Rack and fender on one eyelet spacing issue

A longer bolt is indeed a risk because of the extra leverage. The second photo suggests that even a tiny bend back away from the rack will solve your problem - you only need 5mm or so.

If you're willing to bend the fender stay that is a much better solution. The simple, crude way is just to bend it on the bike. Simply hold the fender in place with one hand and push the stay in towards the wheel with the other. You'll probably need to move the fender out using the stay adjustment system to get it to sit straight on the wheel. Unless you need a really big gap (more than 10mm) this should work. You'll have a curved stay and it will look very DIY.

The more organised way that lets you deal with a fender with no adjustment is to pull the stay off the bike and bend it in specific places using a vice. That will let you put a matching set of bends on the other side of the bike so that the fender sits straight. You still need extra length available because the bends pull the fender in towards the wheel.

If you don't have the extra length available you will have to fall back to using a longer bolt. Try to keep the extra length to a minimum. I suggest using a button head bolt rather than a square head because that bolt head will wear a hole in your pannier.


My theory is endorphins. Our bodies generate them when we exercise. Or not, when we stop. All those days of steadily pumping out the good stuff makes the tour feel great but when I stop, ooops. I suggest you not try replacing them with synthetic endorphins as those are illegal and tend to be more addictive.

There's also a body habit transition, where a bunch of the cycles in my body are set up for big exercise every day and suddenly I'm back behind a desk 8 hours a day. Half an hour each way does not cut it, I'm barely warmed up by then. So I bloat (very thirsty in the morning but then water retention), feel stiff but twitchy, and after the first couple of days tend to lose interest in food. This is my body saying "hey, you used to exercise, what happened to that?"

What works for me is:

tapering the tour rather than spending the last couple of days riding really big distances to catch up after stopping to smell the roses earlier on
taking the long way home from work (ride an hour or more)
eat junk food when I get home (swap endorphins for sugar, fat and umami)
stretching (yoga, martial arts)
taking one day mid-week to go for a long ride

For me this is pretty much automatic now, I get home and hit the supermarket for all the food I couldn't really get or prepare while touring and the long ride is often a freebie when I go to pick up all the extra cr... stuff I took but posted home mid-ride and is now sitting in a post office somewhere on the other side of the city. The twitchyness means I do tend to get out and do stuff, often after a tour I go into a burst of deferred maintenance around the house or just go for long bike rides.

One thing that I find helpful is to take a mid-week day off after I get back and do something energetic. That means I have two days behind a desk, a day running round, then another two days. It means I'm more able to actually sit behind the desk and focus.


I always save the core out of blown tubes and have never had them not compatible.   At the bike store you just see one jar.  Might someone come out with non-standard - it could happen.


Prevent internally-routed cable housing from vibrating against frame

With the assumption that the whole cable housing is threaded into the frame (rather than cable-stop internal routing), there are two main hacks/bodges you can do to it.

Electrical tape - fiddle with the cable until you feel that it's more or less either floating in the middle of the frame's tube or resting against it with sufficient force. If your frame tubing's fairly narrow (kind of like a steel bike frame), I suggest you go for the latter and push the routing against the frame inside. Mark the points of the cable housing just on the entrance/exit of the routing holes. Roll a few turns of electrical tape on those marks (just enough for tight-fit on the routing holes) and push them back to place.

Cable/zip ties - If your frame's routing holes are big enough, or has that detachable cover like this:

you can wrap a lengthy zip tie to the cable and slip it inside the hole. The zip tie's resistance to being curled should keep your cable in place. Add more zip ties to your discretion.


I've had a couple of non-folding mountain bikes on a sailboat for 5 years. I opted for smaller frame non-folding bikes for performance, and there is a hatch they barely fit through.

Of course, rust is the major problem. Banging around in the waves and in the process of storing them is a potential problem. Because of this, there are no drink holders, speedometers, or other extra snags on the bikes. Regular chain lube helps a lot. The cables rusted enough to require replacement once. There are a few non-stainless bolts and nuts on the bikes (a Specialized and a Diamondback). They're easy to spot and replace or grease. The stainless steel material holds up well. Unpainted aluminum is corroding, but not to the point of failure.

The good thing is that although the bikes ride, shift, and brake very well, they are really ugly from rust and corrosion, so we don't have to lock them up when we use them -- nobody wants to steal them.


Tips for improving commute efficiency/comfort?

I have found that if you don't want to invest in equipment the best way to improve efficiency is by ensuring you are fitted properly to the bike you have.

For example: Many non-cyclists do not have the optimal seat height set, or their reach to the handlebars is too great or too compact. If you don't want to invest in equipment, invest in knowledge and ensure you're setup correctly.

Your legs should be between 96-98% fully extended when the crank arm is at its lowest position.  Your knee should be level with the pedal spindle when the crank arm is horizontal.  Sometimes shortening your reach allows you to bend your elbows, arch your back and breathe more easily; sometimes things are too compact and extending your reach improves efficiency.

Even if you think you have things dialed in, if you are feeling flat, I often practice a tip from the Greg Lemond Book of Cycling and move my seat around (up or down, forwards or backwards) about a millimetre or two at a time until it feels better.


The problem with nostagia is the n+1 rule. Bikes manufacturers have been on a never ending quest to make bikes more and more task specific. This means most "racing" bikes are not well suited to everyday transportation riding.

Modern "Race" Road Bikes

Mixing fenders and a rack with a modern road race bikes is like trying to get oil and water to mix. The frames often lack any sort of eyelets and depending on the material are largely incompatible with any sort of clamp, so adding a rack is largely out of the question. Carbon frames should not be clamped at all, and a race frame made of aluminium will be quite thin in parts now due to all the hydro-forming now used in modern frames making it incompatible to clamping as well.  Modern steel racing bikes are pretty rare now and usually custom built or frame only options.

Modern race bikes also have very aggressive postures compared to older "racing"  road bikes like your father likely rode. Even if you can add a rack, they will become unhinged with little added luggage weight and the aggressive position is not particularly comfortable for more moderate pacing.  (An aggressive position is typically only comfortable when you continually riding at a hard effort.)

Other Types of Modern Road Bikes

If a touring bike is what ever reason not an option, then try looking for other road categories often referred to as "road sport", "endurance road" or now "all road". These bikes will have a more upright position, which will make them more comfortable for everyday riding, and depending on the brand will likely have more tire clearance (good for running fenders) and eyelets mounting fenders and may also have an eyelet on the seat stay for mounting a rack (make sure to check, as some brands skip this feature). To the untrained eye these bikes will look very virtually identical to a racing bike.

Vintage

The other option is getting an older "racing bikes" like what your father had.  These tended to have fender eyelets (which can also be used for racks) to have more tire clearance for running fenders.  They were also largely steel which means the frame can be clamped for adding a rack when no eyelets exist. The shifting is robust but not as responsive as modern systems and the brakes tend to be subpar compared to modern brakes (rim/caliper or disc).

Components on a older bike can of course be updated.


The skipping will always be because of the chain touching on the other cogs, or trying to slip back down from the pull of the rear derailleur. The chain is too wide and, as you already know, is doing one or the other. It might not be evident from looking at the cogs while riding as the chain is fed from underneath when you pedal, so the clicking from the chain moving may only be visible when the bike is upside down.

If you have a reasonable quality shifters/cables/mech then you should be able to just about get away with it with some really fine adjustment.

The difference between 6, 7, 8 and 9 speed is actually the spacing between the cogs, and not the width of the cogs themselves. Hence the need for thinner chains.

Edit: I haven't got comment everywhere ability yet, but as suggested below, you should make sure your chain is the correct length. The recognised method for this is to wrap the chain around the largest cog at the front, the largest cog at the back, pull tight and then add two links (or 3 if it ended up with two inner links).

This generally ends up being shorter than what you had originally, but is correct.


Feeling of suddenly missing chain in bike while pedalling

There are three possibilities that I can think of to start with:

Your chain is worn and no longer fits the cogs on the cassette (or the single cog on the hub of a bike with internal gears or a single-speed bike).

In this case the problem would usually be worse on higher gears (the smaller cogs in the rear) and under load. It probably wouldn't happen if you were pedaling gently on the flat for example.

If you have a ruler it is fairly easy to check for chain wear. Just measure out 12 inches along the top of the chain, starting from the center of one roller. On a new chain the center of another roller will line up with the 12" mark exactly. As the chain wears it elongates and by the time that roller is at 12 1/8" the chain is worn out. Much beyond that and skipping can start. If the chain is very worn it is best to replace the chain and the cog(s).
Your freewheel is malfunctioning. Two things could be wrong, there could be damage in the freewheel – either broken pawls or rounded/broken teeth, or corrosion or dried out lubricants could be causing the pawls to stick. The photo below, from A New Recyclist shows the internals of a single speed hub.

In this case the problem would be most noticeable when you were starting to apply power, damaged pawls/teeth might also skip as power increased as well. If you have sticking pawls I would expect them to hold once they seated. Broken pawls might never seat, and broken teeth would mean that there would be small (much less than a revolution of the pedals) skips when the pawls land on damaged teeth. Sticking pawls could let you go several pedal revolutions before they catch.

You might also be able to diagnose this by listening as you coast. The sound of the freewheel should be a very regular fast clicking as the wheel spins. Then as you start to pedal there should be a consistent firm engagement, perhaps with a bit of click after a moment of silence as the cog catches up with the hub.

Your shift mechanism is badly adjusted or you are shifting inaccurately.

If the shifters are out of adjustment you may find that shifts either happen spontaneously or that you will sometimes do a "half-shift" where the side plates of the chain will land riding on the teeth – rather than on the sides of the teeth with the rollers engaging the teeth. That's not a very stable configuration and usually the chain will drop into a gear, but until it does the pedals will spin freely.


A google search of Spoke Protector led to several suppliers. The size is based on largest cog. Most however are spec'd by overall dimension in inches not tooth count. There are two mounting styles I am familiar with. One type snaps onto the hub. There is a  difference between freehub and freewheel mounting. The other variety mounts by snapping onto the spokes. I can imagine that you need one that matches the spoke count of the wheel.


