Suggestions for a commuter bike with 20 inch wheels and suspension?

Dahon mid range folders, and a lot of cheaper chinese clones, usually come with full guards. e.g. this: https://dahon.com/bikes/mariner-d8-2/
The steel frames are only a teensy bit heavier than aluminium, and last better - I have had both - steel would actually be my preference from Dahon.

If you are happy with 20" steering, then go folding - it's totally awesome, and sociable, to be able to fold your bike up, and easily throw it in the back of someones car for a ride home.

I am happy with the Suntour seatpost, much better than the tubular type. not sure if you can get it to match the long fat seatpost of a folder though. (needs very regular oiling, and oiling before first use).

Can't help with the mini ape hangers though.


'27.5' refers to the rim diameter, It is the same diameter as '650b' or ISO 584. The inch measurement tends to be used for MTB wheels, '650b' for road wheels. You obviously have to fit tires for the correct rim diameter.

'2.8' is the approximate tire width when mounted on a suitable width rim.

The inner width of your rims (distance between flanges) determines what range of tire width you can use. There are a few tables available on the internet that give general tire width ranges for different inner rim widths, but none I found cover the plus size range.

You can probably use tires that are narrower than 2.8". To make sure, measure the inner width of your rims in millimeters (a ruler is accurate enough), You should be able to find the rim width range that any model of tire is compatible with on the manufacturer's website.

An approximate rule for minimum tire width is no narrower than the outer width of the rim, preferably a little wider.


How to protect bike frame mounted on the carrying rack?

Pool noodles, cut lengthwise and held in place with gaffer tape (or hockey tape if you're so-inclined)

Bonus marks for colour-coordinating with your bike and car.   Do the whole length of the rack upstand, not just the contact point.

Like this but on the upstand too, not just the tines.

You could put the protection on the bike, like this, but its more likely to fall off.  Velcro cable ties can help here.


What do i need to know about buying a new back wheel for my mountain bike

To answer the other part of your question, No you can upgrade the groupset later.

Assuming you buy a wheel with an 11 speed hub, then your existing 9 speed cassette should fit it, and an 11 speed cassette is the same width but with thinner chain.  You'll need a new chain of course, and a right-hand shifter that has 11 positions not 9.

You should be able to use the front chainring as-is, subject to wear.

I can't say whether you will need a new rear derailleur or not - you should get away with the current one, but its not guaranteed.

New shift cable and housing too because why not?

Since you've mentioned Tubeless in a comment, probably best to add new tyres and sealant.  Add a spare tube to your pack as well, for bad punctures. If your front wheel is not tubeless compatible, you're up for a new wheel there too unless you only want tubeless on the rear.


Material to make patches to fix Crosso / Ortlieb style waterproof panniers?

You could try an air bed repair kit?
The patches are tough, the bond is flexible and air tight.


Recommended settings for Specialized Brain with respect to durability

The threshold setup of your shock should have a negligible if not non-existent bearing on its longevity. Run it how you like it.

To give you an idea of what you're concerned about breaking, watch this video that describes how Brain shocks work. About 2/3rds of the way through you will get to see the internals of a Brain shock's inertia valve. They are not as delicate as you may think.


Possible duplicate of How do I know which spokes to get for my wheel?

Best way is to measure the hub and the rim, or at least to know hub model and rim model.

Probably quicker to take off one spoke and measure it, but please note that on the back wheel they are of different length, depending if they are on the gear side or on the non-gear side.


Shimano FC-M521 middle chainring replacement

According to the Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, Shimano steel chainring bolts 70-95 inlbs. Aluminum 44-88 inlbs.  A Park Tool CNW-2 chainring tool or similar is used to hold the slotted nut and an allen wrench turns the bolt. Depending on the size of the chainrings you may be able to use a slotted screwdriver to hold the nuts.


Is it OK to use a crankset with partially stripped pedal threads?

I would not ride with that crank as photographed, for anything more than a slow and careful "get home" temporary ride, with myself not rising from the saddle at all.

The pedal thread is only 2/3 to 5/8 there, and the thread that is missing is the side nearest your pedal, which is the fulcrum of the lever.

Stresses on the remaining threads would be much higher, making it more likely to fail quickly with no warning.

While replacement of the crankset is a valid fix, its not cheap and you may have compatibility issues.  That looks like a Shimano RSX crank from the 90s through to some of the 8 speed sora cranks.  Also depends whether you value the originality and period-correctness.

Instead, I'd look at a pedal thread repair, often called a Helicoil.  A bike shop will have the special tools for this, which look like this  :

Its a replacement steel thread which gets permanently installed inside your bore, and the pedal goes into that.  IMO it leaves a better connection than a steel thread inside an aluminium threadded bore.

Good instructions are at https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/pedal-bushing-repair-kit-procedure


You don't have to mix MTB and road components for this bike. 135mm wide disc hubs with a road 11 speed freehub body exist. I have one on my bike and it's fairly standard for disk brake road bikes with a QR in the rear.

To answer your actual question:

The compatibility issue between MTB hubs and road 11 speed cassettes is that 100 speed MTB hubs retained the  '10 speed' 34.95mm freehub body, but road hubs went to a longer 36.75mm one.

MTB cassettes generally have larger inner sprockets that can overhang the inboard end of the freehub body and clear the spokes, so a longer freehub body was not needed. Some larger range road cassettes come with a 1.8mm spacer and can fit on the shorter freehub.

If you want to use a MTB cassette with a road derailleur, this can work but you need to make sure you will not exceed the max sprocket size and total capacity of the derailleur.

Specs for Shimano rear derailleurs are here, max sprocket size for RD-R7000 GS (longer cage) is 34 teeth (although many people report you can push the Shimano specs a little, so a 36 tooth will likely work OK).


The road compatibility chart does indeed say that the R2000 front derailleur not compatible with 2400 shifters.

Rear  derailleur actuation ratios are fairly well documented, but I've never found a good source for front derailleurs, I do know that you cannot assume that all double front derailleurs are compatible.

Your best best is just to replace with a 2400 series derailleur. Good news is that FD-2400 units are still available and and inexpensive.


I need some advice about upgrading my fork

OEM Suntour forks are awfully terrible. Almost any other after-the-market fork would be better.
I would recommend going with an air fork as the technology is very much polished now, so there is no need for coil. In the price range that you have designated, there are many decent forks, however not so many vendors to choose from, and one is clearly dominating.
I would focus on getting a compatible fork in the first place; that is, all the parameters:

wheel size (26/27.5/29),

travel (100-180mm),

steering tube type (straight/tapered),

axle system (QR/through-axle)

axle length ("normal"/boost)

brake mounting system (disk ISO/post mount or rim V-brake)
— must match. Let's not forget about the color, although it is mostly black.

Can I get something with remote lock for this price range?

Not sure about that. However, I've never found a need for a lockout, be it on the fork or a remote one,  — a good fork should just work, and the lockout only takes space on the handlebars.

What features should I look to make a long-lasting investment?

You need to service your new fork periodically. I've seen vendor's recommendations to do it once every 50 hours of operation. For my taste, that is way too often. Once a season should be the lowest frequency for the service.


There are, but measurements typically will be protocol-dependent (and vary slightly between different wind tunnels).

For example:

Here is a link to a comparison done at the A2 Wind Tunnel in North Carolina almost a decade ago, on bicycles standardized to frame and wheels, but without saddle or handlebars. Other protocols may include saddles, handlebars, and the standard wheels and tires provided with the bike.

Here is a link to a comparison done in 2012-2013 by Trek on their Madone in the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel. Note the differences in protocol.

Here is a link to a Trek whitepaper on their Speed Concept.


What are the round things near the main front cog?

They are chain keepers.

Back in the day before narrow-wide chain and 1x transmissions, the front mech/derailleur was a great way to keep the chain on the chainring.  And given bikes had two or three chainrings the front mech was necessary for changing gears.

However MTB riders liked to bounce around a lot, and that could still "throw the chain" which removed your propulsion.  This was not ideal.  The two rollers pictured work more like guides than like jockey wheels.   They are there to guide the chain, and may or may not have teeth.

These would be more common on bikes with full suspension, where the chain tension changes as the shock compresses.  Your bike appears to be a hard tail, so only chain slap from bouncing or landing can cause a derailment.

Given this bike has a derailleur protector and relatively small rims, I think its a kids bike and the guides are more about protecting the bike from mistreatment rather than keeping the chain on during technical sections.

As for "chain goes over bottom roller and clear of the top roller" its because the plate in the back is maladjusted and needs to be rotated a few degrees anti-clockwise as pictured.  That it still rides okay as shown proves that this tensioner is relatively unnecessary.  You might be able to tap it into position using some gentle percussive maintenance, though this may upset the bottom bracket.

If you remove the two guide wheels it would leave the chain a bit long, so two or perhaps four links might need removing.  If you remove teh whole plate, that will move the Drive side bearing cup inboard and possibly change the chainline.  I'd leave it in place personally once its adjusted.

They make a lot of noise because the bearings are probably dry.  So remove, service and reinstall would be ideal.


Do saddle ergonomics matter if you've got padded shorts?

The short (pun intended) answer is "yes." Or at the very least, "probably yes." One of the big things that makes saddles uncomfortable is pressure on the soft tissues between your "sit bones" (the ischial tuberosities). It may seem counterintuitive, but padded saddles can make this worse. The problem is that the padding allows your sit bones to sink into the saddle increasing the pressure on your soft tissues. Padded shorts won't do much, if anything, to prevent this and may actually make it worse.

What you want is a saddle that supports you sit bones with enough conformance to avoid pressure points around the bones, but without so much give that you end up carrying your weight all across your "bottom." On a saddle that basically works, but where you find yourself getting sore around your sit bones, padded shorts may help. But a good saddle is a lot like a good hard chair – you can sit on it for hours. You'll get tired of sitting before you it becomes uncomfortable from the pressure.

In my experience the benefit of the chamois is in minimizing chafing, not in providing padding.


