Replacing roller-clutch freehub with ratchet type

At the absolute minimum you should be able to replace just the freehub body. Some Googling should turn up some compatible options.

The plot thickens, this hub seems to use a different freehub style to most other Shimanos. This would work with the majority of clickity hubs, but Sheldon says the silent ones are different.

The freehub body is the dark grey splined part of the hub that turns.

If you remove the axel and bearings you can pop this off with a large allen key, I forget the size, 8 or 10mm.

Getting it all back together can be a pain, the freehub's easy, but the first time you set cup and cone bearings yourself will make you curse.

The next option up, is to replace the hub with one that already has the freehub you want and get someone to relace your wheel.

Then a whole new rear wheel, then a new bike.

These options go from most to least work and least to most cash.


Does anyone know what make and model this bike is? Production year?

Without too much digging around I came across a 1950s Schwinn Corvette, although I don't think its a 100% identical bike it is i'm fairly sure a variant of the OPs.

Pictures can also be found here Just for image reference

If anyone has time, a whole host of Schwinn catalogues can be found here History Catalogues


This is a big topic. This is the best place I know of to do research. Fair warning, even "cheap" power meters are expensive, although Sensitivus might be changing that.

There are several places where power can be measured on the bike:

The crankarms (probably most common)
The chainrings
The bottom bracket
The rear hub
The pedals

These all measure power based on the same principle: a strain gauge. Power also can be estimated using gadgets that measure your aerodynamic drag and correlate that to your speed over the road.

With the pedals and crankarms, you can get single-sided or double-sided, one being much cheaper.

Pedals are easy because there aren't really compatibility problems, but you'd better like Look-style pedals—I don't think there are any other pedal systems available with power meters, although Speedplay has been acquired by Wahoo, so that might change.

Crankarm-based systems are pretty straightforward: there are some that are add-ons to the same kind of cranks you're using now, and you can even send your current cranks off to a couple of companies and have them put power meters on them.

Obviously a rear-hub power meter needs to be built into a wheel. Again, that's very straightforward to install (and if you've got multiple bikes that can take the same type of wheel, this is probably the easiest way to move a power meter between bikes).

Bottom-bracket power meters are fairly unusual and bring with them all the compatibility questions that you'd expect from the plethora of BB standards.


It may be that your rims are "tubeless ready" which means they have a lip around the side that the tyre slots into which makes an airtight seal but does make them harder to get off. You should be all right if you let the tyre down completely and then push the edges of it towards the centre with your thumbs to pull it out of the slot. Once a bit of it's free the rest will usually pull out easily.


Transmission (cassette/crankset) considerations for 1st road bike purchase

First, about the big steps between gears: you should really go on a test ride to see how you like shifting on a bike with such big steps between gears. For some people it's not a big deal, for others, it's a major annoyance. I don't think anyone else can make that kind of qualitative decision for you.

Using Sheldon Brown's Gear Calculator, I calculated some approximate ratios for the gears you use most commonly. I don't have the exact wheelbase or BCD for your bike, but here are the approximate ratios for the gears you mentioned using most often:

48 / 14: 6.9

38 / 26: 2.9

38 / 34: 2.3

There's some decent range that you use there. FWIW, my 1970's Motobecane Nomade with a 52/40 crankset and a 14x28 rear cluster covers a range down from 7.5 down to 2.8. That's good for your average commute, but leaves you without the bailout gear for when you have a really tough climb. It's back to the problem you originally stated -- it's all about whether you want the bailout gears or not. From a purely functional standpoint, however, the compact crank is not a bad idea.

If you're really interested in getting a bike with the gearing range that you have one your current touring model, you should run the numbers through the aforementioned gear calculator. Note that the calculator also shows the percentage increase/decrease between gears (as stated earlier, lower % increase typically makes for a smoother riding experience).


Adivce on what to do next with crunching / slipping gears

That sounds like the rear cogs are worn, the likely fix is a new chain and set of cogs for the rear (you have to replace them both at the same time otherwise the problem will persist, perversely even worse).

I suspect the bike shop fixed/replaced the stuff that was obviously visibly knackered and hoped for the best.  In truth I suspect they needed to do what they did plus replace the cogs and chain, but they were hoping that wasn't the case because the bill would have been even higher.

In my experience bike shops don't tend to actually ride the bikes so they can miss stuff I wish they wouldn't.  That's one of the reasons I learnt to do my own maintenance.

In general the trick with bike shops is to check your bike before you sign off on the work, i.e. I ask to ride my bike around to test it before I leave the bike shop (and pay).  If I do find I still have a problem after leaving the bike shop  and paying I go straight back and explain the problem and say it's not quite sorted yet.  They are normally very reasonable and will sort the problem without additional charge, assuming it doesn't require new parts.

Your best bet is to go back to the bike shop and explain the problem isn't quite sorted and if possible demonstrate it to them.  It will cost more money though, it sucks but unfortunately bikes aren't generally that cheap when it comes to maintenance (compared to the initial cost of the bike).


Will these dents make this aluminum bike frame unsafe

Noone can answer this authoratively for you.

The common suggestion is for you to include this area of the frame in your monthly maintenance.  Look at it super-close and look for changes over time.

One aid is to take a photo of the area from a cellphone or similar, every month, and look for variation.  Try and keep the lighting and angles the same, and roughly the same time of day.

If the area doesn't change over time, you're probably good.  If it does move and change, stop riding and re-evaluate.


Bending back a bent head tube - is it worth trying?

I personally wouldn't ride this frame. The degree of localized distortion means the steel will be work-hardened at that point and will fatigue, crack and the front of the bike will collapse under you. I like my teeth where they are.

Yes, steel frames can be re-aligned if bent, but only if the deviation is spread out over the length of frame tubes, not concentrated in a small area.

Also, you will never get the head tube angle back to what it was, and will probably crush or ovalize the head tube in the process.

If you want to keep the frame, contact the builder talk to them about replacing the head tube and damaged sections of top and downtubes.


'Bulk' is mostly about whether all of your luggage will fit in your bags. ie is the volume of your luggage less than the capacity of your bags. So it depends on how much stuff you want to take, and how big your panniers are.

Aerodynamics doesn't really matter for touring. Unless you are cycling rather fast, or it is very windy. Usually the weight of your bike and luggage will make more difference to your speed and effort required.

For reducing bulk, the main thing is taking less stuff. It also depends on how you pack it. eg if clothes are folded properly, they will be less bulky. Some things can be squashed smaller, eg sleeping bags. Compression bags can help with this.

It is worth leaving some spare space in your bags. You may want to buy things along the way. eg food supplies can be surprisingly bulky. Or any essential gear you find is missing, or any souvenirs you want to take home. Also after packing and unpacking a few times, you will probably find things don't fit as neatly, so end up taking more space.

Its up to you how you much you want to carry. Carrying lots of stuff will slow you down a bit while cycling, so you won't cover as much distance. And it may affect the handling of the bike, so its not as fun to ride. On the other hand, it is nice to be comfortable while camping, and have all of the kit you might want.


Swapping MTB tires for more grip and less puncture, going tubeless: is it worth?

I am reasonably sure you can set up the wheels on that bike to be tubeless if you want. The key thing to look for is whether the rim join is pinned or welded. If it is welded then you can probably set up the rim with tubeless for MTB tire pressures.

I would only worry about "tubeless-ready" rims and tires if you are running smaller tires at higher pressures. For MTB riding one of the big advantages of tubeless is being able to run tires at very low pressures. You could easily go down to 20 psi. At that psi, I've had pretty good results converting to tubeless
with a wide variety of MTB tires. I definitely recommend going tubeless for any bike that sees a lot of dirt.

Looking at the spec of your bike I've found on the web, I'd guess 2.4 is about as big as you can go in terms of tire width and frame clearance. Without knowing more about where and how you ride, I can't make any specific tire recommendation. You can always put a tube in a tubeless or tubeless-ready tire. Ask around, I'm sure there is a local "magic" tire that riders in your area recommend. My general rules of thumb for MTB tires are :

Wider is better, but there is a limit determined by the width of your rims.
It looks like your rims are 20mm wide, I'd stick with 2.3's(55-622 ertro) at most.
Wider and knobbier on the front, smaller and less knobby on the back.
Drop the pressure in the tire until it's obviously too low, then slowly increase to find the right balance for where you ride. Ignore the PSI on the side of the tire.

For guidance on tire sizing and rim width, this is a good page.
Sheldon Brown tire sizing In my experience, that chart is very conservative, you can push the limit but much of the benefit of tubeless disappears if the rim isn't wide enough to support the tire well. You'll just get too much squirm at low pressures.


It could hypothetically help get them working, but at that point you'll have washed out a bunch of whatever lubricant remains and should replace it with something anyway.

When they stop working, the most common problem is that the grease around the pawls has gummed up, keeping the pawls from being able to spring up into their extended position where they can catch on the toothed ring. The first thing to do is remove the cover (don't disassemble them any further than this), find the pawls, drip some oil (whatever you use on your chain is fine) around them, and work them back and forth with some kind of pointy tool. The vast majority of the time, unless there's a broken spring somewhere that renders them non-fixable anyway, this approach will fix them.


How can I get a bike mechanic certification/where can I learn to be a bike mechanic?

http://www.bicycletrainingaustralia.com.au/ is supported by the City of Melbourne. They provide Advanced Bicycle Mechanic Training.

In the UK, Cytech are the most recognised body; Contact them and ask if they're aware of an equivalent organisation in Australia.


Will it be a problem to bike uphill with a rear pannier with books (~2lbs)

Since the weight will be the same, you won't even notice the change in terms of climbing. You will notice that your back will ache less and be less sweaty. Depending on your bike, it may even balance better with the weight lower to the ground.

Biking up a hill with a few extra pounds won't make much of a difference; you only really notice a difference in climbing or handling when you're carrying groceries or camping equipment or passengers. (Or if your bike is not suited to carrying cargo.)

I suggest you either get two panniers to distribute the weight, or get something like a trunk rack bag so you don't need more than one bag. (You could even get a a basket and toss your existing backpack in it.)