Is there any advantage to removing rust?

The effects of rust are typically overstated. Where is you concern?  Remove rust (or replace the parts) on moving components such as chains and cables, they will run smoother, more efficiently and quieter.

On non-moving surfaces such as frame and handle bars etc, forget about it. Under normal use high quality steel gets nothing more than cosmetic rusting, and low quality steel bikes are so over engineered the loss of strength due rust won't make any difference to the serviceability of the bike.

If you ride the bike in winter where the salt roads, or at the beach, then you may want or need a bit of protection, however the moving parts will be rusted solid a long time before the fame fails.....

Another case you may want to consider is if the risk of rust stains on clothes and such like is a concern. In this case then treatment might be needed.


Shifting 1>2 does nothing, shifting 2>3 puts me into 2nd. What's wrong?

If it was me, I'd release the gear cable so there is no tension at all on the front mech.

Then move the gear lever / changer to the position the changer would be in if you weere in the 1st chainring.

Then make sure that the adjusting screws are set correctly, so that when you look at front mech from above, it is centred over the 1st, smallest chainring. You might need to tweak the screws to get it to line up properly. I can't remember which screw does what but trial and error will tell you.

Then I'd get some pliers and put lots of tension on the gear cable, and clamp it tight in the front mech.

Now you have a nice tight gear cable. Try again with changing and see if it works any better.

If it goes up to the 3d, biggest chainring, make sure you can't overshoot on the changer, you might need to adjust those screws again - but don't touch the one you used to set the position on the 1st, smallest chainring.

It can take a bit of testing, but usually this approach works for me.


First time buying parts ( derailleur, chain, rear axel, shifters) need help!

There a good chance that the combined cost of the parts you need will exceed the cost of the bike. The Next brand is a brand sold at discount retail stores. They retail for around $125. Many of the parts are not available as new replacements. The easy method is to say throw it away. There are some alternatives though. Many cities have programs called recycleabicycle.They teach youths how to repair  bikes in an "earn a bike" environment. If you don't qualify for the program they make accept the bike. The other option is to contact your local bike shop and see if they have some used parts available. If you check your local Craigs list or similar listing you may find another bike that is free or inexpensive enough that you can put the one bike together with the parts from both.


Need help finding compatible bottom bracket and crank set for track bike

Like most bicycle components cartridge bottom brackets are highly standardized. Almost all bikes with threaded bottom bracket shells are ISO standard: 1.37inch x 24 threads per inch, drive side is left hand threaded. The ISO standard is also known as 'English' or 'BSA'. Obviously this is what your frame has.

There are two other parameters you need to know. Frame bottom bracket shell width and axle length.

Standard widths are 68mm and 73mm. The shell width is very easy to measure. Some cartridges will fit both a 73mm shell and a 68mm one with two 2.5mm spacers.

Different models of cranks require a different length axle to get the same chainline. This is because the square taper in the crank arms can be in a different position along the axle axis (closer to or further away from the center of the frame. In general you can't put a different crank on a given BB and definitely expect the chainline to come out right.

What you need to do is know or measure what you chainline is, make sure you are buying a crank that gives you the correct chainline, get the correct bottom bracket axle length for the crank, and bottom bracket shell width of your frame.

If you are buying Shimano they make this very easy as they publish extensive specifications and compatibility. With other manufacturers it can be more difficult. I found some data for the Miche crank here, and I note that in actual fact it calls for a BB axle length of 107mm for a chainline of 42.5mm (which I assume is the standard for track bikes).

Another example, the manual for the FSA Vero Pro specifies a 110.5mm axle for chainline of 44mm.

You can of course modify the chainline of a square taper crank by getting a BB with an axle greater or less than what is specified (remember that to get 1mm of chainline difference you need 2mm difference in axle length).


What does the number 3500 stand for on my Trek bike?

Over the past several years, Trek has been phasing out the __00 line of bikes.

The higher-numbered bikes are going to come with better components.

They've been basically giving non-number names (X-caliber, Marlin) and larger wheels to those bikes from the top down. All that's left at this point is the rim-brake equipped 3500. I suspect it will disappear shortly.


100 mm front hub, 94 mm fork dropouts, options?

Sorry to provide ANOTHER answer, but I think this one might be interesting:

Take a rear (135mm) axle;
Insert two nuts, one around each side, untill they are less than 80mm apart. One of them might be inserted just enough to allow a small piece of thread to show up in the tip;
Fit the axle into the fork dropouts with the bike upside down, so that both nuts are beween the dropouts;
Start to "unscrew" one of the nuts, thus forcing the fork legs to get away from each other;
Unscrew it after a while and check the distance. It might take some time to figure out how much elastic deformation (preload distance) you'll have to overcome before actually making the new distance permanent.

This method is much more controlled than the lever one detailed previously, but it most probably will take much more time (although I think a rear axle and some nuts are easier to prepare than a large improvised lever system).

Hope this helps


What are simplest rideable bikes over history?

Mechanical Simplicity

A hobby-horse is as mechanically simple as it gets. Two wheels and a seat, even steering is optional. Many of them did not even have padded wheels, "solid" meant iron. Today these are built for children who are learning to ride (the "like-a-bike" is one such product).

Next is an ordinary (or penny-farthing) There's only five axles and the whole thing can be made using basic tools. These are still made today but primarily as replicas of historical bikes. There are national and world championship competitions. The modern "tall bike" is in many ways similar but often has gears, brake and so on so lacks the simplicity of the ordinary bike.

For a modern bicycle, a fixed gear bike is as simple as you're likely to want to ride. Chain drive, but no freewheel and brakes are not strictly necessary (but may be required by law). Generally they have ball bearings rather than plain bearings, but they're quite simple to assemble or fix compared to other modern bikes. However, since a freewheel is a single part as far as most bike machanics are concerned a BMX or trials bike is effectively as simple to deal with. Especially "street BMX" bikes that often have back-pedal hub brakes. The 406 wheels and lack of rim brakes mean that the wheels are very strong and don't have to be especially true. Most fixed gear bikes have limited clearance around the wheels so they have to be quite close to true or they hit the frame.

Once you add gears, hub gears are simple for the owner both in operation and maintenance. With wide, straight chain, full chain case and commonly also hub brakes mean there's little maintenance to do. Hub gears have a single shifter and the gears are "in order", meaning that shifting up always produces a higher gear, and it's always the next higher gear. This makes the bike very simple to operate. With a derailleur system there's usually two gear levers (for the front and rear derailleurs), and the shift pattern to go from lowest to highest gear is non-trivial (and varies between bikes).

Likewise, hub brakes usually require less maintenance and are more effective than rim brakes. They're also heavier and more expensive rhan rim brakes, but if your criteria is simple to operate, hub brakes win. Maintenance is generally infrequent, with cable operated disks requiring most frequent maintenance and some hub and hydraulic disk brakes being almost maintenance free (lasting decades of use in gentle city riding).

It's not unheard of to fish a 50 year old bike out of a garage (or canal) and find that the hub brakes and gears still work.


My front wheel steers right. How do I solve it?

Depends on how "little" the accident was.

First double-check that the handlebar really is "square" to the fork, and not slightly cocked one direction or the other.  (Though this problem shouldn't cause the wheel to turn when you let go.)

Next, oddly enough, do the same check with your seat.  If the seat is slightly angled to one side or the other then it will put your weight off-balance and you will get the tendency to turn.  (Also, note that you'll have this problem if you put weight in a basket on one side of the bike or some such.)

If not those, pick the front end of the bike up and spin the wheel -- make sure it doesn't wobble at all as it turns.  Do the same with the rear.

If not those, I'd suspect that the frame is bent.  If you stand in front of the bike and imagine a line going down through the center of the steering shaft, that line should be exactly in line with the frame of the bike behind.  If it twists to one side or the other then that's your problem -- bent frame.

Also look at the fork itself (a slightly more difficult thing to do accurately).  In your accident one "tine" of the fork may have gotten pushed back relative to the other.  Especially likely if the accident involved hitting something.

In any event I'd suggest you take the bike to a bike shop (or a knowledgeable friend) and have it checked out.


Sparks coming from rim brakes sounds like there's some hard object, such as a piece of grit or metal, embedded in your brake blocks. After two months, they shouldn't be badly worn, unless they're very soft, but pads will eventually wear enough that the metal cartridge mount is now touching the brake track.

You should check your rim for damage. If it looks badly scratched up, it might be damaged. Also, hold a steel ruler or other straight edge radially against the rim.  A new rim should be almost straight; worn rims develop a concave profile as braking erodes the material.  (By the way, if there's one perfect groove right around the rim on both sides, which looks like it was cut by a machine, that's a wear indicator: as long as you can clearly see that groove, the rim's not overly worn, assuming it's in good general condition.)

My guess would be that the sparks were from something getting lodged in the brake pad and the noise before that was due to poor adjustment.  Brake pads need to be "toed in" slightly so that the front end of each pad touches the rim slightly before the rear end. If the rear end touches first, the brakes judder and vibrate.

If you're not confident that you can diagnose this problem yourself after getting help here, you should get the bike checked out by a bike shop. The front brake and front wheel are critical to your safety.


What does it mean - can be made into a double?

You need a JIS bottom bracket (ISO may work, but ideally you'd want JIS) of the appropriate spindle length for the correct chain line on your bike.

You'd have to buy a set of chainrings for a double and the bolts for a double chainring in order to use it as a double.


Cannot locate mysterious crunching/grinding noise

OK, the question is kind of vague (as others have pointed out) and it would help if you could say more about the (apparent) source and timing of the noises, but I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts:

I chased what I thought was a bottom bracket / crank arm clunk for quite a while before I noticed that my saddle wasn't clamped well. I'd moved it back as far as it could go (or actually a bit farther) and the seatpost wasn't able to get a solid grip on anymore due to the bend of the seat rails. I would still swear that the sound was coming from the bottom bracket…
My cleats are noisy. I figured this out one day when I rode with shoes without cleats. The noise seems to be specific to the particular shoes / pedals combination. Don't have any noise with the same shoes on a different bike with the same make/model of pedal.


