It's not ideal but is doable.
Biggest factor being the rear hub spacing.
If it's 120mm horisontal dropouts (the standard for track frames) then the best thing would be to get a 120mm internal geared hub such as the Sturmey Archer S-RF5 5Spd Hub (other available).
If, for any reason, it has 130/135mm rear dropouts (as found on jump bike and other single speed mtb frames), then you can use a horisontal dropout mech hanger, pic below:

I would really think twice before bending a 120mm dropout to accept 130mm wheel, depending on the frame age and material, this could be a very bad idea.
Another thing to consider is the gear cable, best thing would be use a complete outer running from the shifter to the rear and secure it along the way.


You have the wrong tool. Your cassette lockring removal tool has a long pin emerging from its centre, which would fit inside the axle of a QR compatible wheel, to keep the tool centred.

What you have named a skewer is actually the axle and yours is solid, so the axle blocks the tool. The correct and simple way to remove your cassette is to get an inexpensive cassette lockring removal tool which is compatible with your wheel, something like this:

Or possibly one with a handle already attached if you don't have adjustable spanner or sockets to suit the size of the tool.

If you start disassembling the wheel axle by removing locknuts, you will have a much larger task which typically requires further tools (cone spanners) and extra skills to accomplish and your tool will still not fit without removing the axle completely. Those skills are worthy to learn, but unnecessary for simply replacing a cassette.


Which way do I orient my bike tire's tread direction? and why?

The tires have more traction in some directions than in others.

Your front wheel does most of the braking; your rear wheel does all of the propulsion.

Tires are oriented to give the most traction to the primary fore-and-aft forces.


Which rear mech to replace sram X-9 10 speed 2x10

You need to purchase a SRAM 10 speed rear derailleur to ensure compatibility with your shifters. SRAM previously made a wide range of derailleurs for X5, X7, X9, X0 and XX but have limited their range to GX and X0 following the market shift to 11 speed drive trains.

GX has replaced the old X7 and X9 price points.

Your options are limited as SRAM and Shimano rear derailleurs/shifters are not compatible.


Why should I prioritize top tube length over stand over height on a CX bike?

Why should you prioritize top tube length over stand over?
Because top tube length affects fit and stand over does not affect fit.
When you are riding the bike stand over does not affect fit.

My CX only has 1" of stand over.
A big triangle is good for stiffness and shoulder carry.
A tall top tube means faster transition to shoulder carry.

I don't get your reasons

1" versus 4" should not affect your ability to dismount quickly.
You ride on the seat - not the top tube.
In a controlled dismount the bike is stopped - 1" is a quick and safe stand over dismount.
If you have to bail because a truck pulled in front of you then lay the bike down - don't stand up.
So your clothes touch the tube?  What is the harm?
How is more clearance better on uneven ground?
When you stop then don't stop over a hole.
If you fall on the top tube an extra inch of clearance is not going to save you as your feet are not going to be under and you are going to be moving.
Even with 2" of clearance falling on the top tube should always be your last choice.


Of course things rust in normal use. Still, rust without moving is worse, as things stick together.

Even if the chain is generously oiled (more so than normal) before storage you'll get rust and probably stiff links.  Any gears made out of normal steel will also rust. (A light coating of spray oil will reduce but not stop this. I use GT85 on my outdoor bike; make sure you don't get it on the rims).

If your rims are steel (mainly old bikes) they may rust under the chrome plating.

Brake pads and rims are likely to be dirty, which will affect braking performance.  I'd clean them with plain water at first; if greasy use alcohol.

Most brake cables are stainless; but, especially on old bikes, there are braking components that aren't.  A good hard squeeze of both levers before you start riding would be a good idea, and try the brakes cautiously on the first ride before you get to traffic.

The tyres will need pumping up.  When you do so, check for cracks in them.  And test the pressure again soon afterwards, as the tubes may not hold air as well as you think.  It may be a good idea to pump up the tyres to slightly higher than the stated max pressure, then leave the bike a few hours before reducing the pressure to normal and riding.

Gear shifting components may well rust.  I've found rear derailleurs to suffer more than front derailleurs. Again storing dry (of water) and oiled will help.

Some locks rust badly.  If your lock gets too rusty you may not be able to open it.  Some bike lock manufacturers recommend oil -- if yours does, follow that recommendation.  Keeping the keyhole downwards may help, but water can run into locks from other directions too.

A non-mechanical factor:

Don't assume it's as secure left in the same place for months (and certainly not years) as it is left overnight.  The landowner may have a good (or bad) reason to remove bikes which appear abandoned.  Or a thief might think: "no one will miss that; I'll take it".  You also can't neglect the possibility of vandalism or careless damage, especially if a bike appears abandoned.

The difference in the 2-year case is that the degradation is more certain, leading to your bike being more likely to be scrapped as abandoned.  If the bike isn't special enough to take with you, it's probably better to sell it and replace it when you get back.  This is because, after a couple of years it will probably need more than it's worth spent on it.  A few weeks doesn't seem much worse than a weekend if you oil everything and can keep the worst of the rain off (I do this several times a year under the edge of a canopy on a station platform).


Yours rotated looks like

Best I could find is http://wheelsmfg.com/derailleur-hanger-6.html
which is "similar" but the mount holes look too large, the duck bill is way wrong, and the curve is there but wrong.

The holes might kill it, but its possible the other parts aren't critical.

Don't bother with the emergency hangers for long term use - they don't last long and they don't work well.


The main reason that they don't recommend it for recumbent bikes is that it's much harder to make a universal fit for recumbents. Regular bicycles have far fewer compatibility issues regarding frame shape at the rear dropout. Some recumbent bikes will have tubes that mean that they simply won't fit on a kickr. If you can get access to a Kickr, the only way to know if it will fit is to remove the rear wheel and try to put it on the trainer. If you can fit it on the trainer and your frame has ~5mm of clearance (to account for flex and wobble as you ride) to the trainer, then there is no reason that it can't be used.

The stresses on the rear hub of a recumbent are not so different that a recumbent will be able to fit on the trainer, but should not be used simply because it's a recumbent.


MTB Bottom Bracket vs. Normal Bottom Bracket

For threaded 'English' or 'BSA' bottom bracket shells, the standard was 68mm wide for road bikes, 73mm wide for MTB. However, some bikes that are not MTBs use the 73mm wide shell and there are now 100mm wide shells for MTBs as well.

By the way, I looked at the Surly Trucker page you linked to, it says the bike has a 68mm shell not 73mm.

In any case, yes you can fit that bottom bracket. It has a version specifically for 68 and 73mm  threaded shells. On a 68mm shell, two 2.5mm spacers are used so the width of the installed bracket remains the same.

You will need compatible MTB style cranks with the correct length spindle of course. Many folks get tripped up trying to install road cranks with a shorter spindle for 68mm shells into a putative 'road' bike with a 73mm shell.


What are the most significant factors affecting downhill cruising speed?

The following forces are acting on your bike as you roll downhill (in more or less decreasing order):

Gravity

The force of gravity is proportional to mass. If two riders have the same aerodynamic profile, the heavier rider will descend with a higher maximum speed.
This is easily seen in the formula for terminal velocity. The intuitive explanation is that the two will experience the same force due to drag, but the heavier rider will have a higher force due to gravity.

As you are heavier than your friend, gravity can't explain why he is faster.

Drag

Drag has a huge effect on descending speed. It's possible that your friend is getting into a tighter tuck, which as @ChefFlambe pointed out can even include your leg position. The aerodynamic properties of the bicycle (the frame, rims, spokes, etc.) can also make a difference.

My guess is that rider position is the most likely explanation for your difference in speed. Since you are taller than your friend, it may be harder for you to get into a tight tuck. You mentioned that you think it might be the rims. If this is the case, the front wheel will make a bigger difference than the rear wheel, so you could try swapping front wheels to rule this out.

Pedaling

A cyclist who continues to pedal downhill will go faster than one who is coasting. A bicycle with a higher top gear can be pedaled at a higher speed, and a cyclist who can ride at a higher cadence may have an advantage.

To rule out pedaling as the explanation, try going downhill with both of you coasting.

Rolling Resistance

Tires with high rolling resistance are slower than tires with low rolling resistance. Factors include not only tread type and width, but also the type of rubber and casing.

If you both have similar 700x23c wheels at roughly the same pressure (or slightly higher for the heavier rider), then you can rule this out.

Friction

Friction in the hubs will slow down a bike, but this force is probably insignificant unless there is a problem with bearings.

Another source of friction is in the freehub or freewheel, which will be ratcheting (clicking) while coasting.  The friction may be difficult to compare against your friend's, however, unless you remove a lot from each of your rear hubs.


What make and model is this MTB with no decal (pictured)?

I locked in your FORK, but your frame could most likely be from the 1990's

SR Suntour XCM V3 Coil 26" Fork (2011)

Item Number:    100079607
Manufacturer:
Suntour
ItemNo  100079607
Color   Black
Fork Model  XCM V3 coil QR-V/D fork 100mm (1" thrd-150mm NLA>
Steerer Tube    1" Threaded
Front Axle Type 9x100mm quick-release
Spring Type Coil
Brake Type  rim + disc (6" PM)


Solutions for pedals screwed in the wrong sides?

I doubt that you actually managed to screw your pedals into the wrong sides.  If it can even be done, the amount of force required to do so would have easily alerted you that you were doing something dreadfully wrong.  Not to mention the aluminum shavings that would have been all over the place.

Pedals can get pretty snug just through the action of peddling the bike and it may take quite a bit of force to get the unscrewing action started.

Also remember that crank arms and pedals are threaded so that the action of pedalling the bike does not cause the pedal to loosen and fall off.  This means that on one side of the bike, the right/chain side, the pedal is threaded as a regular clockwise to tighten, counter clockwise to loosen bolt.  The left-hand crank is threaded in the opposite direction.