You'll find more general info about the various cargo systems under the cargo tag, or in this article.


I have a road/gravel bike with a disk front brake and there are almost no downsides for solo riding from my experience.

Pros:

Much more flexibility is choosing wheel size and tire. I can run fat tire 650b wheels or skinny 700c wheels.
Much better braking in wet conditions, braking in dry conditions is similar, but with better control (i.e. modulation).
Easier to get wheels off when you have a flat.
Most are either self-adjusting for pad wear or have a simple finger adjustment.

Cons:

Slightly heavier wheels and brakes.
Rotors get hot, brake fade is a possibility if you consistently drag the brake. Long steep descents take some "brake heat" management. This can also be an issue with rim brakes, but generally it takes a much longer descent and more abuse to cause problems with rim brakes.
Hydro brakes have more mechanical complexity, difficult to impossible to make on the road repairs.
I use wire disk brakes on my road bike with no issues.
Putting the wheel back on is a bit more fiddly.
If you ride in a group often, there are some safety issues around hot rotors and potential crashes.


Problems changing tubed flat on tubeless compatible rims

Yes, breaking the bead lock is a common problem these days.
The biggest single trick to it is that pushing the bead straight in laterally doesn't do what you want. The design is trying to be very good at resisting that. Instead, try to drive it down and into the center of the rim well, and then give it an upwards scooping motion once you have some purchase. It still requires some hand strength.
Using your feet is fine if you have good technique and judgment, and on at least somewhat tough tires. (Basically any mainstream tire, but not something like a Herse/Compass). It's all about making sufficiently broad contact with both the tire and the rim, and being careful that you're not sideloading the wheel. You have to understand what will and won't hurt the wheel. There is probably always a nonzero chance of cosmetically scuffing the rim. I know it can sound unfortunate to have to think about doing this, but it's also a path to dealing with the tougher bead locks that most people can accomplish regardless of hand strength.
Other than dealing with the bead lock, installing and removing most tires on most tubeless compatible rims is almost always very easy and doesn't require great force or more than one tire lever. What is required is an understanding of how large the difference is in the diameter of the the rim well and that of the shoulder, and how to use the fact to your advantage. Once you have the two beads meeting in the middle all the way around the tire, you typically have plenty of slack to start one bead up and over the rim. But the nature of a tubeless rim shoulder area is that if you're not deliberate about getting the two beads into the middle, they won't sink into it naturally under force like on a non-tubeless, so it's something you must do on purpose. The same is true for installation; it's easy to get the last bit of bead popped over the side if and only if the rest of it is sunk into the middle.
Tubelessing the bike is fine if you want tubeless on its own merits, but I wouldn't recommend doing it on the basis of having a hard time dealing with getting the tire on and off. You probably will still have to do that sooner or later anyway.


Warranties on cycling clothing in the event of a crash?

I don't think any manufacturer will give you any warranty in case of "abuse" of its products – and it surely could be considered abusive to have a crash with their clothing, even if it was sold as mountainbike clothing. There may be some exception with protective gear, but even then the manufacturer might argue that it was designed to get damaged or destroyed in order to protect you. In this case I could imagine the manufacturer might give you some discount on a replacement, as some helmet manufacturers do in case of a crashed helmet.

But for "normal" clothing, I don't think you will have great chances on such warranty.


Rusty brake nuts & cables: Should I change my brakes or not?

Surface corrosion on nuts and bolts isn't a safety issue, so you don't have to replace the brake calipers. As David D suggests you can clan this off with steel wool. I would carefully apply a thin coat of grease as I spraying WD-40 on bikes attracts crud and you certainly do not want to get it on rims or brake pads.

Rusted cables is another matter. If the cable is rusted the housing probably is too. The corrosion may impede the travel of the cable through the housing and affect braking performance. I'd replace the cables at least with good quality stainless steel ones. They are not too expensive. You probably should have a look at your shift cables too.


Where do people in Netherlands wash their bikes?

I use a portable weed sprayer with warm water in it.  Like one of these - Portable Pressure Sprayer.  They aren't high enough pressure to cause problems to bearings and light enough to carry up and down stairs in an apartment building/small enough to store under a kitchen sink.


How can I combine Garmin recorded track data with FitBit heart rate data?

The GPX files produced by GPS devices are just XML so can fairly easily be edited by computer programs (and simple edits like removing sections where your GPS glitched out can even be done “by hand” with a text editor). The XML schema includes fields for all kinds of things, including heart rate.

It seems the FitBit Charge can export data in CSV format, which is also a simple-to-parse text format. Combining these with a script should be fairly easy as long as you know how to program and you use appropriate libraries for, e.g., handling the XML.

Make sure the clocks on your devices are well synchronised. A few seconds’ difference wouldn’t be the end of the world but you wouldn’t want more than that, I’d have thought.


For packing, a box from a bike shop will do fine and you can chuck it in the recycling when you get to Tokyo and find another before flying out. Most bike shops will give these to you if you ask nicely and even if they charge you, it ain't going to be much.

A much bigger issue is airline choice. Options for flying with a bike range from free to pay by the kilo in excess charges to some obscene special bike charge. Read up and check the baggage allowances for sporting goods very carefully.

If you fly a lot, get a loyalty card, the extra 10kg you get on most airlines' lowest tier covers a bike in a box nicely. And if you get some special luggage tags, that can't hurt either.

My bike has survived a few flights totally unharmed, this was in a bike box though. Though I do have friends who have shipped a lot of bikes all over the place in cardboard and I've never heard of any problems. Not that it can't happen, it's just unlikely. You can't move for bikes/bike shops in Tokyo so getting spares isn't going to be an issue.

Getting your bike stolen is not going to happen. Walking out of the secure side of an airport with a bike up your jumper is going to raise eyebrows.


Is a headlight required to emit light to the sides?

What the code is saying is that your headlight has to be visible on the sides. That's why most modern bicycle headlights have those little clear plastic channels on the side for the light to seep through and be seen from the side. ( The idea isn't to blind people GordonM )

Maybe it really reaches 300 feet, maybe it doesn't, the traffic police probably aren't going to pull you over and measure. But if you do get in a crash, the other person's lawyer may very well get clever and bring this up, so if you're worried about that, make sure your supplemental blinky light reaches far enough to satisfy the law.

The bottom line is that you want other bicycles and cars to be able to see you so that they don't hit you. If you are in an accident with a car or truck, there's a chance you'll be fatally injured and whether or not you adhered to the law won't mean anything. So be safe and make sure your lights are bright enough for other people to see you.


The required spec is on the page you link: Tyres: Schwalbe Kojak Performance, 650x35c.  If you go into a bike shop and ask for 650x35 tubes they'll give you the right size (probably 650x32--38 as tubes fit a range of widths).

The only problem is that the valve type isn't specified there.  It's almost certainly Presta, but there's a chance it's Schrader (car style).  Strangely zooming way in to the photo, there's no sign of the valves at all.  You might want to hang on until you can check what valve it's got.


I see two possible explanations.  One is psychological and one is physical.

The psychological one is that these are the new toy, so you want to find a reason they are good.  This effect is much more powerful than most people are aware of, let alone willing to admit.  It validates your decision to buy those wheels.  If you want to disprove this, you can hide all the distinguishing marks on the wheels (very hard) and see if you can tell the difference.

The physical explanation is that you can find a transfer function from vibrations on the ground to vibrations on the points you touch the bike, the saddle, the handlebars, and the pedals.  I suspect the saddle is the most important as you have your legs and arms to damp the vibrations from the others.  The wheels only contact at the ends of the axle, so if the frame damps some frequencies we can ignore those.  A more rigid wheel will transmit higher frequency vibrations to the frame, which will show up at your contact points unless the frame damps them.  There is a belief in the community that rigid is good.  Generally, a more rigid wheel will absorb less energy in flexing than a less rigid wheel.

The energy lost in the flex of the wheel is one part of the rolling resistance of the bicycle.  There are many others.  At normal riding speeds air resistance is dominant so reducing rolling resistance is not as productive as it looks.  If you are a racer a tiny edge is important.  As a recreational rider, I would like a comfortable ride.

All of this doesn't answer the question your are asking-how can I look at the specs of a wheel and identify the comfortable ones as opposed to the harsh ones.  I would have thought most of the damping was in the tire, so there wouldn't be much difference in wheels, but I haven't tried any besides the ones my bike came with. I suspect on average you will get more comfortable wheels if you buy cheaper ones, but that is based on my thought that high end wheels are oriented for racing, so want to minimize energy lost at all costs.


Shimano crankset with FSA bottom bracket?

If you have the FSA MegaExo crankset it should have a 19mm axle diameter. The Shimano Ultegra FC-R8000 has a 24mm axle. Measure your current crankset’s diameter but you’ll probably need a new bottom bracket for the 24mm axle.

If you’ve ridden a considerable distance (something like >7Mm) on your current bearings it doesn’t really hurt to replace this 10€ part in any case.


Would a military helmet make a safe alternative to a bicycle helmet?

Bicycle helmets contain crushable foam that works to extend the duration of impact by about 6 ms (milliseconds).   This doesn't make the impact force disappear, instead it extends the duration of force experienced by the brain.  By extending the duration, you reduce the peak force.  The brain can withstand impacts to some degree, however if the impact is too forceful over too short a period of time (like your head hitting asphalt), the peak force experienced by your brain becomes too high resulting in brain damage or even death.  While 6 ms may seem  small, it can be enough to reduce the peak force experience from lethal and/or damaging to survivable and/or reduced damage (see Figure 1).

A)  B)
Figure 1.  Impact force by time a brain sees with a helmet (A) and without a helmet (B).  The total energy is the same (area under the curve), but the peak force is lower for the brain with a helmet.  (Source: http://www.bhsi.org/)

Modern military helmet are designed to protect against things like shrapnel, not absorb impacts (although newer research may change that).  As a result your peak impact force in a crash will not substantially change and you will be under a similar risk for brain injury as being helmet less.

