Differing tire sizes on tread and side wall

Looks like an error to me - its either 29" or 27.5" with no ambiguity.   It is unusual to see details embedded in the tread, I've never seen it in person.

You could choose to highlight the correct size details with a white paint pen, and/or file the wrong marking off with some careful strokes of a file.   Or ride till it wears off :)


New bike rear derailleur not working correctly

Here's a way to set an initial cable position for your rear shifter.

First, if required, open the limit screws on the rear mech so that the chain can get out to the biggest and smallest cogs.  If you didn't change these, they should be okay.

Set the right-hand shifter on the hardest setting (that's the one with the most slack on the wire)
Set the chain on the second-smallest cog.
Set the barrel adjuster to between 1/3 and half-way in.
Relax the pinch bolt on the rear mech that is holding the inner cable.
Make sure all the cable outers are in their stops, both in the frame and up at the shifter.  They can pop out sometimes.
Pull through as much cable as you can without significantly moving the rear mech, and tighten up the pinch bolt enough for testing.

Now as you hand-pedal the cranks, the chain should drop into the smallest cog.  Work through the gears while slowly pedalling, and the chain should move one cog per click.

If you press the shifter for an easier gear (larger cog) and the chain isn't quite moving up, then back out the barrel adjuster a half-turn at a time.

Likewise if you pull the release for a harder gear and the chain doesn't move down, the wind the barrel adjuster in a half turn.  Check through all gears whenever you make an adjustment, because everything effects everything.

Two last tasks,

make sure the pinch bolt is done up tightly enough to not slip but not so tight it strips the threads or the head.
check the limit screws - the chain must NOT be able to jump over the top of the biggest cog.  It should be barely just able to stay there in normal riding, because frame flex and your leg power can give it the chance to get over the top and that will break things.  Perhaps not so bad with your super short spokes, but not good.   The lower limit screw does the same, but at the small cog a chain off can damage your frame and axle.  Neither is good.


When replacing wheel bearings, is there a standard or are they different for each type of bike

First of all, good on you for having a go at proper bike maintenance.

Unless you have an expensive American Classic or other 'pro' hub you will be needing 10 3/16 inch balls on either side of that front hub of yours.

Typically these are available from your Local Bike Shop in a pack that will have a few spares for the ones that run away whilst you put them in. The cost of replacement ball bearings is low and, unless you are fiscally challenged, you should always put a new set in when you pack your hub.

The grease that you have is fine, just do not over pack it as this will attract dirt. Cleanliness is crucial, pop off the press-fit washers on the hub body and give everything a thorough clean - GT85 comes in use as does WD40 or even petrol for this application - you want a solvent that will dry off completely and not water down your grease. When you put the press-fit washers back in you will need to use a soft-end hammer or wooden mallet to gently tap them in properly.

The cup and cone flat spanners are needed to put the hub back together again and get pre-load correct. These are affordable tools and not to be used as regular spanners. Normally these are sold with 14/15/16/17mm ends to suit front and rear hubs on most bicycles.

Spindle bearings vary by hub brand so even if the ball count is the same the cone outer diameters can differ. Check the cones and cups are not too pitted - black rough spots - and decide for yourself whether you will be able to live with whatever damage is present.

There should be a gap - as you describe, the gap should be less than a ball's width. Depending on your hub you may need more or less than the expected 10.

Preload is important on the hub. Once upon a time, before this was understood, hubs would be setup so the unloaded wheel would spin 'forever' and stop with the valve at the bottom. However, when you place weight on the wheel there needs to be a bit of extra tightness on the hub to accommodate for that. For me it is a matter of feel although I am sure there are more scientific ways of getting this right. I tighten up the hub so there is no 'play' in it when it is in the fork/frame. Then I give the lock-nuts a proper tighten, in the process introducing extra tightness that makes the spindle feel slightly rough when turning it in your fingers.

When you go on your first ride there might be some grease popping out - wipe this off as soon as you can.

Should you go for adjusting/cleaning the back hub you will need 1/4 inch balls, typically nine per side.

A final note, the hub is usually made by someone other than the rim (and spokes) with affordable-style bicycles. The label on the rim does not identify what the hub is except for with Campagnolo and other posh pre-built wheelsets.


Bike fit - comparison of similar geometries

You can use bikegeo.net to visually compare frame sizes. You can also just compare the stack and reach figures. Stack and reach are explained in this road.cc article and shown below, but the definition also applies to MTBs.

I entered the measurements in bikegeo.net, using red for the Decathlon, green for the M Giant, and blue for the L. It is true that the large Giant is very close in frame stack and reach to your current frame. With the same spacer height and the same stem length, the medium Giant's handlebars will be a bit closer to you and a bit lower than on the Decathlon. You can, however, add spacers and change the stem.

MTB geometry has changed very substantially in the past 20 years or so. This article has an explanation, but basically, MTBs' head tube angles have become slacker, their top tubes longer, and their stems shorter. This has led to a lot of improvements in handling in technical terrain. The Decathlon has a steeper head angle and shorter top tube than the same size Giant. The article compared a bike from 2000 to a modern one, and it detailed some very substantial differences. That said, the Giant will handle a bit differently than the Decathlon, and I would assume for the better.
When you said that you were between frame sizes, I assume you meant that you were at the short end of the recommended height range for the L Giant. The height ranges are approximate. The correct size for you does depend on a number of factors, one of which is your leg length relative to your torso length. It would be much better if you could physically try out the intended bike in both sizes - you don't know if your current position on the Decathlon is good, although you could go and get a bike fit from a store (which is often worth paying for anyway, even though they can cost a bit). That said, the fit coordinates for the large Giant are closer to your current fit coordinates.
One other minor difference is that the Giant has a slightly steeper seat angle. To maintain your saddle position, you would probably want to put the saddle a bit further back on the rails of the Giant. The difference here should be minor unless your saddle is currently pushed all the way back right now.


Cyclists shaving their legs is more tradition than anything else--there is a whole industry around creams, soaps, and salves. However, I'll defer to Sheldon Brown's explanation for a few acceptable reasons why they do it:

To prevent infection when crashing.
To pull off bandages more painlessly after dressing a wound.
To get a massage of the legs without hair pulling.

One reason I've often heard is 'To be more streamlined in the wind'--but I don't believe it!


Generally you can fit a range of tire sizes on a given rim.

You might be able to put a 2.4" tire on your rim, but you should research the rim manufacturer's recommendations for tire sizes that will fit your specific rim.

This compatibility chart from WTB suggests that a rim with internal width of 25 mm (measured across the inside of the rim sidewalls) is the only one that can be used with both a 54-mm tire (2.1") and a 60-mm tire (2.4"). Again, this might not agree with your rim's manufacturer.


I suspect that the hub bearings are wonky and are causing the axle to twist.  This will tend to unscrew the right side fixing bolt.


I think what you are looking for are a pair of "slicks" for your mountain bike.  They come in a number of sizes for 26" wheels.  Batman suggests looking for a set between 1.7 - 1.9"  That is a good suggestion since you will be able to use the same tubes are are in your 1.95 mtb tires.

If you are willing to get a new set of tubes with those tires, I would suggest looking for 26 x 1.25 - 1.5" slicks.  It is a matter of preference, but I find them to be a bit quicker and responsive if you are willing to run the associated higher pressure.  If you commute has lots of curb jumping, pot holes, or broke pavement 1.75s may be my choice...

My experience is that 1.95 slicks really dont offer much over a fast rolling knobby tire.


What to look for in a bicycle meant for the exercise?

I am an underweight female so loosing weight is NOT my goal. I wish to get mentally fit and therefore I wish to tire myself out without getting bored. They say physical exercise is necessary to get rid of depression. Hence I chose to cycle out.

First and most important is the depression. You should really go to a bike shop and hop on a few different bikes and styles. Try them all. The one that makes you feel giddy and excited is the one to get. Pleasure, smiling, laughter, and exercise all release endorphins which help depression. Get the one that will not only give you exercise but also make you feel great! This is also how you will know if it is comfortable and fits you.

  wish to get mentally fit and therefore I wish to tire myself out without getting bored

This is best done by picking difficult challenges that you enjoy. It could be getting a BMX bike and working to learn one trick after another. It could be setting a speed goal for yourself that really forces you to push yourself. It could be any number of things. Just set challenging goals and surround yourself with others that will push you to reach them.

  I am an underweight female so loosing weight is NOT my goal.

Eat more. Seriously. Any exercise will cause a little weight loss and if you're really looking to challenge yourself mentally then that means more than a leisure ride. That means more calories. You'll have to learn what the right amount to eat is to not lose weight and then you can decide if you want to eat more to put on weight.

My feeling

The bike you chose looks odd to me but if it makes you happy it also looks versatile and fun. I could see taking to some trails and little jumps on it. Otherwise the more I write the more I'm inclined to suggest a smaller BMX bike like:

You can generally find them pretty cheap (not this model but other ones). They're incredibly durable. Relaxing for when you do want those roaming around trips, but can also be pushed for the fitness side. And learning a new trick or jump will burn less calories so you don't lose weight. Loads of fun too!


Carrying a Carradice Camper Longflap when off the bike

I've got the Carradice Camper Longflap with the quick release rack recommended on the website. I got a leather strap off an old leather bag which clips easily onto the leather hooks which are placed on either side of the Carradice bag. I don't know if that's what they're meant for but it works well.


These are adjustable dropouts. The main reason for these is that the disk brake caliper needs to be aligned with the disc. The adjustable part on the other side would have both disk brake mount and dropout so that they move together when the part is adjusted. For just adjusting cable tension these don't have practical benefits over horizontal dropouts.


Replacing FSA Omega BB30 with SRAM Force 22 BB30

Cassette compatibility is not a concern, cassette sprockets don't care what's on the other end of the chain. BB30 crank will fit right into the BB30 bottom bracket. Front and rear derailleur capacity will be fine because you have less difference between chainrings (53-39=14, rather than 50-34=16).