Don't be afraid to apply a good amount of force (in the right direction) to loosen the pedals.  If they are threaded correctly, it would be quite difficult to ruin them by applying too much force.  If they actually are threaded incorrectly, the crank arms are ruined anyway, so you're not going to make things worse.


Is there such thing as an automatic transmission for bikes?

http://www.landriderbikes.com They were very heavily advertised several years ago but currently they seem to show up more on craigslist than on TV.


'Tange Seiki' is just the headset manufacturer.

Reading this https://www.cannondaleexperts.com/Si-Mountain-Headsets_c_1569.html it seems that Cannondale SI Integrated headsets were used on Headshock and Lefty forks, so there's no reason why your bike would have that type.

SI bearings are pressed directly into the frame so if you have separate bearing cups they are definitely straight 1 1/8.


What are rotary gears? Sturmey Archer 3 Speed

RS-RF3 has a gear selector that rotates, instead of one with chain that is pulled. The rotating part is visible in service manual, look for "fulcrum lever set" and "shift actuator". As stated in comment, the supposed benefit is that no part of the mechanism protrudes outside frame.


If the hanger is still attached, there are two possible attachment options:

The most common - a chainring bolt
Two smaller bolts, often counter-sunk (I can't recall exactly, but it's not important)

With either option, it's still a standard part, something your LBS should have on hand.

Also, if the bike was purchased recently, the bolt that fell off the hanger is not caused due to an issue you caused, and should be covered for free (at the very least the labor should be covered).


Here is the official standard.
It says M6×1 for the mounting holes.


Rear derailleur hitting chainstay (video in the post)

Rear derailleur adjustment can be a really pain in the neck. What is more likely happening is that you have to adjust the B screw:

  B-Screw Adjustment After setting the L-screw, check the "B-screw" for
  an adequate setting. The B-screw controls the derailleur body angle,
  hence the name, B-screw.

You can find detailed information about all the setting for a rear derailleur here, including the screw (B-screw) that adjusts distance to the bike frame. You should adjust this AFTER the other two screws that adjust upper and lower limits relating to the cassette are properly adjusted, so follow ALL the steps one by one and you should be good.

It is also possible your derailleur hanger needs alignment. Watch your bike from behind and see if the body of the derailleur goes down parallel to the bike frame. If it doesn't, you need to adjust with a specific tool, so you should take your bike to a shop because it's not worth buying it. You can find more information about hanger adjustment here.

Good luck!


Regarding ‘which [groupset] will fit?’ Bicycles are generally so standardized that you can swap out groupsets easily and only have to deal with one or two areas of compatibility.
In your case you need to consider the rear wheel. The freehub body for 11 speed compatible hubs is 1.8mm longer than those for 8-10 speed. You’ll have to examine your hub too see if yours is 11 speed compatible. If there is a 1.8mm spacer behind the 8 speed cassette the hub will be 11 speed compatible.
Generally you also need to look at the bottom bracket for crank compatibility. As you have a ‘3-piece’ crank with cartridge bottom bracket you can easily replace that with a Shimano HollowTech external bearing bottom bracket, which all Shimano road cranks are compatible with.
Rim brake groupsets are relatively inexpensive, but most of the time it’s not worth upgrading the groupset on a bike. Often it’s better to sell the current bike and purchase one that is a complete upgrade, especially when you factor in the cost of special tools you need, or paying for a bike repair shop to swap out the components.


Suitable bicycle grease for aluminium and steel materials?

After thinking longer about feeling unwell. I research little bit longer about what is the suitable grease for seatpost, especially on aluminum material.

I found out on the internet talking about using a grease on the bicycle. In there, they said about do not using the grease on the seatpost because can cause damage on the bicycle. The reason is that grease can make the seatpost slip and must tighten the clamp more and more which can cause bad for the bicycle or cause the crack sound because over tighten on the clamp.

The advice they have given is used like "Assembly Paste", like this product "Anti Seize Assembly Lubricant", which specifically designed for use such as in the seatpost area. Because the cause of problems in seatpost is corrosion, erosion, abrasions, due to large friction which results in changes in size at seatpost, and then makes the other problems such as crack sound and slip.

Then the result is "Assembly Paste" prevent all the causes, and I will go for it.

The references

Thanks to all who have participated. I hope this can be a useful reference.


The larger tooth count sprockets will provide lower gear ratios. Bigger sprocket in the rear: lower ratio. A lower ratio mean the bike goes slower for a given pedalling cadence, but you get more torque at the rear wheel.
A larger largest sprocket also means the ratio gaps between gears get bigger - the intermediate sprockets all get proportionately larger too.
You need to optimize you gear ratio spread for the type of riding you do and on what terrain. If you are commuting on road without big hills you probably would benefit from a narrower range cassette without very low gear ratios. If you are looking for higher gear ratios to allow you to go faster without having to pedal too fast you need larger chainrings on the crank, but beware, it's often impossible to install bigger chainrings on an MTB due to crank compatibility or chainstay clearance problems.


Constantly engaged disc brakes, how hydraulic brakes retract?

Hydraulic brake pistons are actually retracted by the rubber seals. The seals are deformed slightly as the piston advances, then they re-form to provide the retraction force. This works because the retraction distance is actually very small. The seals design also allows piston advancement to take up pad wear. As the pads wear the piston moves slightly beyond the deformation limit of the seal and slips through it a small distance.

There is a good Park Tool video that shows how this works.

I would definitely be concerned that holding the brake on for a long time would affect the rubber seal. What might happen is the seal will slip back on the piston while it is pressed up against the rotor then not retract it properly.


Will a track wheel work with the dropouts on my frame?

Track frames use a 120mm rear dropout in most cases.

You do have a horizontal dropout, but not a track dropout. It will work, but it is not ideal.

The rear axle outside locknut distance on that frame is likely to be 127mm.

Again, it is not ideal to compress the dropouts that much, but given that it is an older, fatigued steel frame, it will likely work.

Worst case, you might induce cracks in the frame over time, due to stress on the welds from the compression, but it isn't likely.


Given your low budget, priority for me would be to have the gear needed to get going after a road side problem, followed by maintenance tools so you can do as much work as needed yourself. Then add stuff that makes life easier.

Roadside repair kit includes:

Pump
Tire levers
Spare Tube
Puncture repair kit
Multitool - Cheap
ones will fix many road side problems, but if its going to be used
for regular maintenance get a better tool. Many multi tools come with
tire levers.

Pump - CO2 is out - expensive to use - a puncture could eat your weekly budget. Smaller is better when you don't need it, bigger is better if you do. If you are going to have just one, rather than a mini pump get something like the Topeak MiniMorph.  If you are getting a full size floor pump later, or have access to a floor pump though work or friends,  get a medium sized mini pump, As this would be a road side only tool, a cheaper (not too cheap) one would suffice. Above about $20 your paying for weight and brand.

Floor pump
A floor pump (ideally with a gauge) is very handy. You can get by without one, but they are no expensive - can probably get an adequate one for $20.

"Workshop" tools
Your road side tools will do most regular maintenance, but don;t expect too much from cheap tools so get better quality if you plan to go down this path. Otherwise the best option would be a cheap "Bicycle repair kit" with most of the tools you need for price of one workshop quality tool. These kits do an OK job as long as you accept they have limits and avoid using them like a "Gorilla with a spanner"

Bike shorts.
I strongly suggest getting a quality pair of padded bike shorts. Don;t need to be the most expensive, but don't go too cheap.

Ask around work and friends and let people know what you are up to. You may be surprised how many people offer to lend you their spares of many of these things. You may get lucky find someone has a perfectly serviceable road bike their wife/mother/son has not used in years......

See if you town/city has a bike coop / recycle yard. Many of these places have tools (and people to show you how to use them) so you can do you own maintenance.

Consider used bikes - many are hardly used, or good ones can be well used but very well maintained.  tricky problem is identifying them. Talk to your LBS - they may be able to help with selling you a used 'trade in' bike.


What purpose do the rubber 'hairs' have on new tyres?

Note the technical term for what you are calling "hairs" is "vent spews."[1] As the name indicates, they are a consequence of an important detail of the tire fabrication process.

While liquid rubber is being injected or otherwise forced into the tire mold, air bubbles can form in the rubber or between the rubber and the mold. These bubbles can cause the finished tire to be weakened or malformed. To prevent that, tire manufacturers place vent holes in the mold to allow the air to escape under pressure. Necessarily, some rubber will get forced into these holes, forming the vent spews upon curing (which is the process by which the tire rubber converts from liquid to solid).

These vent spews serve no useful purpose in the finished tire; conversely, they can be removed without consequence.

[1] for some citations, see this ask.com post and this reddit post


Side pull rear brake is weaker after changing the cable

It's hard to see what the surface of the brake pads looks like and how it is aligned with the rim, but I would look to see how flat the pad surfaces are and how flush they are with each side of the rim... when the brakes are pulled on.

If the pads have developed a concave profile where they used to fit on the rim, and don't fit there any more, it could explain reduced braking power. Replace the pads if they are no longer flush with the rim.

The black outer cables should have metal ferrules on the ends, in photos 2 & 3 at least. They’ll help, but if they weren’t there before then it doesn’t explain the reduction in power you’ve had. I would also thread in that brake adjuster on the top brake arm, all the way down (back off the locknut first).


Can I attach a trailer to a Bixi bicycle?

Many trailers attach via a hitch on the rear axle of the bicycle. Since bike share bikes use proprietary fittings to reduce theft, it would not be possible to install one of these on a bike-share bike.

The trailers you are asking about appear to attach to a seat post. Bike share bikes always have adjustable (but not removable) seat posts. You should have no problem adjusting the post and installing one of these seats.

You may find it's not worth your effort attaching and detaching a trailer when you're likely to be only using the bike for a half hour at a time.


Yes, they do degrade over time. Unfortunately, various brands and different storage conditions yield different results, so I'm not able to give an estimation of how long can you safely store a tube. How ever, I can recommend the conditions that appeared to give best results.