Also you mentioned having to replace bike helmets that take an impact as a downside. If you wonder why bicycle helmets are not made with foam that "bounces back" (e.g. hockey helmets) this is because it can cause more damage in an impact.  With this type of foam your brain receives force in the initial hit and then it experiences a secondary "hit" as the foam returns (often these non-crushable foams return rapidly).  Crushable foam however does not rebound as it remains crushed. The downside is that once it is crushed it no longer provides any protective benefit and needs to be replaced. By extension when the crushable foam degrades it also needs to be replaced.  This is why it is also suggested that old bicycle helmets also need to be replaced (what constitutes old is up for debate).  In this case the crushable foam has degraded over time and its impact absorption properties change for the worse and will not provide the same benefit in an impact as a newer helmet with foam that has not degraded.

Finally, I do remember hearing about a new type of foam that behaves similar to the crushable foam used in helmets, but rebounds slowly.  I will have to work to find that reference. But if they are in the marketplace they will be more robust to hits and repeat impacts.


How do I keep wrinkles out of tubeless rim tape?

I don't know why it's so stiff, but other brands of tubeless tape are also stiff.  Many riders do choose to use Gorilla tape.
If the wrinkle only creates a small air bubble, but is sealed at both edges of the tape you are probably ok.  If the wrinkle reaches the edge of the tape, i'd redo it.  I found keeping the tape taught, but not with too much tension, and coming behind and really pressing it onto the rim an inch at a time works well for me.
It really depends what the problem is.  I've had tubeless setups seal immediately, i've had one that took a full week of the 'shake and turn' technique and i've had one that did indeed finally seal after 2 weeks of riding.

If you are losing pressure that quickly (4psi in a few mins) there is definitely something wrong with your setup - generally even without any sealant the losses are in the region of 0.5-1psi/hour if things are setup right.
Take the wheel and either stand it upright in the bath and slowly rotate to find leaks (don't dunk the hub!), or liberally coat it in soapy water and look for bubbles


Can hybrid bikes be as fast as cyclocross bikes if we use an aero position instead?

You're right to say that aerodynamics plays a big part. I'll assume the same tyres and saddle, and rigid forks.

The geometry of a hybrid may not lend itself to efficient pedalling if you increase the reach and decrease the stack, and handling may suffer from the longer stem.

The important part of the drag is CdA, the product of the drag coefficient and the cross-sectional area. The biggest effects come from reducing the area by getting lower as you suspect, but also by getting narrower, and there's a big difference there. I cut my hybrid's bars down from 640mm to 590mm and tilted them slightly forwards so the slight rise in the bars contributes as much to length as to height. My tourer (not a bad model for a cyclocross bike) has something like 450mm bars. The different hand positions also mean that any bend in your elbows tends to make you wider on flat bars.

To give you some idea of the difference, a 67km ride I've done quite a few times comes in at 3 hours on the hybrid but I've beaten 2.5 hours on the tourer, before I was really in training. Tyres were similar but not identical, and the load was no worse on the hybrid (backpack; I usually use a pannier).


What is the torque needed for chainring bolts?

A Shimano "General Operations" manual states the tightening torque for road chainwheels is 12-14 N-m.  For mountain bike chainwheels it's upped to 14-16 N-m for large and middle ring and 16-17 N-m for the smallest ring of a triple.
The website: http://si.shimano.com/#/
The manual number I'm referring to: DM-GN0001-20-ENG.pdf
Blue loctite or equivalent threadlocker is indicated here as well.
I can't accurately surmise the cause of the loose and lost bolts in this specific case. However my experience with situations of loosening bolts or part failure due to "coming apart"  in various mechanical settings often comes down to incorrect or incomplete tightening of the fastener (bolt, nut, etc). Part of this process is rechecking and re-torqueing after a break-in period of normal use.


Using 57-559 (26x2.25) tire instead of 54-559 (26x2.1) on a mountain bike?

You've got some margin for tire width—at least 10 mm (although I don't know whether your current tires are at the narrow end or wide end of that range). It's also worth pointing out that the width printed on the tire can vary by a few mm from its actual width.


The numbers that are often punched into steel and aluminium frames below the bottom bracket are a serial or identifying number. You may have a look at Wikipedia for an explanation what a serial number is.

If you know the make and model of your bike the number may help to identify your bike after it was stolen and recovered. For example: "This 1996 Giant TCR is my bike and not just any of thousands of Giant TCRs because it has the very frame number I provided to police when reporting the theft." It is therefore prudent to note the number.

With the exception of rare hand-built frames it has no other use.


Is axle cone pitting more common on rear drive side?

The rear wheel carries the most weight, so straight off its subject to 60% of the stresses where the front only carries ~40%.

Rear axle takes drive from the chain, which is on the right hand side.  As the power comes from the chain via the cassette, that side of the axle is pulled forward.  Any microscopic slack will allow a bit of movement.  When the axle moves, the left side (NDS) is more likely to seat better merely because its not on the drive side.

So you have movement, which is a sure fire way to make your ball bearings unhappy.  This leads to hot or glazed bearings, and damage to the cone.

In addition this is in the middle of the cassette, which is probably the dirtiest place on your bike.  There's always some powdered grit or oil or something, and the tiniest movement of the axle will allow contaminants into the bearing which exacerbates damage.

Short answer: Yes.  The DS cup and cone suffers damage faster when not properly maintained.  Check your nut tension whenever the wheel is off the bike.

When adjusting wheel bearings, the rear should be pre-loaded just a little.  That means just a tiny bit "too tight" when compared to a front axle.  Not so tight it doesn't roll, but just enough to apply some constant pressure on all the balls, not just the ones at the top of the race.

Finally, be happy because cones are relatively cheap.   Take the old cone into a LBS and ask for one like that.  Depending on sizes, you could be looking at anything from $1 to $20.   On beater bikes, I've sometimes found a whole rear axle set works out cheaper, and gives me a known unbent axle as spare.

Do buy new ball bearings too, its false economy to rebuild on old balls.


Switching from a dérailleur to a gear hub

"Old" bikes – those from before the '80s or so – usually have horizontal dropouts that allow maybe 2 or 3 cm of fore and aft movement. That should give you enough room to tension the chain. I would think that a 5-speed bike would date from this era and be built with horizontal dropouts.

If that's the case then you can probably don't need a chain tensioner, just adjust the chain length so that it is long enough that you can get the wheel into the dropouts and short enough that you can get the tension right before you hit the back of the dropout.

Failing that, you could set up the existing dérailleur as a chain tensioner – either by leaving the shifter in place (and remembering to leave it alone) or by removing the shifter and cable and setting the limit screws to hold the  dérailleur in place. You can also buy chain tensioners that are just "unshiftable" dérailleurs.


ideal chain replacement for Redline monocog 29er

I think the ideal chain replacement would be the Sram PC-1.  I use this on my single speed mountain bike and stand up and crank on it with no issues what so ever.  The installation is very straight forward and the master link is very easy to use.  I would definitely not recommend an old multi-speed chain for this application mainly because the PC-1 is so affordable and effective.  The one issue that I do have with the PC-1 is that the master link is a bit wide and it does rub a bit on the bashguard that is installed on my Sram crankset, but it does not affect performance in any way.


How do you clip your helmet to your bag when not wearing it?

You can make your own retention system for any bag which will hold the helmet secure and close to the bag. I've done this on a number of my bags as I carry both bicycle and climbing helmets at times and there is never enough space for them inside a bag as they're such awkward shapes.
Buy some elasticated cord (often called shock cord) and some cord locks of an appropriate size for the diameter of the shock cord you have. Threading this through a strap or some webbing on the bag and leaving the cord locks outermost will give you a size adjustable retaining loop that will hug the helmet to the bag.
Alternatively, find something (I've used shaped pieces of wood or plastic) that will fit lengthways through a vent on your helmet, but is too long to fit through the vent when rotated sideways. This becomes your toggle, tie this to the shock cord and you can use a single length (easier and neater to tuck away when not in use) with the toggle at the end. To fasten the helmet, push the toggle through a vent and twist it sideways so it can't fall back through the vent.
EDIT: a video demonstration and a couple of photos for you. Other manufacturers do this, Osprey and their 'lid lock' feature are just the one that came to mind for me to search out images.
a Youtube video of Osprey bag with 'lid lock' feature

(source: tri-sports.com)

(source: netdna-cdn.com)


Lights for Rixen Kaul Klickfix shopper basket

You might have to modify that bracket but it's a good starting point if you've got basic tools. You might, for example, have to enlarge the groove - or you might need to glue some thick rubber across it.

One thing to check on the basket itself is that that edge where you want to fit the light is rigid enough to mount on, and attached fairly stiffly to the bike. It probably is but the fabric means I can't be sure from the picture.


Should I switch to a 13-23T or 12-25T cassette?

Should work. Put a new chain on.

New chain as a worn chain will wear the cassette as it is stretched and does not match up.
If the chain is severely worn it may even jump.

Chain is cheaper and should be replaced unless it is almost new.
A cassette will typically last 2-3 chains.

If you sometimes use 28 then why are you giving that up?
Is a closer gearing really worth giving up the range?
Why not like a 12-27T?


Dimensions of a hybrid clip on cycle fenders

Hybrids vary a lot. So do tyres and mudguards. It took two attempts to find some to fit my hybrid despite ruining thinner tyres than stock. And they weren't clip on. Your preference for narrow mudguards won't count for much if you're running quite wide tyres. Most road bike mudguards fit up to 25mm tyres. Most mudguards that fit more than that are big enough for up to 40mm (at least). These may then not fit inside your frame without being slightly bent towards the tyre.

I suggest you spend some time with a ruler or callipers at the tricky points.


Chain "jumping" every few crank rotations

After hours of thinking it was indexing, I slowed down and watched the chain only to learn that it was a single stiff link in the chain.
Thanks to @Warren Burton who helped me get there.


What is the purpose of spindle with longer non-drive side?

It may have to do with the mating crank arms. Sometimes one side had more of an offset than the other side.


How are Prophete chains with built-in locks assembled?