You currently have a 10 speed drivetrain, and the Force 22 crank is for 11 speed. Chainring spacing is slightly narrower for 11 speed cranks as 11 speed chains are narrower than 10 speed chains. The opinion on this site seems to be  that you can mix 11 speed cranks into 10 speed systems and vice versa.

As you say you will need a new chain because the length will need to be longer. You might consider a new cassette as well so you have a full new drivetrain. Front derailleur will need to be be moved up to accommodate larger rings, check this is possible on your bike. You should also check that your chainstays have enough clearance for the larger rings. A 53 tooth ring is about 6mm greater in radius than a 50, a 39 tooth about 10mm greater than a 34 (see this question).

My main concern would be compatibility with legs, as you will have a substantially (15%) higher spread of gear ratios. If you live in a flat area and never use your lowest gears you are probably OK, but if you are using your full gear range you may want to reconsider and stick with a 50/34 crank.


Disable index shifting to create friction shifting possible?

Typically not -- a few index shifters (like my Shimano 105SC 7 speed ones) have this option, but its primarily downtube and bar end ones for <=8 speeds. I don't think there exist any other shifters that do this other than possibly some grip shifts since they pretty much are letting pawls catch.

However, you can buy friction shifters pretty cheaply these days from companies like Sunrace.


Can I use an outboard Shimano BB on a Trek madone ALR (alum.) with pressfit BB?

No. The BB90 design puts the bearings the same distance apart that a normal external Shimano BB would, hence a normal Hollowtech 2 road crank being able to run on it.

It may be possible to make a BB386EVO adapter for BB90, but if so I don't think anyone's done it.


It really depends on your budget, but you should check this out (or anything similar), from Gore bike wear :

179.99 USD MSRP http://www.gorebikewear.com/remote/Satellite/PROD_TULTRO?landingid=1208436873480O

They aren't the tightest pants out there, but "real" tight pants are very rarely (trying not to say never) waterproof because of the type of fabric used to make them.

An alternative idea would be a nylon pant (waterproof, windproof, but absulutely not warm) that's relatively tight with a warm baselayer.


Opening a Shimano Alfine 8 hub (large dust cover)

For the same cost as having the correct tool delivered, I bought a selection of cheap tools to trial:

L-R: Strap wrenches, oil filter plier, oil filter loop wrench and waterpump pliers 12”. These are tools readers are more likely to already have in the home or garage, or available to borrow from a friend or neighbour. These ones came from a glamourised “dollar store” type of shop for cheapness but also available at DIY shops or automotive shops.

Firstly, the strap wrench and the waterpump plier are no good. The strap wrench slips off as the surface is too narrow, meanwhile even the large 12” pliers are not suited to the size of the dust cover and don’t grip sufficiently.

Both of the oil filter tools are about the right size to do the job and worth a try. The plier version works best.

The ring tool needs a little care to get a good grip and must be turned over the right way to tighten or loosen.

Like this to loosen clockwise:

For completeness, this is the orientation for tightening (spot the difference), if deemed necessary to use a tool at all:

Finally, the recommended tool is the oil filter pliers, seen here.  They grip really well but you have fine control over the grip (cover is only plastic) and good leverage:

As I said, these are tools you might already have or can access easily for occasional jobs (proper tool is available from Shimano). Gentle force should be needed, maybe even by hand. In my case the cover was seized tightly and needed some extra help, now I have a couple of tools to do it and may find other uses for them, especially the pliers.


If the brakes are reluctant to move in both directions then it's mostly likely water in the lines. You may be able to get away with bringing the bike inside letting it dry out for a day or two and re-sealing the lines with grease.


How much rest (tendon or ligament), for a novice?

I am not a doctor, so please take this with a grain of salt.

You can't expect to go from zero training to big training in a week. You may try taking it slow, like two days a week at first, or three. Once you don't have a problem with that, go on for more. A 40km commute is nothing to be scoffed at.

Personally, I avoid commuting below -2°C because if I don't wear special protective clothing, I get pain in the knees. I don't want to change clothing at work, therefore I take the bus when it is cold.

Generally, knee pain can have a lot of sources:

Lack of training - muscles in the knee not up to the job. Or lack of strength in the back, arms, shoulders leading to a sagging posture, off to one side, etc.
Temperature
Pre-existing damage to your knee, that you didnt notice before (sedentary lifestyle)
Bicycle settings: seat height, handlebar width, distance, clip position etc. Experiment with it.
Habits: different pattern of force application on the left leg. Always using it to start? Watch what you're doing. Move about the bike. Change the settings.
Jeans might be interfering with the blood supply - try with bicycle pants. If you feel uncomfortable on the bike, this may be the reason.
Saddle
etc.

My experience when I had a severely damaged shoulder, it became nearly impossible for me to bicycle, because I got problems in the left knee. I had ridden 10k km per year before. Left arm broken, left knee hurts. (Or any other improbable combination, really)

I then moved to a recumbent, and my right knee hurt when I did a 150km a week commute. After much experiment, I noticed the pain stops when I move a few centimeters to the right of the seat.

After the accident and before getting the recumbent, I slouched for three years, with next to no bicycling. When getting back on the bike, despite having ridden so much before, it took an astoundingly long time to get back to the 150km commute (44yo, sedentary lifestyle)

After some training on the recumbent, there is no problem on the upright any more. Okay, the shoulder is 95% fine now. This took two years, though.


The bottom bracket is not damaged, the left hand crank arm is.

You have a 'two piece' crank where the right side crank is permanently attached to a steel axle, and the left hand crank clamps onto the axle with two pinch bolts. The axle has small splines cut into it where the crank clamps on and the crank has corresponding splines cut into it.

for the crank to come loose and rotate on the axle the pinch bolts must have been loose. You can re-align the crank and re-tighten the pinch bolts, but the crank is likely to move again because the splines in the crank will have been damaged when the crank rotated on the axle. The axle is made of steel but the crank is softer aluminum alloy.

To fix this you need to replace the left hand crank, which means effectively replacing the whole crankset as left hand crank arms are not generally available individually, although you might be a able to find a matching left hand crank arm on Ebay.

I believe the Trek FX 7s used a Shimano R460 crank, which is a lower-end, relatively inexpensive model. Any Shimano Hollowtech II road crank with matching chainring sizes and crank arm length will be a drop-in replacement.


Trials bikes were originally just mountain bikes, at the time most mountain bikes had 26" inch wheels and 135mm rear dropouts (trials is basically shorthand for mountain bike trials). Trials bikes of this design usually fall into the "stock" category.

When people started modifying bikes to be even more well suited for obstacle courses, the 20" wheels and 116mm rear dropouts were introduced, this is when the bikes started to closely resemble bmx bikes. Trials bikes of this design usually fall into the "mod" category.

"Stock" bikes and "mod" bikes make up the two officially recognized categories of trials bikes, so, plan for 20" wheels or 26" wheels. The 20s are generally more nimble but the the argument for 26s is probably more clearance and better balance.

There's quite a bit more information on the subject:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_bike_trials

http://www.biketrials.com/intro/what.shtml


Any 700c tire narrower than 35mm that's not narrower than your rim's outside width. Typical choices would be any 700x25, 28, or 32.


Grocery Shopping by bike, expanding my cargo options cheaply

I think you would be much better off converting an old kids trailer.

They can be found pretty cheap on Craigslist.


Rear hub for randonneuring - any "classic" model?

super-reliable
not too heavy
low maintenance
not super expensive

Any Shimano XT hub M76X - M77X. Also confider the newer T7XX "touring XT" models.

Shimano hubs are exclusively (afaik) loose-bearing rather than cartridge hubs, so they're easily serviceable and the balls are available almost everywhere.

The XT range should also have decent seals, durable materials and not be too heavy.

XT hubs don't get hyped because everyone already knows about them.


Is it legal for me to ride facing traffic on the sidewalk in California?

California law on this is somewhat complicated.

First, though: your intuition and childhood bicycle safety lesson is wrong. It's safer to ride with traffic on the road than on the sidewalk. Cyclists being hit from behind is very rare, but being hit by cars at intersections or driveways is much more common, and the sidewalk puts you at much greater risk of that kind of collision. The advice you had about riding against traffic is bad advice that's only valid for people walking 4 miles per hour along the side of the road.

In California, it's legal to ride on the sidewalk, but individual jurisdictions (counties or cities) can make it illegal. It's not uncommon for a city to make it illegal to bike on the sidewalk in a downtown area, but leave it legal in residential neighborhoods.

In other words, the legality question is local to Orange County, the specific city you're riding in, and possibly even the specific area of the city you're riding in.

CVC 21206:

  This chapter does not prevent local authorities, by
  ordinance, from regulating the registration of bicycles and the
  parking and operation of bicycles on pedestrian or bicycle
  facilities, provided such regulation is not in conflict with the
  provisions of this code.


Where is the best place to park a folding bike?

if you can: carry it with you. When I was riding my brompton to school, I'd just fold it and take it into buildings and classrooms with me. There were some building guards that didn't like bicycles, so a small fabric bag/cover was used to disguise it.  The brompton is unique in being small enough to tuck in just about anywhere, even under a conference table. Since it was by my knees, I didn't bother locking it up.

I have a Dahon at my parents' house which is bigger, heavier, and not easily carry-able. I locked that bike up at bike racks with a solid lock. It's hard because many folding bikes lack good places to lock because they aren't  double diamond design.


What are the main improvements with road bikes in the last 23 years that the rider would notice?