Is a 100mm travel hardtail ok for light downhill and a few jumps?

It looks to me that the bike is an entry level XC mountian bike. Not a great bike, at the right price tag, none the less suitable for off road use. I wouldn't take if off a 2 meter drops all day, but it should be OK over less than about 300mm (1 foot) and more if you know how to land. If you keep the wheels on the ground it will handle most tracks.

Upgrading the fork to more travel will change the geometry. Too much is a bad thing, but 20mm or so should be OK. Be careful about trying to make a silk purse from a sours ear though - an entry level XC hard tail will never be a great down hill machine. Looking at the list of upgrades, it would be better to start with a bike closer to what you really want.

As for breaking the bike etc - it will probably not fail catastrophically from normal riding, but it's not a 20kg downhill tank, and parts breakable if abused. Riding style and skill , as well as your weight, plays a part. A skilled rider controls the bike over the bumps and landings, and rides "lightly" and unskilled rider can land very "heavy" on the smallest bumps and jumps.

Theres nothing wrong with a hard-tail for down hilling - not that many years ago people rode no suspension on what we now consider "Light" down hill tracks (I used to land 2 meter jumps with no suspension, ....memories... the early 90's, just like life, MTB's were so much simpler - 2 wheels, 18 gears, choice of steel or steel frames and one size nearly fits all..... ),

Although this one would not be my choice, if it's all you have got, get out there and have fun.


What to look for in bone conduction headphones for bike voice navigation?

Point 1, hearing the outside world, is mostly easy.  If the audio is too-high a volume it can still drown out the background, but that's got to be quite loud.
Point 2, these headphones have to work with your device.  If that means bluetooth, then battery life becomes a consideration.  If your device has audio-output jack then that's another option.
Do note - Bone conduction headphones use their internal battery all the time.  Bluetooth is additional power usage.
Generally speaking, the music fidelity of bone conduction head phones is down there with cheap AM radios.  So your point #3 is going to be hard to match.  It is certainly audible, but quality is low.   They are great for audiobooks though.
4, phone calls.  I have BC headphones that are just headphones, no microphone.  So they can beep should a call or message arrive, but I can't take the call.  There are variants that have a microphone and call control button.  If you use an audio out jack, you might need a 2.5mm 4 way TRS connector, or maybe a 3.5mm version.
Unmentioned - sweat.  Some BC headphones have a control box partway down the cable.  For me, that used to clip to the collar or the HRM strap, which worked well.  But sweat tends to get inside the controls and make them flaky, then non-functional.
Another feature, is some way to easily turn them off.  Ideally a button that you can hit without looking, that shuts off the sound should you need to focus on something else going on.
Cost is the last mention - you could spend multiple hundreds of dollars, but thats overkill for on a bike.  Something down around $50 USDish would be less upsetting when they do eventually break.


What is the weight difference between frame sizes?

According to the Weight Weenies.com web site listed weight can differ from actual weight by as much as 10-13%. One thing you should be aware of is there is some variations between identical frames due to manufacturing  tolerances. Most weights listed in advertising literature are not for large frame sizes. Looking at the listings on the site it appears that a 20-40 gram difference between carbon frame sizes is about the average.


I think several of your assumptions are incorrect:

no high speeds: rim dynamos spin quite fast, up to 10,000rpm, and that does require effort on the part of the designers. Typically the drive wheel on those will have a radius of about 1cm, or a circumference of 3 1/3rd cm and 30 revolutions per metre. At 10m/s (30kph) that means 300rps or 18000 rpm. This is why they make such a high pitched whining noise when in use.
no high torque: a 100kg cyclist standing on a 165mm crank is exerting about 1kN at 0.165m, or 165Nm. That's comparable torque to a mid-range car. I repeatedly snapped a 8mm high tensile  bolt in the drive system of my four wheel load bike, and replacing that with industrial freewheels meant buying two of the highest rated units I could find (German conveyer belt parts rated to 250Nm)
No high loads: a touring cyclist with 50kg on the rear rack, plus half their 100kg body weight is putting a load of 100kg or 1kN on a 10mm diameter hollow rear axle. Those axles and the dropouts they bear on must be made of hard steel to stand the load, where the load bearing parts of a car or truck are typically made of much softer steel.
Only ball bearings are used: modern sealed bottom brackets commonly use roller or needle bearings, as do many headsets. Internally geared hubs have used needle bearings for many years. Sheldon Brown describes roller bearings in his glossary, for example.

The answer is that various types of bearings have been used in bicycles and will likely continue to be. Again, Sheldon discusses needle bearings in Shimano hub gears from some years ago and they're still mentioned in the marketing.

One problem not unique to bicycles but especially relevant to them, is that more precise bearings are more vulnerable to grit and also to damage. So especially needle bearings need to be carefully protected from dust, sand, and forces outside their design range. Unfortunately doing that inside a suspension unit is hard, and last time I looked Cannondale had not solved the problem (my HeadShock is unmaintainable after only about 10Mm, I've seen multiple lefty shocks fail during a race because of light rain and fine grit causing them to abrade to uselessness very quickly)

But inside a hub or headset, for example, they can be amazing. I've talked to people who've ridden 20Mm on an Alfine 8, for example, with no problems.


25.4-27.2mm seat post shim on a seat tube with 26.8mm inner diameter

There are many different standards for seatpost size, and 26.8mm is one of the more-common ones.  Its not rare.
I suggest you buy the right-sized seatpost.  If your LBS won't order it, then look to buying one online.
A shim is a solution but as you found there are drawbacks too.  Bodging a shim from a can is really only workable for 0.2 of a mm at most.  More than that and you'd want a proper shim which is at least 100mm tall.


Claris 2400 rear derailleur paint touch up

The cheap and easy option is to drop the derailleur off the bike, and take it to a big-box hardware store, and in the paint section will be hundreds of colour swatches.  Compare until you find something close enough, and ask for a "test pot"  that will cost less than a 4 or 10 litre and even a 100 or 200 mL test pot is going to be heaps.
If you want a colour match, there are automotive paint companies that will mix paint to precisely match your sample.  I paid $90 for some paint in aerosol cans, 15 years ago.  Its not cheap, a new mech would be cheaper.

Personally and honestly?  Paint it all one colour and you're sorted.  Its not a valuable antique, exact colour doesn't really match.
You have two main options -

Full disassemble, clean, sand/key, prime, ( sand, paint, wait) ^2, (light-sand, clear-coat, wait) ^2, and finish with some buffing compound, then reassemble and refit.  OR
Drop the chain out, wipe it clean, sand it, mask behind with some cloth/newspaper/cardboard, and put a light coat on from a rattlecan.  Remember to spin the jockey wheels so they get coated all round.

As for colour choice, you could go with plain options like:

Plain flat matt black
High gloss black
some mid grey vaguely similar to the original

Or you could get creative

Paint it the same colour as your frame, bars, saddle, pedals
...chrome (actually very hard to do well)
...bright white, because I've never seen a white derailleur
...mud-coloured so it doesn't ever need cleaning (maybe not)
...artistically random - alien acid, blood splatter, or icecream ripple

A third option is a wrap - these tend to work better with large flat areas.  You might find book wrap (coverseal) works, or perhaps coloured heatshrink.
Lastly, a water transfer might suit you, putting darn near anything on it.  Takes practice to do well and then you have to clearcoat it.
Oh and the null case is do nothing   There's little chance of the paint chips causing problems - rust is your biggest danger and that will take years to do anything more than cosmetic.
Good luck and have fun personalising your bike.


I ride a single-speed (as opposed to fixed gear) because I like to be able to coast down a hill without worrying about spinning out, or hitting a pot-hole while frantically trying to keep up with my pedals. Don't get me wrong, I love riding fixed-gear, but for where I live it's just a little impractical to not be able to coast.

I ride a single-speed (as opposed to a geared bike) for multiple reasons.

A: It's all I could afford. If you only have $600, you'll get a lot more bike with a single-speed than a geared bike.  Or rather, you'll get a lighter bike with better hubs/wheels/etc than for a $600 geared bike. Someday I'll have the money for a decent road bike (105/Rival or better) and will buy one. But for now, my single-speed is much lighter and sturdier than any $600 geared road bike I could have gotten.

B: I enjoy the simplicity. Want to go faster? Pedal faster.

C: I enjoy the workout. I live in Utah, where there are some pretty big hills/mountains. The only way to get to the top is to (as my dad used to say) hunker down and gut it out. There's something quite invigorating about knowing you conquered that hill with the power in your legs instead of the mechanical advantage of your gear ratio.

D: Even on the freewheel side of my hub, my single-speed is quiet. No gears means that unless I'm coasting, my bike is nearly silent.


How is this kind of cycling correctly called?

From your description it's hard to say exactly what kind of riding you are doing, all forms of mountain biking can involve going down hills quickly and jumping. If you want to be specific it sounds like it fits into one of these categories -

Trail Riding This is a good catchall term for recreational mountain biking where the trail is the most important thing - It includes climbing and descending, typically on singletrack. It's possible your wheels will get off the ground, but not mandatory.

All Mountain Again this includes climbing, but all mountain riding focuses more on going down than getting up. A all mountain bike will generally be heavier and more robust than a trail bike - it needs to handle higher speeds and bigger impacts.

Downhill Are you just interested in getting down that hill as quickly as possible? Are you pushing/getting carried to the top? Then you're riding downhill. You'll probably be jumping, and you'll probably be going very fast.

Freestyle Like downhill freestyle is all about the descent, but in this case style is more important than speed. If you're riding freestyle you'll be doing tricks and stunts on the jumps and drops.

Bear in mind that these aren't strictly defined terms, and are prone to change.


I have jetwashed my mountain bike twice... will it cause any damage?