I don't know what the association would be with rain, but sealant coming from random spots on the rim but not the bead lock area implies a tape problem. If it's happening at the bead itself (the joint between tire and rim), too narrow tape could be a cause.
The loud pop is normal and is a good thing. The first thing to double check would be a consistent lock all the way around.
Orange works well with all the light Panaracer or Panaracer-made tires, so no this does not sound like a compatibility problem.
If you got a puncture (which is potentially likelier in the rain) and some sealant escaped in the process of sealing, you could get something like this, collecting at the rim in a way that suggests that's the leak, but it's not. The same is true if there was a puncture that the sealant wasn't quite able to fill. But that probably wouldn't be both tires, all the time.
Light tires like this can have a way of "eating" a higher amount of sealant in initial riding, and until then can lose some through the casing. It's possible this is what you're seeing. You can test that easily by using a 2mm allen or other small thin tool as a dipstick through the valve, and then re-upping as needed if there's little or no free liquid. Clean the tire off before riding so you have a fresh start. If that doesn't work then I think looking at the tape is probably the next thing, unless you're just losing it from punctures.


Why is my front Derailleur not shifting as smooth as it used to?

As you ride and shift your shifting cables stretch.  You can take up some of the slack by turning your barrel adjusters counter clockwise.  Eventually, you will reach the limit of what your barrel adjusters can handle.  At this point you will need to loosen the bolt that holds your shifter cable to the the derailleur and pull in the slack, then tighten the bolt back down.  Having the right tools for this job makes things much easier.  You should move your barrel adjusters almost all of the way back in (turn clockwise) before you do this.


What is the regular maintenance on electric hubmotors?

I found no manufacturer supplied technical docs / how-to on bicycle hub motor (or mid-drive motor) maintenance. There is a variety of rider created how-to information. Here is a link to the Electric Bike forum as an example.

Quick explanations of electric bike motors:

There are three configurations for electric bikes. Two different types of hub motors and the mid-drive motor.

Geared hub motors - this hub has an internal gearing system = greater complexity, lower durability.
Direct Drive hub motors - no gears, just an electric motor = simpler
The linked article also talks about the good and bad of each type of drive, but it does not go into depth on durability and repair.
Mid-drive - connects to a bicycle drive train = harder to install than either hub motor.

According to this thread in the Electric Bike Review forum the answer on hub motor durability and maintenance is - it depends.

Durability depends on:

The quality of the hub (if you can't find parts for the hub avoid it or be ready to replace it when/if it breaks)
The type of riding you do (hills generate heat in an electric system which can reduce durability)
The conditions you ride in, wet, dusty, hot, etc.

In this conversation on reliability in the Electric Bike Review durability on hub motor testimonies go from as little as 2,000 to as much as 20,000 miles.

The consensus is that a direct drive hub has greater durability than the gear hub. The wear items in the direct drive hub are the sealed cassette bearings. Replacing would be a matter of removing the old bearing(s) and installing new. The wear item in the geared hub are the bearings and the gears.

Here is a site with a variety of direct drive motor parts - not as an endorsement of any kind but only for part cost reference.

Other things that can fail on a hub motor, or mid-drive system:

Battery
Controller
Phase wires - if the motor gets too hot
Hall-effect sensors - track the motor's position

A mid-drive motor installs replaces the crank spindle or bolts to the down tube.
Going with a mid-drive system uses standard bicycle drive train parts. This type of system can increase wear on the standard drive train parts.

To get something you can repair make sure you can find 1. Replacement parts 2. Online repair help or how to video, before you buy. To some extent, when it comes to durability electric bike owners are blazing a trail - they don't have the history of the conventional bike.


My Supercycle chain keeps breaking randomly

You have a low quality bike. The low quality shows as failures in various parts, in your case the chain. An immediate solution would be to replace it (either chain or the entire bike) with a decent quality one. No need to go fancy and expensive, anything that is sold in a bike shop should do the job.


Is this regular chain/pulley noise or is there someting I should check/adjust?

The drive-train is a bit noisier than it should be.

The noise is not being caused by derailleur indexing being off though.

Chain seems clean, is it lubricated properly?

Things to check are chain and cassette wear. Also check that the derailleur jockey  wheels are running freely.


Very cheap tires are likely to have little or no puncture protection. Unless you're riding under very optimal conditions, slightly higher quality tires are worth it when you consider the time/cost of replacing or patching punctured inner tubes.


Yes, this should be fine, as the front derailleur braze on mount is universal


How do you protect your bike from scratches?

I use helicopter tape. You can find it on Amazon or from most any race car supply shop. It's a little pricey but well worth it. It's very sticky and thick enough to absorb impacts from rocks. I use it on the bottom side of my downtube, on the drive side chain stay, and anywhere a cable is close to the frame.


Shifter isn't working, cable doesn't react

If the housing is loose and falling out of the barrel adjuster, either the end of the cable as come loose, or the housing has come out of a frame stop (or the shifter itself, seeing as you have the bar tape off), or the cable has broken (or cable end in the shifter may have detached). There is also a chance that the shifter is broken.

If you've grabbed the cable (not the housing) and worked the shifter to check the cable is being pulled by the shifter, and it's not, the cable probably is broken or the end detached. Try pulling the cable and see if it comes loose.

You can also check the cable has not come out of the derailleur pinch bolt (or pulled through it). Also, follow the cable path from the shifter to the derailleur and make sure the housing is properly located in all stops.


Pannier rack restricting dérailleur movements

I would concur that the solution here is to increase the length of the cable housing that is inferring with the rack. If the rack is putting any pressure on the cable housing, then it will interfere with the ability of the derailleur to shift properly. Depending on how much free cable is left over coming out of the derailleur, You will most likely need to also replace the cable with a new one that is longer.  But this shouldn't cost any more than $10~$20 from the local bike mechanic at the back of your favorite bike shop.


Detach the cable at the derailleur and see where the derailleur sits. If its not in line with the lowest cog you need to adjust the lower limit screw. This is usually marked with an L. Screw it out until the top jockey wheel of the derialleur is precisely in line with the smallest cog. Reattach the cable with shifter on gear 1. Then click up one gear. Adjust the tensioner on shifter and/or derailleur until jockey wheel is precisely in line with second cog.

Finally shift all the way to the top cog and screw the high limit screw until you just feel resistance. This stops the chain going too far and dropping into your wheel.


It's certainly possible. It could well be easy, but on the other hand you may have to modify parts quite heavily. There are decent quality mirrors designed to clamp onto handlebars and extend past your arms. I'm most familiar with the Busch und Muller cyclestar because I use a similar mirror with a different attachment. Cheap mirrors tend to wobble about and be useless, but there are plenty of decent brands (mostly European).

If the tube diameter is similar to the diameter of typical handlebars, you may be able to use the clamp almost as designed. If not, you'll need to make some adaptations, such as packing out the clamp.


When shifting gears, how does a bike chain catch the new cog so reliably?

A great deal of engineering has gone into making shifting smooth and predictable. Up until ~1984, shifting was done by feel and sound: the shift lever moved continuously through its range, and you moved it until it caught the adjacent gear. Different brands had different actions, and you had to develop some technique.

In 1984, Shimano rolled out "indexed shifting" (there had been previous attempts, but this time it really took). Here, the shift lever clicked into specific positions; the spacing between gears on the freewheel was standardized (before, the spacing varied within a freewheel); the shift cable was pre-stretched so the action wouldn't change; and so on. There was a lot of skepticism that indexed shifting would stay reliable in the long run, but it did, and took over.

Since then, there have been additional refinements. Individual gears on a cassette have "ramps" that help lift the chain from smaller gears. Gears are aligned relative to each other to ensure good uptake. Chainrings have pins to help lift as well.


How do I prevent neck and back pain, and recover physically/mentally on a multi-day ride?

Don't be afraid to get off the bike.  Take a break every hour or so. Shake out your legs, shake out your arms.  Stetch your muscles.  When on the bike, try to remember to switch hand positions often set a timer on your watch every 10 minutes if you have to to remind you to switch things up a bit.

Eat before you are hungry, at regular intervals.  Don't wait until you feel hungry to start eating. It's already too late at that point.

Don't drink too much on the night between the rides. I don't know about the ride you are going on, but a lot of these two day rides have "refreshments" available at the end of the first day. A cold beer can be nice to relax you, but don't overindulge.  You'll regret it the next day.


What is the difference between city (urban) and mountain bike helmets?

In my impression the differences are:

Look: as a commuter/city biker you don't want to appear as colourful weirdo / stick out in the supermarket. The colours are therefore more casual. (I actually heard the industry believes one of the main reasons people don't wear helmets is their looks, and invested into designing them like beanies; I myself believe they are compared to scooter helmets unpractical - you cannot store them on the bike and have to carry them around)
Ventilation: as commuting is not considered a sport, you're expected to sweat less and in need of less ventilation. Some commuter helmets have (similar to ski helmets) even closable vents. Bear in mind, outdoor sport is biased towards nice weather. Commuting is done in any season. Probably many sport cyclists just skip rain cycling, where a commuter doesn't want to compromise safety (helmet) and a dry head (hat).

All studies concerning safety and protection don't indicate a difference. But some reports point out that the (European) safety standard for bike helmets has its flaws: only central hit from the top is tested, no side coverage tests, impact corresponds to a fall from 1.5m height (5 feet) and speed somewhere around 20 km/h (12.5 mph). The report claimed that side impact and higher speed impacts are where high price helmets and low price helmets differ, but it didn't get more specific. I am not aware of a safety difference as function of target user group.

EDIT: It appears the report I meant is not online anymore. There are traces of it here https://erfolgsebook.de/teuer-oder-billig-fahrradhelme-wiso-zdf/ (it was German public television who're not allowed to keep their material online).


Eggbeaters cleats mounting to 3-hole shoe

AFAIK three hole Eggbeater cleats don't exist - but - there are adapters for road shoes. I used to use this setup.

You can see the cleat is bolted to an adapter plate from the back. The plate has the 3-bolt pattern

The U-shaped thing on the left presses on the studs on the adapter plate and protects the cleat. I took it off so you could see the bolt arrangement.

Update: now I think about it I think the metal cleat is a special one that works with the adapter plate, not a regular 2-hole cleat, so the whole thing is really a '3-hole cleat'.