I coincidentally bought an aluminum road bike (Cannondale) about the same time as you got your Giant and with very similar specs. Mine was 3x8 rather than 3x7, but same size chainrings and similar gear range. I rode it until the frame was cracked in an unfortunate incident and replaced it with a relatively modern Felt aluminum bike with 2x10 gearing with a compact double chainring. I actually still use the 3x8 drivetrain components on a commuter bike.
On the plus side, by 1998, many of the really substantive changes in road bike technology had already happened. Combined brake lever/shifters were standard, as well as dual pivot brake calipers, which have a lot better stopping power than some of the earlier single-pivot side pull calipers.
So what's changed?
Brakes
Although disc brakes are not yet standard technology for road bikes, the trend is certainly in that direction. Disc brakes are not something that can be retrofit on an old frame, so if you want those, you do need to get a newer bike.
The primary advantage of discs in better stopping power in rain and overall slightly more consistent performance. That said, the dual pivot caliper rim brakes that you have now have great stopping power as long as the pads are kept in good condition. The only reason I can imagine switching to discs is if you ride a lot in a group with other riders who have discs and you ride in the rain. In wet conditions, those other riders might stop more quickly than you can with your rim brakes and cause a crash. Or if you ride a lot on dirt roads, disc brakes have the advantage of not being affected if your rim gets muddy going through a puddle.
Wheels/tires
Another major trend in the last 20 years is a shift towards wider tires with lower air pressures, even among pro racers. Whereas most road bikes were equipped with 23mm wide tires or even narrower in 1999, now 25 and 28 mm are very common and many bikes have even wider tires. The high quality wide tires have no greater rolling resistance than the narrow ones, and the lower pressure makes the ride much smoother.
Because narrow tires were standard in the 90's, many frames did not have clearance for anything larger than 25, so if you wanted to try wider tires, you might be limited. You'd have to measure your frame to check. And if you're happy with the narrow tires you're on now, it doesn't matter.
Frame design
As you noted, a big change since 1999 is the ubiquity of sloping top tubes. Frame construction has also changed a bit, so a comparable aluminum frame today would likely be a bit lighter than your current one and feel a bit less stiff, though road feel is generally much more dependent on tire construction and pressure than on frame materials. But unless there's something you don't like about your current frame, I doubt it's worth the investment to replace it just because the newer ones look different.
Drive Train
Better chainring design (ramps and pins) has enabled double chainrings with large differences in size, and the number of cogs in the rear continues to increase (now 11 is standard on expensive bikes). As a result triple chainrings have largely disappeared from even the lower tiers of expensive road bikes. The main benefit of the doubles over triples is weight, though. There isn't a big difference in performance. And counterintuitively, you may find yourself shifting between chainrings more frequently on the double than you did on the triple because the switch point is in the middle range where you ride most. On the triple, I find that I ride a lot on the middle ring and mainly only use the big when descending and the small when climbing.
If you find your current gearing is a bit high for you, you can easily switch to smaller chainrings on the current setup. I've run 26/39/50 on those same Shimano triple cranks that you have that came with 30/42/52 originally. You should still be able to buy 39 and 50t chainrings with ramps and pins to work together properly, since Shimano sold Tiagra and Sora groupsets with 28/39/50 triples using the same BCD as the 30/42/52.
A downside to the new drivetrains is that the narrow cogs and chains wear much more quickly than the thicker ones in a 7-speed set up (and are more expensive to replace).
New cranks are also lighter due to the switch from square taper spindles to hollow spindles and external bearings. If weight isn't a concern for you, there's really no advantage.
And of course, if you want to switch to a 2x11 drive train, all of the components can be put on your existing frame, so you can upgrade without changing the frame.
Conclusion
If weight is not a concern, the primary benefit to a new bike would be the ability to have disc brakes, which aren't even standard on road bikes now.
You might find that wider lower pressure tires and lower gears make your riding more enjoyable, especially now that you're 20 years older than when you bought the Giant. But if you're comfortable on long rides the way it is, there's no need to change just to follow the trends.
If you want to cut a bit of weight, you can do it by upgrading parts. Perhaps look at nicer wheels or switch to a hollow spindle crank and external bearing BB such as the Tiagra triple from the 3x9 speed era, which would be compatible with all your existing equipment. Just swap on your current chainrings and you're good to go.


How can I find an adult-sized passenger trailer?

Equinox makes a larger version of a child carrier for passengers up to 200 lbs.  See: http://www.equinoxtrailers.com/store/item/19


As long as you can see the dimple, the rim is still thick enough.

When you brake, the rim gets worn. Eventually it is worn so thin that it can break. The dimples help you identify the wear so that you can replace the rim before it breaks.


Rear 700C tire on hybrid bike flat/deflating seemingly at random

Something subtle is in the tyre puncturing the tubes. It may be rubbing rather than piercing, and it may be imperceptible without pressure, but it's there. To help you locate it, align the logo on the tyre with the valve every time. Then when you find the hole in the tube you know where to look in the tyre (with some margin for error, and you might flip the tube over, so check the other side of the valve too).
As well as glass, wire, screws etc. I've had the threads from a nearly worn out tyre appear on the inside and cause slow punctures, and I've had the inner end of ice spikes wear holes in tubes.
Slow punctures are odd. They can seem to hold for a while then drop suddenly. Whether that's real or just that you notice suddenly, I don't know, but I've had a couple recently do odd things like that


How to make my Avid Elixir 1 hydraulic brakes more firm?

This can be down to a misaligned caliper.  Ideally when you apply the brake both brake pads should hit the rotor at the same time.  If you can see a visible deflection in the rotor when the brake is applied then you need to adjust the caliper position.  The loosen it off and apply the brake method rarely works for me, I get much better results lining everything up by eye.  Also remember the caliper will try and move as you tighten the bolts up!
If you still have a squishy feel when the caliper is aligned then a bleed is the next thing to try.


If you could find a seat that did not have footrests or was advertised as holding a 7 y.o., ~45 lbs (~20 kgs) child it would not meet the ASTM International standard. It's over all safety would be questionable.

According to consumerreports.org:

  There are no federal standards for trailers or bike seats. The AAP recommends that any trailer or bike-mounted child seat meet the safety standards of ASTM International. Look for a sticker on the product or the packaging that indicates compliance. It's also a good idea to buy trailers and bike seats from reputable bicycle stores and manufacturers. Be careful about what you might find in toy stores, because those items might not meet the same safety standards.

If a child seat is manufactured according to the ASTM International standard:

  The carrier shall be manufactured free of burrs, sharp edges, and sharp points; when present, these shall be properly covered with protective coatings to prevent injuries. In addition, the carrier shall be equipped with a rear reflector, footrests, backrest, armrests, protective devices to prevent contact of hands and feet with moving or movable components of the bicycle, and belt or capturing devices to keep the child from standing in or leaving the carrier.

  This specification covers child carriers that mount to the rear of bicycles in order to transport children or accessory loads with a maximum weight of 18 kg (40 lb)

An option might be a tag along.
It also reduces weight on the rear wheel vs child seat and bags.

This rig would work with a rack and bags/panniers

EDIT:
Further comments indicate the need to carry two children.
A tandem tag along might be an option that reduces the inherent instability of a large weight high over the rear wheel and still accommodate bage.


What is different about cycling in London?

The roads in London aren't particularly special, they can be quite busy, they are often quite full of motorised traffic, cyclists don't always have the best reputation for adhering to all laws (e.g. one-way streets and red lights) and, as a consequence, many other road users don't always go out of their way to be overly friendly or forgiving, but it's a great place to get around by bike and, especially to an experienced rider, there's nothing particular to worry about: keep your eyes open, your ears alert and your wits about you, obey the old adage "assume they're all out to get you" and you'll be ok!

London's a big city, the road network is comprehensive, and within most of inner London, e.g. within 4-5 miles of the City or Westminster, very few roads would be considered as totally unsuitable for bikes. Look out for the 'cycle superhighways' - while they aren't wonderfully designed, they attract a good amount of cycle traffic, which means you'll generally find more cyclists on those routes - definite strength in numbers.

There is an increasing, if not a single bike culture, then certainly an expectation of a wide range of cyclists at all hours of the day or night: couriers, commuters, road warriors, boris bikes, fixies, lycra louts and so on.

If you're used to practicing 'vehicular' cycling, you'll fit in reasonably well - there is plenty of that around. Even if you obey every traffic signal there's no reason why you can't average well over 17 or 18 mph if you're capable of such speed ... (My commute is just over 10 miles into the centre and I'm almost always able to do it in less than 40 minutes.)

In terms of route planning: you could use http://tfl.gov.uk - they have a planner with cycling as an option. Generally though, take a look at a map, draw a line from A to B and just go. There are some canal paths and genuine bike only routes, but on the whole, what cycle routes there are are along quieter roads, which can be safer, but a lot more circuitous.

There are quite a few good London blogs (e.g. http://cyclelondoncity.blogspot.com/, http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/, http://ibikelondon.blogspot.com/, http://velo-city-girl.blogspot.com/ amongst many others) which will help to give you a more local flavour.


(racer) Standard vs compact crankset: Increased leverage for same gear ratios true?

While it's true that a larger chainring will have slightly less friction and thus slightly more efficiently, it's an extremely negligible amount, that you wouldn't be able to feel. More importantly, are your crankarm lengths different on the new crankset than the old? That makes a much bigger difference. For example, if you've went from 175's to 170's, that will be a noticeable difference that could more likely explain what you're feeling.


There are bearings inside the pedal that are meant to keep things running smoothly.  If it was just the pedal itself around a metal shaft, then things would probably wear out quite quickly. Some pedals are serviceable, while others are meant to be replaced completely.

If you are sure that the snaps is coming from inside the pedal, and not from inside the bottom bracket or where the crank arm mounts to the bottom bracket, then it's probably a good idea to just replace the pedals.

New pedals, especially platform pedals, can be obtained quite cheap and can be replaced basic tools you may already have.  If you don't have tools, the bike shop would probably install them for free if you asked nicely.


The specific handling changes you will get come from two effects.

First, lowering the front puts your weight further forward, and tilts your torso down. You'll find the bike tends to "dig in" more then you go down into a dip or rut, and you're more likely to go over the handlebars as a result. You'll also have more weight on your arms, so you're likely to find the bike less comfortable on longer rides. You might also have more neck soreness since you're looking up more when riding.