If you aim the high-pressure water jet at sensitive parts like bearings (BB, wheels, suspension, headset...) the water will get inside, and your bearings will rust and die. High-pressure water jets are also pretty good at filling your cable hoses with water, and getting past the seals on suspensions. So when using high pressure to clean a bike, stay clear of the sensitive bits, keep the nozzle like 2 feet away so it gets mist.

However if you only aim it at the frame and chain, then no problem. High pressure is really good at getting the muck out of a chain, chainring, and cassette, but it also gets the grease out, so everything needs to be lubed afterwards. Just don't aim it up close to anything that contains a ball bearing or a seal.

As a side note, if you don't want stuff to rust... Your chain and cogs are made of steel because steel is very strong and cheap. Stainless steel is weaker, a stainless chain wouldn't last. Steel rusts though, but it needs to be in contact with oxygen to rust. The oil on your chain forms a film which protects it from oxygen (and rusting). After a good MTB ride, your chain and transmission will be full of crap and if you rode in mud, the water will have removed some of the oil. So if you can't clean your bike straight away, a quick spray of oil will protect the transmission against rust. No need to overdo it, just a little bit of oil is enough. When you clean it, this also removes the oil, so spray a little bit of it.


Shimano Inter-3 Hub coaster brake maintainance

One I dealt with, I think a 3C40, that came in with a complaint of squealing while braking turned out to have had broken chunks coming off the part known in the Shimano exploded drawings as the "Driver Unit", which was replaceable. Based on that I recommend just opening it up, ideally after getting some of the Shimano internal hub grease. It's a little fiddly but not very technical, and Shimano's instructions are good. If you really want to try to address it with minimal disassembly, you could probably get some grease to reach the pads by taking off the left side locknut and cone/reaction arm. The pads reside just a little further in on the left side.


Finding the correct bike for short tours and daily commutes

Consider repairing your current bicycle if you are happy with it. Especially if the frame and/or wheels are of high quality and still in good shape. For <300€ you can only get a very cheap entry level bicycle. The same money will easily get you a pair of good tires, shifters, cables, chain, saddle, pedals, stem and handlebar to repair or upgrade your current bike. Repairing your current bicycle also makes sense if you plan to leave it at the train station since an old bicycle (with a good lock) is probably much less likely to get stolen than a brand new one (even if it’s cheap).

If you really want a new bicycle, I’d personally go for something less sedate than a city bike. Go for a hybrid, trekking bike or an MTB with rigid fork (i.e. without suspension). Avoid cheap suspension forks like the plague.


250 miles is nothing. 2500 miles is also pretty much nothing -- this is under a year's worth of riding for many people. Many people still ride (and buy) bikes which are ~30 years old, and probably have 25000 miles or more on them (and will ride them for many years to come).

You can look at the model number (and compare it by year to which model year it is). But beyond that, you can't really tell anything, since a lot of parts which wear (tires, brakes) can be easily be replaced (and you won't know if they've been replaced unless you knew what was originally spec'd; and they could have easily been replaced due to other reasons, such as cutting a tire on some glass). Mileage isn't a good indicator of the condition of the bike anyway (you can easily have a bike which you've racked up 5000+ miles and looks and runs like new).

What you should look for is no cracks in the frame, a solid headset, true wheels, straight fork, etc. -- a 250 mile ridden bike which has been in a crash which damaged the fork is probably worse off than a 2500 mile ridden bike that was cared for.

We have several questions such as this one and this one on how to check out a used bike before purchase.

All that being said, most bikes which have really been ridden only 250 miles will have all their original equipment, and look pretty much new (no wear on the cassette, no worn chainrings, the original chain which likely hasn't picked up much dirt, handlebar grips and saddle looking like new, very few scratches, etc.). But there are bikes parked next to mine right now which have been ridden thousands of miles which look that way too, because someone took care of it.


Its a Quill stem by your description.

To raise it, back off the Quill Expander Bolt by a couple of turns.  Do not undo it completely.

Then if the stem doesn't move, tap the top of the Quill Expander Bolt lightly.  The Stem Wedge is probably stuck, and tapping the bolt helps loosen it.

Raise the quill stem, but look for the Minimum Insertion Line which will be a stamped pattern of    ||||||||||  all around the stem's body.  That line should be fully inside the bike.  If you can see that line, its too high.

If that doesn't give you enough height then you need a replacement quill stem that is taller, or a threadless adapter and a threadless stem.

You might get sufficient height change by rotating the handle bars a little and then adjusting angle of your brake/gear levers.   Or a replacement handlebar with some more height might be a good fix.


Best type of brake pads during winter conditions for disc brake bikes

Skipping over whether you should avoid trashing a Ultegra drive train by exposing it to European salted winter roads daily, and get a winter beater bike instead  ...
Sintered pads will perform better in the wet that organic ones.
From https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-cyclery-blog/mountain-bike-brake-pads-sintered-vs-organic

The biggest downside to organic brake pads is that they do not perform well in wet conditions. In wet and muddy conditions the brake pads can wear down even faster than normal and could also get glazed over keeping them from performing again in dry conditions.
Sintered brake pads will continue to grab as strong as ever in wet and muddy trail conditions.

The downside is noise and higher wear on the rotors.

The few negatives to running sintered brake pads is that they can make some noise. Depending if they are wet or have been really hot, sintered brake pads can be loud! Lastly, because sintered pads are made from a harder material, they can be harder on rotors. For most riders, this usually isn't a problem because it takes some serious abuse to burn up brake rotors.


Cheapest and safest way to clean MTB drivetrain?

Cyclingtips has a nice deep dive into this, albeit it appears more focused on road bikes. The author’s take is that you can simply wipe the chain off after every ride without degreasing, then re-lubricate occasionally. The author believes that if you just use degreased on a rag, then all you get degreased mixed in with the lubricant, so your chain is actually less lubricated.

MTB and gravel bikes will get more dirt intrusion into the rollers, that road bikes, but even road bikes will get some. That dirt forms a grinding paste which increases chain wear. Thus, many people will benefit from getting an on-bike chain cleaner. This houses brushes and a lubricant reservoir (NB: dilutes dish soap will suffice). You can run your chain through it, and it will get it cleaner that simply wiping it off. You would then let the chain dry, then re-lube.

Naturally, there are more thorough methods that are detailed in the article. You should not allow yourself to be intimidated by them. Simple methods are enough for almost all riders. But yes, you could remove the chain, soak it in solvent (perhaps in an ultrasonic cleaner), then lubricate it or dip it in wax. But you do not have to do this.


So you are saying that the range of ratios available seems to have changed after servicing, so the lowest ratio available is higher than you want it it be?

I think you may be on the right track with the cable adjustment. The cable may be mis-adjusted so the hub is not at it's lowest ratio when the twist grip is at it's low limit position.

Loosening one cable tensioner and tightening the other should shift the relative position of the twist grip and hub mechanism. Keep track of how many turns you apply so you can get back to where you were if you find you are adjusting it the wrong way.

Link to service manual for the hub: https://www.gazelle.nl/media/gene-cms/h/a/handleiding_nuvinci_nfinity_1.pdf


What is the correct back position on an MTB?

A straight back might avoid pain there, but it's going to create quite a lot somewhere else.

In your first rounded back/straight back comparison pictures you can see that the rider's pelvis is upright and the ischial tuberosities of the pelvis  - the 'sit bones' are on the saddle. In the second picture the rider's pelvis is rotated forward putting pressure on the soft tissue of the perineum. That picture makes me wince just looking at it. Chronic pressure on the perineum can lead to all kinds of complications, including numbness and erectile dysfunction (if you are a male).


Can anyone help me identify this vintage road frame that has been repainted?

The rims are Rigida, they are double wall aluminum, not steel.

I agree on the late 70's early 80's, might be a custom frame made for someone short.  The framebuilder would have gone lug-less due to the interference in the head tube, down tube top tube junctions.


What is the cheapest and easiest way to add a power meter to my Diamondback Haanjo 4?

I was going to say that you should send the left crank arm into 4iiii to install the strain gauges. They charge US $300.

However, I checked, and they do not list the Alba as eligible for this service. The reason likely has to do with economics. All power meters use strain gauges to determine how much you are flexing the crank arm (it’s more complicated than that because the gauges need to isolate the amount of flex in one dimension, but bear with me). Beyond that, however, a power meter company needs to determine how much the crank deflects under a set amount of torque. All cranksets have different wall thicknesses and materials, so all will deflect a different amount for the same amount of force. In theory, I see no reason the Albas can't take strain gauges. However, they're entry-level cranks. If you could convince 4iiii or Stages to do the calibrations, you could get either company to do the factory install, but they are likely to judge that the demand for Albas with power meters is too small.

Shimano 105 through Dura Ace cranks are all very common, so it’s clearly worth it for power meter manufacturers to validate their meters on all those cranksets. Campagnolo is a much less frequent groupset choice, so companies may only support some models, e.g. 4iiii only supports Potenza, Record, and Super Record, leaving Chorus, Centaur, and everything below out.

Praxis is a much smaller brand. 4iiii supports the carbon Zayante cranks, but not the Albas. Stages doesn’t support them at all. Pioneer, while they sold power meters, only supported Shimano cranks.

There are some options. I believe that some versions of the Alba have removable spiders, and Power2Max should make a spider-based power meter compatible with this crankset. You could buy a Zayante crankset with a power meter pre installed. Especially if you already use Look road pedals, you could buy pedal-based power meters instead; of the available ones, the Favero Assioma appears the cheapest and it is also very well-regraded. All these come in cheaper single sided variants as well as dual sided.

Sadly, you will need to change your bottom bracket to use Shimano cranks or a BB30 crank with power to your bike. The M30 Bottom bracket has a 30mm spindle that tapers to 28mm on the non-drive side, whereas BB30 is 30mm throughout, and Shimano is 24mm throughout. Changing the bottom bracket would make switching cranks more expensive.