What to do about a broken rear derailleur inner cage plate?

The relevant document is Shimano EV-RD-6800-3608A (Jun.-2013-3608A), which gives an exploded view and part numbers for each of the parts of the derailleur. For the Shimano Ultegra RD-6800 SS, you're looking for Shimano Y5XH08000 for the inner plate. (This also applies to many of Shimano's other parts to find replacement pieces)

Given that you've invested in Ultegra level gear, I'd not risk it and just wait for the replacement to arrive.


Fox Float CTD Evolution vs Fox Float CTD Performance

What's actually increasing the cost in performance fork is it's construction qualitiy. It's slightly better in terms of durability and a bit lighter. Depending on the year of make, performance may also include a new technology or system that the evolution (which is the basic lineup) won't have (thus making it more expensive). Think fox's lineup as this:

evolution -> sunday family ride

performance -> more intense riding

factory -> pro riding


What is the difference between KMC 410Z vs 710 chain?

The 410 series is very basic 1/8" chain. It's one of the most populous single speed chains in the world. There are different color and finish options for it out there.

The 710 series is oversize heavy-duty Street-oriented 1/8" chain with nonstandard/asymmetric outer plates. It's thicker and is purported to have extra-strong riveting.


Adding Brake Caliper Cable Tension SRAM Rival

It sounds like there is an issue with the return spring rather than the cable tension.  If the brake is pulling easily and not returning, I'd guess it may have become disconnected during your removal process.  I would compare the setup of your return spring on your working brake with the one on the non working brake.  It maybe as simple as clipping the spring wire back under a tab of some sort.  It looks like on that model brake the return spring is a coil wire deal on the back of the brake.


Will it cause problems if I use components from different series?

Your best performance will come from using components which were designed to work together, i.e. with the complete drive train from the same year and series. That doesn't mean that different combinations will not work together at all, however.

While I have occasionally used a 9 speed front derailleur with a 10 speed drivetrain as an emergency fix, it shouldn't be used for a permanent set up. Your shifting performance will suffer, even if they are both double or both triple components.

In addition, the year and model of the Dura Ace components matters. The 7900 STI levers, which are current Dura Ace, have compatibility issues with the 7800 front derailleur of just 2 years ago, even though Shimano says they are fully compatible.

I've added scans of the Shimano 2012 Compatibility charts for front and rear drive train components. You will notice that no 9 speed part is listed as compatible with any 10 speed part, but that even the new 4600 Tiagra 10-speed is listed as compatible with all 10 speed components.

I hope that helps.

Shimano Front Derailleur Compatibility Chart

Shimano Rear Derailleur Compatibility Chart


How to choose between 10 speed vs 12 speed drivetrain on mountain bike. Pros and Cons

It comes down to what you would enjoy more - how you prefer to ride vs cost.

I can't find any durability tests I trust but from my reading the general impression I get is that 10 speeds is no more or less durable than 12.

You have ridden many different drivetrains so you have built up experience that should guide your preference. 2 extra speeds in the shifting range is nice, is it nice enough to justify the cost? Only you can make that call.


There's a few different reasons for this. Without knowing the exact method of cable routing for your brifters (yeah, I went there) then the instructions could me re-wrapping the bars or fishing cables out of your frame, but i'll order them in least amount of work first (and re-suggest above already failed instructions for reference)

Make sure it is actually the brifters not malfunctioning and not the derailleur getting caught on something or chain having a stiff link.

1. Cleaning the shifter while on the bike

The best method of going this is properly giving the insides a de-grease and re-grease.

Get some water soluble de-greaser in a spray can. Gain access to the mechanism by going from underneath or pressing the brakes.
Spray all up inside the shifters, break down the grease and crap stuck to it.
Flush out the inside with water. A jet-wash is probably too powerful for this, it can bend metal, but a hose with a directional powerful spray will probably work.
Dry the insides. Use an air compressor, or what WD-40 was intended for (water displacement!) and wait for it to properly dry
Spray in a medium heavy grease, white lithium grease is available in a can. Spray a little in and move/shift a few times, then a little more. Don't overpack it, but you want a reasonable amount.

If this doesn't work:

2. Replacing gear cable inners

Sometimes water and other debris can get into the inside of the cable, or the wires can fray, causing drag or slip from not properly engaging.

Shift into 11th gear (assuming regular derailure pull) so the cable is slack
Remove the access caps for the cable, losen the pinch bolt on the derailleur and pull the cable all the way out through the brifter
Replace with a good quality inner cable. Standard is 4mm.

If that doesn't work:

3. Replacing gear cable outers

The inner coating of the outer cables can wear away and make shifting slugish or stick. Once this happens they can catastrophically fail and no shifting is possible.
 - After removing the inner cable (above)
 - Replace the outer cables (you can reuse the ferrules if they're not damaged) by cutting them to the same length with as old a dremel or proper cable cutter so you don't crush the ends.
 - Re-insert inners as above

If that doesn't work:

4. Removing brifters for proper cleaning/disassembly

Looks like you've ruled out everything else and you need to get aggressive on these before you bin them.

Get them off your bars
Soak the whole thing in white/mineral spirits for a while. Give them an agitate them and see how much dirt/grease comes out.
Brifters are super-hard to disassemble and there aren't normally guides from the manufacturer; they expect you to buy new ones. If you do attempt it: take loads of pictures, keep parts/springs grouped together and be prepared to have to re-make any small parts that have failed, it's doubtful you'll be able to get them from the manufacturer.

Final thoughts

I've got pretty in-depth here, but I think I've written down some of my experiences for cleaning. I've never taken apart a brifter before more than replacing a front-cap so I can't say if that's likely to fix it.

If you go ahead with any of it, let us know which methods were more effective for you.


What is an "unreasonably short leave-pass"?

Your family or significant other will only give you a few hours leave(like Annual leave) from home to go out riding.


I recently went through a similar process with my Easton EA90 SLX wheel.

In my case, 2 spokes broke at the same time (or one immediately after the other).  After special ordering the spokes from Easton and lacing them up, I quickly realized that the rim was bent beyond the point of repair.

The fewer spokes your wheel has, the higher the spoke tension needs to be.  With such a high spoke tension a broken spoke can not only cause the wheel to become un-true, but also cause the rim to bend (which permanently weakens the integrity of the rim).

I would recommend taking it into your LBS, and maybe even sending back to Shimano for inspection.


Carrera Virtuoso Rear Derailleur hanger bolt hole with HeliCoils?

It's a little unclear, but I'm gathering that you've got a hanger that secures with two little screws, probably M3x0.5, that thread into the frame, and those frame threads are toast with some distortion/warping of the holes also present. If so it depends on how enlarged the holes are - the oversize tap that would come in the M3 helicoil kit has to have enough material to cut into to do its thing. Beyond that, there should be no issue.


I would check your saddle. They can and do wear out and collapse. I had the same issue and it was solved with a new saddle.


How to check the gear before renting a bike?

If you're talking about a derailleur-style bike, a quick check is to suspend the rear wheel somehow (sometimes you can hang the nose of the seat on something, eg, or see if the rental place doesn't have a work stand) and crank the pedals with your hand while you shift through the gears.  On a bike with indexed shifters the transitions should be smooth and you should hear no more than very slight "chatter" from the chain once the transition is complete.


This is not a 'legitimate' reason to avoid quick releases.

Just like anything in life, there are low and high quality offerings, and there is good and bad luck. Your friend either has a low quality wheel or bad luck. The bar for quality on a BSO is pretty low, so even if his is nicer than yours, it might still not be high quality.

All my wheels besides the coaster-braked wheels have QR axles. I weigh 200 pounds, beat up my bikes and I've never had one bend.

This collection of bikes includes a tandem. It has QR wheels. If anything is going to put a QR axle to a test of strength, the tandem is going to be it. And it is fine. Many vendors of tandems equip their bikes with QR wheels. They're all fine.


The problem is burning too much carbs/glycogen and not enough fat, since you body has an essentially unlimited supply of the latter.
How? One step is to eat more fat and less carbs. That trains your body to burn more fat. This article also suggests pushing your limits on how far you can go without eating, as a way to train your body to need less. Another point is that you burn more carbs (vs. fat) at higher levels of effort. Do enough training at low effort, and your body will get used to using fat. That's the idea behind Phil Maffetone's training philosophy.


How do I thread rear derailleur cable through this adjuster?

They don't pull apart; the idea is that you're getting the couple mm of adjustment range you actually need, and the upside is it's an attempt at the easiest possible design to adjust on the fly while riding. If there's something physically blocking the hole for the cable, you could presumably clear it by poking a pin or needle through. Make sure the cable isn't actually getting stuck at the end of the housing though, either by the ferrule or by the end not being prepped properly.


Someone made a nice video.

There is a rubber seal around the piston which makes it air-tight with the inside of the cylinder. Then there are two check valves which only let the air flow in one direction: one to allow outside air in when you pull (but not let is out when you push), and one to let the high pressure air inside your tyre (but not let it out).


Adjusting over locknut distance with spacers

I have figured out two options:

The less elegant option is just putting some washers on the end of your axle, such that they lie between your locknut and the dropout when the wheel is installed.  You have to fiddle with the washers every time you take off your wheel, but they will do the job.

If you want to avoid that, you have to put them inside the locknut.  If your wheel is such that the bottom of the locknut is outside of your cassette or freewheel - i.e. above your lockring, if you have a cassette - you can just put a washer between your locknut and cone.  If the bottom of the locknut is not exposed, you may be able to still put in a washer, but it may block the splined locknut/freewheel remover.

In that case, you have to use a part that is specially made for the task, usually called "axle spacers".  You can find them on the internet by searching for "bicycle axle spacers", and they come in a bunch of sizes down to 0.5mm, so you should be able to find the perfect combination for your setup.  You can put these between your locknut and your cone, and they will leave room for inserting the splined freewheel/lockring remover.


What is the proper placement of the feet on the pedals when viewed from the top?