The tubes I could use after long time of storage without problems where those that I kept in my room, which being in a tropical country, had temperatures of 15°-25° Celsius. They where obviously far from paints, solvents or oils, where taken out of bags and kept on a small plastic basket. Those that came in a cardboard box, where kept in the box. Also, at buy time, they where dark gray and with a subtle shine.

Negative results where obtained with tubes that where kept outside the house, in a dusty environment and subjected to humidity but not direct sunlight. (And there were paints, oils and solvents nearby, though not in an enclosed storage)

Also, tubes that had dull surface and where very dark (i.e. black) at buy time where the ones that failed shortly after installed, almost regardless of whether they where used immediately or after a time stored. Due to this, I suspect that they where already chemically damaged (And today I'm reluctant to use/buy a tube that looks this way).

Another observation is that Tubes I stored inside of plastic bags where found stuck to themselves and with a sticky or gooey surface after a year or so.

Upon inflation (outside a tire) those tubes that where badly stored shown one or more of the following tale signs:
 - They stretch irregularly, with bulges, instead of uniform diameter.
 - Crackled surface.
 - Irregular surface (different color and/or texture in certain spots).
 - Apparent punctures, i.e. what visually appeared to be holes but did not leak when water tested.


Fit a chainguard when there is a front derailleur

There are a few plastic chainguards for front derailleurs.

I never found a full chaincase but managed to fit this de Woerd Wave chainguard to a mountainbike used for commuting (3×7 gears I think).  I failed to get the same model working on my 3×8 hybrid, though it had the same chainrings as the MTB. I would go on, but I couldn't avoid it rubbing in some gears because I couldn't get the bottom bracket clamp to sit straight, and never got round to modifying it enough to make it work to my satisfaction.

Holland bike shop has a wider range of de Woerd parts; some are specified for double or triple chainrings.  I'm sure there are other makes, but these are the ones I've come across

A double chainring would be easier to work with than a triple, but you may have to modify the chainguard a little - easy if it's the fairly soft plastic part, but harder if it's the mounting brackets (which have to be secure to be safe).


Chain slips off chainrings with a lot of pedal force

I've done something similar - mixing a shimano 105 9 speed triple chainset with a 10 speed chain and a 10 speed cassette and 10 speed derailleur.  It all worked adequately.  It ran fine after a lot of tweaking.
However my chainrings were worn and I had similar slips while climbing.  So I scored some new-old-stock chainrings for the big and middle rings, and all my slipping problems went away.
They happened to be biopace, but that's not relevant.


Where should my sit bones rest on a leather hammock/sling saddle?

You are correct about the position of sit bones between C-D 2-5.
If the leather on the saddle has stretched, even if you rest your sit bones in the C-D 2-5 region, your sit-bones might be digging into the metal part.

Measure your sit-bones distance, reference to another SE question
If your sit bones are narrower than widest part of the metal bracket (about C,D 1-6) then tightening the saddle bolt will help a great deal.
If your sit-bones are wider than C 1-6, then tightening the saddle may not help much, you may have to consider getting a wider saddle.


The only Fort frames I've seen have been their cyclocross bikes and all of those were aluminum. Assuming we're talking about the same Czech made Fort frames then your only option is a new frame. Aluminum is effectively not repairable the way titanium, steel or carbon are. Depending on the age of the frame you might be able to get it replaced by the importer under warranty assuming you're the original owner. Then again, an alloy frame designed for racing (and especially cyclocross racing) isn't expected to last forever. Head tubes do take a major beating, especially in cross. Between the bumps and braking forces it's not exactly uncommon to see cracked head tubes.


Personally, I think that good cycling helmets are beautiful. The lines are elegant. The transitions between the surface of the helmet and the vents are graceful. The way that the helmet increases in size from front to back is reminiscent of the wind. They're really quite astounding pieces of technology, if you really look at them.

On the other hand, cheap bicycle helmets just look bulky and blunt. And the type that most people seem to be linking to, the "brain buckets" that look like skateboarding or horse racing helmets, are just hideously ugly.

I know that doesn't really answer your question, but as you mentioned ventilation is a big issue and I really think it's worth it to have a good cycling helmet. And there's a big difference in ventilation between a $40 and a $100 helmet. I think if you drop the money on a good cycling helmet, you'll be much happier with it than you will with a "fashion" helmet.


How can I make myself and bike more visible during the day?

1.  Wear hi-visibility color on your torso.

That really bright yellow/green color is best. The orange is pretty good, too.

I've seen stuff that's striped in both colors or is primarily one with a some bands of the other, and that seems like probably the best option, so that you still stand out against a background that matches the hi-viz color.

Helmet and leg stuff wouldn't hurt, but will tend to be less effective than torso, since the helmet is fairly small and your legs are fairly low.

There's a lot of available options for getting hi-viz colors on your torso. Most include reflective bits. Things like: a safety vest, a hi-viz safety triangle belt, a hi-viz cycling vest, a hi-viz cycling jacket, a hi-viz cycling jersey, a hi-viz t-shirt, or even just a regular t-shirt in a bright visible color... Most bike-shops will have a hi-viz jersey and hi-viz cycling vest or cycling jacket available. "Work wear" shops that sell uniforms and other work-clothes will often stock a variety of high-visibility stuff.

2. Attach hi-visibility colors to the bike.

A safety triangle hanging from the back of the saddle. A bag under your saddle in a hi-viz color. Hi-viz colored panniers. Hi-viz colored reflective tape on your fenders or other parts of the bike.

This will be lower and smaller than on your torso, but couldn't hurt.

3. Bright flashing lights

You need unusually bright lights for them to have a chance of being at all useful in full daylight.

I have the Cygolite HotShot that won the Tail light review on our blog. It's definitely visible in daylight when it's in a flashing mode. My 300 lumen headlight in flashing mode is also visible in daylight.

4. Ride visibly and predictably

Ride where you'll be seen. Ride where cars will be looking for you. Don't ride in the gutter or hug the curb. Merge into the lane position a car would use to go straight when approaching a place that a car can turn across your path. Claim the lane when appropriate. Take a safe cycling course, or at least read up about Vehicular Cycling.

This is probably actually the best thing to do.

5. Ride with other bicyclists.

Hard not to see a pack of 20 cyclists riding close together.


Are ultra high racers available commercially?

This is a low racer:

The frame goes lower than the wheel's axles, and as a result the rider's shoulders are somewhere near even with the top of the wheel.  In extreme cases, the rider's head looks to almost rest on the back tyre.  It can be very hard to see forward from these positions, but its the most aero.

This is a high racer:

The lowest part on the frame is above the wheel's axle line.  Rider has a better view forward, but has a higher frontal area to catch the wind.

I'm not aware of anything higher than the high racer design.


Brake Type: Post mount 160 is mounting points for a disc caliper and
160mm disk (You can go to a bigger disk with adapters, but cannot go
smaller than 160 with this fork)
Axle to Crown:487 - this is the fork length from axle to crown.
Ideally you would match the existing for within say 10 mm, as it
changes the bike geometry is the difference is too much. If
increasing the fork travel, you may want to increase the crown/axle
length to accomade more sag.
Steerer tube length -   the length of the steerer tube - the bit the
handles bars bolt onto. This is normally cut shorter to suit the
bike, make sure the length is not short than you existing fork.

These forks do not have mounts for rim brakes, so are not suitable unless you upgrade to disk brakes, which requires a new wheel as well as brakes.

What you must do is go for a 1/8" straight steer fork. The other thing to match as closely as practical is the axle to crown measurement, as this maintains the geometry.

If you upgrade the wheel and front brakes to disk, you have far more options. If you  do decide to upgrade to the wheel, you need to decide axle and if to go boost or not, along with wheel size.  You could probably go to 27.5" without upsetting the geometry too much, especially if you go to a shorter travel fork. Obviously this option adds significant cost

Unfortunately replacement forks for older bikes are getting hard to come by, 26", rightly or wrongly. has been consigned to the history books. While we do not do product recommendations, you are more likely to find a compatible fork from a lower end manufacturer such as Suntour (e.g. the Paragon - short travel but will bolt straight on).

In the end it may not be economical to do this. Consider sourcing a used fork from the late 2000's - however finding one that is not worn out will be hard.


Regaining confidence to ride after an accident

I would try the following:

Professional psychological (of course, if she agrees...);
Riding in non-traffic areas (a sinuous park or countryside would be great).

I have already perceived that most people learn a lot of bike-control while riding off-road-like situations, so that they become much more confident to ride in traffic, because the learned extra skills keep them comfortable to ride in everyday situations.

Well, just a thought, of course it depends on other factors. My wife, for one, is very scared of traffic, and sometimes trying too hard to give support ends up being an additional way to create stress.

Hope it helps, and good luck!


The best thing to do is to watch television coverage of races. For just learning, it is even better than actually being at a race because you can see what is going on and there's plenty of background stories.

Now is the BEST time for stage racing because the Giro has just started. Steephill.tv has bunch of links for online video coverage of the Giro. If you have sports cable channels check those too. The Tour de France in July is also fantastic because of the coverage, but the Giro is usually a more interesting and gritty spectacle, IMHO.


Bike fit: Adjusting stem angle vs. height

Assuming you've got a stem of about 100 mm, changing the angle by 2° will lower the handlebars by about 3.5 mm. If you want more drop, remove the spacer first. Obviously the difference between the two is tiny, and probably not perceptible.


You might have a hard time finding the exact same part that was originally on the bike. However, front derailleur is a pretty standard piece of kit and you can replace it with compatible.

Things you need to look for when buying front mech:

Road and MTB FDs are different
Shimano and SRAM FDs work with the others shifters (which is different for RDs)
Seatpost clamp diameter - size of the tube the mech is clamping around (Shimano FDs often come with shims but SRAM FDs do not)
If the mech is top pull or bottom pull: the cable comes from above the derailleur (top pull) or below (bottom pull). Dual pull derailleurs work either way.
There are 3 clamp positions: high clamp sits above the mechanism, low clamp is at the same level of the mechanism and e type is on a frame which sits between the bottom bracket and the crankset.
Make sure the new mech is 8 speed. 9 speed-mech won't work with 8 speed chain, as the chain widths are different.