Secondly, you've changed the head angle and trail. A steeper head angle normally makes the bike more twitchy (responsive to steering input), but since you also have more trail (if you extend the line through the head tube to the ground, and measure back from there to the centre of the contact patch, that's the trail). More trail means more castor effect - the steering tends to return to centre if the bike is upright, or turn in towards the direction of lean. The combination is likely to make the steering feel heavier, and you'll have to work more to keep the bike on track if you're not leaning perfectly on a  banked corner. On a flat track when cornering the bike will want to oversteer, twisting the handlebars into the turn until the wheel flips sideways and you crash.

The change from 29" to 26" is relatively small, so the above effects are unlikely to be dramatic, and you will probably be fine. I expect you'll ride for a bit, re-read this answer and go "yeah, it does that, a bit".

You could eliminate the first effect by buying a stem or bars with a bit more rise in them. You're going from ISO622 to ISO559 (bead seat diameter (BSD) in millimetres), or a difference in diameter of 63mm, so the bars will drop about 31mm (assuming tyre size stays the same). A stem 30mm higher should be fairly easy to find.

This assumes you're using disk brakes, since rim brakes won't work with the smaller wheel. If you don't have disk brakes, the missing front brake will be the main thing you notice. You'll lose 70-90% of your braking power, and that's bad.


Can I break a single speed chain with kmc universal link

It depends on the width of the chain. Single speed chains come in 1/8" and 3/32" widths, so you need to know whats on the bike to use an appropriate master link.

You should also check the chain, chainring and cog for wear. If the chain is old and poorly maintained it may be time for a new one (and possibly replacement of other drivetrain parts).


How can many people move a car -trailer with bicycles?

The first question is what the legal situation is. I am fairly sure that in Australia that trailer would not be a legal bike trailer because of the overhang past the rear axle, but the police would stop you because it's too large (they generally don't know this part of the law very well). Either way, I doubt you'd get far before they took an interest.

If you can tow it legally, I'd look at how to activate the brakes in the trailer. You will need to be able to do that relatively easily, because those will be your only effective brakes. That trailer will push a bicycle with it's wheels locked up quite easily. So, make the trailer brakes work.

Then I would build a quick semitrailer-style load tricycle, either a tandem or triplet. Somewhere on the net are photos of a bike shop move (in north america?) where they built a couple of semi-trailer style trike+trailer units for the heavy stuff (workbenches at 200kg+). Broadly, a solid axle between two wheelbarrow-style wheels, one side driven, very low geared, upright trike. You would probably want gears in there, but the main thing is to mount the towball as close to that axle as you can. Have the rear rider operate the (trailer) brakes, and the front rider operate the steering and gears. I would fit brakes to the trike but only for legal reasons and so it can be ridden separately from the trailer.

Depending on the weight of the trailer and the slope of the hills, you may find that you need a few extra riders to help push the trailer up hills. Either way, walking speed is a fair guess at how fast you'll go. Partly because you don't want to go faster than that down hills either.

You will probably have better luck if you do it as a charity ride - it doesn't really matter which charity, just pick one you kind like who will let you use their name and start advertising "fund raising ride - five idiots pull a big trailer from Here to There using a tricycle". With a little effort I'm sure you could even make enough money for them to be really happy :)


Which chainguard (or alternative chainring) for a Shimano FC-M 510 crankset

Many thanks for all the tips. I ended up buying a new FC-M540 chainring with holes (since my current one was already quite old) and a chainguard that is actually meant for FC-T671/FC-T781 (Y-1MP98070). Needless to say that the chainguard fits perfectly to the FC-M540 chainring, although officially they are listed as incompatible.
Everything works perfectly, I didn't even have to adjust the front derailleur.


Is there any reason to switch to the Giant Aircap headset expander? Any reason not to?

Many people tend toward a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset with bicycles.  I think you already understand the main differences (weight, inability to shorten steertube after installation).  The only other immediate difference is cost (money for a new expander, versus the one you already own) and labor.

One other difference may be that if that fork is somehow damaged/destroyed, you'll likely lose the glue-in, however, you have original as backup in that case.  Really it's just a case of you deciding to spend the money to save a few grams (that's assuming the glue doesn't make up the weight difference and make it the whole thing just a marketing gimmick).


If you go to any reasonably well stocked bike shop (or the bike department of a large department store) they will have a fair assortment of bike lights and reflectors.  In particular there are a lot of different battery-powered LED flashers available:

Mounting the light/reflector sometimes requires a bit of ingenuity, but you can often do pretty well using a cable clamp from a hardware store to attach to a rack or seat stay (if the light doesn't come with something suitable):


Panniers or rack bags for photography equipment

I found a picture of how I did this! You can see the firmer, black foam with foil that I used on the outside, and the bits of softer foam that I used to pack everything in. The flap poking up covers the top when the pannier is closed. This photo is from when I was putting it together, so the contents is not well arranged. I make a simple frame so I could use the pannier as a handlebar bag so it got the benefit of the suspension fork.

I started out with an Ortlieb front roller, which is a smallish squareish pannier. I had a 300D + 70-300/5.6mm at that stage, so it was also fairly small. I got a sheet of foam about 30mm thick and carefully cut and folded it to make a box that just fit into the pannier. I added an extra layer at the bottom, since that's where most of the shocks come from. Then I cut more bits of foam to nest the camera and lenses. Basically set it up the way you'd set up any other camera bag, and arranged so that opening the pannier let me lift the camera out eaasily. Obviously this filled the whole pannier, so on tour I ended up with two full size rear panniers plus that front one. But the camera survived 10,000km or so of riding over several years.

With a larger camera you will need a larger pannier to start with, or sacrifice some of the padding. I suggest getting a large pannier, and making a padded camera bag out of foam to occupy the top half of the pannier, then making a cloth bag to hold that so you can lift the whole camera out easily to access the rest of your stuff. I'd probably keep my d lock on top of the camera round town so it's easy to get to.

The foam I used was house insulation foam with foil on one side. That worked well to stiffen it and make it more wear resilient - otherwise getting the foam box out of the pannier would have inevitably worn away the foam (I used the pannier for other things too). So a cloth cover would do the same thing, and should be easy enough to make as it doesn't need to exactly match the shape of the foam.

If you're looking for a commercial solution I doubt you'll have much luck - I've never seen anything. The best would be a small-ish camera backpack to hold most of the camera gear, then a pannier with everything else in it. That gets most of the weight off your back, but the expensive bits still benefit from the suspension effect of your body.

What I use now is a Crumpler camera side-bag that looks a lot like their bike courier bags but has a fuzzy interior that catches velcro, so I can use padded camera bag dividers to slot camera gear into it. It was easier to add the courier strap to a camera bag than convert a couier bag to camera gear (but it's not a great courier bag if you're on and off the bike all day).

For touring I have a custom recumbent bike with a special bin behind the seat to hold my camera backpack. I have a Desley bag that holds a laptop or a 1D body, but it's not quite high enough to hold both easily. It does, however, max out the cabin luggage size on most airlines. For getting onto the plane I usually put the camera around my neck, often with a big lens on it to bring the bag under the weight limit).


Fixie: how to learn to ride: step by step

I’ve been riding mostly fixed gear for, oh, maybe ten years now. I use bmx pedals with straps.

Straps

You really ought to practice getting in and out of them until it becomes second nature. Having problems getting clipped in or getting your foot through the strap means you won’t have a rear brake (not ideal). Having problems getting out means you end up falling when stopping (as you noticed). That could be potentially quite dangerous. Do NOT use any kind of foot fastening system that you need to use your hands to get strapped into or out of! That might be fine on an indoor track, but is a phenomenally bad idea for road riding.

If you find your foot getting stuck when pulling it out of the straps, it might be that your straps are too tight or you’re wearing the wrong kind of shoe. When using straps, the best kind of shoe is—in my opinion—canvas shoes with relatively thin soles and without too much pattern, such as Converse. Modern running shoes tend to have quite bulky, grippy soles which means you can get stuck. Classic leather shoes tend to be wide in front and narrow in the middle which means it can be a bit of a struggle to get into the strap. Boots are just a bad idea for cycling, full stop.

Try practicing when leaning against something you can hold onto, like a lamp post or a railing; or on ground where falling down doesn’t hurt so much, such as grass.

Stopping

This is simple: use your front brake. I know the cool kids on their fixies ride brakeless, but honestly, it’s just a bit stupid (or at least reckless). I don’t care how good anyone think they are at stopping their brakeless fixie: the fact of the matter is that the front wheel has much better stopping power than the rear. On a road bikes with front and rear brakes, you still mostly use the front one. Braking at speed adds significant downward force on the front wheel. More downward force means greater braking potential before skidding. On a grippy surfacy (dry road) with decent tyres, your front wheel simply will not skid. Even on my gravel bike with very grippy 35 mm tyres, it doesn’t take a lot of braking power to lock up the rear wheel. If you brake hard enough to lock the front wheel, however, you don’t skid—you go over the handlebars. While not ideal, it’s leagues better than going full tilt into a little old lady crossing the road because your rear-brake-only bike just skids.

Resisting the forward motion of the drivetrain is great for keeping your balance and controlling your movements at low speeds. When weaving between pedestrians or between lines of cars stuck in traffic, a fixie is terrific. When stopping at a red light, a fixie makes it easier to stay on your pedals (track standing), which means you get a quicker start when the light goes green. But for stopping at high speed, your front brake is your best friend.

Beware of pedal strike

One thing you need to get a feeling for is cornering. Because the pedals keep spinning even as you lean into the curve, you risk striking the road with your pedal. The faster you go and the tighter the turn, the more you lean over. Striking the ground that way can easily knock you off your balance. Also be wary of other potential obstacles. A few years ago, I hit the side of the pavement with my pedal. The force was enough to lift the rear wheel maybe half a metre off the ground. I rolled maybe 10–15 metres on my front wheel, at around 45 km/h, surrounded by taxis. It was terrifying. Don’t do that.