The ultimate rule of bike fit, is that if it works for you (i.e., no pain or discomfort) then don't worry too about it too much. Once discomfort or pain becomes an issue then you will have to start to focus the cause.

In regards to generally accepted foot positions, right now most fitters are recommending having the axle of the pedal (the shaft that connects the pedal to the crank) between the 1st metatarsal (ball of foot) and the fifth metatarsal.

This puts the foot forward about 1 cm relative to lining up the ball of the foot with the pedal axle. Given your description of the problem, moving your foot forward would bring more of your foot onto the pedal platform, which could address your issue.

Is this even a problem?

If you are not currently experiencing problems (i.e., discomfort or pain), then arguably this is not an issue.  Not having your full foot supported could however cause discomfort on longer rides if you use soft shoes, as your foot will be bending around the pedal platform. This would be less of an issue with cycling specific footwear, which have stiff soles to better support the foot.


Why am I suffering from repeated flats same spot on wheel?

In addition to Criggie's suggestion, if the hole in your tube from your last flat is facing the tire, when you get your next flat; remove the tire/tube together from the wheel, put a mark on the tube and tire with a ink marker to record the position of the tube in the tire. When you find the hole in the tube, you will be able to correlate it to a spot on the inside of the tire where there may be a sharp thing of some kind protruding from the casing. Sometimes small sharp objects can become embedded in your tire but are not obvious. By narrowing down the spot on your tire where the flat occurred it will be easier to discover anything that could puncture your tube.
Lightly and carefully run your fingers around the inside of the tire, sometimes you can't see what is killing your tube but you can feel something pointy. Be careful!

You can use the same trick to focus on an area of your rim. Feel around carefully for burrs where the flat occurred, double check the tape, etc.


Are there mandatory bike paths in Netherlands?

Mandatory
Mandatory bike paths do exist in the Netherlands (Article 5 of RVV 1990  regarding traffic and signage rules)  and will be marked with a "G11" sign, a round lollipop sign with a white bicycle on a blue background.
Sometimes they will additionally be distinguished from footpaths, parking spaces and other paved surfaces by a red coloring.

Some mandatory bike paths are also mandatory for mopeds and will be marked with the "G12a" sign below, a round lollipop sign with both a white bicycle and a white moped on a blue background.
You will typically find these outside of city limits or along roadways with a speed limit exceeding 50 km/h.

Mandatory bike lanes are not physically separated from the the main  roadway but the lane will be marked with bike (often enclosed by a white circle) , a (semi) continuous white line separating the bike lane from the main traffic lanes and sometimes the red colored riding surface.

Optional
Optional for cyclists are bike paths marked with a square blue sign "fietspad".

Forbidden for bicycles
Probably a bit redundant but cycling is forbidden where and when indicated by the explicit sign, but also by the implicit signs indicating a pedestrian only area, on bus lanes, and on motor- and expressways.

Absence
When no mandatory bike path is indicated and there is no sign explicitly or implicitly prohibiting access for bikes, then bicyles are allowed on the main road.


Options for new equipment when replacing older parts that are end of life?

The short answer is yes.

As @Criggie notes in his comment, the rear half of your shifting system is working. So there is no need to mess with it.

The front derailleur and crank are both Shimano road product, so if you replace both from current 9 speed triple Shimano road product, you're pretty safe.

The 9 speed part only matters to maintain chain rings that match your existing chain width, and 10 speed rings will work reasonably well also.

Do not use a 10speed front derailleur.


My bike leans to the right. What should I check?

a) Is the headset tight? Over time that can loosen up and it'll start to lean in one direction or the other (usually based on which side of the pothole you just hit).

b) Are your wheels true? this probably won't make a major difference but it might combine with the previous point.

c) Is the weight on the bicycle evenly distributed? E.g., do you wear a messenger bag across your left shoulder so the weight of the load pulls the bike in that direction?

d) Does this happen in a parking lot as well as on the road? Don't forget that streets aren't flat - they curve off to the edges to allow water to shed from the roadway (and into nice deep puddles for motorists to drive through and splash cyclists). If it only happens on the road (and you always ride on the right hand side of the road) it's probably because of Gra-vi-ty.


Not having fancy tools, I would check for a bend in the direction of travel by measuring the wheelbase of the bike and comparing it to the original specs.  This would work for me, because I've never changed the forks on any bike I've owned, but it may not work for you.

Similarly, not having fancy tools, I would check for lateral bending by putting the bike on a stand, using a plumb line to make sure the down tube is vertical, and then using the line from the centre of the stem to check that it is centred between the front dropouts.


Replacing rubber connection in a bicycle trailer coupling

I suggest undoing the bolts that hold the rubber piece in place.

Obtain an old car tire, and with heavy shears, cut a couple of pieces the same size and shape. The idea is to put them back to back to make up the width.

You'll need to make holes on each end for the bolts. A large drill could be used for this; I suggest a drill press, rather than a hand-held drill, for safety reasons (the drill bit may bind in the rubber).

You may need to have a few tries to get it all to work right.

Good luck :-)


What's the best way for a beginner cyclist to carry children?

The best option is a trailer. The pull weight is fairly low, and the safety factor is far greater than on a child seat.

To summarize what is a very long discussion, the child in a seat can't protect themselves, should you crash, and there is no way for you to protect them by guaranteeing you don't crash.

A trailer has a lower center of gravity, a more stable structure, protection from sun and rain, and a more comfortable ride. It will be heavier to pull uphill, but on sealed bike paths, that is not typically a major issue.

See this question for more information.


What is the difference between a bike dock and a bike rack?

In the context described, I believe that bike docks are specific to bikeshare systems. They lock the bicycle in place, and the locking mechanism is integrated into the docks. Each bikeshare system tends to have one main model of bicycle and the docks are specific to that model. Some bikeshare systems are moving to a dockless format, where you would park the bicycle in a reasonable location, the lock is integrated into the bicycle, and a user would use the app to locate and unlock a bicycle.
A rack (in the context of the question) is just a metal loop that you would lock any bike to. You could even lock a bikeshare bicycle to a rack. However, you are paying for that bikeshare bike, so it would probably be best to find the dock closest to your errand or destination and end your rental there. The bikeshare systems are not intended for rentals lasting several hours; they work best when you ride point to point and then the bicycle becomes available for a different user. Hence, their pricing systems make it expensive to take out a bike for several hours.


Sprayed Lubricant on Hydraulic Brakes, how to clean?

Rotors can always be cleaned; sometimes you have to use scotch brite or sandpaper, but usually brake cleaner alone will clean them fine. Make sure you clean the areas around the rotor, especially the hub, to make sure the contamination doesn't drip, "sling" or migrate back onto the rotor. The best brake cleaner is perchloroethylene (original red-can Brakleen) because it is non-flammable and relatively gentle on rubber, paint, aluminum etc.; however all commercial brake cleaners clean the brake rotors themselves just as well. If you don't have brake cleaner you can try alcohol or degreasers.
The brake pads may be ruined. You can try drenching them in solvent or sanding them down slightly, but it might be better to just get new ones. If you use contaminated pads, you will have to repeat cleaning the rotor, so trying to rehabilitate brake pads is often not worth it.


The material doesn't matter so much in this case -- the design of the frame is more important. You aren't looking to save weight on the frame or asking a lot of performance of it (e.g. you're not sprinting in the Alps).

For leisure riding, you want a relaxed riding position which is usually more upright than a racer. You can find hybrids (e.g. Specialized Sirrus/Trek 7.x/similar) made from steel/carbon fiber/aluminum (depending on how much you want to pay). Good bikes can be made from all of the materials, but, of course, a bicycle is the sum of its parts, and the more expensive ones typically come with other improvements as well (better quality wheels, shifters, nicer fork, etc.).

At least on the US market, for most people looking in the hybrid-type bicycle class, most of the bikes I'd suggest (Specialized Sirrus/Trek 7.x) tend to have aluminum frames and carbon fiber forks at just over entry level price points (with the entry level versions having aluminum forks).


How do you shift your weight when leaning on a turn?

I think this relates quite nicely to motorbikes where you corner at very high speeds and I'll give a run-down of the techniques, why they are useful and how they apply, and how they might apply to cycling.

So when turning left:

You shift your weight over on the seat and tilt the bike left. This allows the centre of gravity to be slightly lower, aiding in stability and keeps the contact patch of the tyre to road more central.
Sticking your left knee out also. This is done for two reasons, firstly (if you're wearing knee protection) it can give an indication of when you're leant over too far (your knee touches the floor). Secondly it works like an air brake (for additional braking) and also will start pulling you towards the direction you are going slightly. You have to be going pretty fast for this to be effective, but it can help if you're racing.
I can't see any benefit of tilting the bike over whilst staying more upright. Higher centre of gravity, less control. It might be a sub-conscious impulse to not falling over low-side.

Another tip for cornering fast:

When going into a corner and you feel like you may run wide, or want to tuck into the apex a little more, turn the handlebars in the opposite direction to the turn (right) just a little. This is called 'counter-steering' and will cause the bike to tip over more and turn in a little harder. This can be a life saving technique if there is a car coming the other way or is overtaking you. Don't over do it though ;)

Also, ultimate safety tip: never brake and turn at the same time.

Source: I've been riding high performance motorcycles for about 5 years.


Aero road bike frame - frame size number vs actual frame size?

The answer is the top tube is not straight but curves down at the seat stem.

The idea behind the difference is that somebody who need a 49cm size frame would have the seat adjusted to their leg length and somebody who as a slightly smaller leg length can't lower the seat to suit. So you have got 10 mm up and 10 mm down otherwise your seat would be set at the top of the seat tube all the time. Same on the next size if you bought  a 49cm frame but your leg length is that bit longer you buy the next size up and lower the seat to the top of the seat tub.

You have a 49cm frame with +/-10mm, and the next size frame is a 51cm with plus and minus 10mm. Plus you can work out your crank length from 165 mm to 175 mm to suit your leg length.

So this mean you have some 40 mm to play with in various leg lengths. And the same with your cage length. Or top tube as some people say. If you've got short arms you use a small handle bar stem or long arms a longer handlebar stem.

