Does exercising solely through cycling cause injuries?

First, of course, we must exclude accidents, collisions, and component failures -- these obviously can result in injury.

Beyond that, in almost any physical activity it's possible to apply so much force to a muscle that you produce a muscle or tendon pull.  In cycling this would be, eg, when you're climbing in too high a gear and exert enormous force on the pedals, sufficient to cause an injury to your leg, arm, or back.  This would be more likely in a person who has gained strength in some other activity and only recently begun cycling intensely, however, such that their muscle and tendon strength was imbalanced for cycling -- unlikely to occur in a regular cyclist.

That leaves the knees.  While most cyclists never have serious knee problems, a substantial fraction do.  This would be due to any or all of three problems:

Poor knee "geometry", either as an inborn trait or due to some prior injury.
Cycling with the seat too low and/or in too high of a gear.
"Imbalance" in the muscles supporting the knee, due to lack of "training" of some of those muscles, while others are being strengthened.

Knee problems can be avoided/controlled by assuring that the seat is at proper height (and that the bike is otherwise properly fit), using a gear appropriate to the conditions and your degree of training/tolerance, and doing knee-strengthening exercises.  It is imperative that one not try to "work through" significant knee pain, but instead address it, correcting the problems leading to it.

The most common form of knee pain is "patellofemeral pain syndrome", a condition where the kneecap gets "off-center" relative to the thigh bone.

Finally, it should also be mentioned that there are about a dozen inherited "minor metabolic disorders" -- myoadenylate deaminase deficiency, McArdle's disease, CPTII, and others -- that maybe 3% of the population carries.  If a person has been exercising regularly for some time they would already have become aware of these, but if someone begins a program of fairly vigorous exercise for the first time in their life (cycling or othewise) they may encounter muscle pain/soreness that lasts beyond a few days, severe muscle cramps, or other such conditions.  If these symptoms continue for more than a week or two they should consult a physician (oddly, the doc to see is a neurologist).  In many cases it will be possible to continue reasonably vigorous exercise, if the condition is properly treated and accommodated.


How to pick a replacement rear wheel for GT Grade Alloy 105

Specific product recommendations are off-topic here but we can provide some guidance that will help you choose an appropriate wheel.

You can replace both front and rear wheels without having to replace any other components. For the rear you have to move the sprocket cassette to the new wheel. This requires a special tool but is straightforward. Disc rotors must to moved to both front and rear wheels of course, and front and rear calipers will also need re-aligning.

You have to know what the specifications are so you can select a compatible replacement wheel. The fixed things are:

Rim diameter - 700c / ISO 622
Hub width - 135mm rear, 100mm front in your case
Quick release or through-axle - quick release rear , 15mm through axle front in your case
Rotor attachment - 6 bolt.
Number of speeds - Some 11 speed systems require a slightly wider freewheel body, I'm not sure if Shimano road 11 speed does. Hopefully someone else can fill in this detail. In any case you want a hub compatible with Shimano 105 11 speed.

You get to chose the spoke count, rim width (to support the tire width you want to run), rim profile and tubed vs tubeless.

You should consider a higher spoke count with 3 cross build for higher strength than the original wheel. The GT page you referenced says the rear is 32 spoke.  I'd say you want a minimum of 32, consider 36. When it comes time to replace the front I’d go for more spokes there too.

According to the GT page referenced the rim width is 22mm, good for 28mm and wider tires. If you are happy with the original 28mm tires or want slightly wider I’d stick with 22mm rims.

The big benefit of tubeless is the ability to run low pressure and not risk pinch-flats. You can look up pros and cons and see if you want to go that way.

Addressing buying options - if you don't know much about wheels don't buy individual parts and have wheels built. There is a bewildering array of rims hubs and spokes. You can either:

Buy a pre-built wheel of a known quality brand such as Mavic or DT Swiss.
Use an online custom wheel site such as wheelbuilder.com. Pick from one of their hub-rim-spokes options. You can contact them and see what they recommend.
Work with your local bike shop, they will be able to recommend some specific options also.

If looking at pre-build brand wheel, look for 'gravel', cyclocross (CX) or perhaps 29" MTB wheels (29" is same as 700c) as these will be built for more strength (at the expense of weight).