If I understand well this noise only happens when the wheel is rolling and you are not paddling. If so, then the most obvious place to look first is the freewheel. It is in the back wheel axle.

You can try to reproduce the noize by lifting the back of the bike and spinning up the back wheel with the pedal to a high rotation.

One cause could be the lack of grease/lubrication which can make the freewheel noisier.


Do Italian frame sets use different sized components to bikes in the USA?

Some Italian bikes have a metric BB thread but I have a Bianchi that has the standard BSA imperial thread so it's very difficult to tell unless you have thread measuring gauges. There are still a lot of BB assembly manufacturers making Italian threaded versions. As for any other parts they'll have standard European or Japanese (DIN or ISO) metric threads. Steerer tubes are usually imperial and seat posts invariably have a metric equivalent to the imperial parts.


How do you come to a stop without dismounting?

Ultimately it comes down to balance, what you have to work out is whether you can balance easier while moving slowly or not.

Watch a few track stand videos to see whether you think it's possible, if your sense of balance is good it's possible on any bike.

All that's required is generally a few inches of movement while braking and leaning into the direction required.

Some other alternatives if you really can't track stand would be :

Anticipate the lights changing so you don't have to stop, this will require slowing down but you shouldn't have to actually stop.

Or stop a few metres short of the lights so you have minimal time to track stand and have space to creep forward.

I don't know what the roads are like where you are but if there's a rail or post next to the lights you have the option of leaning on them and pushing off when the lights change.


Rusty sprockets aren't typically going to be an issue. As long as the teeth aren't too worn in, then the cogs themselves will be fine. However, if the cogset (likely a freewheel) itself is having difficulty rotating, it's likely the grease in the ratcheting mechanism has seized up, or the pawls are broken or faulty.

The internals of the freewheel might "wake up" if you try taking it for a spin, but it also might just be busted.

While servicing freewheels can be difficult, it is possible and the late Sheldon Brown could explain the process better than I could. The information is a little dated though, and might not be applicable to the part you have on hand.

Freewheels are a fairly inexpensive part, though there are some tools you'll need to remove the old one to put a new one on. If you don't have them and aren't willing to invest, your local bike shop would be able to mount it.

The busted derailleur is something you can probably handle, since that's usually just a couple of bolts to mount it. Watch out for the derailleur hanger though, since that's often damaged before, or with, the derailleur itself.

Something to keep in mind is that if your cogs are rusted, your cables might not be in great shape either. Look them over and pull on the brake levers. If they're unresponsive, stiff, or slow to retract, they'll likely need replacement. Gear cables will cause trouble with shifting.

Good luck and happy wrenching!


Exchange front wheel with rear wheel (Matrix 750) on Trek 4500 mountain bike?

No, not possible.

Front wheels are front wheels and back wheels are back wheels.

The gears are a cassette of cogs that slide onto the freehub which is the bit that lets you go forward when pedalling and coast when not. You can’t flip a back wheel in the drop outs.

“Some wear” is normal on a trail bike with rim brakes, but your local bike store will be able tell if it’s too far gone and advise you if you need a new rim or possibly more economical a new wheel. However rims are very durable and should last at least a few years even with grindy winter mud sessions.

Also the spec claims the hubs are disk ready. If that’s true and you can afford to spend a little money you may be able to upgrade to disk brakes.

Ask a bike mechanic first.


It's a bracket for holding an old style light like these

Photo from Amazon


Front derailleur wont shift to small gear

Make sure the derailleur is clean and nothing is jamming the mechanism that is preventing the cage from moving inboard.
Make sure the derailleur is mounted with the cage parallel to the chainrings, and isn't mounted to high.
Possibly the cage is bent.


Chain skipping despite new cassette and chain

I had a similar problem with my road bike.  I replaced the cassette and it still skipped.  I replaced the chain and it still skipped.  Finally, I changed the rings and it worked perfectly. The rings looked only slightly worn but I think one or two of the teeth were shortened slightly through excess use.  I saved the rings just for a side-by-side comparison with future rings.


What bottom bracket will fit the Ribble Endurance SLR?

Per https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-endurance-sl-r-series-frameset/

Bottom Bracket: Press Fit BB86.

A Shimano BBR60 is threaded:

SM-BBR60
SHIMANO ULTEGRA - Bottom Bracket - Threaded - HOLLOWTECH II - 68/70 mm
shell width

So no, the BBR60 won't fit.
Something like a Wheels Manufacturing BB86/92 would fit, though.
And it won't start making noises after 4 km.


The quick release lever is standard and you should just be able to pick one up second hand or from your local bike shop.  Make sure you get the one for the front and not for the rear.


Shimano R7020 shifter broken - no audible click when shifting

Thanks for the responses. Spent some more time looking at the problem and managed to solve it!
One end of the small spring seen in the centre of the picture fits through a small hole to keep it in place. This spring originally had no tension on it and seemed broken.
The other end of the spring had somehow slipped past the silver flange and was on the wrong side of it. This end of the spring has a small piece that should put pressure on the silver flange and only allows it to move slightly off the cog.
Once I had worked out how to get the spring in the right place it all works fine.
The way I did it was to pull the end visible out of the hole so the whole spring rotates. Find the other end of it and squeeze it past the silver flange so it rests on top. It is flexible so quite easy to do.
The larger end of the spring is then under tension and you can pull it back up and fit it through the hole. This is a bit fiddly but achievable.
Photo of the finished result with yellow arrow pointing to large end of spring going through hole and white arrow pointing to other smaller end resting on silver flange under tension.
Hopefully it may help somebody else. I wonder how many shifters have been discarded because of this small spring!


A neck brace limits range of motion to protect the neck and spine

BikeProducts

  A neck brace restricts any extreme movement of your neck during a
  crash. In other words, it prevents your head from tilting too far
  forward, backward, or to the side, all of which can damage the spinal
  cord. A spinal cord injury can, at best, keep you off the bike for six
  to eight weeks or, at worst, put you in a wheelchair. Why take the
  risk of serious injury?

As for statistics Nascar instituted HANS like 13 years ago and they feel they have statistics that demonstrate that it is effective.
HANS
I get Nascar is not the same as a bicycle but once you protect the head the next thing you need to protect is the neck.


Garmin Edge Touring can't do car, walking, or straight-line routing directions?

There is a website called http://www.dcrainmaker.com please check out page http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/08/garmin-touring-computer.html for the full guide however to answer your question and encase it disappears;

You can also specify if you want to start the route from where you are, or from another point on the map.

Once you’ve given it some instructions it’ll go off and come back with three routes (it’s like Monty Python – everything is in threes).  It did take a bit of time (perhaps 2 minutes) to come up with the routes.  Each route is roughly the distance you’ve specified, and all routes come back to where you started.

You can select any given route option to get a map overview:
There are a number of settings around routing and navigation within the options (applicable to round trip routing and generic routing), including how the unit routes and whether it, for example, minimizes routes with hills. This point here is were you select routing mode. it's not everything you were after but should give you a good help towards it.

Full specifications for the device, versus other devices, are at the bottom of his page.


Should my new 203mm adapter go over the existing one? Do they stack?

You bought a post mount adapter but needed an IS. Stacking it should put the caliper in the right place and would likely more or less work, but it's not a good idea given the alternative of getting the right part.


Gear step sizes between Shimano Nexus 8 and Alfine 8 compatible

Alfine 8 and Nexus 8 can use the same shifters. I'm guessing you need to adjust the shifter by turning the barrel adjuster on the shifter (there are marks on the hub which need to be lined up in order for it to shift properly -- check the setup instructions for the hub/shifter).


Do road bikes use the same width headsets?

Most modern bicycles, be they road or mountain, use 1 1/8" threadless headsets.  You will occasionally find bicycles, particularly in the lower cost ranges, that will still use an old 1" threaded headset and a threaded quill stem, but these are becoming more and more rare every year.


Is there a simple way to hack a bicycle so it moves back and forth based on pedaling back and forth?

That is possible, track bicycles are designed to work like that, that's called a fixed gear drive train. It depends on the style of free wheel already installed on your bike. The free wheel is the mechanism on the rear wheel that engages when you pedal forward and disengages when you pedal backward. You will likely need to remove your free wheel and install a cog and lock ring, or replace the wheel with one that can be set up with a fixed gear. You will not be able to use a rear derailleur without a free wheel. When i was a kid in the early eighties I converted all my bikes to fixies.


Add-on Aero Bars to an Already Aero Handlebar

Most clip-on aero bars attach near the stem, where the handle bars have a round profile, not where the bars have a flat profile. The elbow pads are outboard of the mounting point, which will put them over the flat portion of the bars.

As an aside I would try to assess why you are experiencing wrist issues.  You may simply need adjust your setup. It is also possible that on the new bars you are twisting wrists. Ideally you want to keep your wrists straight as possible. You may need to adjust the position of shifter/brake on the bars to help facilitate.


Do I need to chase a thread before installing a bottom bracket on a new frame?

If you don't chase when you need to, you'll have a very tough time threading the bottom bracket in, and as a result, it may creak or wear out somewhat faster than it would otherwise.

The same goes for facing the bottom bracket shell.

This is what I would do (and have done) if I were in your position, only for square taper, cartridge bottom brackets*: Since you are using a square taper bottom bracket, your BB will likely have one fixed and one free cup (or whatever its called). Take the free cup, and thread just that into the shell without using any tool besides the driver (example), only finger tightening it. If you can thread that all the way in until its outer flange is flush with the shell, then your frame is "good enough" as it is. Unthread the free cup, and install the BB properly and you should be good to go.

If you can't get the free cup all the way in without using tools, then I would have the threads chased out.

I used this method on my Surly Cross-check frame in 2007, and the threads were good enough then, and I haven't had any bottom bracket troubles whatsoever.

And cough up the extra cash to get the better bottom bracket, it will last longer, and every time you have to take square taper cranks off, you wear them out much quicker.

*Hollowtech and other outboard bearing systems are more sensitive to the threading, and especially the facing of the shell. If using those systems, always have the bottom bracket faced, and at that point you might as well chase out the threads.