I hope this may give some of you some better idea and thought to buying your frame. Measure your leg length and subtract 30mm from that and work from there.

I know this as a fact as I design cranks for a living. Hope you have something of a better idea now.


Can you reverse the sprockets on a cassette to lengthen its lifespan?

Assuming you have Shimano-compatiple Hyperglide cogs: No, you can't.
The cassette body is not symmetric, the cassette fits in only one position.
You could resort to adapt the cogs with a file, though. But shifting will be problematic at least, the cogs have certain indents to make shifting smoother.


Threadless quill stem adaptors do commonly come with a shim, so that they can be used with either size steerer, e.g.
http://harriscyclery.net/product/velowerx-universal-stem-adapter-quill-to-threadless-5423.htm

I've never seen such a shim sold separately, but a search shows up https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alloy-Aluminium-Quill-Adapter-Quillstem/dp/B00K7ECRLO, which is currently unavailable, but was sold at some time, so you might find one.


A cyclo-cross bike that had been quite successful in world cup and UCI championship races has a similar feature, IE a top tube bent up. Cyclo-cross is very stressful for the materiel. In this specific carbon frame this bend is apparently not a significant weakness.

The same manufacturer also offers an aluminium version of the bike. Of course that's isn't race tested to such a degree.

The main reason for this bend is to bring the top tube up, about level to the ground, while exposing as much of the seat post as possible. For a cyclo-cross bike a high top tube is necessary as it makes shouldering easier.

The bend also allows the seat stays to attach at a shallower angle to the seat tube while joining at a nexus with the top tube. This in turn is supposed to improve rear end compliance.

The manufacturer also claims the bend would be beneficial to general handling, stiffness, and compliance characteristics in the typical vague way all manufacturers talk about their stuff.


Is it normal for a Derailleur pulley to "wobble" a little bit? Or does that mean it's time to replace

The wobblings fine - its likely you need to replace the cable as it stretches over time. You might also have to reindex the gears - but try replacing the cable first


How is fat bike traction on icy roads compared to a mountain bike?

Having ridden both on a lot of ice for years, I'll answer that most of the fatbikes I have ridden tend to be more stable on ice than a MTB.  The wider your tires are (and at lower pressure) the less likely that the wheel will slip (side to side) easily.  Riding on snow and ice are very separate things.

Snow is actually very easy to ride provided it is either (semi)packed or not deep.  Fatbikes were to some extend perfected by snow riders since the main advantage they provide is not "punching through" packed snow on trails as easily as a narrower tired bike.

Ice can be very difficult to nearly impossible to ride on.  Flat ice (like a skating rink) can be ridden across in shorter sections with only good technique.  By maintaining balance and not turning or pedaling in a sloppy manner, flat ice can be travelled. Sloped ice (like overflow or an icy hill) requires studs; pretty much end of story.  There are many companies out there producing high quality (and some low quality) studded bicycle tires.  I have a narrower set (3.8 inches) I use on my fatbike for commuting or riding trails with longer overflow sections.


Potential risks of sitting upright on the saddle during a daily commute

Of course, you will have less control over your bike if you don't hold the handle bars, especially if something unexpected happens (like a truck coming out of nowhere at full speed for example).

Regarding sitting upright, you are very lucky to be able to keep your back straight like that, most people have a bad posture, and are not comfortable sitting upright on bar stools for example (or any chair without something to hold your back). Being upright like that uses your lower back muscles and your core more generally, which is a very good thing. Also you will relieve potential stress in your forearms, because they are not resting on the bar (with your weight).


It is not recommended to bleed without removing the wheel as:

It is easy to contaminate your pads with spilt brake fluid
It is likely to result in overfilling your brake system. (resulting in pads not fully retracting and rubbing on disk).

You can make your own bleed block from common household items.
I followed the guide here:
http://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/blog/how-to-make-a-bleed-block/


New Brake Compatibility with Vintage Bike

Cable pull is the same for most mechanical caliper brakes (though it differs for recent Shimano 105, Ultegra and Dura-Ace which use the new "SLR" scheme).

The things to take into account are the mounting nut and reach. Older brakes use a hex nut to hold the brake in place while newer ones use shorter bolt and countersunk nut. Most of new brakes are for recessed mounting, if your bike has traditional nut you will either need to find a brake with longer bolt and external nut or drill the fork crown for recessed nut.

Whilst it's fine to drill out the rear of the fork crown to adapt an old frame to recessed mounting, it may be more problematic to deal with the (often narrrow) brake bridge at the rear. Instead, you can swap the (longer) front bolt on the front caliper of your new brakeset to the back - so giving the rear caliper enough protruding bolt to use an 'old style' non-recessed nut. Then use a new longer bolt (e.g from J-Tek http://www.jtekengineering.com/other/jtek-dual-pivot-brake-bolt-nut-conversion/) onto the front.

Sheldon Brown explains everything.

Weinmann 405s seem to be short reach, so that should be no problem.


You need a "seat post" which has to be exactly the same diameter as the old one.

The specs page only says "Seat post: STYX aluminum" which is not enough information.

Your best option would be to close the clamp to its normal position, and measure the internal diameter of the frame using calipers.  A ruler won't be accurate enough, because while common seatposts could be in these sizes:

25.4 mm
26.2 mm
26.8 mm
27.2 mm
28.6 mm
31.2 mm etc

It is not impossible for the seatpost to be some weird in-between size.

The overall length of the seatpost is less important, only that it is long-enough.

You'll also need a seatpost with an integrated clamp at the top, or a separate clamp.  Very likely whatever you buy will have a clamp included.

Separately - someone has stolen your bike seat once already.  Expect that it will happen again.  Some relevant links to protect your parts:

Protecting quick-release seats and wheels from theft
Quick release saddle bolts?


Yes - if you change to a 15mm or 20mm though axle, you will need a new hub to suit. Keep in mind that bike carries that you remove the front wheel and use the QR will be not be useable as well.

Apparently the benefits of the though axle out-weigh the disadvantages of incompatible parts etc. However I would think hard before "upgrading" away from QR and only do it if the benefits are quantifiable. e.g. if "Mines bigger than yours" or "Mines 1/2 gram lighter than yours", "It looks cool and people think I must be a good rider cause I have a 20mm thru  axle" (looks can be deceptive) seems to be the main advantages for many people. Most people cite "Improved Stiffness", as they compare their old 10yo QR shock with their new 20mm Thru axle and point to the Axle as the only thing that changed. Reliability is often another stated reason - read Sheldon's pages on properly fitted QR's.

Don't get me wrong - if I was buying new, I would consider a Thru offering, but I would not upgrade to it - the cost of a new front hub on top of the the Sektor, you would get a much better setup putting the all the money into a better 9mm QR Shock (And reading Sheldon's pages on how to properly install a QR).


I think I just found the answer from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reifengr%C3%B6%C3%9Fen-beim-Fahrrad.png:

So:

The diameter at the outer is 700mm,
it is 42mm wide at the outer,
622mm is the inner diameter


Are all forks the same size i.e 1 1/8th inch?

No there are a variety of standards. Off the top of my head;

1" threaded (not common on new bikes)
1 1/8th" threaded (not common on new bikes)
1 1/8th" threadless
1.5" threadless
1.5" - 1 1/8th" tapered
Cannondale headshock size (I think this is interchangeable with 1.5" though)

Typically you can only replace like for like. There are a few exceptions, e.g.

1 1/8th threaded/threadless designs can be used as replacements if the headset and stem are changed as well.
1 1/8th threadless can be used in tapered headtubes by fitting a step-up spacer to the fork crown.

The threaded designs tend to be limited to older bikes or really cheap new bikes.

What bike (make/model/year) do you have, it should be easy enough to work out from that what standard it is fitted with. However if you are unsure any good shop should be able to advise.


Is there a standard disc brake mount to disc brake rotor distance?

The standards for disc mounting specifies a distance between the rotor and the inner face of the dropout. This distance is different for front and rear brakes.

A 135mm spaced fork sounds like a fatbike fork. Early fatbikes used 135mm front and rear, often specified to allow two "rear" wheels to be used, and swapped in case of freewheel failure or to change singlespeed ratios. Hence, some fatbike front hubs are labelled "RDS", meaning rear disc spacing.

Nowadays, fatbikes with 4" rear tyres tend to use 170mm QR hubs or 177mm thruaxle hubs, and 5" tyres usually have 190mm QR or 197mm TA hubs. The front hub will generally be 135mm QR or 150mm TA, but both would normally be spaced like a normal front hub.

I think front spacing requires the caliper to be mounted 4mm wider than rear spacing, I'll try to find a spec document later.


What are the pros and cons between an aluminium and carbon frame?

Carbon is seen as expensive and light while Aluminum is heavier and cheaper. Both are, to all practical purposes, more than robust enough for the job. At the price point you are looking at (for a hard tail), Carbon is a no brainier and superior in every way.

If you are worried about failure mode, both are as likely to fail catastrophically as each other, although for different reasons. Aluminum will fatigue and stress crack then fail, while carbon tends to fail from impact damage.

Do not worry about the frame failing, it happens, but to be honest, I have seen plenty of guys in bandages, casts and hospital with fully ride-able bikes, and have never personally met someone who got seriously injured breaking a frame.


If it’s just about maintenance costs: Maintenance of a new, regular bike is going to be just as expensive or even more expensive because newer components usually cost more (e.g. 11 speed components vs. 10 or 9 speed).

You could get a low-maintenance bike, for example the chain on a single speed or internal gear hub lasts much longer and there is no expensive cassette which needs replacement.

However, unless almost everything on your current bike needs replacement my advice would be to keep it, but:

Get more puncture resistant tires to avoid flats. They’ll roll slightly worse or cost slightly more but with “puncture proof” tires you’ll basically never suffer a flat. Usually the rubber also lasts longer.
Regularly check chain wear and replace the chain early enough. This will reduce wear of the (more expensive) cassette and chain rings. And of course keep the chain clean (I just wipe it down with a rug, others go as far as taking off the chain) and well lubricated.
Get (relatively) cheap chains and cassettes. For example Shimano 105 chains and cassettes are much cheaper than their Ultegra or Dura Ace counterparts while performing almost identically.
Do as much maintenance yourself as possible. With your weekly mileage it absolutely makes sense to get appropriate tools.