I found this:

  Lotus Bicycles is/was based in Pennsylvania:

  Last known mailing address/telephone number below:

  Lotus Bicycles Post Office Box 21924 Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
  18002-1924
  +800-841-0123 Founded in 1979

  They had a website in 2000 : www.lotusbike.com but it is no longer
  registered/active. They manufactured bicycles & frames for road &
  track use.

From what I read it used to be a pretty good brand -- what one might buy if they were a dedicated amateur rider but not uber-rich.  But apparently they never made it out of the early 90s, when frame-building technology changed (and it became impossible to compete on price with the larger automated manufacturers).

Here is a web site on them:  http://www.vintagelotusbicycles.com/


If I understand correctly you are trying to use a conventional 7 speed derailleur shifter on a Nexus hub. The Nexus hub does not use a linear cable pull ratio. The amount of cable pull required to shift is not the same from 1st gear to 2nd as required from 2nd to 3rd. A conventional 7 speed shifter pulls 2.9mm of cable between each gear. So you need to get a Nexus compatible shifter or risk hub damage due to improper adjustment.


Remove visible thorns etc from tyres equipped with inner tubes with sealant liquid?

You should always remove the thorns as soon as you see them. There's a good chance that if you're diligent about it, you'll get them before they even get through the tyre to put a hole in the tube. For ones that are already embedded deeply enough in the tyre to puncture the tube, removing them will prevent them from making the hole bigger than it already is.

You should remove them carefully in a way that allows the sealant the best chance of fixing the puncture. To do this, begin by resting the wheel vertically such that the thorn is at the bottom, near the ground. You then leave it like this for a few minutes. Gravity will cause the liquid sealant in the tube to pool at the bottom, near the thorn. Once you pull the thorn out, the sealant should plug the hole almost immediately, but it's still best to leave the wheel with the puncture at the bottom for a while for best results.


Why aren't sportive' 'bikes popular outside the UK?

That site's basic definition of sportive boils down to:

more upright riding position
more comfortable for distance riding
longer chainstays, taller head tube
softer forks (though many brands have gone to carbon forks across the board)
yet still with drop handlebars and quality components

And I think nearly every brand in the US has entries in that realm, though they often call them things like "endurance / sport / performance" as compared to "race / competition". Basically it comes down to "comfort geometry not race geometry"; components, materials, and even gearing choices are often similar or identical.   Of course their race models often extend up into exotic carbon frames and top-end component groups, where sport models may only go up to basic carbon frames and mid-level groupos.

Some examples (aluminum frames):

Brand          sport geometry     race geometry
-----          --------------     -------------
Cannondale     Synapse            CAAD 10
Felt           Z series           F series
Giant          Defy               TCR
Specialized    Secteur            Allez
Trek           ?                  2 series

These are all drop-bar road bikes, but the first column has a little more forgiving ride for long distances, while the last column has racier / faster handling.  But both kinds are raceable if you want (they're not all that far apart).  Both can usually be had with your choice of triple or compact double crank gears; a standard double seems more available in race models.

So 'sportive' bikes are available in the US, just by different names.


E is for Error.  It is listed as "A system error was detected." with a fix of turn it off and on, and if problems persist see the dealer.   But its not the root cause.
W is for Warning, and that is an alert to tell you something.   W013 means "Initialization of torque sensor was not completed successfully."
The Shimano manual says

Note: Power assistance may be lower than usual.
Resolution: With your foot off the pedal, press the battery power button and turn on the power again.  If the situation does not improve, contact the place of purchase.

So turn on your bike and then put your foot on the pedal.  If this doesn't help, then your torque sensor or its connecting harness may be damaged.
There is a STEPS manual at https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/um/UM-72F0A-001-00-ENG.pdf or the Spanish language version is at https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/um/UM-72F0A-001-00-SPA.pdf


How to tell if a newly built bicycle wheel is safe to ride?

You said that it is laterally and radially true, dished correctly and properly tensioned. Sounds like its ready to ride! As far as i know there is no real true test method other than riding. I would just take an easy ride around the block or on a tame trail. You may find that after riding for a bit you will need to re-tension some of the spokes after they have settled in. This is pretty normal with use.


How does weight influence your speed when descending?

The heavier person will present more area to the wind, but this is mitigated by two factors: The bicycle presents a fixed area to the wind and the area presented by the heavier person is not proportional because of the 2/3 power law. If you just scale up a rider by a factor in mass, the volume increases in proportion, but the frontal area scales up as the 2/3 power of the weight ratio because the dimension along the direction of travel does not contribute.  Both of these mean a heavy rider on a bike with a constant grade will descend faster with no power input besides the hill.


If you really want to use that bike, the best thing to do is fit the cheapest components that will make it go (and stop), clean off the worst of the rust and use car touch-up paint to cover the bare spots. You might want more than the cheapest of the cheap for brake pads, especially if the rims are chromed steel and you're not in a desert.  Unfortunately before you can really test anything you'll need tubes and tyres.

Then you've got an ugly bike that's good for not getting stolen, and won't lose value because it hasn't got any (not even all the value of the components you fitted new).  That also makes it good for leaving out in all weathers, though  it won't last forever. If you've got spares from another bike, it's much more worthwhile. I ride an early 90s bike only a little better than this for a few miles a day, and lock it in not the best places, so I assume it will get stolen/vandalised.  Despite having spare new tyres to fit, I spent almost as much on essential components as you could spend on the cheapest bike in a cheap bike shop, and what I ended up with was only a little better (mostly tougher).  When you've run it into the ground, save the components you fitted for use on the next bike, and recycle the rest.

If you've got major rust, espcially on anything critical, walk away.

One of the worst money pits on a bike is trying to change the wheel size, with only a few exceptions.

This may sound harsh but it's the only way to avoid throwing good money after bad.


What type of brake is this? Adjustment questions

This is one of the generations of Shimano single pivot sidepull brakes where the layout of what fasteners do what is different from the more common type that has two nuts like you mention. The pivot adjustment procedures do not translate at all.

For this brake, the wrench flats you see on top of the brake arms are integral to the pivot bolt. Or in other words, the brake is comprised of one long bolt, and that's the head of it. Then behind the arms are the spring carrier and the locknut, which are both threaded, and function similar to but in a different place as the two nut style of brake you watched the video for.

Not knowing what you're dealing with makes things go haywire quickly on these. More common sidepulls have the spring carrier as the rigid piece that's integral to the pivot axle, whereas on this it's threaded and turns independent of it for adjustment.

The general idea for adjustment is that the mounting nut is loosened or removed completely, then the locknut is broken free by putting a wrench on both the spring carrier and the locknut. Then, put a wrench on the pivot bolt and the spring carrier and turn in the pivot bolt to make your adjustment, which will also rotate the mounting bolt and the locknut, but you don't care about that. Then lock it in place by putting a wrench on the spring carrier and locknut and locking down the locknut, and finish by tightening down the mounting bolt while holding the brake centered with a wrench on the pivot bolt. This style of brake is naturally resilient to getting off-center, but if you need to re-center it later, do it by loosening the mounting bolt and refastening it with wrench on the pivot bolt.

Taking the brake off the bike completely and unfastening the cable will tend to simplify the adjustment process with these brakes, especially when you're still just figuring them out.

The nature of these brakes is that it's easy for someone who doesn't know what they're looking at to leave them in a state where the locknut has been broken free and the spring carrier is just floating on the pivot bolt causing all sorts of problems with binding and not centering correctly. If you just put a wrench on the spring carrier and turn like you would on other types, that's likely to happen.

Another description of the procedure can be found under the "Safety Pivot" section here.

Note that all of the above is only relevant to adjusting play or binding in the brake arms or to make sure everything is fastened properly.

The cable routing by the rack could be problematic if the housing is bonking against the rack as the brake is trying to spring back. If it's close but just missing it or only barely contacting, that's fine. Manipulating the strut or using a different one to avoid interference is what you'd do if there was a problem. You could likely fix it by loosening the bolts that secure the strut to the rack, reefing the strut in a bit with pliers, and re-fastening the bolts.

Housing friction can also cause the poor return action. There are many questions here about how to diagnose and fix that.


How can I find out what's clicking on my bike?

First of all, welcome to the "mysterious click" society!

The obvious first thing you want to check if this is pedal or not. Find a certain way to reproduce the click and reproduce it by pressing on the pedal, its furthest end, only. Then try to reproduce by pressing only crank by your foot using similar force (be careful, cranks are slippery!) and watch what happens. If click does not happen, then there's a good chance all you need is to tighten your pedal a bit.

If the click is still happening, check the screws on your stem and handlebar, saddle, also check if quick release levers are tight enough. These can click if too loose too. If you have a threaded stem, tighten the center screw - it does click if loose.

It is usually very hard to understand from where exactly the click comes. Try to apply the pressure without grabbing handlebars, try all kinds of tricks to understand what is clicking.

Carefully check out all the frame and cranks for cracks. Those can happen on new bikes too. Check your chain - may be there is a loose link?

If the click still happens, then it is a bit more mysterious than the usual causes. I have had a bike which was so mysterious so that even LBS disassembled it all and re-assembled for free - the click was gone that way. Reason still unknown.


Not sure if there is a tradition term for these. At the time of writing I found Some products simply called cable splitters or separators and Ritchey quick disconnectors


How to fix tyre issue - rubbery sounds when riding

It sounds like a combination of two things: your tyre is under-inflated (1cm give seems like a lot) and it's also pretty knobbly.

To solve the first problem, pump them up a bit more! There's normally a range shown on the side of the tyres (often it's hard to find, but it's nearly always there), so somewhere in that range would be a good start. If you'll be mostly riding on roads or paths like that shown in the video, towards the upper end of that range is best; if you're doing off-road, try a little lower. Don't be afraid to experiment. You will need a pump with a pressure gauge to get the best results (it's a good investment for the future anyway), but otherwise put some more air in both tyres, and see how that feels; normally you'd ride with about the same pressure in front and rear tyres. I ride a road bike with smooth tyres, and if there's any give at all, I know they're drastically under-inflated! One advantage of higher pressure is that it makes you less vulnerable to the type of puncture known as the "pinch flat".