I think Candy 1 SE is a special edition where colors are changed from standard Candy 1 as you can see in the links provided. Candy 1 SE is not even listed at Crank Brothers website. So if you fancy a more exclusive color set and it's cheaper go for the SE!


Difference between thick vs thin front suspension?

Fork-leg diameter is not really how you would classify suspension forks. Or more exactly, it is a way, but not really the most relevant.

Suspension forks could be classified by how much travel they provide (different travel for different specific uses), the suspension mechanism (springs, fluid, elastomers, air, hybrid), the damping mechanism, etc.

I suspect that both those bikes were pretty cheap, both probably use spring suspension, and neither is really intended for hard off-road use. A bigger-diameter tube isn't necessarily heavier, as it can be made with thinner walls.


This happens to runners more than bikers but is the same thing you describe... friction.

I've done band-aids, tape and even special products (Nipguards) made for covering just the nipple area but the best remedy I've found is compression clothing. Even in the middle of summer, I will wear some skin tight Under Armour shirt. Heat Gear (odd naming, but actually cools the skin too) in the summer just to prevent friction between cycling jersey and the nipples. I'll switch to their cold gear during the winter, but always wear something skin tight under my upper layers.


Front wheel twist and move in dropouts when braking or on aggressive turns

A lot of forks do this because the axle path is wrong. It needs to open forward to resist ejection force by disc brakes. The downward path was chosen to do the same for rim brakes. Many companies have made this switch, but not enough.
High-quality internal-cam QRs apply the most clamping force of any type. The simple answer is get any Shimano skewer. A better answer to this question would feature actual cam math, and I would welcome that, but barring that the above is usually a good starting place.
Dropout alignment can be a component of this problem as well. Being an aluminum fork, you'd have to replace the fork to do anything about it though if there was significant misalignment.


Wheelies aren't a strength thing, they are a function of weight distribution on the bike.

If you move your weight far enough back the front wheel will lift - this can initially be assisted by applying a few hard pedal strokes in a light gear.  As you correctly observed, rear suspension is a disadvantage here, as it absorbs some of your initial weight movement.
Once the front wheel is up its about maintaining your balance point.

As with anything balance related, some core strength conditioning will help, but is not really much of a determining factor in ability to wheelie for long durations.


Bike Lights: Helmet Mounted or Handlebar Mounted

The answer, as others have said, is "both." However, if you are only going to use one light, there is a disadvantage to that one light being helmet-mounted. When the light is mounted close to the eye, everything that is illuminated is "flattened" since, from the eye's perspective, there are no shadows to provide information about depth. In particular, it's harder to see potholes or other road imperfections. That's why randonneurs often mount a light on the front fork near the hub -- the distance between the light source and the eye helps highlight the road surface. A second issue arises in fog or rain: in that case, with a helmet light you'll get reflections directly back into your eye. That's why you don't use "high" beams when driving your car in foggy conditions, and why fog lights are mounted low.

Given these reasons, a helmet-mounted light can be an excellent supplement but shouldn't be used as one's only light unless you are riding only in urban areas where you can rely on additional street lights to keep the road surface well-illuminated.


Riding with tubes doesn't necessarily affect the tires ability to hold air without one. In fact, I find it easier to inflate tubeless set-ups where the tire has already seen some use, as the carcass gets a bit more flexible.

That being said, any and all holes in the tire need to be sealed. You may have caused some small ones all around the surface of the tire, but those should easily be handled by the sealant. Depending on the exact size if the nail-induced hole you mention, sealant just might take care of that too. If not, it can still be repaired with a dab of superglue, preferably applied to the inside of the tire.

If you happen to have suitable glue easily available, I totally recommend using it before adding sealant, as it has a tendency to make things messier and glue less likely to stick well.


It appears that it is possible to extend a steel steerer. In this thread on Velocipede Salon, one person posted a video from a framebuilder, and one other person I assume is a framebuilder also responded that it is possible to weld an extension on to the tube. It may also be possible to replace the steerer entirely.

You should consider if simply buying a new fork would be more economical. Alternatively, depending on how far you cut it, it might be possible to achieve a similar riding position with a riser stem.

Your post mentioned two people with "dh" rides, which I assume means downhill mountain bikes. I am not familiar with welding, but I'd expect that welding your steerer might reduce the steerer's strength. Also, I'd expect that an improper weld would have a stress riser that could eventually break. You would want to confirm if a repair is wise with your friend. Trusting the repair to a framebuilder might be a safer option. And I'd also expect that downhill mountain biking will stress all parts a lot more than road cycling will, so it may be better to just get a new fork after all.


Sounds like the freehub/freewheel is having problems engaging the pawls.
The freehub is the component in the middle of your rear wheel, and goes between the hub and the cassette.  If your bike is older, the same task might be done by a freewheel which is integral with your cassette/cogs.
Note you can look up all these parts in the Terminology Index
Here's a great photo showing what pawls are inside the freehub/freewheel.

As you pedal, the outside ring rotates clockwise, and the four little levers are caught, transmitting power to the middle part and driving the rear wheel around.  When you stop pedalling, the outer ring stops, and the inner is driven by the ground via the wheel, and the click-click-click is the noise of the pawls tapping around the recesses.
In your case it sounds like the pawls are not fully engaging, and leg-power is enough to unseat them.   Your options are

Bounce the bike hard, or tap the axle with something solid like a rock or hammer - very temporary fix that may help you get home again.
De-grease the inside of the mech by liberally soaking with degreaser.  Sometimes the valleys can be gummed up by dried lubricant, and soaking it out helps.  This is horribly messy, and will contaminate any brakes so remove the wheel from the bike, and the rotor from the hub first.  Or you can remove the cassette and freehub or the freewheel from the rear wheel, with specialised tools.
Disassembly - I've never had much luck with disassembling either freewheels or freehubs.   There could be a hundred very small bearing balls inside there, and they never go back together right in my experience.
Replacement

A freewheel is cheap enough, just buy a new one with the same number of cogs and the same tooth counts.  You'll need a new chain too.
A cassette can be reused, but there are a lot more possible fitments for the freehub on the inside
Third option can be to fit up a used replacement wheel, of the same size from a donor bike.  A New wheel tends to be quite expensive, and is not economic.


If the locknut can't be tightened down without slipping, there will be no way to keep it tight.  Hopefully the fork threads are ok and not damaged otherwise you're looking at a new fork.  Also check to see that you're using at least 5 threads for the locknut - if the locknut is being tightened on only a couple of threads it's probably not going to hold and you'll have to either remove a spacer or use a lower profile top cup or get a longer fork.


It can sometimes be done, but usually you will run into problems.

Major problems:

Brake compatibility: Rim brakes do not reach the rim in its new position. Disc, drum and coaster brakes are not affected.
Pedal clearance: Pedals will now be closer to ground and will hit the ground if you are not careful when turning.

Minor problems:

Steering will be different because the geometry changes.
Gearing will be lower because smaller wheel circumference.
If you are doing this so that you can have wider tires, they do not necessarily fit into your frame.
If you are doing this to have a smaller bike, it does not work. You still have the same size frame, just closer to ground.


Cycle touring. First chain failure. Thoughts on cause?

Well, only really one proximate cause for this: chain was weakened through wear and fatigue (it looks a bit old), you applied enough force to break it.

Likely that there is no single event that broke or weakened the chain.

Chain failure happens. Think of it a a rite of passage.


That says 8SIS (i.e. 8 speed Shimano Index System), a thing Shimano used to mark some of their derailleurs with when the system was still new-ish.

It's a basic Alivio level part -- nothing special, on the mid to low range. You can replace it with any 7-9 speed Shimano derailleur.


What is the difference between Shimano BB71 and BB72 bottom brackets?

From the very amazon.co.uk page you quoted:

  Hi, what is the difference between these 2 bottom brackets.i have a sm-bb7141 bottom bracket on my giant tcr composite 1 2013,not which 1 to buy

  Answer:
  The SMBB7241B comes with the 86mm sleeve interconnecting the bearing cups - this is suitable for BB86. The XT SMBB7141A has a 93mm sleeve suitable for MTB frames - I'm not entirely sure which standard this is.
  By Chris Gold on 13 February 2018

So, at least the width of the sleeve is different, and one is marketed for road bikes (hence the Ultegra branding), while another one is for MTB (hence the XT sticker).


Shifters compatible with: SG-3D55 (Shimano Nexus 3 speed - disk brake - internal gear hub)

User6527 is wrong there. You can not use derailleur shifters due to the different cable length that is pulled or pushed to shift to another gear. You can not use other brands' shifters either for the same reason.

The shifter you mention yourselve is available in black and silver, and both with and without integrated brake lever. There is also a 'cheaper' version: SL-3S41E.

I thought there was a retro alternative as well, but I can't find it. Not online, and even not at our bicycle parts wholesaler.


Installing New 2020 Rockshox Reverb C1 Dropper Post

Just had the same problem, tried some force but no good. Then tried the torx tool which came in the box, fit perfectly in.
Clamped the hose and unscrewed, the barbs are threaded into the hydraulic hose!


Moving tfrom Shimano 9- to Shimano 10- speed

You will need a 10-speed cassette, 10-speed rear derailleur, and 10-speed right side shifter and a 10-speed chain to work with the narrower spacing on the rear cassette. There tend to be some compatibility issues with 9-speed derailleurs run on a 10-speed drivetrain (some people seem to have luck using 9-speed shimano mountain derailleurs with 10-speed shifters, but YMMV).