You need to move the open end of the posts closer together so you can pop that plate into place. To do that, bend the chain sideways at that master link to get it to close.

There's a bit of technique, but it's not too hard to close (opening it again often requires three hands - the extra one to lift the plate off. Sometimes the plate will pop off if you bend the chain a bit further, sometimes not).

Move the slotted plate so it's over the post ready to close.
Hold the chain with one hand each side of the master link with the slotted plate towards you.
Pull your hands apart slightly so that the chain is straight.
Now bend the chain so the master link moves away from you (and the open end of those posts get closer together).

It might take a couple of attempts but it can be done (the chain-bending is the same way I push chain into chain tubes on my recumbents, when I can't life the recumbent to get the tube vertical)


What is an alternative hitch for the Re~Cycled bike trailer?

Simplest answer would be to find a trailer that you like that sells the hitch as a spare part, and use that.
For example http://www.carryfreedom.com/hitch.html


I usually get the cheapest stainless steel cables and housings from a reputable manufacturer like Shimano, SRAM, BBB, Jagwire, Avid etc.

I very much doubt that expensive cables for >10€/piece will significantly improve braking performance. Especially if you are already happy with braking performance.

Proper cable installation&routing, matching brake lever to brake arm ratios and high quality brake pads will have a greater impact than SuperUltraSlick™ cables.

Edit: As Rider_X points out in the comments, some brakes work better with stiff cable housings. In such a case stiff housing like Shimano SLR or even Nokons (expensive) are a good idea.


I cannot insert noodle to reattach front vee brake

First of all, make sure the cable housing and cable is seated properly everywhere.
Even then it can be tricky to get the noodle back in and it can require quite some force to compress everything far enough.
If it’s just a matter of a few millimeters: You should have a barrel adjuster at the brake lever (marked C in the photo below) or at the brake. Unless it’s already fully screwed in, you can further screw it in (clockwise rotation) to give you slightly more slack. Make sure to screw it back out (counter-clockwise rotation) after you’ve inserted the brake noodle to bring the brake pads close to the rim. You should be able to pull the brake levers without them touching the handlebars. It’s a good idea to pull on a single brake lever with the full strength of both hands to make sure everything is seated and there is no give anywhere.
You could still try to unscrew the cable clamping bolt. A few tips for that: Make sure you use a good hex wrench and have it seated properly in the bolt, you don’t want to slip and damage the bolt. Use some WD40 or other penetrating oil if you have it. You can also try to heat it (using a torch, or even a hairdryer at hottest setting could work). And of course make sure you are turning counter-clockwise ;)


Is it possible to pair wheel sensors with an Android phone GPS?

The wheel sensor add on will do quite a bit to improve the accuracy of the GPS based current speed. The distance will generally be accurate, to within error values of 50 meters, or so depending on hardware. Most phones, especially with android, are on the lower spec of GPS design, using wifi databases and cellular triangulation to augment the GPS positioning sensor.

They generally use open source maps, like Google Maps, which often change, and are less than consistent about coverage. I would recommend using an ANT+ add on, if you are concerned about exact speed and distance.

Wahoo makes decent ANT+ sensors for the iPhone, but I'm not aware of a quality set up for android. There are too many devices, so it would be difficult to create a single device guaranteed to work across the board on android, even with the same OS version. I assume this is why they haven't made an Android version yet.

Hope that helps.


Do I need a shock-proof watch for cycling?

There are no special requirements for a watch for cycling. A cheap watch from the supermarkt will do as well as a decent quality watch or a sports watch (besides sport-specific functions).

Rain or road buzz might damage rather sensitive watches. Fixing a defect, loading the bike, or a crash also gives opportunities to damage a watch. Common sense will suffice to know when to take your horological masterpiece or leave it at home. In other words, there's a difference between riding to an opera and doing sports.

Most mechanical watches, for example a Seiko or something with an ETA movement, shouldn't be troubled by road buzz or the occasional cobble stretch. Please check reasonable voices in a watch forum.

Much sports riding is on a different level of impact, vibration, and risk of damage. In other words, mechanical watches are perhaps not the best choice for downhill MTB. A decent quartz watch or a G-Shock (analogue or digital doesn't matter) are preferable. Still, a dollar store digital will perform as well as the G.


Does Shimano XTR RD-M9000 SGS 11-Speed Shadow+ MTB Rear Derailleur Long Cage work with 10speed XT shifter?

I can say from experience this does not work well at all.

Although as mentioned above the chain does run through the shifting is dreadful. I tried it with a 10 speed shifter but gears would always have a spot where they would jump.

Just get a 10 speed rear derailleur.  You will be glad you did.


Shimano Ultegra CS-6800 11/32 replacement?

I think you must be referring to the new cassette on the second set if wheels.

Sprocket spacing remains the same on Shimano 11 speed across generations. The new Ultegra R8000 cassette will work perfectly well with the 6800 derailleur, maybe even a bit better.

The only trouble you may have is that the cassette may be in a slightly different position on the second set of wheels.


You should screw your through axle according to the manufacturer's specified torque value range. The torque applied to the axle is not meant to be used for adjusting relative brake/disc position, even if you observe such effect. Keeping the axle under-torqued is dangerous, and over-torquing it might damage the fork/frame dropouts.

A proper solution would be to adjust the position of the brake caliper itself relative to the disc. One possible way to achieve that:

Screw the wheel's axle to manufacturer's recommended torque.
Loosen both bolts that attach the caliper to the fork/frame. Do not unscrew them too much; you should just be able to wobble the caliper by hand.
Squeeze the brake lever so that both pads hug the disc. If the pads were symmetric, then the caliper would become centered relative to the disc. In your case, you should probably do this with a new pair of pads.
Keeping the lever pressed (by using a rubber band, rope etc.), tighten the caliper bolts so that the caliper will stay in the new position. Make sure to tighten these bolts to a proper torque as well (typically in a range 7-9 N×m, but it may be different)

Now, when you release the brake lever, the distance between pads and disc surfaces will be equal (given that both pads move at the same rate, of course).


Brake cable prevents handlebars from turning

Sounds like there's not enough slack in the brake cable outer.  Photos will help a lot - you can add them in with [edit]   My assumption is poor assembly.
It is fixable - You can buy more brake cable outer in a kit which should let you re-do the brakes on the bike.  But the bike is brand new and that really shouldn't be necessary.  You might choose to return the bike as "unsuitable" that's up to you.

Aside - we might spot other issues with assembly if you add some clear well-lit photos.  Add one from the right hand side of the bike showing the whole thing, one showing the handlebars area, and if you can a third showing the bike's rear wheel cassette and derailleur.


Can I replace a GXP press fit bottom bracket with a Hollowtech?

You cannot fit a threaded bottom bracket into a press-fit shell frame. A threaded Hollowtech II BB for road cranks will only fit in ISO threaded bottom bracket shell of width 68mm.

GXP is a crank axle standard not a BB standard, so that does not tell us what the press fit cups in the shell are. What you need to do is measure the cup diameter and shell with. Look up what BB shell standard you have (easy to find on the Internet). Then find a BB that adapts between the frame and Uletgra crank.

With any luck you will have a BB86 frame (41mm cups, 86mm wide) - that's the Shimano press-fit standard and sometimes know as Hollowtech press fit (it's the same axle dimensions as a threaded Hollowtech BB). I believe road GXP is also 86mm wide so it seems likely. if you have a shell with larger cups designed to accommodate 30mm axles there are adapters available.


Even if someone had a magic database of actual versus nominal sizes for tires, they would need to know what tires you have now and their actual inflated size on your rims to answer.

The best answer is yes, probably there is a nominally 700x32 tire out there that's smaller inflated than what you've got. But, two issues there: tire manufacturers have gotten much, much better than they used to be about accuracy in size labeling, so finding that tire would now be a challenge. Secondly, manufacturers often correct badly size-labeled tires pretty readily, so even if there were a good recommendation out there, it would be a bad question for an SE site since it would be a product recommendation that's highly subject to change.

A better approach may be just get an accurately sized 700x30, which is an existent albeit not super common size.


V-brake pads make contact but don't apply pressure to wheel

I find it useful to narrow down which part(s) of the braking system are having issues.

It looks like you've got a partially-frayed cable with a strand sticking out just past the "noodle" tube, and a long tail past the clamp bolt. I'd trim off the strand and cut the tail to be maybe 1.5" long. Use a crimp cap, solder or even strong tape on the end to prevent it from fraying. Also, the flexible rubber "worm" between the noodle end and the clamp bolt should snap over the lip on the end of the noodle so it stays fixed relative to the noodle.\

Can the brake arms stop the wheel? Just grab the tops of the two arms and squeeze using your hand. If that won't stop the wheel then the pads need to be adjusted to be closer in or there's something blocking the linkage from fully closing.

Another factor is whether the wheel is true or not. If not, the rim will "wobble" from side to side inside the brake pads when it is spinning and you won't be able to adjust the pads to be properly close to the rim.

If you've got issues re: 2 or 3 above, fix them by e.g. following the instructions at parktool.com

AA makes good points about the other end of the system.


Is it normal for brake pads to emit an odor?

Generally no - smell would be an indication of heat and vaporisation of something.  In a brake it would be the pad turning to smoke with overheating.

If your pad is that hot then your rims are about as hot, and will be very noticeable to the touch.  This level of heating normally requires hundreds of metres of fast descent, combined with hard braking.

Snow on the brakes would pretty much make overheating impossible.

I suspect the snow has an odour.  Its also possible your location salts the roads in times of snow, and this may be close enough to trigger your nose-memory.


Grab some of the disinfecting wipes in the round containers that you normally use for kitchen counters, etc. I like the Clorox brand in the yellow (Lemon Fresh!). Wrap around bars and squeeze a bit as you twist/rotate in the same direction as the wrap.

With cork based wrap this is fairly effective. With some of the slicker surfaced wraps (Lizard, etc), it's downright awesome. If you start cleaning with the wipes on a regular schedule your wrap will get even cleaner over time.


I found the source:

The chain and the other thing (I'd love to know what it's for by the way) were too close. The image is showing them after the adjustment.