The tyre itself has quite deep tread (ie, it's "knobbly"), so it will be noisier (and less efficient) than a smoother tyre. Whether it's a good idea to swap your tyres for something a bit (or a lot) slicker again depends on the kind of riding you'll be doing. Generally, the smoother the surface you'll be riding on, and the longer the distance, the smoother the tyre you'll prefer. For tomorrow's journey, you'll probably be fine with these tyres.


Can a tandem's front bottom bracket fail catastrophically?

First off, in order for there to be any sort of a "crisis", both bolts would have to fail, an unlikely possibility on a reasonably well-maintained bike.

But, beyond that, the integrity of the frame doesn't depend on the BB shell resisting twisting loads.  Rather, due to the "truss" nature of the standard bike frame (tandem or not), the load on the shell is almost totally "radial" -- force into or away from the shell.  While this force would tend to "pry" the shell open, it's very unlikely to be substantial enough to cause catastrophic failure.


Let all the air out and work your hands around the tire, "breaking" the tire edge from the rim where it has stuck.  Go around twice doing this.  Then reinflate slowly, checking every few pumps to see if the tire is properly centered.  If not, work it back to the center with your hands.

Pay particular attention to the part of the tire right next to the rim -- there's generally a sort of ridge in the tire sidewall that, if the tire is properly seated, will be a constant 2mm or so from the rim edge.

If you cannot get the tire to seat, regardless, then you may have the misfortune of having mixed fractional and decimal tire sizes.  But first make sure the tube is not twisted inside the tire.


Why did the hydraulic disc brake stop working when riding down a steep mountain?

What you experienced was brake fade. There are two reasons why it happens:

The fluid inside the brake boils releasing gas into the system which makes the brakes feel spongy and then non-existant.
The pad and rotor heat up sufficiently to not work, this feels like you are applying the brake but it doesn't work.

You look to have experienced the first. This is exacerbated by water in the brake line as that boils at a lower point, the DOT fluid in the Avid brakes is hygroscopic and will attract and retain water in the brake fluid. You may have also had air in the line which would have also exacerbated the problem.

The additional weight of the trailer and kids (I'd estimate an additional 100kg nearly) put more work on the brakes to keep speed low. This is the main cause of the brake fade and why you may not of experienced it before. Braking technique plays a big part although in this situation outside of your control. If you drag the brakes (long continuous periods of moderate braking) rather than short bursts you will see the brakes heat up much quicker.

In the first instance let the brakes cool to get you home. After that it would also be worth bleeding the brakes with new DOT fluid as well to purge the system of air and water. Also I wouldn't try to take that much weight downhill on a trailer.


Most of the new schools of thought  suggest moving back or forth on your saddle is more of an indication that the saddle offset isn't set up correctly, than it is advantageous.  I would tend to agree.  If you find yourself constantly shifting forward or backwards, this likely indicates that the saddle isn't in the correct position.

Old school fitting have been obsessed with KOPS (Knee over pedal spindle), but this was originally derived as a general method to determine whether or not a frame size was appropriate (i.e., if you couldn't get into KOPS, you needed a different size). (There isn't even consensus on how you even measure KOPS as everyone landmarks the knee differnently - this can result in over 1cm difference in offset alone).  Depending on your body proportions and bike position if you setup your bike to comply with KOPS this may have  put you into a sub-optimal position, which is why you may find yourself moving forward or backwards.

Best advice is to go out with a set of allen keys and level and ride a reasonably long climb.  If you find your self wanting to move forward, try moving the saddle forward  (0.5cm at a time) then retry. Eventually you should be able to fine tune your fit.  The level is used to ensure you can keep the attitude of your saddle (i.e, nose up, level, or down) the same between trials.  Optimal saddle attitude is a topic onto itself (I feel a lot of "experts" have little understanding on the functional bio-mechanics of  hips and how this inter-plays with saddle attitude.)

  In about a month I plan to attempt Whiteface Mountain with its 13 km at an 8% grade. If I manage this climb I will be at my limit. Should I move my saddle back for the climb?

Honestly, I think gearing will be the most important factor for surviving 13 km at 8%.  I have done a 40 km ride at a similar gradient and being able to spin is a life saver (when I saw the "only" 19 km remaining I shed a tear). There are lots of long cage road derailleurs and wide range cassettes available now.  I would consider this as the most important change over fine tuning such as saddle offset.


Why is there a stitched hole in the back pocket of my new jersey?

My best guess is the hole would allow a headphone cable to run down the collar, through the inside of the shirt, and into the pocket.


Larger wheels have lower effective rolling resistance.  That is, they roll over obstacles more easily and smoothly because the larger diameter doesn't allow them to fall into gaps as easily.  Which means on actual roads you'll roll more easily with a larger wheel.  Everything else is much smaller differences.

However, I think the angular momentum may work out about the same: at the same speed, a bigger wheel will have a lower rpm than a smaller wheel.  And the ratio of the difference in rotation speed is the same as the ratio of the the angular momentum.  To put it another way: I'm too lazy to work out all the math, but I think the angular momentum cancels out and you get the same linear momentum regardless of wheel size. (and having the same linear momentum is an intuitive result. If you're going 15mph, relative to you the bottom of the wheel is going 15mph back, the top 15mph forward, the front 15mph down, the back 15mph up.  Relative to the road it's 0, 15, 15 and 30. All independent of wheel size)

Constructing a larger wheel will generally require slightly more mass and might therefore slow your acceleration slightly.

Also, all else being equal, a larger wheel is geared higher and may give you a higher top speed.


I don't want any extra junk burdening me during the 99% of rides that aren't grocery runs.

I use a Bontrager pannier (or two) like this one: http://bontrager.com/model/08102

The rack on my bike is permanent, but you can clip the bag onto onto the rack, or detach it again, in a second or two: so put it on the bike only when you're going to the store. I also take the bag into the store so I can fill it there, then bring it out already full and attach it to the bike and cycle off.


Threads visible on axle of rear fixed wheel

The two nuts inside the fork should be tightened against each other, as they are in the second photo. The outer nut is normally referred to as a lock-nut, because it's used to lock the other nut in place by being tightened against it.

This is critically important with open bearing systems, as precise adjustment of the cones on open bearings is what makes them work (and stops the balls escaping). With sealed bearings like yours it's less important, as the inner nut on each side effectively lock against each other via the two bearings and the spacer. Viz, there is continuous metal around the axle inside your wheel, so you can do those nuts up nice and tight. Caveat: there should be continuous metal. Obviously the manufacturer can save a few grams by leaving out that spacer, and in that case tightening the nuts properly will destroy the bearings. To find out, check that the axle still rotates freely when the nuts are done up.

The problem in your case is that you have a deep, strong axle nut on the outside of the fork that is done up nice and tight to stop the axle sliding in the dropouts of your single-speed. Unfortunately that big hefty nut is tightening against the skinny little locknut on the other side of the fork, rather than against the locknut plus nut etc assembly. You're likely to damage the locknut and may strip it, which would mean the drive side of your axle would be able to slide, dropping your chain.

You can avoid that if you never do up the outer axle nut very tight, but in my experience that inevitably leads to the axle slipping in the dropout, the rider doing the nut up tighter, and the locknut stripping or deforming.


How to prevent ice from clogging the cassette?

Ice wax like in the linked post will most likely solve your problem. if not you can use WD-40. Put it on just before you go out but give it about 10-15 min to do its thing. Don't crank it around or anything just let it sit.

What you want to happen is for the lubricating elements to make it hard for the ice to form, thats pretty much what the wax does too.

But with WD you can use it to de-ice while your riding* as long as you give it a few to evaporate the penetrating elements.

Also, I would not use this on too old of a bike or like a cheap department store bike as the driving mechanisms of that type of bicycle are not built in a way that the WD40 would work best (things can come apart)

I use this method all the time for work. If its a problem you spray it on when you stop to make a delivery, in the few min it takes to do your thing, it does it's thing & your good to go.


Can I replace the 32 mm tires on a Trek 7.3 with 35 mm tires?

32mm to 35mm is a small change. It's not going to make a huge difference in ride quality and because it's a small change, any bike that comes with 32mm tires is very likely to handle 35mm tires with no difficulties.

The 7.2FX and 7.3FX are the same frame, but a different fork. It's hard to be sure from the online description, but probably also the same brakes. The wheels are different, but it's a small enough tire size change that it's not a problem. All the geometric specs are identical for all sizes between the two models.

If the 7.2 works with a 35mm tire, the 7.3 will almost definitely work with the same 35mm tire on the rear, and very likely work with the same 35mm tire on the front.

A 35mm wide tire should be 1.5mm wider on each side than a 32mm tire, and will have a similar increased outer radius. 1.5mm is the thickness of a US penny (or a smidge more than the thickness of a dime), so you can use a couple dimes to measure.

Is there at least 2mm of room on each side (and top) of the tire where it passes through the top of the fork? Same amount of room or more where it passes through the brakes? That's the most likely problem areas here.

Double-check the back if you're still worried: is there 2mm clearance around all sides of the tire where it goes through the brake, where it goes between the seatstays, where it goes through the chain stays and where it gets closest to the seat tube?

If all those check out, then you're in the clear.  If it's a close call, you'll just have to try it, or go into the shop and ask them to help you see if it'll work.


Change-over rules for women's team sprint

The rules for Track Races are here. In the Team Sprint:

  The leading rider shall lead the first lap and move towards the outside of the track and then drop back to leave the track without hindering the other team.

In Great Britain's semi-final this is what happened at the end of the first lap:

Jess Varnish (nearest to us in the picture) was the leading rider with Victoria Pendleton as the second rider. Jess Varnish should have lead for the whole of the first lap, unfortunately Victoria Pendleton overtook her before the first lap was completed and they were disqualified.

The same thing happened to the Chinese team in the final.


You gotta know your SHIS! :P

First you will need to determine the type of headset you require. It may be integrated,zero stack, External cup,as well as threaded or threadless.