Your 9-speed front chainrings should be fine.  Sheldon seems to agree on that point However, I wouldn't expect it to work on 8 or 7 speed chainrings, but it very well may.  I've upgraded my own 10-speed outer front chainring with a 9-speed one on a 10-speed Tiagra setup and haven't had any issues with it. There shouldn't be any issue with the left shifter, derailleur, or bottom bracket, those should be fine as well.

One other thing to consider is the brakes. 10-speed STI shifters may have a different lever pull ratio than the 9-speed levers, this may only apply to ultegra and dura ace though (please correct me If I'm wrong on this). So, you'll probably be OK if you're sticking with tiagra.  Otherwise, you may want to upgrade STI levers at the same time and possibly get brakes with a matching pull ratio.


What is the difference between a 700x28c and a 700x32c and a 700x..c and so on?

In short - the 700x25C is a French nomenclature for tire size meaning tire diameter of 700mm and tire width 25mm and C is the width of the rim (A is very narrow, D is wide). Thus the number between "x" and "C" is the tire width in mm.

For more information you can read a section on tire sizing on Sheldon Brown page.


I'd go for a longer bike rather than a short one.  This helps handling at speed and makes it easier to hold a line.   A shorter bike needs steering input all the time, whereas a longer / more relaxed geometry will track by itself, but will need more effort to turn.

A packbike is no use if you can't carry the things you need.  For some that might be as little as a water bottle and a credit card.  Other riders might want to pack along a kitchen sink and every possible convenience.  How you fit it all on the bike is a separate question, but rackmounting lugs in the frame will be easier than trying to fudge things.

You should look at handlebar positions too - long distance riders like to have many hand positions, so at least have barends on a flat bar, or have drops, or have trekking/butterfly bars.

Saddle comfort is important too - whatever works for you.

Mudguards/fenders, because not every day is good weather.

Lights, both DRLs for safety in the day and full-on lights for night riding.  At least two front and two rear.  If you can go one from a dynamo that will give battery-free riding.

Reflectors - they only work when a light is shining at you, but they're small and light and completely autonomous.  I use DOT tape and stick portions to parts of frame.  I also have clip-on wheel spoke reflectors to replace the yellow plastic block ones.  They're excellent.

Consider that your work commuter might be a different bike - the risk there is theft.  So a nice touring bike will vanish pretty quick if locked up outside.


Should unconventional colors be avoided for lighting?

A quick search, however, shows other colors available to purchase. Concerning "to be seen" bicycle lights, should they be avoided?

Yes, they should be avoided.

First, off-colors might not be legal in your area.

Second, and more importantly, no one will know what it is.  If a driver sees a flashing red taillight, or what looks like a normal white headlight, that driver is likely to identify you and your bicycle.  Something like a blue light is likely to evoke a, "Huh?  What's that?"  Which means most drivers won't treat you like a known entity - something they need to avoid.

And what do drivers (and cyclists, for that matter) do about things that don't evoke a familiar "must avoid" response?  You won't even register as being there.  Think about it - how many random items to you ride past all the time?  Do any of them really register at all?  Trees, mailboxes, plants, fence posts - they don't meet your brain's "must avoid" pattern, so you don't react to them at all.

You do not want to be cycling in the dark where you need lights so you're seen and safe, and then do any thing that makes it harder for others to identify you as a bicyclist.


How to evaluate different alloy types used for bicycle frames?

For all I know, between those two aluminium alloys there's no rule of thumb that could say: "this one makes stronger frame" (or lighter with the same strength, whichever way you look at it).

From a mechanical point of view 7005 is stronger, but also more brittle - and that needs to be taken into account when designing tubes and the whole frame.

So you can build relatively light and strong frames from both these alloys, without one allowing an ultimately supperior frame compared to the other (in terms of better strength, durability, lower mass etc).

The material of choice does boil down to price - in terms of what equipment a factory has at their disposal to machine the frames, since the two materials require different processes for heat treatment, aging etc, cost of material (alloy) and so on. Then it's up to the engineer to design the frame with the chosen material.

Design challenges are making frames as light with enough strength and resistance to impacts. Butted tubes, making them stronger where it's needed and lighter where the strength is not cruicial, distributing the loads along the tube length, away from critical areas is a way to do that. Exactly how much material and where has been perfected in the previous decades, didn't see much breakthrough lately, probably won't in the future as well. It's gotten as good as it gets, just copy/paste the design, and let the poorly paid Chinese people build it for you (Chinese factory equipment could dictate the alloy of choice, whether they work with 6061, or 7005).

Whichever material was chosen, the rest is up to marketing - to say that 7005 is stronger, or that 6061 is more elastic, or whatever.

What makes the difference is the quality of frame design and how well that is built (executed). The more time and money you spend on testing (with good engineers), the lighter can a frame be, still having enough strength (and durability). Though, like I've said, I see no breakthroughs in the past decade in these terms.

As a buyer, with marketing being put in front of engineering for the past decades, it's really hard to say which is better when choosing a frame, regardless of the material. On the plus side, metal frame designs (especially steel and aluminium ones) have been tried, tested and perfected, so you can hardly go wrong, especially if choosing a renowned manufacturer. Having said that, the cheaper, "no-name" frames, while being much heavier than needed, are often even stronger and more durable, they just "weigh a ton".

For welding aluminium frame - I don't think that you can expect to weld-repair an alu frame to be durable, without aging or heat treatment afterwards, whichever alloy was chosen, or at least adding a lot of extra weight. 7005 requres no heat treatment after welding, but I don't think that the cost of a durable weld repair is as good as it is for steel. Someone with more knowledge on repairing alu frams could probably answer that better.


I'm looking for an improvement in performance in aerodynamics, weight and reduced rolling resistance.

If this is what you want then you can pay for light hubs with high quality bearings that give you low rolling resistance.  The rest of rolling resistance is due to your choice of tire and tire pressure.  Be aware that the claims that weight on a wheel is more important than weight on the frame is based on an evaluation of weight at the perimeter of the wheel, not at the center so the weight savings of the hub may not be as critical as weight savings elsewhere in the wheel.

Aerodynamics-wise, low spoke count wheels are better.

  Fewer spokes means decreased stiffness and spoke life, while additional spoke
  counts can lead to higher power requirements, or overly stiff wheels which are punishing on rough roads.

Low spoke count wheels are not necessarily lighter though -- I believe most low spoke count wheels use heavier gauge spokes and nipples to compensate for the higher tension -- the bigger nipple spreads the force over a larger area of the rim to prevent light rims from buckling.

(Leaving the rest here so this answer is useful to other readers)

It depends what you're going to use the wheel for, but I'm answering assuming you want a reasonably light durable wheel that you can fix yourself if you have a breakdown, and that you don't have a van pacing you with spare wheels.

  What's the most important part of the wheel? Hub or rim? Or both?

Spokes.  A low spoke count wheel on a high quality rim and hubs is still a crap wheel.  Low spoke count wheels require each spoke to be that much more highly tensioned.  Low spoke count wheels are made by machines that push on the whole perimeter of the wheel as they tension the spokes.  No human can do that on the side of the road, so this means that if one spoke breaks, you have no real chance to retrue the wheel by tightening or loosening other spokes to compensate.

High spoke count wheels (36 spokes for example) may have slightly higher drag, but there's so many spokes, that you can actually use that little spoke wrench that comes with your multi-tool to do road-side repairs.

  How do you evaluate or compare different hubs?

Look at reviews.  You basically have to relace the wheel every time you go through a hub, so I prefer long-life over lighter-weight, buy YMMV.

Phil wood is my personal favorite, but again, probably not ideal for racing.

  How do you evaluate or compare different rims/spoke combinations?

Jobst Brandt's book "The Bicycle Wheel" explains spoke lacing patterns.

Major rim choices include

offset vs centered spoke holes.  You can get less dish (see below) sometimes by using offset spoke holes
depth of rims
thickness of material.  Thinner is lighter, but if you're going to do a lot of wet weather riding and you have rim-brakes, then grit gets into the brake pad which will wear down thinner rims more quickly than thicker rims.
material.  Some people actually sell Carbon Fiber rims but if you're using rim brakes then you want the rim to be made of a heat-conductive material so it sheds heat well.  Carbon fiber does not.
type of tire.  Clinchers vs tubular.  If you don't know what this means, then you're using clincher tires which have a metal (or kevlar) bead, a stiff wire that runs around the inner perimeter of the tire and presses it against the rim.

  Are there other factors I've missed?

Dish.  If you have a derailleur on one side of the wheel, you can't quite center the wheel over the hub so you have to use longer spokes on one side.  This means you can't get both sets of spokes up to the same tension you could if you didn't dish the wheel resulting in a slightly weaker wheel.


How do you evaluate a chamois (padding in shorts) before buying?

I have bought my last few shorts by direct experimentation at stores, and had the same doubts as yours.

Mostly, what has worked is: you dress the shorts, and stand right up with feet in the normal position. In this position, the shorts should not produce a "bulk" between the thighs. Shorts that produce the bulk tend to be too uncomfortable either while on the bike or while walking.

Also, raising each foot alternately while flexing the knees should not produce a rubbing sensation against the inner thighs, which would mean skin irritation.

I have noticed that the padding should not be flat, that is, it should have a saddle shape. That means you cannot easily fold the short to put it in a drawer, for example, and when you hold the shorts by the waist, the short keeps like "inflated".

At last, the overall compression of the fabric should feel "fine" and specifically the elastic bands around the waist and the thighs must feel "right": a gentle compression, not a tight one.

I think that's it, hope it helps!


Front derailleur won't spring back to lower gears

If you believe you have diagnosed the problem then a clean and a service should be all that is required. You don't have to remove the FD.

WD-40 will not displace mud effectively. I would:

use a hose with a decent amount of pressure to remove the gunk, wait for it to dry. (be careful not to spray around the bottom bracket)
apply WD-40 to any moving parts on the derailleur but focus on the pivot points to remove old lube.
once the WD-40 has evaporated apply some decent chain lube to the pivots.

If this doesn't fix the problem and the cable is moving freely the derailleur may be bent or the spring has lost the required tension.