Note that many wheels and hubs are now built for through-axles but come with quick release adapters.


The unsprung weight thing is a myth for the most part.  Cast aluminum and magnesium lowers are extremely light, for example, old marzocchi 66 ones were only 3/4 of a pound, total weight.  It's not as if the stanchions, dropouts, lower-internals and anything other parts are weightless on an inverted fork, then you have to compare the weight difference with the unsprung weight of the fork, axle, brake rotor, caliper, rim, tire, spokes, etc.  In the end, it ends up being significantly less than a 10% difference and a tire-change would have a much bigger effect.

The lubrication is about the only valid benefit, as you get better lubrication with an inverted semi or open-bath design.  The tradeoff is if the seal fails, the fork drenches your brake in oil, which would leave you without a front brake.

Fore-aft stiffness is better as the fork progresses through travel, but here's the big issue with this, to make an inverted fork, even a dual crown version, as torsionally stiff as a non-inverted fork, it needs a lot of reinforcement.  To date, no one has really accomplished this and even less-so with the single-crown versions, which have no 2nd crown to help out with the twisting forces.  So, the inverted designs end up weighing more, and with your non-inverted design, you could simply use bigger stanchions, as Fox has done with forks like the 40, and go right back to having as good or better fore-aft stiffness.  Other modern additions like 1.5 steerer tubes have also boosted fore-aft stiffness significantly.  So for motorcycles, which don't have a brake-arch on inverted OR non-inverted designs (we'll get to that), where casing the jump at 60mph is a real concern, a big heavy inverted fork is great, but it's not apples to apples with mtbs and with the forks always ending up heavier, you can simply use bigger stanchions on a non-inverted mtb fork.

When the travel gets long enough, you do have to go to an inverted design to get the proper bushing overlap, so more than 8" or so, it usually makes sense to go inverted to avoid crazy extended lowers that extend below the dropouts.  This is one big reason why modern MX bikes use inverted designs.

Other reasons it's not apples to apples for say road-going motorcycles is that something like a sport-bike will have around 3" of travel and huge stanchions and bushing overlap.  It'd be like running a dual crown mtb inverted DH fork with only 2" or 1" of travel, which would be easier to manage in terms of making it stiffer.  Another big reason it's not the same thing is that the off-road and on-road motorcycles rely on the huge beefy crowns and material in the uppers between the crowns.  These forks will often have no steerer of any kind, only a rod that is used to preload the bearings, obviously mountain bikes are quite difference functionally in terms of design, so the crowns are significantly weaker and will allow a lot more torsional flex.

Inverted forks do look cool, but to make them anywhere near as stiff as conventional ones, it requires exotic engineering or exotic materials or a combination of both.  This means things like keyed stanchions, or carbon-fiber upper structures, etc., and in the end, if you spent that time and energy on a conventional fork, you'd still beat the intverted in terms of weight and rigidity.  I've owned many inverted forks, single and double crown.  The lack of torsional rigidity is real and in some cases pretty scary.  Better designs have minimized this, but there's little reason to actually seek out an inverted design, as there's no real benefit or advantage, except in some extremely limited situations (like you need a 10" travel fork for some reason).


Can a double loop cable stand up to cable cutters?

Short answer: no.

I've cut a 10mm stranded cable using normal straight-jaw wire cutters in under a minute. 4mm I expect I'd cut in one go, in whatever time it took to put the side-cutters onto the cable plus a second. The 10mm cable I cut with sidecutters because that's the tool I had handy, so I just nibbled a bit of the plastic cover away and then cut one strand at a time using the very tip of the jaws. It was mildly tedious, and the leverage was all wrong for the first few. Once I'd cut about a third of the strands I could work two or three uncut strands into the jaws a bit more and cut them more easily.

As you point out, a stranded cable is trivial to cut with the right tool, and even a very heavy one (more than half an inch thick) can be cut with hand tools in a couple of seconds. Small versions of those cutters look like any other pair of pliers and a good set will cut most bicycle cable locks in seconds. A heavier set looks like bolt cutters and are usually rated to 3/4" or 1" cables. Or you can buy battery powered versions of those for more money.