After having this information the measurements you will require are Inside Diameter of the head tube top and bottom. This measurement allows you to determine what type of fork you need, whether 1-1/8" , 1-1/4" or tapered from 1-1/8" to 1.5".

The measurement of the steer tube Outer Diameter on the fork, top (stem clamp 1-1/8" or 1") and the bottom OD (Crown Race Seat Diameter). Bearing seat and angle will also be needed if it is a threadless headset. You can usually just look at the old bearing to get this information if the side marking are still readable.

Cane Creek and Park Tools website both have a plethora of information regarding it. This poster from cane creek may help clarify.

See the larger version here
Cane Creek's wording:

  The system addresses the critical interface dimensions required to fit a fork to a frame, as well as bearing location/cup type. To determine fit, four dimensions are needed: (1) stem-clamp diameter of fork, (2) crown-race seat diameter of fork, (3) head-tube top inside diameter, and (4) head-tube bottom inside diameter. Bearing location and cup-type are identified as (a) external cup (EC), (b) semi-integrated or ZeroStack (ZS), or (c) integrated (IS).

More info:

Park Tool
Cane Creek


The shifting on Alivio is not as good as it could be, I am suspicious that Shimano do this deliberately so that there is a reason to upgrade to the Deore components.

You can put an XT derailleur on there, that will give improved shifting response and work with your existing components. Try changing the cables first as this is more likely to improve the shifting.

The front derailleur can be similarly upgraded.

To get nine-speed on the back will cost lots of money because the cassette is highly engineered (and not just bits of stamped out steel).

If you get your existing Alivio to work correctly by putting new cables in, fixing that front chain-ring and giving everything a good service you will be spending modest sums of money and getting good results. As for spending a small fortune on an XT groupset a piece at a time, I doubt you will be able to go that much quicker on it or the bike be that much lighter.

if you fix what you have and save the money that you would spend on XT then you will have a good deposit for your 'dream bike'. Couple this with a bike-to-work scheme and you might be able to actually afford it, with payments for the rest spread out over the year.

To take a car analogy, you could upgrade a VW Beetle to a Porsche 911 a piece at a time, starting with the transmission. However, this is a lot of work and the Beetle will never really be a Porsche. You would do better to replace with VW Beetle spares and save up for the Porsche instead.

Aftermarket parts always cost more than they should - add up the RRP for all the parts on your bike and it will cost twice what you paid for it. Going for the deluxe parts makes no sense with your situation - although Wiggle/Shimano would like you to believe otherwise.


Road bike - Front wheel can lean to both sides

If by "lean" you mean that the plane of the wheel is shifting so that the top of the wheel becomes closer to one fork than the other, then it sounds like your wheel bearings are worn or loose. You can test this by holding the top of the wheel and trying to move it from side to side between the forks – if the bearings are in good condition, the wheel won't move in that direction.

If it is the bearings, the bike will seem to ride fine, which is consistent with your experience. However, the damage will be getting worse, which will eventually require complete replacement (which probably means a new wheel, in practical terms). You should get them fixed as soon as is convenient – it's not urgent but leaving it longer will make it more likely that they need replacement rather than adjustment. You'll probably need to get a bike shop to do the work, as it's probably not worth your while to buy the appropriate tools and learn how to use them.


Can't change M7000 front shifter from 2x into 3x

According to Shimano's current documentation there are separate 2x and 3x specific shifters, not a single model that can be configured either way. The web-site you linked to appears to be misleading on this point as it implies the shifters can work for both 2x and 3x.

Find the exact product codes of what you received and check against the Shimano page. If you have the 2x specific shifters, return them.


Sounds like you are shifting at a bad/uncomfortable angle, need too much force or your hands are just not used to the work. Are you sure it’s not from braking or your hand position in general?
I had problems shifting after I injured my middle finger while climbing. What helped most was using as many fingers as possible for shifting (in both directions).
When you are on the big chainring you generally need more force to shift on the rear derailleur. So I’d try shifting to the small chainring earlier (which also means less work for the right hand).
You could install new, good cables and cable housing to reduce friction. In my experience good, properly routed cables make much more difference for quality and ease of shifting than the price/tier of the groupset.
As a last resort you could change to a different type of shifters. Either twist-grip shifters, bar-end shifters or electronic STI shifting (Shimano Di2, SRAM eTap), though it’s very expensive.


Why are axle cone nuts on the left side of a bike not reverse threaded?

Cone nuts have lock nuts.  The lock nuts (in an ideal world) prevent any motion.

And, as you observe, precession in either direction is bad on wheel bearings, so there's no real point in preferring self-tightening or self-loosening.

(In fact, having both the same direction means that any slight "creep" in one will tend to be canceled by the "creep" in the other.)

Note that crank bearings and pedal threads are subjected to much more axial load (and more intermittent), and are thus more subject to creep.  Plus, cartridge crank bearing cups and pedal threads are self-limiting -- they will only tighten so far, regardless.  And often the crank cups do not have lock nuts.


The cable should be pulled through the pinch bolt on the brake, making sure any breaks in the housing are seated in housing stops on the frame, until it is tight enough that the arm on the brake is just beyond it's "relaxed" position.  Then tighten that bolt, check that it works, and if it does, leave about 3" of cable coming out of that bolt, trim the excess and install a cable end.  Otherwise, looks like you did a very good job installing a cable, for I'm assuming the first time?


Derailleur hanger moves when tightening quick release

Edited from my comments above:

The first thing I would check is whether the hanger is removable.

If it is removable, I would check that it is still bolted securely in place. It's pretty common that removable hangers sort of overlap with the dropout. So it's possible that the hanger is loose, and the QR is then clamping it firmly in to place, but then each time you remove and reattach the wheel it clamps in a slightly different position.  That could explain the tricky shifting.


I would look for other alternatives.

These suits are very "one general size" type. Meaning they don't fit very well and have quite a bit of chafing as a possibility. I wore one for a fun 10K a few years back and I am glad I wore my trainer undies with them. I got chaffing around the armpits and the visibility was such that I wouldn't want to be on a single track course. If you must pick a theme to do this event, skip the morph suits.

IMHO
Mountain bike racing and the general silliness of a themed event poses several safety challenges. Usually people are less inclined to take their surroundings into account when their having fun. Add that with trail conditions and people on mountain bikes and I think you'd be asking for collisions and crashes.


Can't reassemble Shimano bar-end shifters

You have probably resolved your problem, but others may encounter it; I did.
Number the 6 parts in your photographs from left to right so they correspond to the exploded sketch: 8--the nut; 7 and 7a (7 is the mount that enters the bar; 7a is the notched, cylindrical disk that is a separate piece from the mount.);  6--the single tabbed notched washer; 5--the double tabbed washer; 4--the lever; and 321-- the pronged ratchet mech, conical plastic cover, and bolt.
Washer 5 rests with the tabs against either end of the raised segment of 4 (lower photo).  Insert 321 into the back side of 4.  Place 6 on top of 5 with the tab up and notches aligned with the prongs of 321.  Place 7a on top.  The tab shown at the top of 7 in the sketch fits between the single tab and the raised segment.  All the parts are “fiddly” but will fit together only one way; if any parts are canted even slightly, try again.
I found it helpful to put a dot of nail polish on 321 and 7a in way of the single tab of 6.
Install the parts on the mount, tighten the bolt, and check the function.


Most likely:

You didn't repair the original puncture properly, and air was still leaking from that site.
Whatever caused the puncture in the first place is still in the tire, and re-punctured the tube.
There was more than one puncture, possibly a small one that you didn't notice when finding the major one.

Possibly you also nicked the tube with a tire lever when getting the tire off. I think this might be what you are alluding to in your title.

By the way a 'pinch' puncture or flat usually refers to a puncture caused by the wheel hitting a bump that deforms the tire so much the tube is pinched between tire and rim. Frequent pinch flats indicate tire pressure is too low for the surface being ridden on.


Fit: Track mitts have a very different fit around the palm because the cut does not have to take care of finger length, especially the change of finger length when bending the fingers.You will notice mitts fit snug around the circumference of the palm. This allows to use different materials, which do a better job of protecting the palm from chafing or road rash. Gloves need room at the back of the palm to accommodate the pull of material around the knuckles of bent fingers.

In my opinion, track mitts have a much better feel on the palm, even with a comparatively stiffer material.

Protection: Track mitts only offer protection from controlled crashes where you land on your palms. Mountain bike gloves are made to protect the outside of the hand, particularly the knuckles. The gain in protection is well worth the downsides in fit and chafe protection. Additionally, rides where you need protection of your knuckles are not as long usually. (Mmmhhhh 100km downhill!). Btw, historically, track mitts started as breaking gloves. 100 years ago, they used to brake with the leather palm.

I do have winter gloves that are made specifically for bicycling, and they do a good job of warming the hand. But the more elastic material on the palm shifts all over the place on long ride, despite the seemingly snug fit of the gloves.

Btw, I once had some particularly comfortable track mitts that completely failed in the protection department, on a crash the palm material just peeled away from the palm. Go leather, I say.


Five to eight years seems reasonable.  See here: http://www.helmets.org/replace.htm - some helmet makers recommend somewhere in this range, and longer than eight years you start to see deterioration from sun damage, occasional knocks, etc.

My last helmet lasted only four years in high-UV riding, about 15,000 km total, before the plastic strap around the back simply cracked in half.  This didn't make it 100% useless or ineffective, but it surely prompted replacement.  But this was a lot of riding, mostly in bright sun and high temperatures.


Is it possible that the gears switched from left to right?

The standard setup is left for front and right for rear for gears.

For gears you would need special left rear and right front shifters, which are not manufactured. It is very unlikely that you had those, and they converted to normal shifters during one ride, at the same time as cables rerouted themselves.


Tighten the pinch bolts, not the centre bolt.

I recommend putting a drop of oil on the pinch bolts thread or greasing them, as they are steel-in-aluminium, and prone to corrosion.