This is not common in America.  Perhaps in Europe in places where cycling is more common, but I'm going to say it is going to go the opposite way:  going to higher gearing to get the kid going faster, or even to go to lower gearing to if they have trouble getting them going.

As for America, we don't really buy kids bikes with specific gearing.  It is something that isn't advertised for the bike (unless that is the major selling point of the bike).  Many of the 1 piece cranks we have are not capable of swapping chain rings.  However, the rear hubs still use the common 3 spline interface for single speed cogs.  I have swapped out the rear cog on a kids bike that we used for mountain bike trails because the gearing was too high for the kid.  However, despite the popularity of mountain biking in my are, my kids seem to be the only ones doing it on a 16" bike.


The "padding" AKA chamois is a vital guard against chafing-related injuries for anyone who intends to ride appreciable miles on a bike, and I would highly recommend wearing some garment with a chamois for any ride you do.  For cold weather riding when simple shorts do not suffice, there are a number of different options.  You can:

Wear proper cycling shorts under your chamois-free tights.  This provides you with an additional layer of warmth without sacrificing the protection a chamois provides.
Buy leg warmers to complement your cycling shorts.  Leg warmers are just an insulated sleeve that goes over your leg and runs from the ankle to just below the crotch.  When you say you spotted other cyclists wearing tights under their shorts, it is much more likely that they were only wearing leg warmers.  This provides them with the added leg protection, without a layer of material in between their body and the chamois.
Buy tights with a chamois.  These are designed to fully replace your shorts, rather than complement them.

Riding any extended distances without a chamois is ill-advised because of the numerous health complications (that's a very bad part of the body to develop open sores), and when you do wear a chamois, it should always be the innermost layer, adjacent to the skin.  Whatever else you wear to keep your legs warm just depends on your budget, the temperature, and what you find comfortable.


Time traveling here...

If that type of spalling occurs after several thousand miles, then that's most likely normal wear from the little bit of play vs road vibration, etc.

If that occurs within 200 miles, then it means your cone nuts are too tight.  Some people here say there should be no play, but that is incorrect.  There should be a tiny bit of play in the axle/bearings.  If you smack the axle, you should hear it tap lightly.

If you have it too tight, you'll feel very little or zero play, but when you twist the axle by hand, you will feel it grab or catch very slightly.  Or, if you hold it by the axle ends and spin the wheel, you'll see it grab periodically (change in friction makes it twist a little in your hands).

That is the minor imperfections in the races and the bearings fighting each other.  There should be just a tiny bit more space than the largest imperfection combinations (for a micron or two of grease).  That means, most of the spacing will have just a tiny bit of play.

I find that every hub is a little different, but it usually takes 5-10 tweaks to get just the right amount of play when reassembling the wheel bearings/axle/cones/locknuts.


Weirdly I noticed a lot more drag when I went from the old square taper to HTII external bottom brackets. My old square taper would spin "forever" and the HTII would come to an abrupt halt after only a couple of revolutions.

Apparently this phenomenon has a very infinitely small effect on performance.
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/friction-facts-measuring-bottom-bracket-drag-39233/

With their measurement being 0.29 Watts to 1.64 Watts - which in the picture of things is nothing.

Your bearings may also be stiffer if they are newer as they do loosen a little over time.

If you have any other concerns - best take to a mechanic to inspect to make sure they have been installed correctly.


Is there anything wrong with fat blobby frame welds?

Assuming good penetration, a “thick” weld also functions as a fillet reinforcing the joinder.  The “swirly” look is OK as long as the welding puddle is continuous.  In many instances a “stitch weld” is more fatigue resistant than a continuous bead by limiting stress risers in the weld.


keeping your face warm while winter bike commuting

I recommend ski googles and Seirus "Masque" over a balaclava. This mask only covers the bottom half of your face, and can be paired with merino wool hat worn underneath a helmet. This is more versatile, as you can remove the mask, but still wear the hat off-bike. I also use a scarf underneath my jacket to make sure there's a good seal to keep the wind out. For my kids, I still use a balaclava for simplicity on very cold days.

keeping your feet warm while winter bike commuting

For keeping your feet warm, I recommend NEOS overshoes. They go over your normal shoes, keeping your shoes and pant legs dry and clean. Even the non-insulated options add warmth due to the layering. I like the Voyager model, which is also light and packable.

Keeping your hands warm while winter bike commuting

If putting your hands someplace warm doesn't work well enough, you can try a little cayenne to improve your circulation. A small amount can go in your gloves (or socks!) It has worked for me. This worked for my son:

I have another number of other winter cycling articles on my blog if you'd like to read more about my experiences and gear.


How long does it take to get used to a hard saddle?

Take it back and get a different one. A decent bike shop will let you do this. I went through 3 saddles the last time.

The goal is that the "saddle fits you", and not, "you fit the saddle".

  It really doesn't take weeks.

to determine whether a saddle is right or not! A long ride will do.

An anecdotal note... My current road bike saddle would qualify as a "hard leather saddle". At the time I bought the bike, I didn't like the original saddle, then tried a Specialized, then a Fizik, and then settled on a Selle Italia. I'm not knocking either Specialized or Fizik or any other brand; it's just that the Selle Italia saddle worked for my anatomy, and I often spend an entire day+ sitting on that saddle. Saddles are like shoes, they have to fit the wearer. A 30 mile ride told me which saddle to get.


My bike's chain vibrates with every pedal stroke

It's important to remember that while your mom would kill you if the bike breaks, she would be so much more upset if you did get hurt! Moms are weird like that, so don't be afraid to ask her for help with the bike, or money if something important needs fixing.

So how to fix the bike, we need to figure out why the vibration is happening, so that means inspecting the bike as best as possible.

You mentioned the pedals, so we can start there. Are both pedals fixed to the cranks securely? Do the pedals feel nice and smooth to turn, or are they rough and noisy?

Can you wobble the cranks side to side, or are they nice and stable? They'll spin forwards and backwards, but you should't be able to wiggle them side to side.

The chain runs front to back, is there anywhere along the chain where it rubs on something that it looks like it shouldn't? does the vibration depend on which gear you're in?

Check the rear wheel, when you spin it forwards, does the rim, or the tyre wobble side to side? Does the tyre touch the frame of the bike at all anywhere? It shouldn't. Make sure that where the wheels are held in the bike, they haven't slipped just a little bit out of where they should be, and that the brakes look like they aren't interfering with the wheel turning.

I shouldn't really answer the question with lots of questions, 'site rules', but the goal is to help you have a good look over the bike, then you can update the question with some of the findings, and anything you think is out of the ordinary. Maybe some photographs of the bike where you think there could be a problem.

There's a system of inspecting the bike known as an M-check, see a page here, which might help you look for issues, but I'm not sure that it would help you figure out this particular vibration or not. It's a good check to learn about though.

If you don't find much with these suggestions, or other people's, then its a good idea to have the bike looked over by someone who knows about bikes, maybe a bike shop mechanic or a family friend. If you've noticed this problem, and it's getting worse as you ride the bike, then I think it is something worth getting fixed.


You won't be able to use ANY 700C tire, but you should be able to use anything between 700Cx19 to 700Cx25.

Sheldon Browns site has a ton of information on tire sizing. In general he recommends 1.45 to 2.0 times the inner rim width.  In your case this appears to be 13mm.

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


The manufacturer recommends this product for protecting a painted surface and not used on bare metal. Lacquer by its nature (at least the types still available in the U.S.) provides a beautiful finish but not very good at chip resistance. It is typically applied in multiple layers with sanding between coats. Take this to mean very time consuming and tedious. I would look for a product designed for bare metal, a urethane or clear epoxy should be much more durable than a lacquer. I would suggest finding an old bike or scrap pipe and practice your technique particularly in the headset and bottom bracket area. If you took the frame apart, tape all the threaded areas to keep the clear out of the threaded parts.


Some brake calipers have a small locking screw with which you can adjust the rotation of the brake caliper without having too loosen the bolt with which the caliper is mounted to the frame. Check if your caliper has such a locking screw and if tightening it helps. It should be approx 2mm in diameter.

The afore mentioned locking screw can be seen here: https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/repairhelp/dual27.jpg

Image source: https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/dual-pivot-brake-service


Front derailleur takes 6 clicks to shift gears, instead of 3

This is normal. The procedure is called trimming.

It allows you to move the front derailleur cage a bit to prevent the derailleur cage rubbing on the chain due to the changing angle of the chain when shifting in the rear.


If by "parallel to the wall" you mean in the same direction as it would sit if it were leaning against the wall then you would probably do well with a rack like I bought when I moved into an apartment last year:

This Delta Michelangelo Rack holds two bikes, requires only a single small screw hole in the wall to anchor, and does a good job of holding the bikes out of the way.  List is about $80 but I found mine on sale for around $55.  It also has a few clips/hangers for things like helmets.

I also have the pulley system recommended by @neil-fein,  but I find that if the bike is on the pulley, I rarely get it down.


Joining Shimano chain with pin - which link-type should "lead" (take the power)

The way they've worded and shown this in diagrams has always been a little nutty. You can pretty much see what they mean if you max zoom on the full res pdf though.

You are looking at the drive side of the bike. You are holding the chain stretched end to end between your hands. Your left hand holds the end that terminates in an inner link, your right one with an outer link. Put the outer link end on the crank and through the front derailleur as applicable. Put the inner link end through the rear derailleur. Do your sizing on the inner link end such that you're still left with an inner link when done. Then connect it all with the one-time pin.


Alternative uses for an aluminum MTB frame

Use as a dedicated truing stand.  While not adjustable, the fork could be used for front wheels, back for rear wheels.


Which components affects downhill speed?

It's really simple, gravity/weight moves you forward, and drag/friction keeps you from going fast.

He can't do much about the weight difference, short of drinking more beer or getting a heavier bike.

