if that takes care of the problem.

I'd remove the chain entirely and let it soak in addition to cleaning the deraileur and cogs. Failing that, you can get a chain-cleaning device and use that. It's not as thorough, but still better than nothing by far.

After that, I'd clean my drivetrain once every week or two, depending on conditions. Also keep in mind that you may need to lube more often. None of these are really a big deal, once you set up a space (an old towel on the floor will do it).

If none of this helps, it's time to look into possible mechanical causes. Riding on ice and snow, I often find pebbles and grit in my drivetrain, more than in any other season. Possibly you have a bent tooth or other mechanical issue? You can give the drivetrain a good inspection while you clean it, looking for any problems.


From your description the brake cable (or the rear caliper) may be rusted up.  (Although, if you "got the brakes replaced" whoever did that should have checked brake operation and lubed the cable and caliper if necessary.)

Observe the rear caliper as you squeeze the handle -- gentle motion on the handle should result in smooth closing of the caliper, and you shouldn't feel any significant resistance in the brake lever until the caliper is closed against the rim.

Do note that there's a lot of stretch in the rear brake cable (because it's so much longer than the front), so once the caliper is closed against the rim the cable will continue to stretch as you squeeze.


Your brake is a closed system, and your brake cable is filled with a mixture of brake fluid and air. Air is compressible, while brake fluid isn't. So, the larger the proportion of air in the system, the more compressible it will be, the more effort is required to actually stop the bike, and this is frequently described as "spongier".

Now, in your specific case, you need to judge whether you have enough stopping power for the environment/conditions in which you ride. If the answer is "No", then topping up the reservoir (i.e. replacing air with brake fluid) might make sufficient difference.


Why is Shimano 105 5700 (10-speed) is more expensive than 105 5800 (11-speed)?

Shimano, the distributor, and the retailer can pretty much set the price they want. It is common for older components to be more.

Clearly the distributor and retailer are not going to take a loss.

The marginal cost to Shimano is pretty low.  Most of the cost is R&D, tooling, and branding.

Shimano wants you in their higher end stuff to promote their brand.

Once Shimano has machining set up the cost for them to produce one versus the other is the same.  And they may have some innovation that the new is actually cheaper to produce.


The optimum pressure for any kind of bike is going to depend on a lot more factors than just the type of bike. You have to look at many other things such as rider weight, terrain, and tire size. It also depends on how you qualify something as optimum. Higher pressures might be optimum in some situations, but may not be very comfortable to the rider, making long rides very hard on their body.


If you're actually just polishing, you should remove very little material. I recently polished aluminium to a mirror finish in work (a very different setup as I had to keep the surface perfectly flat as well, but it's indicative). I removed only about 10 microns (but that's the limit of my Vernier calipers).

Braking abrades rims more than this, which is why rims usually have wear indicating grooves, which are considerably deeper.  If you try to polish out deep scratches you might reduce the life of the rim, but look out for the wear indicators which should still show plenty of depth. If the bike is very old it might not have wear indicators. If you don't have wear lines, or you're polishing a face that's not used for braking, you should be careful to remove the absolute minimum material.

If you've got ultra-light rims not designed for rim braking, caution suggests you don't do anything to them. But the combination of aluminium, light weight, and disc brakes would be rare.

You also need to be absolutely certain to remove any polishing residue, and to make sure that you don't make the rim slippery. I'd start by doing the back wheel, and a section of the wheel on both sides, then clean it up and test ride it. You don't want to feel a difference in back braking as the wheel rotates, whatever the conditions. This will also indicate something else: The finish might not stay nice at long as you'd like. Brake pads grind the rims. Slowly but enough to unpolish the surface before long.


Shimano Sora vs higher range brake pull ratio

The cable pull ratio was changed for the listed models, whereas previous generations were compatible with a wide range of Shimano and non-Shimano brake components.

Use Shimano's Specifications site to compare the compatibility of your levers and brake calipers.
http://productinfo.shimano.com/specifications.html


Just run two wires, a positive and a negative lead.  Both leads in the same casing will make for a more robust wire, less susceptible to vibration damage.

If you expect to run one of the leads in the metal of your frame, first make sure there is conductivity between the points you expect to run the wire.  Carbon fibre is not conductive.  Steel is great for this, and aluminium conducts but tends to have galvanic reactions at points it touches other metals.

Use a multimeter in Beep mode and then measure the resistance in Ohms between the two points.  Then compare that reading with the resistance of a length of wire that you'll be using for the positive run - I bet the frame will have a lower resistance, but when you cross things like the fork bearings it could add a lot, or it could be fine.  Only measurement will tell.   Do note that Paint is generally non-conductive so you'll need to scratch through that to get a measurement.

To attach wires to a frame, the common method was a hose clamp with the bare wire under it.  This is ugly, catches and holds muck and water, and means you've got a bare area of steel underneath.

You can also crimp a small ring or fork connector onto the end of your wire, and then trap it under a convenient bolt like a carrier/mudguard stay, or under the light or horn fitting itself.

The last resort is to drill a small hole into the frame, and then tap it for a bolt and trap your cable that way.  Good side of this is you can do this in a convenient place.  Downside, drilling holes into a frame.