The two pinch bolts (on the back side of the stem) hold the stem on, and perform two separate effects

They stop the handlebars rotating
They lock the steering bearings.

The top bolt is for setting the pre-load of the steering bearings.

BUT once the pinch bolts are tightened, it does nothing, as the stem is now clamped in place. You cannot tighten the bearings UNTIL you loosen the pinch bolts. If you loosen the pinch bolts, then you should check that the bearings are still set right.

If you try to tighten the bearings by cranking down the centre bolt without loosening the pinch bolts, then you pull the star washer up or you can shear it, as it is only an M6.


Three initial things to do are:

Clean the rims, make sure they are free of anything that is acting as a lubricant. YOu may also consider carefully roughening them slightly with a fine grit sandpaper
Get the best replacement brake pads you can
Make sure the calipers are adjusted correctly and the pads are properly contacting the rim


Goals

Without them, you don't know where you're going, and don't know when you got there.

So set some goals. For example, a 100 km (60 mi) ride by the end of the year.

As Kibbee said, find others to ride with. Ride where you see others ride, stop where they stop, and chat. Or find a local club. Be prepared to move on if the people or club are not meeting your current needs.

It's good to ride with two kinds of riders - ones like you, for friendly competition, and more experienced or faster, to stretch and teach you. And then when you're experienced, ride with less experienced people to pass it on.

I'll add more later ... going for a ride now ... and I'm back.

You'll need to tell us more for us to give detailed advice. We can guess that "Stu" is a guy, and maybe Gen-Y. Or not. We can guess that by training you intend to get seriously into cycling. But we don't know until you tell us. So here is some general advice.

I already mentioned goals.
Have a goal for every ride. I just went on a social Coffee ride - 63 kms to have coffee with friends, at a very relaxed pace. Other rides are training rides, where I might do intervals at a given speed for a given distance, then slow down for a period to recover, and then repeat. Or climb a specific hill some number of times. Some people unkindly call any ride without a goal as junk kilometers or junk miles. See the questions tagged training and performance.
Learn good technique early.
If you are going to do Triathlons then join a Tri club and follow their advice, because Tri riding is quite different to ordinary road cycling.
For road cycling, get a bike computer that shows you your cadence. If you don't already pedal at 90 rpm, then aim for that. Then 100 rpm. Pedaling too slowly causes knee and back problems.
Learn to use your ankles, to help you drive the pedals all the way around the stroke.
Keep your knees in; they should almost touch the top tube on each stroke.
Make sure you have a good riding-position.
Having a professional bike fitting can boost your performance and save you lots of problems later.
Learn some basic skills and techniques.
Have fun.
If you join group rides, be aware that there is etiquette for groups involved.
Increasing your endurance.
Generally, we can increase the distances we ride by about 10% per week. If you work hard on each ride then give your body a day off to recover before the next ride. As you increase the distance, try to maintain your pace. Remember to warm up and cool down properly, and do longer and shorter rides for variation. And check out What is a recovery ride?
Increasing your speed.
This means increasing your power output. You can just ride faster, or climb hills, but the most common way of increasing power is interval training.
Measure what you do.
If you want something to change then measure it. Smartphone apps are one easy way. See Is there an easy to use app for tracking my cycling performance? (iOS or Android) or What is the best way to track your mileage, routes and calories burned?.
Many people use a Garmin device.
If you get serious then learn about VO2 max and diet.
Join a club.
Or more than one. Different clubs can focus on different things, so find one or more that suit you and your goals.

Enjoy.


Is SLX FD 675-B front derailleur appropriate for my bike?

I wouldn't feel too bad about getting the wrong FD here. This is a very easy mistake when ordering a bunch of stuff for an unbuilt bike. Maybe there was a spec sheet available somewhere that advised against low clamp for your frame, or maybe not.

You shouldn't run that FD because, suspension clearance and any other issues aside, you've mounted it as low as it can go and there's still way too much vertical gap between the cage and teeth, shown in your first pic. That really shouldn't be more than the recommended 1-3mm. It will want to throw the chain, and the designed-in contact points with the chain and cage will likely be off. (Likely because the derailer does have some forgiveness there to accommodate the chain/FD angle changing based on what the suspension is doing, but starting with it way off is still likely to cause problems).

You also absolutely should not run it if it can contact the frame at any point in the suspension travel, or threatens to. When in doubt, test it definitively by fully deflating or unbolting the shock so you can freely check the rear end movement.

You need a high-clamp/bottom-swing FD, FD-M676 if you want to stay on-series.

Confusingly, once upon a time high-clamp/bottom-swing was the norm, and then low-clamp/top-swing came along to solve problems with suspension designs that were coming out, usually involving the seat tube not being there to clamp to. Now top-swing has become more the default, and other types of mounting problems bite you instead.


Chain tensioner (or tug) for single speed QR dirt jump bike?

Wrong approach.

On a single speed bike the chain needs to be tensioned properly. If you tension the chain too much - either by sliding the rear wheel back too far or apply too much force with and external tensioner -  you will massively accelerate wear on the chain and sprockets and make it much more likely that you will break the chain.


Can I use Edge 510 as an indoor trainer computer

I'm basing this on my 810 but I assume they're similar.

You can create a new profile for riding on the turbo. For each profile you can select which sensors are used. If you turn off GPS and turn on cadence and speed (and HR if you have it) you can use it indoors. You might need another sensor to pick up wheel speed if you only have a cadence sensor. A combined (speed and cadence) one is around £35 in the UK, not sure what they'd be in Sweden.

I don't have it on me at the moment. If you need more details I'll post instructions based on mine this evening.


Do tube protectors increase rolling resistance or just add weight?

It likely depends a lot on your tire pressure.  For high-pressure tires the liner just adds to the stiffness of the tire and might actually reduce rolling resistance slightly.

For lower pressure tires, the liner must flex and, to a degree, slide against the tire and tube with every revolution, increasing internally dissipated energy and hence rolling resistance.  But the effect would be slight.

A better solution is to use Kevlar (or equivalent) belted tires.  These have about 10x the puncture resistance of standard tires, have negligible effect on rolling resistance, and are much easier to deal with than the separate liner.  But of course they're 30-50% more expensive, and hard to find in certain sizes.

(NB: Don't confuse "Kevlar belted" tires with "Kevlar bead" tires -- Kevlar bead is used in folding tires, some of which are Kevlar belted and some not.  And I personally find folding tires a PITA to install the first time -- though some people love them.)


Those are reasonable standards that will protect your head in an accident. Comparable to the Snell B-90 standards.  Snell B-95 standards is higher and would provide more protection.

ASTM F2040, for instance, is a "snow sports" helmet standard based on the same testing as the ASTM bicycle helmet standards with some additional cold-conditions tests added in.

Canada has its own bicycle helmet standard, CAN-CSA-D113.2-M.

You have to pay to get a copy of the actual standard, but this site has a nice comparison of helmet standards.

The Canadian and ASTM standards use similar flat and round anvils but ASTM has a curb/kerb anvil that the Canadian standard doesn't have. (ASTM is better here)
The Canadian standard has a more protective maximum acceleration

As far as the Canadian tort law part of your question, I don't think we can really answer that.


Is there a difference between mountain and road stems?

The biggest difference is strength. There are some road stems that will say they are not recommended for downhill/freeride type riding, but are ok for cyclocross. Road stems will also come in a larger range of angles.

Just be sure that when you are looking at stems, you match the clamp of the stem to your steerer tube (1" or 1 1/4" usually) and to the diameter of the bars that you are using.


Tour de France RV/Campervan parking policy

My research suggests that there is no absolute answer to this.
According to Watching the Tour De France in person

If you're planning on camping out on top of the more popular mountains, try to arrive a good two days prior to the race coming through to get a prime parking and/or camping space.
Road closures
Once you have decided where you would like to see the Tour, check prior to arriving – or with the local tourist office as soon as you arrive – to see which roads are going to be closed (and when).

Spectating Tips For A Grand Tour says

The race website or local newspaper will have the schedule listing when the race will pass. However this is more for information because on a big mountain stage all the roads are blocked from the morning onwards. The roads close well in advance of the race. There’s no fixed time but on a big mountain stage you can expect the route to be closed at breakfast time to cars. It’s why many will drive up the day before and camp overnight, indeed even if you drive up a climb you’ll find many of the parking places are taken days before by camper vans.

Another site (can't find it right now) said that the Gendarmes can close roads or move you on as they see fit.
So, many people want to see it, and there are no guarantees.


Tire not sitting properly after changing spokes

Let out the air. Then unscrew the valve stem nut almost up to the top of the valve. You can leave it off as they have no other function as to keep the valve from 'disappearing' into the tyre while installing a tyre. It won't happen anyway with such a long valve!
Then pinch the tyre between thumb and index at the bead from both sides while pushing the valve into the tyre with your other hand. The bead should drop down into the rim. Without (!) tightening the nut on the valve-stem, attach your pump and refill your tyre to low pressure. Take off the chuck of the pump, bounce the wheel several times and check if the bead is properly seated. If not, repeat the operation. Pump to required pressure if it is OK.


Do tyre savers made of a chain catch debris as effectively as tyre savers made of a wire? Are they practical?

Just by looking at these, my first guess is that that the main difference between the chains and traditional wire ones is that the chain will bounce against the tire and not touch it for the most of the time. It will make a rattling or tingling sound, and add much less rolling resistance than the type that constantly drags against tires. I'm not sure if it makes any difference in puncture protection, because the effectiveness of the wire contraption is questionable to begin with.


Should internal brake cables use ferrules at the entry point to the frame?

If the ferrule fits use it. It's neater that way and it protects the frame from the sharp end of the housing. Ferrules that have a seal against water ingress do exist. You should consider using these as they keep water (and rust) out of the housings. A glob of grease at the contact point between ferrule and frame eliminates rubbing noises.

Even if you cut and prepare the end of the housing properly the metal spiral retains sharpness. And anyway steel is harder than Ti and will let a pressure mark at the point of entrance. The ferrule puts a softer buffer between the contact points.