But drag and friction is a different story. There are many things slowing you and your buddy down, the largest factor being wind resistance. Wind resistance is related to the square of your speed, so twice as fast means 4 times the resistance. Secondary factors would probably be your tires (knobby vs smooth, soft vs hard), and even your hubs. I once had an old hub serviced and started keeping up with my downhill-coasting buddies.


Its a Schwinn Lowrider with what looks to be 16" high-spoke count wheels.

It is not a limo lowrider or stingray lowrider, just a "lowrider"  The front springer fork (suspension) and high spoke count, and banana seat have been part of the design for a long time.

As for year - the model was available from the 1960s and is still available now.  Lack of front brake implies its not recent, or its from somewhere that a single brake is legal.

Note, the rearward seating position makes this a "semi crank-forward" bike, and it would be quite hard to ride up a decent grade because it would be tippy and light on the front wheel.


Is it better to have mountain bike tyres for the winter?

It depends on your anticipated conditions.  If you're planning on off-roading in snow you need tires with fairly heavy lugs (though too heavy will just collect snow).  For ice you definitely need metal-studded tires -- riding a bike on ice otherwise is like riding on grease.

If you ride mostly on roads that are fairly heavily traveled by autos the best choice is fairly smooth studded tires where the studs are on the sides but the middle is smooth.  This way the studs engage when you lean at all, but don't seriously impede you when riding straight.

icebike.org has kind of fallen into disuse (the latest "news" is from 2006), but still has some good links.


I've recently bought a 1980 Raleigh Royal I have some questions. (brakes & pannier)

I think you'll find that a rack that fits a 29er is meant to clear a relatively large tire. So you're likely to have room. If you wanted to get a better idea you might be able to ask to measure the rack at your LBS or see if there are specs on Axiom's web site. Or you could ask on Amazon. The number you're interested in is the distance from the lowest dropout attachment point to the bottom of the rack over the tire. Then measure that same distance on your bike. Allow about a centimeter (1/2 an inch) for fenders if you think you'd like to use them.

Do the cables and housing look to be of a similar vintage to the bike? The rear brake usually has a longer length of housing and corrosion or junk (bug nests?) in the housing will drag on the brakes. As a quick check you could pull off the rear wheel and work the brakes several times – adding lubricant if you have some on hand – to see if they brakes start to free up. While you do this, watch the behavior of the inner cable, if it is hanging up on the housing you may see that it stays slack for a moment or takes up slowly when you release the brake lever.

If working the cable seems to help then the best thing to do would be to replace the cables. It wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the shift cables too. A little bit of lube on the pivot points wouldn't hurt either. Just keep it away from the rim and pads.


When should I move onto double jumps from tabletops?

Such fear is completely normal. Eventually you'll get over it, and even though it's different for different people there are some things you can try to help you cope with that first time. Here are some approaches I've either used myself or seen with others - in the end it mostly only comes down to what CardMechanic already answered: in case you can properly jump tabletops, literally the only thing holding you back from jumping similar doubles is a mental block.

First of all, and this applies to all other steps below actually, clear it properly in your head. Imagine yourself confidently and cleanly jumping the double, in the same way you do it for the tabletop. Imagine looking down and flying over the hole in the middle. Visualize it.
Measure the tabletop, e.g. put your bike next to it and see how the length compares to your bike's length. Then go find a double with roughly the same size or smaller, put your bike next to it in the same way, and make your brain realize it's being irrational.
Get good at estimating speed needed for jumping a tabletop, find a similar double (both distance and shape of the kicker, both are important in defining what a jump feels like), and just go for it at the same speed. There's no way you won't clear it.
Have someone else jump the double and ride next to him/her to figure out the correct speed. Seeing others do it at exactly your speed will make you more confident.
Make yourself irritated, to the point you are getting a bit angry even, by riding onto the double like you are going to jump it but in the last second ride around it. Eventually alternate with jumping thea tabletop as well to tell yourself 'yeah, I can do this'. Doesn't work for everyone, but chances are after a while you start to feel a bit supid and annoyed and angry and at one point, make the click and decide to go for it.
Find an appropriate double and cover the hole with for instance a pallet. Now it's basically a tabletop. Jump it a couple of times and you'll find yourself removing the pallet in no time.
Final words: know that once you clear the double for the first time, you'll be welcomed with rushes of adrenaline, dopamine and whatnot and you'll be walking on sunshine - best feeling ever, you know you want it.

edit as requested, some info from the comments: the reason why I'm mentioning finding a double similar in shape/size/length to a tabletop you know how to jump, is that you can clear both with the same body movements and hence don't have more risk of over- or undershooting it.

Overshooting a double or tabletop is the same: if you have some amount of experience and spot your mistake early enough when in the air you'll by all means want to avoid landing front wheel first since that might end up going over the bars. Instead actively force the rear wheel down - but also not too much. Even when completely overshooting and having to land on flat that has a good chance of not resulting in a crash. And it's easier than, while in the air and possible panicking a bit, trying to aim for a landing with both wheels at the same time. Actually you can train for this to some extent: take a jump you know well, then try to land a few inches further. Then some more, and so on, and take mental notes of how it feels and what happens and how you can counter it.

For undershooting it depends on how much you undershoot. If it's only a bit, e.g. hitting the top of the landing with the rear wheel (not ideal, but unless you're really short you'll just ride away) or the front wheel (dangerous, often results in an uncontrolled 'bounce') there's no difference. If you undershoot way too much though, a tabletop will save you but on a double you'd land straight into the gap. Which can end up pretty bad. But can be avoid by not trying to advance too fast, i.e. if you can jump X easily, don't attempt a double which is X * 2. Take small incremental steps, as for any practice out there.


Can you use a 6/7 Speed Derailleur on a 5 speed bicycle?

If I'm not mistaken, you're talking about non-indexed derailers, plus the chain width would be the same for 5 and 6/7, so there should be no problem.

Installing a derailer is a fairly simple task, in and of itself.  But you either have to break the chain or disassemble the derailer to get the chain threaded through it, and that's a little more involved.  Plus you need to adjust the derailer once installed (though adjusting a non-indexed derailer is almost trivial).

None of this is beyond the abilities of someone with some mechanical ability and a modicum of patience, but it requires thought, care, and a few tools.  And note that you'll maybe want to replace the shift cable at the same time, as the existing is likely too frayed to reuse.


I'm going out on a limb and suspect you have removed the end nut and have pushed the valve core down into the tube to allow the sealant liquid room to move past and into the tube ?

Short answer is, don't do that.

Use tubes that have a removable valve core.  These can be identified by two flats on opposite sides.

Since you've probably already got the valve stem in the tube, your only options are to manipulate the tube to get the core back into the valve, or to cut a hole in the tube opposite the valve for easier access.  This last suggestion is the last resort, cos the sealant will make it hard to put a patch on the tube, so clean it really well before buffing.


I would like the suspension specs on my 2002 Rocky Mountain Element. Any help is appreciated

Via https://www.bikes.com/sites/default/files/2004_RMB_TECH_MANUAL_EN.pdf page 47

Shock size is 6.5" eye-eye, 1.5" stroke.

Note: Thats a 2004 spec so check the eye-to-eye length, if thats a match theres a high probability that the stroke length is the same.
Ebay/Amazon is your best bet for random shocks, you don't need to replace with a Fox. While OEM shocks are custom tuned for a given bike model I imagine you'd just prefer to be back on the trail so don't stress too much about an exact shock match.
The other alternative is to send the shock to a professional for a rebuild. The pro shock mechanics have access to almost anything via their channels.


What does this piece do that came with my disc brake?

These things are called tightening plates or lock washers. Your suggestion was righ in where it goes, here's an exploded diagram and installed photo:


Very quick answer - the torque numbers that are quoted are maximum torque values which do not correspond to maximum power.

Power = torque × rotational speed, so, at slow speeds the motor unit can provide more torque (and hence more acceleration) while staying within the power limit.

A bit more:

There a decent page here on the characteristics of DC motors. The essential takeaway is that DC motors can provide less torque the faster they spin.

Re:

  [I] thought there was a linear relationship between power and speed.

The power at constant velocity is that needed to balance the forces resisting forward motion - rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag for a bicycle or other vehicle. Those resistance forces generally increase with the cube of velocity.

If you want to play with the numbers there is an interactive calculator here.


I believe on this one you put a 5mm wrench in both endcaps and turn counterclockwise. You're trying to get the drive-side endcap off. If it's the non-drive one that breaks free first, there should be a larger size allen fitting in the end of the axle that will be exposed when you take it off. Stick the 6mm or 8mm or whatever it is in that and then you can get the other endcap off, and then the freehub should slide off. Careful not to lose any of the pawls or springs.


Choice of two Stevens bikes, which one makes more sense?

As you noticed yourself, the largest difference is suspension fork. It adds complexity and usually weight, but these bikes are almost same weight. That means that the one with suspension fork has lighter and more expensive components. Whether it is worth it and do you need the suspension at all is a separate question.


Sad to say, not worth the effort!

However, if you are a bulk user of cable outer then you can invest in a big reel of the stuff (obviously genuine Shimano) and some Shimano cable cutters (TL-CT-10).

Broken link: http://www.madison.co.uk/productinfo.aspx?catref=6Y1+9801

Possible replacements

https://www.google.com/search?q=Shimano+cable+cutters
http://www.parktool.com/product/professional-cable-and-housing-cutter-cn-10
https://www.google.com/search?q=shimano+outer+gear+cable

However, order by Madison part code from your LBS and get the brake cable outers whilst you are at it.

The inners are easy to clean up, the outer liner erodes over time and no amount of blowing soapy water through shifts the detritus.

That part is the 'XTR' version, there is also a cheaper one that should work fine.

These are good, just so long as you don't cut mudguard stays with them:


Is there any difference between professionally painting a car and a bike frame?

You might want to talk to a motorcycle shop that does paint. They are most likely setup to do smaller parts with lots of details. They would be more familiar with masking threaded holes and bearing surfaces.


Why can my rear derailer no longer shift between all 8 gears?