MTB crankset change, large ring from 42 to 48 teeth

with a bigger chainring you may simply need to install the front mech higher up the seat tube.. The outer part of the 'cage', if correctly positioned should be just a couple of millimetres above the biggest chainring when you change up..
Not sure this answers your question but i hope so...!


What to look for in quality mountain bike pedals?

You want pedals that have sealed bearings and a metal spindle. I would think that a plastic platform would be less painful in the event your shin comes in contact with it but, metal would be more durable. You want the platform to be fairly open so the mud will pass through.


Is a tire patch kit really necessary for urban commute?

Well, to answer this, there are a couple things to consider.

1)  What are the hours or operation of the bike shops?  Do you plan to ride when the shops aren't open.

2)  Are you sure that all the bike shops will always have your tube size in stock.  Seriously, you think they would always have 700x32 in stock, but I've had it happen enough times that it's annoying.  Not to mention the number of times I've settle for using presta when I'm really supposed to be using schraders.

3)  How far do you really want to walk, and what is the penalty for being late?  Walking 800 m (1/2 mile) could take around 10 minutes. In that time you could have already changed the tire. Do you lose pay when you get to work late? If this happens too much will you be seen as unreliable, and get your shifts cut?

4)  How much does a patch kit or extra tube and a frame pump really slow you down?  A patch kit can easily be stored in those bags that go under your saddle, or in your jersey pocket.  A pump can be mounted on the frame, and you probably won't even realize it's there.

Personally, I don't think there's much reason not to carry a pump and spare tube.  Although it does seem useless at this point. I ran over a broken beer bottle on the weekend and heard and felt the glass crush underneath my tires. Thanks to gatorskins and tuffy tape, I didn't even have a flat.  I seriously question why I should bother.  But then 3 months ago I had a valve fail.  It's almost never the case that I get a flat from an actual puncture, but usually from pinch flats or other unexpected things.  I don't think I've ever had to use my allen keys on my commute, but I still carry them. That being said, the day you have to walk a mile because you didn't want to carry something as small as a tube and pump is the day you're going to rethink why you don't carry one.


Would "fat" tires help me learn skinnies/log rides?

From my experience, no they would not. Have you ever watched anyone ride a fatbike? Their front tire wobbles all over the place, the extra weight from the heavy tires makes fine-adjustments much more difficult, putting extra fatigue on your body. That being said, training with a bike that's not suited for skinnys will make riding them easier when you hop on a bike that is suited for skinnys.

Tires don't help you balance on a bike as much as frame geometry does, particularly head-tube angle. I've found that down hill bikes with a more aggressive head-tube angle are actually more difficult to balance on skinnys. You don't need a fancy bike to ride skinnys unless you're doing big drops, if you're worried about wrecking your bike while learning, then get a cheap yardsale bike that you can trash and practice with. Also, wide low-pressure tires make it easier to slip off the sides of the especially narrow skinnys, I've got scars on my face to prove it.

When I was a kid we would practice our balance in our backyards, riding on 2x4's just laying on the ground or across a couple logs, or by trying to stay on the painted lines on the roads, or riding on the curb of the sidewalk. Slow races are great for balance too. We'd race like 10 feet, and the last one across the line won. Basically, whoever was the best at brake stands had the advantage.


replacing a chain - which coating type or make (nickel vs silver vs TI Nitride vs diamond like)?

In a different order than asked:

Weight: The differences in chain weight are well under your body's weight change during the day (or even a ride). Wanna save weight? Don't eat that bag of chips. It's not going to make a difference in performance.
Platings/Coatings: They're supposed to increase wear resistance and run a bit more smoothly. Not a huge effect, especially if you lubricate your chain properly. More expensive might be a bit shinier or work a bit better. Mostly aesthetic though.
Price: Going with one of the cheapest compatible options doesn't hurt -- any difference in longevity and durability is far less than the price (and dirt will make the best chain probably die before the worst chain in a respectable manufacturer's line). I generally buy SRAM or KMC though, cause I don't like Shimano's rivet system. Obviously if you run Campagnolo, most of their stuff is not friendly with other manufacturers.

I generally buy the second/third from the bottom chain in a product line -- you get chrome hardened-ness and sometimes chrome plating with it, so you get a bit less rust in winter.


What is the difference between a horizontal top tube and a sloped one?

I thought this was an interesting question, so first of all, +1.

First off, the sloping tube (your second image) is known in cycling parlance as a compact frame. I found an article on the Giant web site about the advantages of a compact frame. When I say "advantages" - this is Giant's word not mine!

The full article is here, but to summarise it:

the compact frame is smaller than the corresponding standard frame. Therefore, less material is used in the manufacture. Therefore, it is lighter.
Again because it is smaller, it is stiffer
With traditional designs, to stiffen the bike designers use stiffer materials which unfortunately makes the ride rougher. By using the natural stiffness of the frame, materials don't need to be stiffened hence the ride is comparatively smoother
because the top tube is lower, it is easier for cyclists to get a good fit

Now I'll say straight away that you can attach your own weight to some of these features, this article has a whiff of marketing about it. But it certainly gives you some food for thought.

Interesting also to note that Giant's current top-of-the-range mens' road bike (the Propel) has a standard frame (i.e. horizontal top tube). Take from that what you will!


Lubricating screw/braze-on threads: Bike lube or polylube?

Definitely the polylube -- for the same reasons you use it on your seat post.


Why is the front brake lever on the right if you 'drive' on the left and vice-versa?

I believe the reason is that the hand signals used to indicate braking generally involve using your 'road side' hand. In countries that drive on the left, this is your right hand and vice versa.

The back brake was considered the 'safer' brake to use during this pre-braking time when you're indicating that you will brake but haven't necessarily started braking yet.


does anyone sell bicycle trailers with brakes?

I'm not aware of a commerically made one, I suspect the barrier is liability issues (and possible legal issues in some places). FWIW, the limits in Australia and New Zealand are the same as for any other vehicle, so the main restriction is that the trailer can't weigh more than the towing vehicle (note below). Other jurisdictions may have different rules.

Similar questions have been asked here before:
Hitch for a cart for braking
How to make a cargo trailer?

There are two basic ways to do this. Either have brakes on the trailer activated by a lever on the bike, or make some kind of inertia brake. Having a direct lever is very simple and intuitive for the rider, but you may find yourself limited by the length of brake cables you can buy (it's possible to buy the wire on a roll and fix the endcap yourself, but annoying).

An inertia brake is somewhat harder to build, but very effective. You need the towing arm to telescope somehow, so as the trailer pushes forward on the towing vehicle you have a small movement that you can use to apply brakes. I built a four wheel trailer that worked like this, and just used cheap V brakes on the trailer. That was sufficiently effective that I didn't bother with anything more complex. The drawbar was square tubing, with a bracket at the overlap holding one end of the brake cables.

The major caveat is that neither of those solves the real problem. Once you're sliding along the ground in front of the moving trailer, neither of those will help slow it down. In theory you could grab the brake lever and use that, but in practice you're likely to focus more on getting out from under the trailer.

My preferred solution is to use a bike with two rear wheels, either a four wheel bike or a delta trike. That way you're less likely to fall off it and you can have the trailer apply downforce between the rear wheels to help with traction.

(edit: note that the default limit is actually the unloaded mass of the towing vehicle that the total trailer mass has to be under, so most bike trailers fall well outside that limit. Here's a PDF. What saves the situation is that if the manufacturer specifies a limit that applies instead).


Campagnolo Athena - Lost plastic part on front derailleur. Now the chain is droping on upshifting

The spare part code is 5-FD-RE116 for double or FD-AT016 for triple and it's available from several online shops. LBSes specializing in road bikes should have it too.

Check out the spare parts catalogue from Campagnolo: http://www.campagnolo.com/media/files/035_250_Catalogue_spare%20parts_tools_Campagnolo_2015_part_A.pdf


How thin/worn out can you allow road bike rims to get?

0.8mm is very thin and dangerous. The mechanic is right to tell you to replace the rim! Keep it only if you want to play with your life because it may fail in a catastrophic manner! More dangerous even on a front wheel.

Many rims have wear indicators, usually a couple of holes along the braking surfaces, that tell you that the rim is over the limit once one of the holes becomes invisible.


As cyclists, we are vulnerable to any collision. A collision with a truck, bus, car, bicycle, pram, skateboard, rollerblader, pedestrian, dog, or even a domestic cat, will almost always cause a problem, if not an injury.

Vehicle drivers are just people like us, except that they are in a comfortable safe box, maybe with crying kids in the back, and a have just dropped an ice-cream on their lap. You cannot expect them to be looking out for you all the time.

So it's up to us to take 100% responsibility for our own safety. It doesn't help us if we were 100% in the right, but are 100% dead.

So ...

Choose where you ride. Avoid high speed and congested roads. Statistics show that the probability of a collision rises rapidly after the speed difference between two road users exceeds 20 kph (12 mph). So choose paths without vehicle traffic, or roads with lower speed traffic. See How does the risk of a cyclist colliding with a vehicle vary with the speed difference?
D'oh! I originally left out Ride where other people ride, or ride with a buddy. Drivers are much more likely to notice multiple riders. And when there is more than one of you it's not so easy to justify squeezing past. Finally, those drivers who might be tempted to drive dangerously close are intimidated by the you having a witness.
Avoid turns in the middle of congested intersections. If you feel in danger, then ride at the side of the road across the intersection, wait for the lights to change, then continue on the crossroad. In my town this is called a square turn, in other places it's called a hook turn.
Keep reasonably close to the curb, about half a meter (yard) to one meter out. You need to ride in a straight line so that the vehicle drivers can predict your path, so ride where the road surface is at least adequate. In light traffic, move toward the curb a little as the vehicle approaches and then resume your position after the vehicle passes. In heavier traffic, just maintain your path. Some cyclists like to have a mirror to know what's happening behind them.
Traffic behaviour can vary in different parts of the world, so take your local traffic conditions into consideration. In my town, the inner city traffic is congested but used to seeing cyclists. So if there is no bike lane, cyclists are generally able to mix with the traffic fairly safely when the bikes are moving faster than the cars.
Wear brightly colored clothing. In some parts of the world, black is fashionable. Avoid it. One advantage of a lot of so-called Lycra is that most of it is brightly colored. Some people wear hi-visibility industrial safety tops.
Always ride with lights turned on. If legal, then set them to flash mode. Choose lights that flash more than once per second. Slow flashing lights can be missed as drivers shift their attention quickly. Some places (Germany?) forbid flashing bike lights.
And stay alert. Listen for traffic. Don't rely on them seeing you.
In some situations, you need to take a whole lane, so that the drivers behind don't drive too close by trying to squeeze past when there is not enough room. You should only do this when the traffic is moving at a similar speed to you.
And as mentioned by mjsqu in comments, keep away from parked cars to avoid doors.