An armoured cable is harder to cut because there's steel segments surrounding it, and usually they're an inch or so in diameter specifically so you need a physically larger tool to cut them. But the segments can usually be crushed by a bolt-cutter style rope cutter and then the internal cable cut.

The other obvious answer is a disk grinder. They're loud and obvious, but these days battery powered grinders are cheap and readily available. And they're quick - under a minute, likely under 10 seconds for most cables.

Most bike thieves will have one or more of these tools available, and the trouble with the pocket-able plier shaped ones is that they're very easy to carry just in case.


Yep, it's the diameter. Most likey 160mm, but double check. You'll need to get the same size rotors as your old ones unless you get new adapters for your frame.


Technical documentation for Shimano FC-M510

That is an older style octalink crankset.  The documentation is available here for the octalink version and here for the square version.  As to what size BB you'll need that will depend on your frame.  There are several sizes of octlink BBs available depending on how your frame was manufactured.  If you don't have your old BB available with a legible size on hand, I would recommend taking the frame and cranks into a shop and having it measured so they can order you the correct size.


Converting hybrid to gravel bike, flat to drop bars and brifters?

Unfortunately, you will find out there are no drop-bar brifters (STI, brake levers + shifters integrated) for 8 (or 9) speed that support hydraulic brakes. The lowest by Shimano are Tiagra or GRX 10-speed, but they use different cable pull ratio for shifting.
Also, the Shimano MTB brakes are not officially supported even if likely to work in practice. But yours are actually Tektro so you must inquire in their manuals whether those are compatible with Shimano road levers.
Maybe some alternative company has some hydraulic 8/9 speed levers, but be careful about the compatibility with your brakes.
One option to solve it is to use mechanical brakes instead. The other is to buy higher-end brifters and a new drivetrain (costly).
There might also be some incompatibility in the gear ranges used by your front derailleur and front road levers - not sure what here, others may know.


Fitting Shimano cassette to an old mavic wheel

Campy and Shimano 9-speed cassette spacing are too different for the mismatch to work very well. Campy is 4.55mm cog-to-cog and Shimano is 4.35mm. It is true that it can be made to kinda sorta work, i.e. in the stand when things are clean and new, but it's finicky in real world conditions.

It seems like the Veloce 9 28t cassettes haven't been available for a while. Miche is making a Campy-compatible 9-speed 13-28 which is available though. Your simplest route by far, especially if the rear wheel is still good, is almost certainly to get that cassette and then if that isn't enough, switch to compact cranks in front.

The other path is get a new Shimano-compatible rear wheel, or build a new hub into your current rim if you really want, plus a Shimano 9 cassette that has individual cogs, and then conversion spacers for it that switch the spacing to Campy. These are the good way of doing this kind of hack. 9-speed ones have been available but I'm not sure if anyone is making them new anymore, but if not they can probably still be found.

You probably have a Campagnolo (as in made by Campy) hub now, and no replacement freehub will be available for it. At this point it's almost certainly the same deal if it happens to be a third-party Campy-compatible hub, although it is true that sometimes swapping freehub bodies on those with another type is technically possible.

(It sounds like you've got a wheelset with Mavic rims and someone else's hubs, as I don't believe there was ever an Open CD prefab set. This bike is also from before the days of named prefab sets. If I'm mistaken and the hubs are also Mavic, then there very well may be alternate freehubs out there for them, as Mavic road wheels have typically emphasized being fairly easy to switch.)


Does the size of a bike tire matter when going up and down hills?