How to open the top cover of a Shimano Tourney ST EF 41?

Page 17 of the dealers manual shows that some of these shifters are not meant to come apart and cables are replaced with an access screw instead of removing a cover.  The manual says not to disassemble further. The shifter may not be able to be easily re-assembled.  That said, disassembling from the bottom would probably be the best way to open the case.  It looks like there are some screws on the underside.

https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-ST0001-05-ENG.pdf

You may be able to remove the screw that gives access to the shifter cable and spray some W-D 40 in there to wash out old lubricant.  Some spray chain lubricant into the same port once the WD-40 dries, might get it working again.

An internal piece may be broken if the lever is completely immobile.  The pieces inside are intricate and do wear out with use.  my 5600 series front shifter had a pawl break off and it was toast.  no lubing could bring back its function.  the other lever I gave the lube job i described and it has been working smoothly for another year so far.


I wish to get fit, therefore should I have a heavy bike?

I'm going to assume that your definition of "get fit" is to lose weight and develop aerobic fitness. I'm also going to assume that the person in question is rather unfit to begin with.

All in all, a person can get fit (or not) on either a heavy or light bike; it will really depend on how they go about their fitness program.

To achieve aerobic or cardiovascular fitness one needs to engage in an activity that elevates the heart rate to a target zone and keep it there for periods of time. To lose weight, one must burn more energy (calories) than one consumes. In order to do this the activity needs to be done on a regular basis.

On to the weight of the bike... Say a person can choose either a 15lb road bike, a 25lb mountain bike, or a 35lb commuter bike for their fitness program. It makes absolutely no difference which bike they choose in order to lose weight and develop aerobic fitness. The only thing that matters will be how they use the bike. So to get fit, the choice of bike would depend more on the type of use a person desires rather than the weight of the bike.

There are also drawbacks to choosing a heavier bike for the sake of it being heavier. One is that it would be harder on the knees of an unfit person, and even a fit person, if they have to climb hills. Another is that it's just plain harder to have to lug around. And also, it would be much less enjoyable once the person gets fit.

My second job is working as a fitness trainer. If a client came to me wanting to get fit with cycling, I would not recommend that they get a 'heavy' bike. I would recommend that they get the best bike they can reasonably afford, based on the type of riding that they prefer to do. I would also probably recommend that they start out with steady, regular riding and build up to interval training. The question is about getting a heavy bike for fitness; and I'd say no, don't get a heavy bike for fitness. Get a bike that will be frequently ridden.

As a trainer I've had several clients who turned to cycling for fitness reasons. One of them got an 'urban' bike decked out with fenders, rear rack, panniers, etc and proceeded to lose 30lbs and otherwise improve her fitness with a daily 16 mile RT commute, plus weekend fun rides. Another client went with an expensive, light road bike; he managed to burn off 25lbs, and 6 months later rode his first century. So, the weight of the bike shouldn't be the determining factor. Like others have said, it should be about the fun and enjoyment and finding a style of riding that'll be sustained.


Stationary bike "clicks" when pedaling - crank axle is moving sideways. How can I fix this?

The bike has individual cartridge bearings -- not at all standard for a "real" bike, and a bit unusual for even an exercise bike.  (In fact, though I've seen a half-dozen different types of exercise bikes taken apart I've never seen anything like this.)

But it's not a terribly complicated setup.  The C-clips hold the axle in place.  The ring against which the C-clips ride is the inner race of the bearing and rotates with the axle.  If you can find a bushing (washer) of a suitable diameter and thickness it can be inserted between the C-clip and the bearing -- fairly easily accomplished by someone with moderate mechanical abilities.  You should only need the bushing on one side.  The one thing to be wary of is to get the crank arm back on tight, as a loose crank arm quickly destroys the mating surfaces.

A well-equipped hardware store should have a selection of bushings (and some spare C-clips, should the one on there be damaged or go flying across the room).

(There is also an old mechanic's trick:  You could work some coarse string into the gap, twisting it around the axle several times.  It should stay in place fairly well, without anything to secure it, especially if you dab on a little grease or petrolatum.)


Should I replace my disk brake calipers?

What you describe in the first part of your question is normal. Longer lever travel may indicate you need to bleed the brakes. Uneven caliper piston movement is caused by contamination of the piston seals with dirt.  Park Tool has a video about cleaning pistons and seals.
However this is bit more worrying:

Sometimes the pistons are cock-eyed, extending from the caliper at an angle. Sometimes I notice air bubbles in the lube oil between the pistons and the caliper.

The pistons should not be able to extend at an angle. That's not 'lube oil' between the pistons and caliper, it's the hydraulic fluid (mineral oil in Shimano's case) and you should not be seeing any of it getting past the seals (or leaking anywhere).
This makes me suspect that the seals are worn out. The Park Tool video I linked above shows how they work.
Seems to me that it should be possible to replace the seals in hydraulic brake calipers, but I've never heard of anyone doing it - someone will maybe add a comment about that.
I would not assume that calipers and levers from different groupsets are compatible. I tried looking this up in Shimano's compatibility information but inter-groupset caliper and lever compatibility is not listed for MTB groupsets.


How can I prepare for cycling 60 km, before getting the bike?

Edit: As discussed in the comments, I assume that OP is allowed to take a total of 2 hours of breaks, not that the ride (moving time) itself must be shorter than 2 hours. A 30km/h average speed over 60km would be challenging even for an experienced rider on good (but public) roads on a road bike.
It sounds like you are in quite a good shape. You should easily be able to do 60km in a day on a halfway decent bike. Unless there are lots of hills or headwind or bad roads. My sister recently got her first cheap 250€ city bike and imediately did a 90km trip along the Danube river without any issues. She didn’t do any bicycle specific training before but can probably perform all the exercises you mentioned.
Just take it easy, take a long break in the middle and remember to eat (but not too much and mostly carbohydrates, e.g. fruit or pasta or rice) and drink enough.
A wide saddle can chafe on the inside of your legs. A very soft saddle can put pressure on areas where you don’t want it. The specifics depend a lot on your body and your seating position. Just try the saddle which comes with the bike. Get bicycle shorts or at least tight shorts (e.g. running shorts) and wear them without underwear.
Adjust the saddle position to be high enough. As a rough estimate, with the pedal at the 6'o clock position and your heel placed on the pedal your leg should be fully extended. Considering your core strength you can probably lower the handlebars as low as possible for better aerodynamics.
You can’t really train endurance within 10 days. I’d take a few short rides (an hour or less) so your body gets used to the movement. Make sure your seating position is as good as possible and everything else is set up correctly (tire pressure, chain lube, shifting etc.) Don’t overdo it, you don’t want to start with sore muscles or a sore neck.


What model/make are this Freewheel and Freehub?

It looks like a Helicomatic. Once you know the name, there is plenty of information on the Internet.


2014 Diamondback Jr. Viper Brake Problem

This bike looks to have a vee brake seen on (now old school) mountain bikes.

The popping noise you notice could be the cable housing not sitting in one of its barrels. And, pulling the lever that could cause it to move suddenly in/out of place. It  could also explain why the wheel isn't turning well: the housing could pull on the cable, and hence the brake. Check the housing, if it keeps falling out of the those little barrels, it may be because the housing is excessively long. Have REI shorten it for you -- you can do it yourself, but you'll need something more than those needle noise pliers. ;)

If that's not it, check the wheel. Ensure it's sitting center in the frame. Lift the bike and turn the rear wheel, if the brake pads are really close to the rim, then you will want to give out a little slack to brake cable. If one pad rubs, adjust the amount each brake arm's spring pulls outward. (There should be a small screw on the side of each brake arm.) I like to balance the spring tension, so if you tighten one arm, loosen the opposing arm.

Hope that helps.


If the original lube that comes on new chains is so good, why don't we all just have a unified perfect chain lube?

I'm currently reading this book with much much much info about bike chains, their construction and how they wear:
Everything you need to know about Bicycle Chains: A book of special insights for expert mechanics Kindle Edition
by Johan Bornman
(currently available to borrow for free if you have the Kindle Unlimited package)
The book isn't perfect, but seems to have substantial technical basis for its conclusions and recommendations, unlike (imho) most comments one reads online.  In particular, the author recommends against wax lubes as quickly being squeezed out from wear points and thus rapidly losing effectiveness and increasing chain noise.


I'm no expert but having repaired the paint on several cars, I would think that a week from the application of the last coat should be long enough for the paint to cure if it was applied correctly. That said I would assume one of two things:

You are clamping the frame much to tightly. I had this problem when I first bought my stand. Buying a carbon bike cured me.
The application of the paint was too hasty. Possibly the primer or one of the early coats of paint did not have time to cure and adhere as it should. This would allow subsequent layers to shift when pressure is applied.


Are carbon road bikes robust enough to use off-road?

The strength of a carbon fiber composite frame is not the problem. There are many CFC gravel, cyclocross and mountain bikes, so obviously CFC as a material can take the impacts. If you ride a road bike on a harsh, bumpy paved surfaces it does not break. If you want to be convinced of how tough CFC frames are, google for videos of the testing that manufactures put them through.

The primary features that make a gravel bike more suitable for bumpy and loose surfaces are stronger wheels, larger tires run at lower pressure, slacker steering geometry and longer chain-stays.


What is the minimum tire width for a 18 mm disc rim?

I think Sheldon's recommendations are a good rule of thumb - I might be wiling to go a tad narrower if I were truly compelled to do so, but that's all to be taken with a grain of salt. In terms of rim depth, it should play no part in your tire choice whatsoever as it has no bearing on how the tire will seat into the rim.


If a lane is going to expand should the left lane be taken prior to the expansion?

Simply: no. Move over only once there is a left turn lane. My preference is to arrive there towards the start of the left turn lane because that’s what other road users are expecting.

There are two parts to the answer. First, the law allows you to use the left turn lane, and in most places requires you to do so if you make that turn. But it also requires that you keep to the right as far as practicable, which means not moving into the left lane in anticipation of the left turn lane.