Why does my bike make noise in certain gears?

As per the answer by @ian above, not all combinations are viable. Generally speaking you are advised to not use large - large and small - small combinations.

When using both large rings you risk the chain rubbing on the front derailleur and the rear one could be pulled tight enough to cause some catching too.

When on both small rings the rear derailleur can fold right back and cause the to jockey wheel to catch on the chain as it runs underneath.

It's a dark art but check the angle of the front derailleur. If it's fish-tailing out then it could do with some re-aligning. The height above the chain ring could also cause a bit of an issue if it's too high.


Are there any cheap, wide tubular front wheels?

The main reason people tend to use tubular tyres is that they are generally lighter than clincher counterparts. If you do wish to use a more budget-friendly alloy wheel, then going tubular isn't going to gain you too much weight savings. This is the reason manufacturers don't produce tubular alloy wheels. But if you want to save weight on wheels, try tubeless.


It sounds as if the holes in your hub are close to the 2mm size of the spoke. This is fairly common, and the way I deal with it is to slightly bend the spoke while I'm lacing it. The goal is to get the J bend to be slightly more than 90 degrees, but normally what you actually get is a slight bend about 5mm past that. It will be hard to do that once you have the spokes attached to the nipples.
One possibility that doesn't apply in your case is the hub being finished with alternate holes countersunk on opposite sides, but the picture I found online of your hub does not have this.
Since you have managed to lace the wheel anyone the spokes should pull straight when you tighen them up (assuming you have laced the wheel correctly).
I highly recommend Jobst Brandt's book on the subject. It's short, dense, and has a good index. It should cover your concern, it's slightly old so has little on disk brakes and motors but the basics are there in detail.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/733514.The_Bicycle_Wheel


How to adjust Shimano hydraulic brakes contact point?

The brakes should adjust themselves automatically. Try pumping the lever all the way a couple of times. If that doesn't help, or the contact feels squishy, the brakes probably need bleeding. Either do that yourself or take the bike to your LBS.


Great biking cities and routes in Europe?

The Copenhagenize Index ranks the top 20 cities by bike friendliness in 13 categories. It's a world-wide index, but most of the top 20 are in Europe.

The European cities that made the top 20 are:

Amsterdam (54)
Copenhagen (52)
Barcelona (45)
Berlin (41)
Munich (40)
Paris (39)
Dublin (37)
Budapest (36)
Hamburg (36)
Stockholm (33)
Helsinki (31)
London (31)
Vienna (30)


Smartphone mount: stem mounted vs top tube

I regularly use a stem-mounted phone mount for navigation on my tourer, and occasionally on my hybrid.  I have tried my phone in a toptube bag, and don't get on with either the bag aspect or the position.

One benefit I find is that mounting it further forwards means I can mount it more upright, which shields the screen a bit against both rain (waterproof phone) and sun. I've just made a little wind/rain shield for my stem mount, which I'll take on its first long ride tonight. It would be nice if someone made something like this.

On the MTB I occasionally use the toptube bag, but I'm more worried about knocks and more willing to stop for the map, and it's easier to move the toptube bag between bikes than the customised stem mount.

Edit: some pictures of the mount I use, more details on the windshield.

It did a good job of keeping the rain off the screen while moving, but I didn't have to navigate stop-start traffic in the rain so that's still untested.

This is about what I see when riding (if on the drops I can still see enough of the map, but not my stats). The toptube bag holds snacks, keys, and battery pack if needed, as well as the cue sheet/backup navigation.

The mount from the side.  It's a cheap one from Tiger (emergency purchase), with the smoked Perspex windshield hot-glued on (there's not enough plastic on the mount to screw into without killing the adjustment).  It needs a bit of anti-vibration (more hot glue, and a strip of old inner tube as a rubber band).  Ideally I'd have got my hands on some thinner Perspex (this is 3mm, and a bit hard to bend cleanly using just a heat gun and scrapwood), but it wasn't available in time.

Update: That particular plastic phone mount didn't last very long after those shots were takendue to a broken adjustment mechanism. Its replacement couldn't take the weight of my phone, which is essentially armoured - just as well as it hit the road at 30 km/h.  I'm currently using a metal phone mount on the aero bars and need to remake the wind/rain shield to fit it.


MTB tires: why the extended thread on the edges?

These are downhill MTB specific tyres. The extended side knobs will fully engage when cornering hard. By hard I mean:

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/6705085/
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p223/XCSlayer/DSCI4707.jpg

The large gap between the center and the side knobs is mainly to reduce weight and to improve the mud management of the tyre (to not allow mud to be blocked and carried between the knobs).

A review of the specific tyre you posted can be found at http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Maxxis-Minion-High-Roller-2-review-2011.html and for the side (cornering) knobs it says:

The cornering knobs were altered with this in mind, angling them slightly
for more bite and adding a vertical sipe, again for added knob flex to
allow them to conform to the ground better than a solid knob. Changes
were also made to have the cornering lugs bite sooner than on the
previous design.


Is it possible to change the lengths of bike cranks?

Yes, you can change the length of the crank arms. If you are going to replace crank set, you need to make sure it is compatible with your frame. There are a number of different interfaces between the cranks and the bottom bracket.

Some common sizes are (many cranks will have the size stamped on the back of one or both of the arms):

165 mm
170 mm
175 mm

The size is the distance from the center of where the crank attaches to the bottom bracket to the center of the pedal axle.

If that is enough, you can just swap your crank set for different one. If not there are companies selling specialized shorter cranks or crank shortening devices

Lastly, kids bicycles have much shorter cranks, maybe it would be possible to use some of them on an adult bicycle.


How does pedaling power transfer to the bearings in Hollowtech II bottom bracket?

You seem to be assuming that "power has to be transferred to the bearings". That is not the case. There is no "interlock". All that needs to happen is that the crank spindle can spin with low friction.

As you pointed out, the inside of the bearings is smooth and so is the spindle. I guess it's possible that they slip relative to each other, but so what -- the spindle/crank still rotates, the chainring rotates, and power is transferred from the pedals to the crank arms to the chainring to the chain to the rear wheel.

In practice, the friction between the spindle and the inside of the bearing is probably greater than the friction between the inside of the bearing and the outside of the bearing, and therefore the bearing spins.  I assume this is the case because the bearing is designed to have low friction, while the spindle inside the bearing is basically like a shaft inside a bushing (a cylindrical hole), which has more friction than a bearing; otherwise we would not use bearings.


The rust shown is purely cosmetic.
Rust removal / Cleaning needs to be done with care. Even with the rubber seal, theres a chance of getting contamination into the bearings.  I would use a small wire brush and gently take the worst of off, then spray the surfaces with WD40, a silicon spray or other water repealant/lube spray. Not too much as you don't want it in the bearings. Oil or grease can also be used but be careful not to leave too much on - apply and wipe with cloth to remove excess.
If the bike is stored outside or in a damp location you may want give the metal surfaces a quick squirt regularly- especially after washing the bike.


I think your two options are (if you want to do this properly)

Paint will not properly adhere to the chrome, so, sand or grind of the chrome, rust etc, fill pits and irregularities, sand to proper condition for painting, properly prime, paint and clearcoat. Removing chrome probably requires use of special filtration masks.
The same, except have the fork re-chromed instead of painting. Classic and vintage car part restoration services is probably your best bet to do that.


Usually when you fall on asphalt, fingerless gloves do cover the area of impact.

Lots of manufacturers do make cycling gloves which are full fingered, such as the Giro Bravo shown below:

You may feel more comfortable with this, but your hands will get a bit warmer and having open fingers helps making some adjustments a bit nicer.

Depending on how cold your winter is, combining a thin running glove with a standard fingerless cycling glove may be adequate and provide enough protection as well. I often use this when its a bit chilly (say around 30F). When it gets into the 10s or 20s, I might double up a thin running glove with something like a Underarmour Coldgear glove -- not too thick, but layers are key for cold.

However, depending on winter riding you may want something like a lobster claw like the following Pearl Izumi's (possibly combined with a thin running glove - great in under -10F ish weather):

Or if you're in the crazy cold, pogies:

(from Icebike's protecting your hands page)


Each manufacturer sets its' own guidelines for frame sizing based on their frame geometry.  The only true way to judge what size frame you need is to ride the bike and see if it is comfortable. Don't buy if you can't ride it. Since frames are sized by more than one means of measurement there is no true standard. Some makers use small, med, large  others are numerically odd numbers and others are numerically even numbers. You might fit on one type of frame and the same size from a different company could be too large or too small. If you want to complicate things add in different wheel sizes 26"vs 27.5 vs 29er and it gets even more confusing.


When starting to pedal, it takes half a rotation to "catch"

If chain us not slipping then id say you have a busted freehub by the sound of it.

Take the cassette off, remove the freehub inspect the paws check for excess grease or lack of.

Otherwise look at a new freehub body. I had the same issue you describe last week.


Compatible seatpost for Brooks C13 saddle with 7x9 oval carbon rails?