My thinking is that it is a brazed on guide for dynamo hub wiring. A touring bike like the Devinci Caribou would likely have provisions for things like dynamo lighting (I think that it'd be more likey that this was the case than someone erroneously adding a disc brake cable guide on a non-disc fork.) Typical braze-ons look like this:

As you can see there are a few different types. Some look like brake housing guides while others are unmistakably for flexible wires from a hub generator. As per the question of whether dynamo hubs have wires on one side or the other, I searched through Peter White's endless information on dynamo lighting and learned that:

  If you have an older SON28 hub with a black painted center section, SONXS, SONXS100, SON20R or SONdelux it makes no difference which way you align the hub in the fork. And with the new SON hubs from 2012, you again have the freedom to place the hub in either orientation. The conectors can be on either side of the bike.

This is just for Schmidt dynamo hubs, but I'd imagine that there are examples elsewhere.


Using a much heavier rear tyre than in the front

There is no need to have equal tires on both wheels, except for aesthetics.

Just make sure that front tire has enough grip so you can remain in control.

As for getting pinch flats - make sure you mount tubes correctly and they are not trapped between tire and rim. Having high pressure should help you avoid pinches. More durable tire will help with punctures, not with pinch flats.

P.S. My own experience is limited to MTB XC marathons.


I assume you are using the derailleur bolt from the original with the new derailleur. Derailleur bolts are standard M10 x 1.0mm pitch, so that should be fine. The derailleur should rotate around that bolt, as long as it's not loose and does not have any play it's OK.

Without a chain installed the range of rotation will be quite wide, especially if the b-screw is wound out. After installing the chain, just adjust the derailleur properly and you should be OK.

Update:

Make sure the B-screw adjustment washer is in place. If it isn't the derailleur would move laterally on the bushing the bolt goes through.

BTW if you are a novice, there is plenty of bike wrenching instruction on the web. the Park Tool site and YouTube channel is a great resource.


There are 3 things to worry about and you've covered two.

Size, the wheel rim should match the current size.
Brake compatibility, if you have disc brakes you need a compatible hub, could be 6 bolt or centerlock. It has to be compatible with the rotor you will also purchase. If you have rim brakes you would purchase a rim brake compatible rim. (you can use a disc hub on a rim brake).
Axle compatibility, there are current at 4 main axle widths and lengths 9x100mm QR, 15x100mm thru axle QR, 20x110 thru axle and now 15x110 thru axle. You need to select the hub that is compatible with your fork. A 15x100mm wheel can work on a 9x100mm fork with the use of a shim.


How do I choose a replacement wheel rim?

First, you have to decide whether you want to replace the rim (the ring shaped outer part) or entire wheel. If the wheel is otherwise in good shape, swapping the rim is an easy task and a shop should charge less than for a full rebuild.

For wheel you have to match size, axle thickness, spacing and cassette and brake disk interface. Fortunately, for quick releases there is only one common axle and spacing standard. If you want to keep the discs, you will need hub with Centerlock rotor interface. For cassette interface, the common exceptions are 11-speed road, Campagnolo and Sram XD, and your bike doesn't have any of these. In practice this means you'll want a Shimano hub.

If you swap the rim, you'll need to match size, spoke count and ERD, the diameter at spoke holes. Rim width does not need to be exact match, but if you are using the same tires it shouldn't be changed much. A rim with different ERD requires new spokes and relacing the wheel from scratch.


Bike bag options for commuting to and from Airport

You could pair a Burly Travoy with a bike suitcase if you're willing to put up with a trailer while you're touring:

+

The bonus is that you get to use the bike suitcase to hold all your belongings in a nice, watertight compartment while on the road. The downside is that it looks wonky. I'm not sure if the Travoy is designed for hundreds of miles of touring. It's certainly heavier and more unwieldy than an axle-mounted trailer. And you'll likely get hit with extra baggage fees for the bike suitcase.

In any case the Travoy+bike-suitcase combo what some Bromptoneers and other folders do, albeit our bikes are much smaller and so it's actually workable since we don't pay extra fees for our bikes. Here's a youtube video of someone doing it with a Tern.

Alternately: there's nothing that stops you from doing this with another type of trailer (such as an axle-mount). Or that would stop you from designing your own bike suitcase with detachable wheels so that it turns into a trailer (or trailer into a bike suitcase):


Don't run the chain through the derailleur. The Shimano instructions would explicitly tell you to do that and the diagrams would also show it.

In general the chain does not have to be run through the derailleur when measuring length. See this Park Tool video. This is because the chain takes a fairly straight path through the derailleur cage when on the largest chainring/sprocket. It's recommended to do it this way to avoid getting whipped in the face with the chain.

The Shimano instructions say to add more links than the Park Tool video, but I'm sure that's to take account of Shimano's specific 1x12 drivetrain design.


Do not do that. Although the question you referenced is about carbon fiber, the answer mostly applies. Aluminium alloys used in bicycle frames are quite fragile. Drilling may easily start cracks that will then spread under stress. Even if it does not happen, you weaken the frame unpredictably. Not only the warranty is gone, but you just don't know if it will fail catastrophically or not. And professional metal defectoscopy is too expensive for bike frames. (Yes, expensive X-ray machines are not just for carbon fiber even if some say so).
It is easy to use the bottle-holder screw holes. Many pumps come with these brackets as already mentioned by @Renaud. If your frame does not come with bottle mount holes, you can use other solutions based on velcro straps or something similar.


When not in use, How should I store my tubeless tires?

From what I can gather, you should do a few things when storing tubless tires:

 Pump them up to riding pressure before storing.
 Check the tire pressure every couple weeks and keep them pumped up so the bead stays sealed.
 Spin the tires regularly to keep the sealant mobile.
 If the tire looses it's seal while being stored or the sealant dries out then you may want to clean the rim and tire bead and add an ounce or two of fresh sealant.


There are two types of Dunlop (or English) valves. I shall come back to these below. All valves have commonalities.

First of all, one has to overcome the pressure in the tire before air flows into it. Unlike the valves on a car, the valves on bicycles are check valves that are held close by a higher pressure on the inside. When you pump, you will sense that the pressure builds up in the pump, its hose, etc, until suddenly the valve opens and the air streaming in may be heard.

Any valve may also have dirt or other objects in side, check if your valves are clean. You can remove Dunlop valves and wash them in water with a small amount of dish-washing soap.

Old Type

The higher pressure in the tire pushes as rubber hose against a hole in the valves stem, sealing it. This type of valve is now uncommon in most of Europe, but may still be found on older bikes or, for instance, in China.

The rubber hose may degrade. This typically leads to the tire leaking. That it sticks to the hole is conceivable. Tire repair kits often have these little hoses included. In a pinch they allow for quite a lot of improvisation. Otherwise they ought to be replaced with the new type.

It is conceivable that the rubber hose is very tight and that you have to blow it up like a balloon first. However, that is just a wild guess. I have thrown these valves right away when I found one in an old bike.

New Type

A small rubber or metal ball inside a ferrule is pushed by the internal pressure up against the valves opening. A very common type of valve in parts of Europe. This type of valve is often called a Blitzventil in German speaking countries.

This valve is somewhat susceptible to dirt, and ought to be used with its cap only. Usually dirt will prevent proper seal such that the valve leaks a little. Oil, grease, or harsh detergents may foul valves with a small rubber ball. It is conceivable that it gets sticky and clings to the opening.

Some of these valves tend to become slightly harder to open when they were pumped to a high pressure before. In that case the rubber ball is wedge very hard against the valves opening, and it takes more force to push it inside. Since one has also to work against the pressure in the inner tube, it may be significantly harder to pump it up.

In my experience, this is not much of an obstacle it just takes one tough pump stroke, and its free. However, your valves might be worse in that regard. If cleaning doesn't help, consider replacing the valves with other Dunlop valves. They cost about 0.5 Euro a piece.


Can I use a 9sp chainring set on my MTB which has a 8 speed Shimano CS-HG70 Cassette

Ideally, you should stay with gearing designed for the number of gears on your bike. If you must use a different design, stay as close as possible to the original, and make sure you go to a larger number of gears, like the 9 speed you suggest.

If you do use a 9 speed chainring set, be prepared for your shifting to suffer to some degree. (How much depends on the exact brands and specifications of your original, and the new set you pick. No, I don't have any way to tell you what to pick.)

It's also possible that you may occasionally drop your chain unpredictably. If it happens even once, then you need to find a good 8 speed set again.

This is the 9 speed compatibility chart from Shimano.

This is the 6/7/8 speed compatibility chart from Shimano.

As you can see, there are no cranks listed as duplicated on both charts. /There is also a note indicating sub par shifting if even some closely interchangeable parts are used.


Stainless steel bolts for brake calipers

The braking loads are unlikely to be enough to exceed the tensile strength of a 6 mm bolt – forgive my butchering of units here, but it would take something like 2,250 pounds of force to make a 6 mm bolt fail (75,000 psi tensile strength for type 18-8 or 316 stainless and about 0.03 square inches in the bolt works out to around 2,250 pounds of force). That's load at failure, but it seems like the limiting load on the brakes will be about the weight of the bike and rider. That means that even a big rider on a heavy touring bike isn't capable of much more than about 400 pounds of load. I found my data here.

So structurally, I think you're sound. You can have a pretty bike.


Name that frame! (Likely Japanese, likely made in 1986, with known serial number, likely a Bianchi)

I think i may have the answer to your question. I believe your bicycle is a Takara.  This is currently my girlfriends bike, and i have attached some photos.  The only things that do not match up are: 1) The front of the head-tube does does not have pointed lugs.


Do I need to put some grease on free hub or keep it dry?

It never hurts to put a very light (invisible) coating of grease on exposed bare metal surfaces.  But the grease should not be put on painted metal or on plastics.


What do I do if my bike won't pump with an air pump at all?

What kind of valve do you have?