Second, safety. Your idea of crossing as a pedestrian is the best way if you’re not confident. Better is to ride across the road you’re on, then stop and wait for the lights to change. When they do, start riding when it’s safe, even if you haven’t walked all the way across that road.

When the road is that busy, I’d be looking for gaps in the traffic and trying to move when those occur. A lot depends on your speed relative to the motorists. (edit) So if you can, cross those lanes when the lights are red. Stationary cars rarely hit anyone :)

When there’s a big difference, even experienced cyclists will often fake hook (see below) or pedestrian across. But if you can sprint up to a near-enough speed, or the motorists are kind to cyclists, it’s usually quite feasible to switch lanes over to the turn lane. I find signalling works a lot of the time, and it’s worth trying. Put your arm out, see if someone slows down.

There are a few useful guides on how to do this. The one from the Canadians seems reasonable, and this guidance seems sensible

Note that in some places hook turns are legal. They’re common in Melbourne, Australia and are used in a few cycle-friendly cities around the world. Some people like them as a cycle safety measure, but in my view they’re insanely dangerous unless motorists are expecting them. If someone “runs the orange” they will hit anyone making a hook turn. Motorists do that a lot in some places.

Cars regularly get them wrong in Melbourne, but relatively rarely with fatal consequences, as you often get when a motorist hits a cyclist. You’re better to do a “fake hook” — ride most of the way across with the pedestrians, turn and stop in front of the cars that are about to get a green light. Technically, that’s illegal, but it’s safe and easy.


Gear 1 indicates the largest cog on the rear.  It will be the easiest to pedal and make you go the slowest for a given pedal speed.  You want lower gears for slow speed, whether from going uphill, being lazy, or whatever cause.  They allow you to maintain your desired pedaling cadence.


People tend to think of fit as something for which there is a single solution, i.e., a particular combination of frame size, seatpost height, stem length, and so forth, all of which will create the optimal size bike for them. In reality, it isn't that straightforward; proper fit can be achieved within a range of values. For example, I have a few different bikes which I ride. One is a road bike with a 58 cm frame (flat top tube), one is a more modern road bike with 53 cm frame (sloping top tube), and so forth. How is it that I can ride a collective 16,000 km on these different-sized bikes and be comfortable? Because I have adjusted the combination of frame size, seatpost height, and stem length within a range that works for me.

You can achieve the same; it's not difficult.

You may wish to consider this fit calculator to help you figure out what the ballpark range of values is for your body. You'll need someone to help you, but the numbers it gives you will be a decent starting point as you fine tune the fit of your bike. You can use them to do an informed adjustment (if necessary) of your seatpost height/length and likewise your stem.

In addition, you can find many videos on YouTube and elsewhere which can help to inform your process:

Correct saddle height for a mountain bike
Mountain bike fit
Etc.

Assuming that the people at the bike shop sold you the proper size frame, you may need to increase your fitness a bit, and then be sure the reach is appropriate, and the seatpost height. In other words, you may need to ride the bike a bit to get a better idea of what the real root of the problem is. 35 km may not seem like a long way, but for a lot of people it takes them some time to get comfortable going that kind of distance: time to strengthen their core, their legs, and everything else that can ache at first.

After some saddle time, I think you will have a much clearer idea of what needs to be adjusted.


How can I prevent or mitigate the front wheel coming off the ground when climbing steep hills?

Move your weight further forward to keep the front wheel weighted. Shuffle forwards on your seat and bring your chest closer to the bars. Standing can help for the steepest parts, but can cause your rear wheel to slip on loose surfaces.

The front wheel is lifting as when your bike is on a slope the wheelbase is effectively shortened, bringing your weight closer to the rear axle, and the most vertical part of the wheelie is already done.


Why would each patch produce a new leak before resintalling tube?

You may have a sort of systematic effect, such as debris (puncture causing material) near the patch site, or missing rim tape or something depending on where the patch is. It may not be easy to find the causing material unless the tire is flexed under load though, which is why you might just not see it.

Either that, or you're consistently not applying the patch right (which you just need to follow the directions in the patch kit).


You did exactly the right thing by getting out of there.

When a dog commits to an attack, they make a beeline in the last part of their approach straight at the target.  One technique is to cast and ride easy till the animal commits and accelerates, then pour on the power and accelerate forwards.  Animal will pass behind your rear wheel.  One or Two pedal strokes is all you'll have time for.

Risks are that you suffer a mechanical problem induced by the extra power.  If there's ever a moment you don't want your chain to break, its right then.

Three working as a pack would be extra terrifying.  Smart dogs will herd you, and these sound smart because they're still alive.

The dogs will most of the time go for feet and ankles, shins/thighs, because they're moving and are at the lowest height.  The might aim for a forearm or hand because of the wide stance of a MTB.   Adding barends might act as a shield/barrier for the hands.  Wearing stout leather boots with steel or composite toe caps will help if the dog gets that close.  Leather chaps would make riding hard and hot and uncomfortable.

As for defence, some suggestions with their downsides

Kicking - we all have feet and they're already on the bike with you.  But by kicking you're not powering the bike, which takes away from getting away.
Water balloons in a front basket for easy access - throwing at a small moving target is hard enough when still, from a rolling bike would be much harder.
Water balloons filled with fake skunk - same as above, but you don't want to break one on yourself.  However you might be able to smash these into the ground in front of the dog.
Water bottle squirt - surprisingly effective, if you have enough for a blast.  Again, one had off the bars, and aiming from a moving bike makes it hard.
Stick or baton - a few sticklike things might help, but if you're waving a stick then you have one hand off the bars already, decreasing your overall power.  Plus swinging is likely to change your center of mass and make you wobblier and unstable.    If the dog gets a mouthful of the stick/pump then they can pull you over, and more so if its a nightstick or a baton with a wrist lanyard.
Long lightweight stick - I'm not sure what plants are in your region, but here we have toitoi and flax bushes that produce 1.5-2 metre long lightweight poles.  I imagine bamboo is available worldwide that will fit the ticket.  Downside is carrying it on your bike.  Possibly as a flag pole, or as a load fastened to your top tube with light masking tape for quick removal.  Waving this in the general direction of the dog should help, they are moving fast and sound "whippy", and any contact is going to sting.
Pepper spray / mace - its not legal in my country but may be for you.  This may be enough to deter a dog but you'd have to get it into the dog's eyes and mouth.  Again needs a hand off the bars to apply, so best left till a dog's got its mouth on you before falling back to this defence.
Knives - too short to do anything useful, but again may be good after the dog has bitten down.  Go for the eyes.
Swords - pretty much all the bad stuff from above wrapped up, plus they're just as likely to cut you, and swords are expensive, kinda fragile, and heavy.
Firearms - this seems like a really bad idea IMO.  Again mostly illegal in my country.

As per water balloons, you will struggle to hit a small moving target
The location may not be safe to fire
Having the weapon may make you take on a fight that you should run away from.
A shotgun loaded with shot would be a better weapon, but even then not something to carry on a bike loaded.

If you do wound an animal to the point it can't get away but is still in pain, then "putting it out of its misery" may be a bad idea.  Smart animals can fake it to draw you close, and then lash out.   The dog's companions may use this as a distraction to attack you from the other side.  Your top priority is you.

Feral dogs are not good - long term you need to report this and hand the problem off to those who can legally do something about it.  There's a chance they're domesticated but reverted, and there may be a microchip or a collar ID to identify the proper owner.

And having submitted a report, you have prior proof that something has happened and therefore an excuse for carrying an offensive weapon.

The location is important too.  If you're in a national park there may be restrictions about where you can be and whether you can carry any offensive weapons.

Action camera footage can be beneficial to corroborate your story, and can assist in identifying the animals.  I always ride with a handlebar camera, but you might prefer a shoulder or helmet or wrist-mounted one so you can aim the lens.   If nothing else, it can be good for the youtube upvotes later.

Carry a basic first aid kit and consider adding enough medical supplies to clean and bandage a bite or two.  Better to carry and not need, than to need and not have.


2 cross pattern not going right on Front wheel build

The top flange spokes in the picture are laced right, but the bottom is not. You need to make each pair of pushing and pulling spokes that follow each other coming from the opposite side flanges take consecutive holes in the rim. Take all the nipples off the bottom side, put the one I've marked in the hole I'm calling A, and then move all the other spokes on that flange the same number of holes down from where they were and it will be right.
Another way of thinking about why the angles are assyemmtrical as you describe is that the hub hasn't been able to have its "twist" done such that they can be symmetrical.


Are Campagnolo and Shimano 11 speed chains interchangeable?

Leonard Zinn has discussed Shimano and Campy 11-speed drivetrain compatibility several times in response to reader questions.

Technical FAQ: Drivetrain compatibility for 10- and 11-speed

Technical FAQ: Follow-up on 10- and 11-speed compatibility

Drivetrain compatibility hidden in plain sight

Although Zinn doesn't specifically address chain compatibility, I'm not sure how you could successfully mix drivetrain components if the chains were incompatible.


Because you can does not mean you should, however as an experiment, if it does not work you can always put the cassette back together as it was in the factory.

Most Shimano cassettes that don't use spiders can be disassembled (usually cheaper ones). They are held together by either rivets or small screws with hex head. You can drill out the riveted one easily enough - these are no needed once the cassette is installed.

With the right spacers, it would be possible to custom make a cassette with 3 or 4 cogs and any sizes you have availble (Do make sure the cogs a placed in ascending order, although ). The shifting won't work smoothly, as the ramps and stuff on the cogs will be in the wrong places.

Refer Sheldon Brown - section "Building Custom Cassettes"


27.5 x 1.95 tyres what sizes can i change to

I manage a fleet of 150 MTB's that are used on city streets. The original knobby tires  wear down quickly. I replace them with Serfas Drifter City tires. These have three advantages: an inverted, long-wearing tread; built-in puncture resistance and more economical than the Schawlbes I run on my personal bike. They come in several sizes.


Rear sprocket clicks or points of engagement

Sounds to me like they're talking about the pawls inside the freewheel body.  The pawls click every time they bounce over a tooth.