Saddle rails converged on a 7mm diameter round rail and stayed there for quite some time. You can make them out of solid steel, or tubular steel, or solid or tubular titanium. Then we came to the carbon fiber era. I don't have solid documentation of this, but I'd guess that 7mm round carbon rails can't be made durable enough.
So, we came to the 7x9mm standard. I don't have my hands on such a saddle. However, it seems like (as stated on forum threads like this one, this one, or this one) these rails are 9mm tall, but 7mm wide. The tops and bottoms of the rails are circular, and many seatpost clamps should fit them.
Now, why many and not all? Many seatpost clamps cover the rails on top and on the bottom. Some clamps enclose the rail entirely. For example, Enve's clamp is shown below:

Thus, they ship two separate clamps for 7mm round rails and 7x9mm rails with each post. Alternatively, Kent Eriksen's titanium seatpost doesn't fit oval rails at all, and they say so on the product page. Basically, any seatpost where the bolts clamp side to side are not likely to work unless specifically designed (e.g. Enve). Or, sometimes a saddle's bolts won't offer long enough threads to engage fully if you put a carbon-railed saddle in there. I'm not able to find specific documentation for this, but I believe Thomson seatposts may sometimes be in this situation. Thomson offer a 7x9 (or 7x10) clamp on their site, but I have heard people say their stock clamps work fine. In any case, I believe the Ritchey clamp should work, as it clamps from above and below the rails.
So, why does the OP's original seatpost not work? That's a mystery, as it seems like it should from the description. Some photographs might be helpful if the OP wants to diagnose the issue.


How to determine which size spoke wrench I should buy?

No this may not be correct.
The Wikipedia sizes (0, 1, 2, 3) are Park Tool specific sizes. Park Tool SW-1 is 3.30mm. Whether or not your multitool uses the same numbering as Park Tool is anyone's guess.
My understanding is that DT Swiss nipples all use 3.23mm (Park Tool SW-0, black tool). Of course your bicycle may have some other nipples than DT Swiss.
If building a wheel from scratch, I suggest choosing DT Swiss Pro Head nipples (they have a spherical seat as opposed to the cheaper but unfortunately more common conical seat), and remembering to grease the threads of the spokes well. Then the only spoke wrench size you need is 3.23mm.
To determine what spoke wrench size you need for an existing bicycle, invest in a caliper or a micrometer screw gauge.


Belt drive, rear sprocket can move sideways

Ben from Gates Technical Support here, go ahead and drop us a line with any questions at carbondrive@gates.com. There could be a few things going on here but that sprocket should not have any side to side play. More than likely, a snap ring is missing or there may be some wear on either the sprocket or hub driver. Shoot us an email and we will get into the detail!


How to replace derailleur cable housing?

The "double end" accommodates a variety of attachments. The idea is that you cut off the end that doesn't match your setup. Then the cable looks like a brake cable :-)

So, what you should do it to remove the old cable and match the end to the new cable. Then cut off the end that you don't need (cut near the "wrong" end so that you preserve the cable length). Now you'll be able to thread the cable through the housing (sheath) and make your repair.

When you remove the old cable pay attention to how the ends are attached. You'll put it back the same way.

If you don't have / can't afford the investment in a "proper" shearing type cable cutter mentioned in the comment, you will improve your chances is you cut at the very end of the cable up against the end you are removing. The metal that formed the end may help to support the cable strands and create a cleaner cut. If the end does get mangled, try to reform the end of the cable by twisting the strands back into place. Here's an example of the kind of cable cutter you're looking for (in this case a Park Tool CN-10).


There are many answers here that cover variations of this question in more depth, but the answer is not really, because Shimano front derailer cable pull is different between mountain and road. What tends to happen as a result of the combination you describe is it does shift, but performance is lacking and there will invariably be FD cage rub in some gear combinations  that you'll never be able to adjust out. You read conflicting things about this because it does in fact shift and kinda sorta work from a certain perspective and that's good enough for some people. The rear is matched perfectly because all 9 speed Shimano shifters are the same cable pull, mountain or road.

Solutions include bar-ends with their friction front shifting (which is good for other reasons on touring bikes because it's less finicky and tends to work better in situations where you've chosen whatever chainring sizes you want as opposed to what's prescribed), a shift adapter such as Jtek, or pushing the limits of what road front triples can do (this also compromises performance). Another very good approach is using 10-speed pre-Escape Ergo levers with the so-called Hubbub mod aka Shimergo, which is a hack that makes them work with Shimano 9-speed rear derailers and cassettes while the front has lots of small clicks and can basically shift anything. In practical terms most people just use bar-ends here and leave it at that though.


Square taper spindle won't fit into the bottom bracket

Since you are fitting Italian cups I assume the bottom bracket shell is 70mm wide according to Italian standard - see Sheldon Brown's Threaded Bicycle Bottom Bracket Crib Sheet.
This shell accepts the spindles with race distance of 55mm - see Bottom Bracket Size Database, section Accuracy of the Sheldon Brown's page again.

As you mentioned you are using random parts so there is a chance that the spindle is made for British ISO where the bottom bracket shell is 68mm wide and the distance between the spindle races is 52mm. This would explain why you cannot set the correct play in the BB bearings.

If I may suggest a solution - I'd use a bottom bracket package with cartridge bearings - for about €20 you get a maintenance-free setup and you get rid of the bearing preload setting problem. I don't know your location but in my case I'd source the parts here (no affiliation whatsoever).

EDIT: Measuring the spindle width.

Choosing the correct spindle width if you don't know the exact parameters of your parts is often a trial-and-error process. You can get some approximate measurements to start with in the following way:

Have a look at the picture attached. Measure the current spindle width (the distance between the ends of the square tapers).

Mount the cranks (blue) to they come in the same direction and measure the inner distance between them (measurement A). Mark the place on the chainstays (green) where the cranks could engage them and measure the outside distance (measurement B).

The rule of thumb (what worked for me) is that A must be greater than B by about 6 mm (3 mm on each side) to prevent the cranks from hitting the frame should any of those flex.

Now, knowing your A, B and the current spindle width figure out what your minimum spindle width should be. Most likely you need a wider spindle than you now have.

Then, insert your spindle into your bottom bracket (with the bearing), mount the crankset and push the spindle to the drive side like it was tightened. Check whether the chainrings do not hit the chainstay and whether they would not be hitting it if the spindle was of the correct width (remove the chainrings and replace them with the cardboard mock-up if they currently do). Also check whether the middle chainring allows for a straight chainline with the cassette's middle sprocket. Or check the distance against the middle of the seat tube. I can't recall the typical road bike distance at the moment but you can search the internet for it.

Remember that the spindles are not symmetrical - the side with greater distance from the bearing race goes on the drive side.


Press charges, and have the police issue a warrant to search for a bike similar to yours/ Investigate (Asking her mom/neighbors questions about a bike that may be similar)
If she shows up with one, you're out of luck, but it's probably not likely.
Additionally, there is no way she would be able to pedal away with a bike that doesn't fit her, so her height and physiology may also make your case.
I'd think that when somebody adjusted my seat height, I would notice.
Good luck!


Real measurable benefit to ceramic bearings?

The short answer to your first question is "the power savings from using ceramic bearings compared to good steel bearings is almost zero." The short answer to your second question is "yes, it is possible to measure the difference but it's not easy." The longer answer, and the support for the shorter answers is below.

First, however, it depends a little on whether you're talking wheel bearings, or bottom bracket bearings, or both. If you're interested in measuring the difference, the way you measure differs for the two. BB bearing drag would show up in differences in drivetrain efficiency, while hub bearings would show up as a component of rolling resistance. The difference, of course, is that drivetrain losses only occur when you're pedaling, not while you're coasting, while rolling losses occur as long as you're rolling, whether pedaling or not.

You can measure differences in no-load hub bearing drag by holding the wheel up in the air with a fork, using a home-made speed sensor jury-rigged with a reed switch connected to a digital voice recorder. You spin the wheel up, then record and calculate the difference in timing "clicks" as the wheel decelerates. Swap bearings, lather, rinse, repeat.

However, this would be in a no-load setting and you might think differences in bearing drag might be amplified in load-bearing situations. If so, you'd have to test that way. You could do it in the lab but it's also possible to do yourself, in the field, with the jury-rigged speed sensor.

First some background. The rolling component of drag is typically measured by the coefficient of rolling resistance, Crr (the coefficient of aero drag is Cd, which is usually multiplied by the front surface area, A, and described by the combined term CdA). Crr can have a speed-dependent component but at cycling speeds this is negligible so we can assume Crr is constant. If so, the power demanded for moving a bike and rider at a given speed is pretty well known and understood: rather than go through it all here, I'll point to a (um, brilliant) method that allows you to estimate CdA and Crr which can be found here.

Now, if you do all of this, you'll find that for a typical bike, the total overall Crr from all sources (tires, tubes, hub bearings, and typical "smooth" road surface) of around .005. The Crr for really good tires on that same surface might be .0045; for really lousy tires the Crr might be .006; and for a really rough surface the Crr might go as high as .01. And, some context if you look at the power equation linked to above, you see that Crr scales exactly like gradient in its effect on power so when the Crr is .01, the effect on power is exactly like climbing a 1% grade. Likewise, an increase in Crr of .001, due either to a different tire or to putative bearing differences, is just like climbing a grade 0.1% steeper.

Here's one more fact, also derivable from the link above: a rule of thumb is that at 25 mph on a flat hard surface, a cyclist in good aero position needs around 250 watts (an exceptional aero position is achievable with under 200 watts). At 25mph, a difference in Crr of about .0005 is roughly equivalent to a difference in power of 5 watts. That is, a difference between a good tire and a very good tire is worth about 5 watts at 25 mph.

If you have done any field-testing of bicycle drag you'll realize that 5 watts difference in rolling resistance is pretty noticeable. Riders report that the difference between using ceramic and steel hub bearings is not noticeable.


There are no Shimano brifters that are 2x11 compatible, but Microshift manufactures some. I use a Microshift SB-110 (1x11) and a bar-end shifter for a drop-bar 3x11 setup with an XT rear derailleur (RD-M8000) and XTR front derailleur (FD-M9000) with no issues.
Here is Microshift's product page for the SB-110: https://www.microshift.com/en/product/sb-m110/