If you have Presta valves then you need to unscrew that little knobbie thing on top until the knobbie is all the way unscrewed against the bump on the end of the shaft it rides on.

With either Presta or Schrader you can have a problem with the pump if you do not press the pump chuck all the way onto the valve.  Especially with Schrader there is a pin in the chuck that needs to depress a pin inside the valve to open it up.  And sometimes you need to adjust the chuck by screwing the collar on the business end of the chuck on or off a turn or two, so that the chuck will go on and seat tightly.

(When you're finished inflating a Presta valve, don't forget to turn the knobbie the other way, so that it helps hold the valve closed.  Don't wrench it tight, but just get it snug.)


Minimum tire pressure for 20 mph (32 kph) turn

The short answer

You say you usually keep them around 90psi.

I think it's a key point that you don't say that you checked them and they were definitely at 90 psi (6 atm).

Cornering at speed is always dangerous. You need your tires to be hard so that they do not deform, and you need proper technique. Your tires need to be at least 90 psi.

Regarding technique ...

At speed you must lean with the bike. You lean the bike to make it corner, rather than steer it. At these speeds your weight should be evenly distributed between handlebars and pedals: no weight on your seat.

You should look through the corner, so that you know what you're doing next, and to keep a calm, neutral position on the bike.

Approach new corners with care. It's not a race. On a public road a crash can cost your life.

But to answer your question - my tires are at 8 atm right now - 120 psi.

The long answer

There are four key components of cornering: your speed, your technique, and the tires and their grip on the surface (and that's omitting others, such as frame geometry). Unfortunately, misinformation on each are common. So don't take everything you read on these topics as Gospel (or Torah, or Koran, or Whatever-floats-your-boat). Evaluate each source, including this one.

Each of the four components interact with the other, so any discussion of them quickly gets complicated. This is part of the reason for the plethora of misinformation.

But first we need to be clear about how a bicycle actually works.

Balance

When you learned to ride a bike, you learned how to keep the wheels under you. As the bike and you lean to one side, you steer in that direction to get the point where your wheels contact the road under your center of gravity. It's easier to keep your balance as you ride faster, because the bike responds to your steering movements faster. You can see evidence of this when two riders go through a wet patch and onto a dry road. The faster rider leaves a very straight trail. It does wiggle, as the rider adjusts to small deviations, but not much. The slower rider leaves a wriggly trail, as the bike slowly swoops from side to side.

Speed and Technique

Speed and cornering technique go hand in hand. As you gradually increase your cornering speed, your cornering technique gradually changes.

Let's start by assuming the surface is clean, dry bitumen, and that the corner is open, such as riding in an empty supermarket carpark. You can choose how sharply to turn, you can see all the way through the corner, and you know where you'll go after the corner.

Your speed and previous experience with the grip of your tires on this surface determines your cornering technique. Accordingly you may brake hard as you approach the corner, brake gently, or not at all.

Let's start with a low speed corner, where you don't need to brake. As a kid, you learned the technique for these corners - it's called counter steering, where you turn a little away from the corner in order to move your weight slightly to the inside. When your weight is to one side of where the tires contact the road, you have to turn in that direction to keep your balance. When you get to the end of the corner, you actually turn a little harder to get the wheels under you again, so that you can ride straight.

As you increase your speed, the movement you make to initiate the turn doesn't need to be as great. You can just lean into the turn. This is where some of the misinformation appears. In order to lean, you do counter-steer slightly. It's natural, once you've learned to ride a bike. But many talk of counter-steering as though it's some special technique that should be consciously applied. When we counter-steer, we deviate from a straight path. Anyone near us is now at risk - if you are riding in a group you can cause a crash this way. The term counter-steering actually comes from motoring, where the vehicle has so much power that it corners in a controlled power-slide. On a bicycle we don't have that much power. So ignore advice to counter-steer. You're already doing it. Try to do it less.

So, as you increase your speed, you need to lean more to balance the centrifugal force as you turn. As you lean the bike (and ever so slightly steer), the geometry of your bike changes the angle at which your tires meet the road. The grip of your tires on the surface produces the centripetal force that pushes you around the corner. More on this in the Grip section below.

Once you are going fast enough to be noticeably leaning as you corner, your need for more techniques appears. You will have rapidly learned that if you have the inside pedal down then it can hit the road, called pedal strike. In the worst case, this can lift one or both wheels off the road. Of course, your wheels don't have much grip in the air, and so the common result is a fall. So many go to the other extreme, and say you should have your outside pedal down. This is how you see the pro's do it. It looks good. Stylish. But they are (mostly) highly skilled riders, with bike control skills most of us can only dream of. For mere mortals, I suggest we get off the seat for high speed corners, to distribute our weight evenly between the wheels, and to feel and possibly react to what the bike is doing.

The other basic fast cornering technique is to look through the corner. Which just to means look where you're going next, instead of the nice person on the footpath, or the road in front of your wheels. The only time to look down at the road is to avoid an obstacle. The point is that you'll go where you look.

So that's basic speed and technique. If you think they are controversial, poorly understood, or with conflicting advice, take a look at ... Grip.

Grip

Grip. Rolling resistance. Tire pressure. Contact area. Gravel. Water.

These term all get mixed together when we talk about grip. So again, lets start simple.

On a bicycle, we have one main kind of grip. It's called static friction, because as your tires roll, at the point where your tire meets the road, it's not moving relative to the road.

On a dry, clean road, the amount of static friction you get depends on one thing - the force (or weight) you apply. So contact area does not alter your grip. This is, to put it mildly, counter-intuitive.

Static friction is important because it's always greater than the alternative - dynamic or kinetic friction. This difference means that once you start sliding, you're gone. Unless you have some amazing skills.

So how do you maximize your static friction? By keeping your tires firmly in contact with the road surface. And that means tire pressure (and also even weight mentioned above). Your tires need to have enough internal pressure to resist deforming under the forces of cornering. If they deform, then they lose that firm contact. They lose grip. And then you're gone.

But why do we all use lower pressure when it's wet? And why do cars and trucks have wide tires?

When our tires slide we observe dynamic or kinetic friction. We all know that this increases as a function of area, but good online sources are hard to identify. Tires with a larger contact patch grip more when sliding because the edges of treads and rough road surface features interlock as the tire moves over them, and the rubber surface squeezes around the road roughness. But this grip is always lower than static friction. We lower our tire pressure when it's wet to increase our kinetic friction. If don't lower the pressure too much we will still retain decent static grip. Since we'll ride a bit more cautiously in the wet, the trade is worthwhile.

So that explains why cars have wide tires. What about trucks? Trucks have wide tires to spread the load on the road surface. The road surface can only support a certain level of pressure before it deforms. In maximum road load per axle you can see that many jurisdictions limit the maximum wheel load to 650 or 700 lb per inch of tire width. So trucks have wide tires to avoid ruining the roads.

And finally, as Daniel points out, there is a limit to grip. Oil, water, dirt, and sand all reduce your grip. If you don't have enough grip for the turn you're attempting the result is a fall. Sometimes a rider can stay upright when the wheels are sliding, but it's more a matter of luck than skill.

Conclusion

Pump your tires up to near the maximum pressure written on the side wall.


(How) should I wax my cassette along with my chains?

The point of waxing is not to rustproof but to lubricate the chain's internals where they articulate. The rest of the wax flakes off quickly. So this wouldn't have the desired effect.


My stem keeps moving side to side even thought I tighten it

Is it possible you tightened the pinch bolts before tightening the bolt that runs vertically and holds the top cap down?  If you do that, the entire assembly won't be fixed tightly on the vertical and will allow side-to-side play.  I did that once and the symptoms were exactly as you describe.  To check this, loosen the pinch bolts and the bolt in the top cap.  Now tighten the top cap bolt first, then the pinch bolts.
Be very carefully while tightening the top cap. If tightened to much, it can overload and ruin the headset bearings.

Here's an image from Sheldon's site showing the bolts I mean:


San Marco Concor -- is there a "pocket" in non-cutout version?

The REGALe Carbon FX information page has an "i" button, that when clicked, loads a list of features. This includes "COREZONE", which is the feature referred to in the review you linked to.

On the Concor Carbon FX information page, I clicked on the "i" button but did not see "COREZONE" listed for any of them. If the feature isn't specifically listed, I think it's safe to assume that the relief zone is not there.

I checked a few different Concor models and didn't see "COREZONE" listed for any of them, but I didn't go through the entire list. If you're interested in a specific model, click the "i" button on its specific page to see if it's included.


Which freewheel remover tool to use on vintage Columbia bike?

Take it to your favorite IBD- they can explain and illustrate much better. They might even show you how to do a destructive freewheel removal! Since bikes age in "dog years", and the correct tool to remove it (thick -boss Shimano) hasn't been made since the '90's), your shop may not have the correct tool unless they have been around for a while. IBD freewheel removal should be about $5 or so plus freewheel, if you bring just the wheel.


No. Although they appear to fit together, they're slightly different. I made this mistake once (except the other way round - shimano chainset in FSA BB) and knackered the BB very quickly. FSA BBs are pretty cheap and easy to get hold of though.


Max weight of child, for rear bike seats - why is it always (seemingly) 22kg?

While Criggie's answer explains the reasoning behind the limit, the reason why the official limit is almost always exactly 22kg is simple: that's the standard.

The 22kg limit comes from the European standard EN 14344:2004:

  This document specifies requirements for child seats for cycles, which
  are intended to be mounted on pedal cycles and electrically power
  assisted bicycles, in order to transport children with a weight from 9
  kg up to 22 kg (approximately 9 months up to 5 years) and who are
  capable of sitting unaided. NOTE Some European countries have special
  legislation for child seats for cycles. Compliance with this document
  may not meet this legislation.

So that's why it's always 22kg, and not 23kg or "approximately 22kg".


What are the reasons for using a cradle with a handlebar mounted drybag?