Here's a freewheel opened to show two pawls and 20 teeth, which is two points of engagement and 20 clicks per wheel rotation.

At worst case, the pedals could move 20/360 of a full rotation (18 degrees)  before the pawls drop, catch, and then the power goes through the wheel.  The average will be 10/360 of a revolution before catching (that's 9 degrees of arc of the rear cog.)

In theory if there were 90 clicks, and everything else was the same, power would be transmitted to wheel from chain in 2 degrees on average, or a worst case of 4 degrees.

What's the point?  The more sooner the slack is taken up, the sooner the power comes.  When the rider's brain says GO the muscles have to move, the mechanicals have to move, then the bike has to accelerate.  All parts of this flow have slack or lag or tolerance or reaction time, that adds up and increases the overall delay.

So if someone is making a break, the extra lag between pushing hard on the pedal and getting moving may make a difference between catching the break or not.  (that's road speak - not sure if BMX has anything similar.  However brain says GO and power takes time to arrive, then that's not going to help)

What's the practical difference?  Assuming your bike has a generic "do everything" setup of:
 * 20" wheels (406-44)
 * 1.75" tyres
 * 45 tooth front chainring
 * 16 tooth rear cog

then the gear ratio is 2.81 meaning the rear wheel will revolve 2.81 times for one full pedal revolution, and the bike will go forward 4.2 metres, and the wheel is doing 80 RPM.

Two totally identical riders, one with a 20 point contact freewheel and the other with a 90 point contact freewheel both apply power at the same instant from coasting at 20 km/hour which is 5.56 metres/second:

18 degrees is 0.0375 rear wheel rotations before the pawls lock
9 degrees is .01875 rear wheel rotations before the pawls lock
4 degrees is .0083333333 rear wheel rotations before the pawls lock
2 degrees is .0041666666 rear wheel rotations before the pawls lock

So,

18 degrees is 11.8 cm of forward movement at 20 km/h
9 degrees is 5.9 cm of forward movement at 20 km/h
4 degrees is 2.6 cm of forward movement at 20 km/h
2 degrees is 1.3 cm of forward movement at 20 km/h

Note: If both riders are pedaling or stopped at the start line, then all this is irrelevant, because the bike will be tensed up, and the pawls will be ready to go, so 0 degrees of slack lost.


Finding other riders for a cross country tour for charity

Do you mean the ride will take place from May to September or happen sometime in between those months?

A good place to start would be at your local bike shops, hang out, get to know people in the scene so to speak. Join some local weekly group rides which are done by most bike shops and make some friends. You may also ask the local shops if they have somewhere they would let you hang a flyer or set a stack of them by the register. A couple shops by me have a cork board they will let you hang business cards or flyers on for example.

The issue here is a ride of that magnitude is not just a weekend kind of thing, people will need to make plans ahead of time, take off work, pontentially buy touring gear or any number of other things. Cross country trips take careful planning and execution.

In my opinion one of the best routes will to be to ride with as many people ahead of time so you can to ask around for people that would be interested and get to know the locals that are into this sort of thing. You could also join your local cycling groups on Facebook and start spreading the word and gauging interest through them. One more option would be to take out a classified through either an advocacy group, online, or in a local newspaper if you want to go really old school. With today's technology Facebook may be one of the easier ways to begin. Meet some people interested and take a couple group rides with them before hand to see if you mesh.


I believe that in terms of compatibility, there's only one iteration of the Shimano 8-spline spider design that was used on various Shimano cranks, so the spider in question should work on all of them, including FC-M952.


Squeaky noise coming from rear derailleur or jockey wheels

Sounds like jockey wheel squeak to me.

Although keeping your bike clean is generally a good thing, it does have some negative side effects like washing away grease and lubrication on your moving parts.

As part of your regular maintenance tasks you should be periodically replacing the lost/contaminated lubrication from your moving parts, in this case, likely to be your jockey wheels. Here is a GCN Video on how to service your jockey wheels


Why is cross chaining 'bad', but 1x is OK?

One key difference is the design of the chainring. A traditional ring is made to allow shifting, which means there’s specially shaped teeth and protrusions that will pick up the chain and help lift it in to the next gear.

Cross chaining with traditional rings will put the chain in the angular region where it ‘thinks’ you want to shift (ie. these mechanisms will start hitting the chain plates).

On a 1x system a narrow wide ring is typically used, or a similar device, that meshes more completely with the whole chain link. Since it doesn’t have to worry about shifting, it’s only worried about retention, so it can ease the chain into a consistent position from a wide variety of angles.

As for the rear derailleur, they’re designed to rectify the angle as well, with SRAM opting for a more eccentric pulley position relative to the pivot, and Shimano using differently shaped parallelograms. Both these systems keep the pulley a consistent distance away from the sprockets, so the whole system can accommodate wider chain angles.


Has a BMX bike ever been transformed for touring?

A good example of using 20" wheels for a serious bicycle is the Moulton.
Although there is nothing of a BMX bike except the 20 inch wheels.
The problem with using a BMX frame is that it is sized very small. This makes it difficult for a rider to find an efficient riding position for long rides.
The points about the smaller wheels benefits in the question are exactly why Alex chose that size wheel for his design.

In the late 1950s, disillusioned with the design of the classic bicycle, Alex Moulton set about creating a new design. He thought the classic diamond frame was inconvenient to mount, difficult to adjust for size and not suitable for both sexes, and that 'Ladies' open frame bicycles without the top tube of the diamond frame were structurally compromised for ease of use. He believed that classic bicycles (especially with small frames and smaller wheels known as 'shopper' bicycles) were uncomfortable to ride without the use of wide, low-pressure tyres which increased rolling resistance. He also thought large wheels made a bicycle slow and cumbersome to store, and did not easily fit emerging societal commuting patterns in the developed world, which often combined more than one form of transport.
Wiki


What's the smallest travel case for a full suspension 26er?

It's pretty hard to recommend a size without knowing the details about your frame, etc.

For ideas for shipping and sizes you might stop at your local bike shop and check out the boxes the manufacturer uses to ship the bikes.


Why are hub shells such different diameters?

A smaller diameter hub is lighter (and likely cheaper).

A larger diameter hub has several advantages:

The bearings can be larger
Since the spoke flange has a larger diameter, it also has a larger circumference, meaning that spoke holes are farther apart.  This reduces the stress on the spoke flange with heavily-loaded bikes, and also makes higher spoke counts practical.
Related to 2, the spokes, for a given "cross", leave the hub at a more oblique angle, meaning that the force of the spoke is pulling more tangentially and less radially.  This again reduces stress on the spoke flange and also increases the rigidity of the wheel against torque.

A non-obvious disadvantage of the larger hub, when it gets MUCH larger, is that, for 3 or 4 cross, the spoke arrives at the rim at a definite angle.  Unless the rim had been drilled at a matching angle, this increases the stress on the spoke where it enters the nipple, increasing the chance of spoke failure.  But this is mostly a problem with geared hubs.

It's pretty much tradition to have larger diameter hubs on touring bikes and tandems.  Not sure to what extent this is a practical measure vs "expectations" -- the larger flange looks like its built to be rugged, while the small flange looks "light on its feet".


Replacing Motobecane 500 HT derailleur hanger

Yes, but you will need to buy a replacement part that is specifically designated for your bicycle vendor, model and even model year combination as there is close to none compatibility between derailleurs.

You can search the net for the words "[bicycle name] + derailleur". Some companies in some countires offer wide catalogs of compatible parts. Some of these folks can even cut a new part with a CNC machine for you. In this case, contact them and provide the information they will request. Most likely they will need photoes and measurements of the derailleur and/or dropout where it sits.

Note that replacements derailleurs are relatively cheap, and even making a custom part is much cheaper than buying a new bike. And while you are at it, why not order an extra part, just for the future?


How should I install the front wheel of a Muddyfox Bike (UK)

The nuts you see are bearing cone and locknut, and they should not be removed unless you are servicing the bearings.

This kind of tolerances are something to be expected from bikes at this budget. Your options are to spread the fork by force, or since the bike is mail order, just return the whole thing.


Maximum load of seat and quality of cheap carbon seats from China

I personally had 3 "cheap Chinese saddles" which were full carbon.
The first one was glued together poorly so it broke after the first ride.
The other two hold up perfectly, one even hit the floor with me.
But that's all just anecdotal. It's always hit or miss, but for me it was worth it as every single one of these saddles is under 20€ and I feel confident enough to handle my bike should the saddle come loose.


10 speed cassette/derailleur, but only getting 8 clicks?

If you are skipping gears, I suggest the cable tension need to be reset. Shift to the smallest cog, undo the bolt fastening the derailleur cable and then refasten, ensuring there is just enough tension to hold the cable tight. You should then be able to accurately shift up one gear at a time and go through all 9 clicks. It may take a few attempt to get right, and you should test it with different front gears selected. Also check for worn cable or housings.

Looks like you need to set the limit adjuster also, there are two small Philips head screws that do this. They prevent the derailleur shifting past the largest and smallest sprockets.


Why signal stop with your left hand in the US?

In the US, you ride in the right lane as far right as you can unless you are "taking the lane," which is legal in some states under some conditions (e.g. no bike lane, debris on shoulder, not safe for car and bike to split a line - which in my opinion is never safe).
By signaling with your left hand, your hand is going to be more in the line of sight of drivers vs. your right hand which will be harder to see since you already are to the right of the road and even possibly in the shoulder area.
At the end of the day, you will probably never get a ticket for signaling with the wrong hand or not signaling at all, just do what you feel is safest for the situation.
In my opinion, a visible flashing rear light probably is going to catch the attention of a driver more than any hand signal unless flipping them the bird... just saying. I would not consider riding even on the shoulder of any road without effective visibility lighting (e.g. stuff from Bontrager has pretty good flash patterns to catch people's attention)
Regarding benefits of front vs. rear brake on bikes, yes it is true that the front brake is more effective for any 2 wheel vehicle like a bike or motorcycle. Furthermore, using both in unison is the most effective overall. With that said, most people on a bike are traveling at slower speeds than a motorcycle and so you can certainly stop a bike safely with just the rear brake. In fact, I usually drop most of my speed using both brakes and come to a final stop with just the rear because the rear brake at slow speed does not cause as much instability as the front (note the same can be said for a motorcycle in a parking lot where a lot of people use the rear brake only to control speed). Some of that is personal preference too.
Here is an example of a ride on a US road where I am taking the right most lane and if I was to signal my left hand would be most visible to a driver behind me:


That is pretty normal on entry-level mountain bikes. Shimano claims this is to not confuse beginners.