It sounds like you may have bent your deraileur hanger.

Looking forward from the rear of the bike, the hanger should be perpendicular to the ground when the bicycle is standing straight up.

Some bikes have replaceable hangers.... For others there are tools for aligning bent derailleur hangers....  Absent the tool and depending on your comfort/mechanical skill level it is possible to align the derailleur hanger with a large adjustable wrench by removing the derailleur and rear wheel and applying gentle force to return it to its perpendicular position.

If it is bent to severely, I highly recommend taking it to a shop.


How should I prepare a carbon frame when I want to swap in a new bottom bracket?

If it is a press fit then it is probably a BB86.  You'll need a removal tool (Park BBT-90.3, I think) and a press.  Get a SRAM GXP press fit bottom bracket or the equivalent Shimano part, they run about $40 USD. Knock the old one out with the removal tool and a hammer, clean the inside of the shell and press in the new one.  No grease.  The shells of these bottom brackets are made of a very hard plastic that will eventually loosen and start to creak.


Please help me find the brand of bike on the pictures

The frame looks very much like a generic Chinese singer speed frame. They are sold by countless brands.

I have a very similar bike which was sold as Leader, I think (I bought used). I replaced the rubbish brakes and finishing kit.

The sticker with the brand on the down tube is above the clear coat and peels off. It's quite flimsy. That indicates that the brands are an afterthought by the local distributors.

However, I suspect the bike in the original question was not made for the European market. There are no braze ons for the rear brake cable. It is attached with pipe- or p-clamps. Three finishing kit is probably custom added for the film.


I think most people find the bike-to-run transition quite difficult while the legs adjust from going in a circular motion to running. Particularly for longer distance courses.

Here's an interesting article from a renowned triathlon athlete/coach:
http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2007/01/cleat-position.html

The article discusses the merits of putting your cleat towards the rear of your foot / under the arch vs the more traditional ball-of-foot location. Having re-located the cleat to the arch of his foot, Joe (the author) found that his performance improved.

Moving the cleat towards the rear of the foot engages the larger quads and glutes muscles, taking the strain off the calf and leaving you fresher for the run.

So perhaps you should give it a whirl? The article references a Speedplay adaptor that enables this cleat position, though I haven't seen it myself. As comments underneath the article identify, there may be a need to adjust your position on the bike as pedalling with arch of your foot will bring you forward slightly.

Edit

There is at least one other question on this forum that relates to this topic: Why not place the cleats further back on the foot?

I've added some of the information contributed by others here (as well as some more of my own thoughts/interpretation) that I think is relevant:

There is an increased risk of your toe colliding with the front wheel. However, this is only really an issue when turning at low speeds.
A mid-foot cleat/pedal position may be more suited to steady-state events (TT, Triathlon, etc), rather than for sprinting or criteriums where rapid changes of pace occur. Not sure whether there is scientific reasoning to support this, or if it is just some riders' preference.
Moving your cleat in this manner (or any other significant change to your ride mechanics, for that matter) is likely to require time for your muscles to adapt to the new position. Incremental changes are likely to reduce the risk of injury associated with changing your ride mechanics.


Tektro Novela MD-M311 mechanical disc brake replacement

You are going about this incorrectly. Although some brakes are more prone to squealing than others, replacement is expensive and rarely needed. Brake squeal is a function of the brake, frame, rotor and wheel interaction, so there is still no certainty a new brake will fix the problem.

I won't go into details as solution to squealing brakes is well covered elsewhere, however things to try are

Bed brake properly
Align Calipers
Clean contaminated rotors and pads
Organic rather than metallic pads
New disc rotors

As mentioned already - if a new bike take it back to the shop and ask them to look at it.


Trying to figure out the Brand/Make of this bicycle?

Looks a lot like an old Free Spirit road. Note the fork crown, the weld quality around the head tube, the attachment of the rear dropouts and the single-piece bottom bracket.


Tips for participating in a large organized ride

If it really is an "organized" ride for thousands of riders of all skill levels, you don't really need to know/do anything special other than to be reasonably prepared for the time/distance of the ride, bring along water bottles, and bring money.  And maybe sun lotion on a sunny day, or rain gear on a threatening day.

But not all "organized" rides are that, and you need to be a little prepared for at least minor chaos -- having rest stops run out of water/food, maps or cue sheets that aren't especially accurate, etc.  More money, an extra water bottle, and a cell phone will get you through most of these.

Otherwise you need to look out for others in the ride, to protect both them and you.  If you've not ridden with a group before you should observe other, more skilled riders to learn a little bicycle group etiquette, and you particularly need to be conscious of the safety issues involved, such as riding too close together, riding 3-4 abreast in traffic, making sudden turns and stops without being aware of the riders around you, etc.

With that many cyclists there will be some idiots.  Don't ride like an idiot just because a bunch of other riders are -- do your best to set a good example.  And with that many bikes there will be some folks driving cars who will get frustrated and testy -- understand that they are NOT enjoying themselves motoring along at 5mph watching you guys clown around.  Show some consideration.

Oh, and bring some toilet paper, or (my preference) a small packet of "baby wipes".


Is cycling better than walking to lose weight?

This research claims around walking 334 kilojoules of energy expended for a 1.6km walk

Using the same 1.6km distance, if you cycled at 20km/h at 70watts (arbitrary but vaguely-plausible numbers), you would be involve around 20 kilojoules being "sent to the pedals". Assuming you are about 20% efficient, that would be 100kilojoules burned

For that distance, at a relatively leisurely pace, walking uses more energy.

However, there is more to it than that:

Cycling is a more efficient means of transport. Both methods may use similar amounts of energy, but cycling will be faster. This means you could cycle a longer route to work, "burn more calories", and still get to work at the same time.

Then again, cycling has it's drawbacks - it requires more supporting equipment (a bike being the main part, also things like a helmet, puncture repair kit, maybe lights, and of course somewhere to securely park the bike)

..but really, the most important factor is doing something. Maybe choosing cycling would mean you would spend months saving up the money before you even start? Or maybe you'll enjoy cycling, and start going on longer rides, for fun?

Finally, remember the natural reaction to more exercise is simply "eat more". It is hard and requires conscious effort to go against this (to increase exercise without eating more)


Your lock ring is loose.

Normally the cog is quite tight from pedaling and you can do some braking with it. When you brake harder it breaks loose and unscrews until it hits the lock ring. This is what you feel as sliding. The lock ring has left hand thread to keep the cog from unscrewing completely. Now that the cog has tightened against lock ring, the process repeats when you pedal hard forward.

Now that the lock ring rattles loose, you should tighten it immediately.


Even if a derailleur appears to shift well, it could be out of adjustment. My shifter cable recently snapped and I replaced it. I put on a new one, and after adjusting it to the point of the shifting being "good", there was still some skipping when pedaling up a steep hill; some finer adjusting took care of it (while also improving the shifting from "good" to "excellent").

You mention that the derailleur is new, which suggests that the bicycle isn't. A used bicycle can have a worn out drive-train.

If the chain slips on the cogs, a new derailleur won't fix it. If the chain is slipping on the rear cassette, both the chain and cog need to be replaced. If it skips on the front, then the chain and front rings will have to be replaced, and likely the rear cassette also (because the new chain will quite possibly skip on the new one).

A second-hand bicycle doesn't have to appear to be well-used to need drive train component replacements. A bike that is used daily for year-round daily commuting can need a new cassette and chain well before it's two years old, especially with lower-end components, even if kept clean and well-maintained.


You can cut the skewer, but be sure to leave enough thread on there to keep the nut on when the QR is opened enough to take it off your bike (without having to remove the nut).

Don't forget to file the sharp cut edge smooth afterwards.


Mixing 11 speed shifter with 10 speed front derailleur (Shimano)

All signs point to yes. The differences between 10 speed chain width and 11 speed chain width are minimal (5.88mm vs 5.62mm) and although the spacing on the cassette is narrower for 11 speed the front chainring spacing is often the same.

Lennard Zinn says it'll be fine


Can I ride a Trek Crockett (CX/gravel bike) in a road race if I have a road wheelset and tires on it?

Yes definitely, I raced all of last years criterium season on my Ridley X-bow (rim brake) with slick tires.

The thing you may also want to consider is your gearing, if you have a 1x you may want to use a different cassette.

Also if you your bike is disc brake equipped you may not be able to use it in some races. If you are racing in the UK then your in luck as British Cycling have recently announced there allowing of disc brakes in 2018 for road racing and crit, if you are racing somewhere else you will have to check your local stance on disk brakes.


can bottom bracket type be determined without disassembly?

If your BB uses a threaded interface, there will be a tool interface.

For Shimano Hollowtech II style cranksets, threaded BBs sit outboard of the frame with notches needed by the tool clearly visible.

Frames which use Shimano BB86/BB92 pressfit BBs use a wider BB shell. The pressfit cups will have a thick lip that prevents them pushing deeper into the shell. The shell inner diameter is 41mm, so the diameter of lip should be about 43mm.

Cranksets with 24mm axles can be used in frames originally designed for 30mm axles, either by fitting a special BB whose bearings have a 24mm inner diameter or are sleeved to 24mm, or by fitting an adapter which reduces the shell diameter to allow a normal BB92 or external threaded BB to be used. BB30 shells have 42mm ID; PF30 shells have 46mm ID.

If you have a Trek, you might have a BB95 pressfit BB with shell ID 37mm.


Hydraulic disk brakes starts braking after pulling the half of the lever, how can I solve this problem with the brakes?

I think it depends on pad adjustment and most hydraulics have some kind of auto adjustment, also following pads' wearing - small "springs" between the pads return them to the initial position. Cable driven disc brakes can be adjusted at the caliper for tighter fit.
You'll probably never be able to start braking immediately. It needs some play, otherwise it would always touch the disks.
Though wiht hydraulics you should also check if you have enough oil/brake fluid in the lines, without air in it. That can also cause a loose, weak braking. It's probably done best by a professional.