Having now toured for two weeks using a dry bag strapped directly to my own handlebars, I can now sort of answer this question. I still haven't toured with a cradle, so I can't give a full side-by side comparison, but I can say that I spent two weeks riding without one and I didn't particularly miss having a crade. All of the comments by u02sgb in their answer seem potentially valid – I can imagine maybe it being more stable or easier to attach (edit: mostly easier to attach, stability was fine) – but those seem more nice-to-have than a must-have.

The main reason I can think of where it might become more of a must-have is if you were going to be on a multi-month tour, you might want one to prevent bag wear; I noticed some wear to my drybag where the straps went. Not a lot, the bag is far from worn out after two weeks, but it probably would wear out faster than a drybag would ordinarily. One could probably also mitigate that by getting a drybag that has reinforced tiedown points, or some other scheme to protect the bag from the strap (a wider strap, or a strap through a bit of used firehose perhaps).


Is my disc brake caliper correctly mounted on the frame?

The frame design dictates caliper placement. In your case the mount is between the seat and chain stays. You are correct that the more common method is to run the brake cable along the top tube and down the seat stay. This allows for fewer and less sharp bends in the cable. Running the cable along the toptube and down the seatpost to the chainstay will incorporate two severe bends in the cable. An alternative to this is to run the cable along the front down tube over the bottom bracket along the chain stay. The cable length will be longer than the original but it will minimize the number of bends. You will most likely have to purchase some additional cable stops/brackets for the downtube and the chainstay


Guidelines for building tape delimited MTB courses

Yes. Have a look at UCI's MTB rules at http://www.uci.ch/mm/Document/News/Rulesandregulation/16/72/76/MTBReglementsENG_English.pdf

Look for "course marking".


Can a BBright bottom bracket that now houses a 24 mm spindle be changed to 30 mm?

As you found in your research, BBRight is based off of the BB30 standard, differing only in the placement of the bearings relative to the centerline of the frame.  Shimano has never really supported BB30 or any of the related BB standards, instead steadfastly maintaining compatibility with their own Hollowtech II (24mm) standard.  This means that any frame manufacturer wishing to use a full genuine Shimano drivetrain, including crankset, has had to either continue to build frames with the Hollowtech II shell specs or to include adapters from whatever standard they chose.  In Cervelo's case, they elected to continue to use a BBRight shell (which is not coincidentally their proprietary standard) and develop an in-house bottom bracket that acts as its own de-facto 30-24mm adapter.

So what does this mean for you?  It means that you can run the crank you want if you replace the bottom bracket with an original BBRight one, which is pretty cheap to do.  A cursory google appears to indicate to me that these now carry the designation BBRight 30x90 to differentiate them from the Shimano-compatible 24x90 version.  Other, non-Cervelo BB30 bottom brackets also may include the necessary spacers to work with BBRight (again, the only difference between the two is the bearing locations), but you'd have to do your research before ordering to be sure.


Shifters now that they are unavailable what can I use?

You do not need replacement combined shifter and brake units. Those were popular at one time but separate units are the norm now.

So you have two separate issues: Finding compatible brake levers and finding compatible shifters.

As other have said you need V-brake compatible levers for mechanical disc brakes. This should give you a wide choice and the ability to find 4-finger levers.

Literally any Shimano 3x8 shifters will work with your existing derailleurs. The expected sprocket spacing and derailleur actuation ratio (ratio of length of cage pulled to lateral movement of the cage) has remained constant for Shimano MTB drivetrains at 9 rear speeds or less. It would be nice to upgrade from the EF51 shifters but Unfortunately Shimano now only makes 3x8 shifters for their lowest level groupsets, but searching on Ebay might net you some earlier but higher level items.


What use does a Heart Rate Monitor have if you have a Powermeter?

You can tell when you are knackered.

Power indicates your actual output.  With a baseline of previous power and HR data, you can establish a model for what you should be able to do.  When your numbers start to fall way outside your model/baseline (you normally produce 250W at 80% of your max heartrate, but now you are only producing 200W at 85% or 90% of your max heart rate) it might be time to do something about it (check hydration, calories or just end training for the day).  Additionally in off training times your resting heart rate can be looked at as an indicator for how well recovered you are.

Power output is a finite number that is extremely useful because comparisons can be made directly across riders.  However, your own stats bio metrics are more useful to you as an individual because they can help guide your training and prevent you from overtraining, help show your individual improvement, and let you know when you are recovered and can accept an increased training load.


There are a number of criteria when selecting a front derailleur. The number of gears must match. You need an 8 speed triple with a clamp diameter to match your frame. This is assuming that your derailleur clamps to the seat post. This is where things can get complicated. Some clamps come with an adapter to fit more than one size seat post. The next option is a high or low mount clamp. This is determined by the location of the clamp in relation to the actual part that does the derailing. Another criteria is top pull or bottom cable pull. This is another area where they make units that will work either way depending on how the cable is routed. I have access to an 24 speed Absolute DX. It has a 31.8mm/high mount clamp and uses a bottom pull design.


The problem going x1 from x2 is the chain line can end up being wrong. Its easier with an x3, you just use the middle position and can often get away with using the standard chain ring. With a 2x conversion you use spacers to get the chain ring into the correct position Refer Here, which usually required longer chain ring bolts than standard on a 2x.

The M786 has a derailleur is less than ideal for going to 1x unless you plan to stick to an 11-36 cassette. Although many run it with 40 or 42 tooth cassettes, its max tooth size specification is 36 teeth. You can use third party adapters to increase its useful maximum tooth size at a cost. If you already need a new cassette and derailleur to go 1x, the extra cost of a shifter and chain means going 11 speed will give a much better system for only a little extra cost.


Kool Stop Composite Continental pads are designed for use with composite wheels. They are available in different colors to match the wheel. Many BMX riders complain of streaking on the brake surface. I would carefully clean any residue off the braking surface. Failure to do so will likely result in uneven braking. If these pads are unavailable check for BMX "mag" wheel pads or pads for composite wheels.


To give a brand neutral answer: all the big light brands have at least some o-ring mounting styles now, but some of them still offer clip-in brackets as optional parts for the same lights. And there are still some around that come with that type, but it's the kind of brand-specific thing that changes a lot and so is off-topic here. So short answer, find lights you like or already have, and look at the spare parts options offered for them.


I personally think that it's a little subjective how often one would strip down a setup. I believe it really depends on riding styles, type & range of equipment and also sometimes events.

Riding Styles

I personally do freeride and XC. My FR (mostly street) setup receives more attention due to the abuse I put it through (I am heavy!) - though, I don't usually strip it down that much as compared to the XC. The XC has been through all kinds of mud, dirt and sand so naturally some of them get into areas where the sun don't shine (:)). I strip the XC down probably every quarterly but there are quarters that don't see much action where I didn't (eg really rainy seasons with no chance of heading for the trails).

Type & Range of equipment

Higher quality equipment usually would require less maintenance but that holds true only on some parts. Most modern rotational parts comes with sealed bearings so trying to clean those up for performance are pretty much futile (easier to just buy and fit a new one- like bottom brackets).

Events

You would almost always want to strip down and give a full service to your ride when you are nearing a race where it's critical that it performs flawlessly. Though do remember to do it a few days before so that you have a chance to readjust the fit/feel of your bike to you OR to change out parts that were found to have been damaged, worn out or need replacing (hangs on how much cash you have, parts availability and the like).


This sounds like a really bad idea. Training wheels limit your ability to lean into a turn. If you're going fast enough to balance without the training wheels, you're going fast enough that you need to turn by leaning.

So you would need training wheels that retract when you get above ~5 mph, and deploy below that speed. Apparently something like this does exist for motorcycles, but I've never heard of anything like it for bicycles.

The alternative would be to ride a trike.


What is this rubber ring around the top tube for

It protects the frame from the handlebars. The handlebars, unrestricted by brake or derailleur cables, can rotate freely to the point that they can smack into the top tube. This is particularly easy to do when carrying the bike.


What is the easiest and quickest way to pump up a tyre?

If you're at home, use a floor pump. They are very easy to use and have a gauge so you can measure the pressure.

When you're on the road, the quickest and easiest way to get you back on the road is to use CO2 cannisters. They are not that cheap though and the CO2 will leak out of the tube faster than air (mostly N2), requiring topping up over the next few days.

More information is available on Wikipedia


Bottom bracket lock ring loose - how should I tighten it

Loosen the lock ring, then tighten the bottom bracket cup until the play goes away and the crank moves smoothly. Then hold the bottom bracket cup in place and tighten the lock ring.

There are special spanners you can buy for this or you can use an adjustable spanner to move the bottom bracket cup and a screwdriver tapped gently with a hammer to tighten the lock ring. You may have to improvise further with your choice of tools. You may also need an assistant.

A newbie mechanic should have no problems doing this. If you don't try you won't learn.


Bicycle Headlights for Commuting. Can't Decide

You should look into the german brand Busch & Muller, https://www.bumm.de/en/. I bought a headlight from them last year and it has been perfect for my commutes through unlit bike paths.

In Germany there are regulations that states that a bike headlight must not blind oncomming vehicles, so B&M has developed a some very nice lenses/optics for their headlights that prevents that, and at the same time makes the beam very even on the road before you, making them particularly good when you need to not just be seen by others but also light up the road to be able to see it.

The model I have is the Ixon Core that runs on a battery rechargeable by USB. the mounting hardware is solid, the battery life is good, and the build quality is as good as it gets - and rain proof too.

If you live in the USA, I think Peter White Cycles imports and sells them, but if you're in Europe, I guess most german online bike shop will stock them (I got mine from Bike24.com).


Strangely enough, everything seems to say that 11 speed plays nicely together - chain widths, etc.

The crankset area (since you're running a 1x11) is effectively independent of the stuff going on in the rear (where the CX-1 groupset has a rear derailleur, shifter, cassette, etc.). So, you shouldn't have to change to a SRAM CX-1 crankset (unless you wanted to make everything match for some reason).