I assume you're testing a tyre's width, not its total radius because that would change the rim size.
I'm also taking this as "how to design a tyre test " because otherwise you're asking for opinions, which would not be very Scientific, and would also be off-topic.
There's a lot of things to vary.  Good scientific tests try to fix all the variables except one, which may not be possible.
Assuming that adding weight makes a climb harder - that's easy to test by adding some non-functional weight, and timing it.
However testing if a wider tyre helps, will add weight as well, which we know from previous test will hinder the ride.  But how would you test if the wider tyre alone without the added weight is of benefit, or not.
To test "Is X better than more/less X"  will require you to isolate, or at least account for:

Weight, as already mentioned
rolling circumference  (A wider tyre has a subtle increase in the distance it rolls per revolution, which slightly changes the gearing)
tyre pressure (wider tyres have lower recommended pressures)
tyre rolling resistance (how much it deforms as you ride)
tyre grip
tyre wear
tyre construction (Ideally test a tyre that comes in multiple widths in the same model, and not test a commuter tyre against a race tyre)
road or off-road surface condition, dryness and grip and temperature
air pressure and temperature and humidity
wind speed and direction
rider' freshness, hydration, mood, enthusiasm, and total power output
aerodynamics of the rider and bike, and change.

So a well-designed experiment would see you testing one single change (tyre width)  with the same tube/bike/rider/course and to use a penalty weight in a fixed size container secured to the bike.
You might not think it significant,  but I changed from 47mm to 28mm tyres, which were 700g and 280g, so 800g saved between the two.
Also, you'd want to test a null case (where the grade is 0%)  as well as a range of uphill grades, and the same downhill grades.   Ideally you'd have a power meter to keep the rider's input power identical between test runs, and each run should be at least a minute long, with more adding to accuracy.   (though this depends on finding a consistent grade that is long enough)
Outstanding question:  Should you vary only one tyre, or do you change both?   When you finish your project, do please share the results here.


Which footwear is the safest for summer cycling?

When summer comes around, I love riding around in my Chaco sandals.  When using any non-cycling shoe on a bike, you'll want to have proper pedals with a good grippy platform, I particularly like the MKS Grip King.  The biggest danger is probably getting the tops of your feet sunburned.

I wouldn't recommend flip-flops or non-sport sandals, but sport sandals are perfectly fine on a bike.  If you want to get seriously dorky, you can even get SPD-cleat ready sandals from Shimano or Keen.


Bearings vs. bushings in rear derailleur jockey wheels - which should be more resistant to contamination?

I've replaced bushings with bearings in derailleurs I've had and noticed  improvement. I've had bushings get gunked up and bind or freeze, and have had bearings do the same, but over all when my derailleur is clean, there is less friction and the benefit is noticeable.

Derailleur pulleys, like all other parts of the drive train should be kept clean. I do most of my riding on trails, so gunk is an issue. I occasionally pop the cage off and wipe everything down, spritz with some citrus degreaser, and reassemble, about every fourth or fifth time I pull my chain off to clean it.

I think bushings are cheap and useless. It makes absolutely no sense why any company that manufactures bicycle components would sell me a drive train component with bushings rather than a sealed cartridge bearing.

This is a fun question. I've thought about this quite a bit. This one area that I base my understanding completely on my own experience.


What is the difference between brake cables and derailleur cables?

Cables:
The main difference that I am aware of is the diameter of the cable. Most brake cables are 1.5 or 1.6mm in diameter. Most shift cables are 1.1 or 1.2mm, galvanized shifter cables are 1.3mm.
I'm sure that there is a lot of science behind the difference but I'll leave that to someone else.
One major difference in MTB vs road BRAKE cable is the different sizes and styles of head: road cables have mushroom like ends where as MTB brake cables have barrel like ends.
Shifter cable ends are the same. Although nowadays many cables come with both ends, one on each end, and you can cut off the one you're not using.

There are two basic types of cables; brake and shifter.  Brake cables are thicker, typically 1.5/1.6mm in diameter.  Brake cables come with a choice of three different heads - one for mountain/flat bar brake levers, one for Shimano road/drop bar brake levers (compatible with most non-Shimano levers), and one for Campagnolo road/drop bar brake levers.  A Shimano cable head is slightly larger than a Campy head so it may not fit into a Campy road brake.

A.  Shimano Brake Cable
B.  Campagnolo Brake Cable
C.  MountainBrake Cable
D.  Shimano Shifter Cable
E.  Campagnolo Shifter Cable

Derailleur cables are thinner, 1.1/1.2mm in diameter.  There are two
heads available on derailleur cables - Shimano and Campagnolo.  A
Shimano cable head is slightly larger than a Campy head so it may not
fit into a Campy shifter.