Torney, Altus, Acera and Alivio groupsets come this way, at least by default.

However, Acera and Alivio are getting better and better with the trickle-down tecknowogy.

See here, in the upper corner "Components".


Tube compatibility for given tyre dimensions

Assuming your rim is drilled out for a Presta valve, this tube should be suitable. If your rims are deep (you would know if you had them), you may need a valve extender.

If you have a rim drilled for a Schrader valve (kind on a car tire), it is not recommended (if you want to use it, you should use a valve grommet as noted in this answer) since the larger hole may allow for some damage to the tube, or better yet, buy a tube with a Schrader valve.

A Presta valve rim is 6 mm, Schrader is 8 mm.


I assume you have worked out the problem is your center of gravity is too far back, so there is not enough weight on the front wheel. This is a common problem, and I have found my new bike is worse than any other I have ridden- I went for a smallish frame for tight technical single track.  I am still playing around to see what I can do.

I assume you have tried leading forward and getting you weight further forward.... On the track, try to slide forward to the front of the seat. Change down to a lower gear and higher cadence, you generate a smoother action and have more control over the torque lifting the front wheel.

Ultimate solution is usually a larger frame - more precisely, a longer wheelbase. Assuming you are not able to change you bike there are a couple of things you can do at no or low cost.

Slide you seat forward on the rails - this moves your weight forward, but shortens the cockpit. Get a longer seat, which gives you options of riding positions. Forward for hill climb, back for a a bigger cockpit and better fit.

Try a longer stem - 75mm is quite short and you should be able to go out to about 120mm. What I suggest is try several sizes and see if you can find a fit that works - talk to your LBS, they may be prepared to let you try on and swap it if it does not work. It's such a trivial job I have seen it done on the trail. Remember to play with seats rails as well.

Handlebar height. If you have packers on the steerer, lower the height of the bars by putting the packers on the top or the stem, and see how that feels.

As said, all these things are aimed at moving weight forward. Some will change the way you sit and ride, and the best position will need to be a compromise between uphill climbs and other riding. Often, by the time it is steep enough to be a problem, you are quicker to get off the bike.


Would a moist cloth wrapped around the nose be reasonably effective as compared to an anti-pollution mask?

that leaves the danger of the particulate matter which in my opinion, could be prevented with just a cloth wrapped around the nose and mouth.

Diesel particulates are mostly in the 3-30 nanometre range of sizes. This is very fine and will not be stopped by normal cloth.

3M say a P2 (EU rating) filter should reduce exposure to diesel particulates. A P3 mask should remove a higher proportion of particles. I suspect these filters might not remove the finer diesel particulates.

Most of these masks are not intended to supply a large volume of air, they are workplace masks not sports masks.

Some cycling mask makers write about PM10 filtering. Note that PM10 are coarse dust particles 2500 to 10000 nanometers in size. That's a lot larger than most diesel particulates.

The key to an effective filter is a good air-tight closure against the skin around the entire perimeter of the filter. You cannot obtain the necessary fit using cloth alone.

If anecdotal stories have anything to teach it is that you should expect a white filter to become blackened even on short rides and that you therefore need to replace the filter every ride.


The TS-2 is what I use and I quite like it.

3 of them are 17 years old and we just purchased a brand new one. Of course everyone likes the older ones ... hah.

Anyways, in my opinion you do not NEED to buy the more expensive one. If you are truing 10+ wheels a day, yes you need it (in my opinion). For home mechanic work, the TS-8 is just fine.


2009-ish Specialized Langster seems to be a good fit (with the bits of the bike we can see in your photo.)

Wheels likely not original.


Why is a road bike faster than a city bike with the same effort? How much faster it can be?

Having made the change myself, I can confirm that shock absorbers are actually detrimental to city riding. You lose a lot of power, especially when trying to stand on the pedals for acceleration.

Road bikes are also typically much lighter, which in my experience not only helps you go uphill faster, but also makes it a lot easier to carry the bike when necessary.  For instance when I am leaving my place, with my old bike I would've had to clumsily roll it out, but with the road bike I can just carry it out to the street.  It's not something you typically think about, but it saves time.

As a final note, while you can't turn a mountain bike into a road bike, you can make some changes that would improve it's road performance a bit. One thing you can do is swap out your normal nubby tires for slicks. Slick tires, pumped to the appropriate pressure, will reduce your rolling resistance. Also if your shocks are the adjustable kind, then increase the firmness, or even lock them entirely, so that they won't waste as much of your energy.


I've never cracked a crown race after assembling many different bikes with different fork/headset configurations. Split crown race makes things far easier and it means one less specialty tool that you need to own or access to get the job done. I've never had an issue with split races either.

As for splitting your own, lots of people do it without issues, if you go this route, I would make sure you gently file the edges to make sure it is deburred with no sharp edges. For how infrequently you need to install/fiddle with a crown race, splitting would however be a last resort for me since you can usually set them with a piece of appropriately sized PVC pipe and a mallet.


How can I attach a set of five panniers?

The top pair should attach to a rack on the front fork legs. The middle pair is for the rear, and the slope on the backing plate is to provide heel clearance. The fifth bag looks like it should mount to the front of the handlebars.


Mystery little bolt fell off near rear axle

This bolt is used to hold the nut on Shimano E-Thru rear axles, it's usually a part of rear derailleur hanger or drive side dropout. I think it prevents the nut from rotating and the fact that it snapped off might be a symptom of loose rear wheel axle. Sections of recess around the bolt without paint might be where it touched the frame.

If you still have the frame/bike under warranty, I advise to contact the place you purchased it from. Even if the issue comes down to user error (loose axle), they will probably help to extract the remaining bolt section and source a replacement.

Alternatively, you can just make a slot for flat screwdriver and use the leftover as a grub screw (that's what my dropout uses, for example) or unthread it and use any suitable bolt instead.


Determine age of Raleigh sport womens bike

Answer: No newer than the late 1970s, and it could be a 60's bike
The cottered cranks were gone by the late 70's which puts a cap on its lower end.
I see the pedals are modern plastic platforms so have been replaced at some point.
The fork crown also appears to have a lock in it - this was intended to lock the steering and make the bike impossible to ride.  However there was nothing stopping the bike being wheeled away on one wheel or carried, so ts functionally like those Dutch rear wheel locks... fairly useless.  Also they had a slight risk of catching while stopped, so you'd pull away at a green light and find the bars wouldn't turn.  Removing the lock body was a good fix for that.
I suspect the rear stay for the rear mudguard has been replaced too - its thinner than the front guard's stay, and is clamped in the wheel axle not the dedicated holes for that, so it was a bit longer than the original.
Most importantly - this bike may have had a frontal impact.  It might just be the angle of the photo but the fork's legs/tines appear to bend back below the crown.  It might ride fine if both are bent equally, but even a tiny difference can affect tracking and handling, more so when braking and turning.

Is there a bolt in the seatpost clamp?  Can't tell in the photo.  Without one the saddle could twist unexpectedly or drop.
I bet it rides nicely.


Road bike identification: these lugs look familiar to anyone?

It's looking like a Raleigh Grand Prix. Pretty sure that lots has been changed since delivery.

The wheels are 700 and the tires are 25mm wide clinchers.

The transmission has a 7-gear stack/cassette.

I'll have to measure it but I can just straddle it at 6'1" (185 cm)

I think it is a 25" frame (63.5 cm)


Rebuilding wheel using 284mm instead of original 281mm spokes?

The new hub means you'll need to do re-do your spoke calculation anyway, unless it's the same dimensions.
Nipples of different lengths have different amounts of thread. The only good way to address that fact is to take an ERD measurement based on the nipples you'll be using. Published ERDs are always simplifications for this reason.
If 281 was a good size spoke for a given build, good defined as having nearly complete thread engagement, 284 would be way too long, and into the realm where running out of threaded length would be probable.
If you have a shop local with a production type spoke machine like a Phil or Morizumi, making your 284s into 281s is a fast job. I've done this sort of thing for people with mis-ordered spokes before.


I am about to buy a new bicycle - what should I check before I do so?

I would go further than posipiet: find a good bike shop and do what they say. They know exactly what bikes are available and how those bikes work in your local area.

I suggest thinking very carefully about suspension. On a bike that cheap you will not get good suspension, so the question is whether you would rather have poor suspension or better parts. The money that goes into the suspension comes from the rest of the bike - everything else is a little bit cheaper.

Buying second hand is definitely a good way to save money. There's more risk of getting a bad bike, and you need to be careful about bikes that are cheaper than they should be  - they're probably stolen. The difference between a bargain and a thief can be hard to tell. Checking the frame number with the Police is about all you can really do.

What type of bike do you want? The choice is between a mountain bike and a hybrid, I think, although you could get a cheap racing bike for $500. But if you ride offroad at all the racing bike will not work, so Iĺl ignore that.

The hybrid bike will have thinner tyres, a more upright seating position and be slightly lighter. You will go slightly faster on it, but off road it will not work as well.

The MTB will be lower, longer and have fatter tyres. It will be less comfortable but perform better off road.

Like suspension, disk brakes look cool and all the expensive bikes have them. But again, cheap disk brakes cost more than cheap V brakes so that extra money means everything else is a little bit cheaper. They will probably work better than V brakes, but cost more to service. But they might not need servicing as often.

Also consider spending some money on accessories. At least lights and a rear rack, possibly mudguards as well. Buying panniers is probably out of your budget, but those will make commuting a lot easier. The idea is to get your load off your back and onto the bike.