Personally I use an airhorn that is powered by a small canister that sits in a water bottle cage.  Works perfectly and is audible from inside most modern vehicles including trucks.


The ball of the foot gives a large, strong, stable area to use on the pedal, and gives you a nice lever to use your muscles effectively. Conversely, the arch of your foot is soft, elastic and not stable.

Picture your foot as you walk slowly barefoot, you push down hard on the ground with the ball of your foot, and the arch acts as a big rubber band to help spring the heel up and launch you forwards. You can walk or run solely (ahem) on the balls of your feet, without using your heel, thanks to this elasticity.

So what... Well, the ball of the foot is a strong, stable fulcrum for your foot while the arch is not, which is why you've noticed the ball is a better location for "aggressively pedalling" i.e. better power transfer. You probably also recruit lower leg muscles more naturally and powerfully using the ball.

I don't know if there is risk to you using the arches on the pedals (maybe someone else does) but there are definitely benefits in learning to use the balls of the feet. You'll use your joints and muscles more naturally, be more powerful for the effort you put in and look super cool too.


Can't find a rear replacement wheel 29" x 2.125 coaster brake - single speed

If you're in the US then almost any bike shop can easily order you this wheel from J&B Importers, or this one. Those have Weinmann 519 rims, which are kind of more hybrid than cruiser/mountain - around 24mm wide, whereas a proper balloon tire cruiser rim is around 30-32mm. But if you want to go narrower than what's probably on there, it will be fine.

A bunch of dealer-level brands have made 29er cruisers, Torker and Felt in the US market that I can think of offhand, so one way of procuring an inexpensive pre-built 29er coaster cruiser wheel can be from them through their dealers. Usually that kind of thing will mean a call from the dealer to the company to see if they have any as replacement parts, as opposed to being a normal catalog item. Torker is a mostly non-territorial  brand of Accell North America that most shops with an account with them (which, again if you're in the US, is most of them) can get, so if a Torker T29 (the name of their fairly long-running 29er coaster brake cruiser) rear replacement wheel is available, any shop you want to work with can probably get it.

If nothing in that direction pans out, or if you want to spend a little more to get higher quality, then just building such a wheel is something any good shop can do.


What's the difference between All-Mountain, Cross Country, Freeride, Downhill bikes?

The following list contains the basic characteristics and differences for the aforementioned types of MTBs plus 2 types of bikes that you didn't mention. Note that I've tried to summarise and "average" the characteristics of modern MTBs used today by amateurs and pros. So 9 kgs for XC bikes means that you can easily find 8 and 11 kg ones.

Cross country (XC) bikes:

9 kgs
hardtail (front suspension only) usually 80-100mm front suspension (air)
very steep head tube angle
carbon or aluminium
gears: 1x11, 3x10
29, 27.5, 26 inch wheels
will allow you do 80km rides across mountains and do incredible ascends. Sometimes these bikes are considered the "road bikes" for the mountain.
photo:

All mountain (AM) bikes:

13 kgs
full suspension (air), usually 120-160mm
steep seat tube angle (good for pedaling), slack head tube angle (good for downhilling)
carbon or aluminium
gears: 1x11, 2x10
26, 27.5, 29 inch wheels
will allow you do 30km rides on the mountains which will include bug ascents and very nice downhill-like descents. These have been marketed as "do it all" machines. They can actually do it all almost good but nothing very very well. Also marketed as "trail bikes" or "enduro bikes" with some minor differences.
photo:

Freeride bikes (FR):

18 kgs
full suspension (coil), 180mm
slack seat tube angle, very low seat, slack head tube angle
aluminium only
gears: 1x7 - 1x10
26 inch wheels only
will allow you to hit 2m+ drops to flat, hit burly lines, gap large jumps, descend on uncharted territory. To get to the top you usually push the bike or have someone get you there by car.
photo:

Downhill bikes (DH):

15 kgs
full suspension (coil or air), 200mm
slack seat tube angle, very low seat, very slack head tube angle
carbon or aluminium
gears: 1x7 - 1x10
26 inch wheels mainly
built for going downhill at high speeds. Used for racing.
photo:

Dirt Jump bikes (DJ):

12 kgs
hardtail, 80-100mm or rigid (no suspension)
lowest seat possible, very stiff setup, rear brake only
steel or aluminium
gears: none
26 inch wheels
built for groomed jumps, pumptracks, skate park riding
photo:

Slope style bikes (SS):

15 kgs
full suspension (coil or air), 140-160mm
low seat possible, stiff setup
aluminium
gears: none or few (1x7) with lever on frame to allow spining of bars
26 inch wheels
built for park competitions containing insanelly large jumps, wallrides and stunts. Can be used in 4X racing or dual slalom races.
photo:


Suspension forks on child/youth bicycle for road ringing good?

The short answer is no. Cheap suspension forks do only add weight and complexity as you say, and give very little actual suspension. My personal experience with cheap forks for adult bikes are that they can take away some road chatter, but with the increased weight and complexity it is hardly worth it.

The only worthwhile reason to have it must be that the kid likes the look and wants to ride the bike more because a suspension fork looks cool.


Am I required as a biker to use the bike lane on the right side of the road?

Riding against the flow of traffic is dangerous and illegal.

If an intersection or a set of intersections does not permit you to ride safely, walk your bike.