From Bikeman
Housing:

Just like with cables, housing comes in two different types: brake and shifter.  From the outside they may look the same - but they are in fact very different.
Brake housing is built around a wire that coils down the length of the cable.  This structure gives the great strength needed for the power generated by the brake lever.

Shifter cables see different forces so the housing is built differently.  Shifter housing is built around many length-wise running cables that make the housing 'compressionless' which aids in the crisp feel of shifting - especially needed on today's 8/9/10/11 speed cassettes.

Shifter housing also comes in two different outside diameters, 4mm and 5mm.  New bikes and shifter sets typically come with 4mm housing.  Most 4mm housing will have plastic ferrules at the ends while 5mm housing uses metal ferrules.  Here at Bikeman we recommend using 5mm shift housing.
Other variations of housing include housing made from many aluminum segments, like Nokon housing.  On the positive side the aluminum housing is stiff, lightweight, and reusable.  On the negative side there is a lot more set up time, cost, and care must be taken to be sure that the frame is protected as aluminum housing will rub paint off where it contacts the frame.
Please Note: Due to their construction, brake housing should always be used with brakes and shifter housing should always be used with shifters.  Shifter housing could fail if used on a brake (not good when you want to stop), brake housing could make that shifter feel a little dead.


They're trying to sell you stuff. More expensive stuff (have you looked at 11 speed consumable (chain+cassette) prices vs 10 speed?).  I would not bother upgrading.

As groups go to higher and higher speeds, the older stuff gets pushed down to lower component levels. So today's 11 speed 105 group will be next year's (or likely a few years later) Tiagra group (with some minor modifications). They're generally completely compatible with the previous higher end stuff. The price might change a little bit higher or little bit lower, but it won't be bank breaking (in fact, I'd guess it will go lower, at least for a few years). And let me remind you that we still have an 8 speed road group, despite 8 speed being 20+ years past introduction (heck, 9 speed is nearly 20 years old and we still have a ton of parts on the market from shifters,cassettes and derailleurs; 10 speed is only a mere 12-ish years old; 7 speed stuff is still in abundance, though finding quality components has started the incentive to move 8 speed).

So, you should be good for quite a while sticking with the 10 speed stuff. Unless you need the shiniest fanciest stuff for some reason. Plus, if you do decide to go 11 speed for some reason later, it will be cheaper than doing it now.


Nearly. The diameter does need to match, but you also need to consider the materials -- metal needs grease, carbon fiber doesn't, so combining the materials in the frame and seatpost shouldn't be done.

Also, note that different seat posts have different levels of adjustability - saddle angle and position, height (which connects to minimum/maximum insertion distance) to name some, so your seatpost will need to be adjustable enough to get a good fit for you.

As for saddles fitting on the seat post, most saddles will work with most seatposts as the rail width on the saddles is essentially standard.

So, I'd say make sure your seat post is metal if your bike is metal, carbon fiber if your bike is carbon fiber. Then, pick something with the same diameter and enough adjustability so your bike can fit on it (for most people, even a basic seat post like the Bontrager SSR seat post will work fine, though for nice saddles like Brooks, you will want something with a bit more adjustability).


What would I gain by upgrading a norco vfr 2 hybrid bike group set to tiagra or 105 shimano group set

Things to Gain:

Higher quality groupset
Headache
Frustration
Thinner wallet

It is not really a good idea for this type of bike to consider trying to evolve itself into another type with the components your suggesting

Reasons:

The Norco VFR 2 Hybrid has the Norco 25mm Riser and handlebars which are not compatible with Tiagra or 105 shifters.
Tiagra and 105 are both STI (Shimano Total Integration), This means that they are not designed to fit this bike handlebar style and are designed for drop style handlebars
Trying to keep your original shifters will probably not work as the indexing will not mesh. Although there have been some reports of users getting lucky mismatching shifter and derailleur models, it is generally not a good idea and leads to frustration and ending up with brand new components you spent good money on that just don't work.
Brakes are another story. Trying to match your existing levers with tiagra or 105 calipers will most likely lead to more frustration as chances are, you will never get them adjusted perfectly to your liking and the original brakes may feel more natural and function better.
105 does not come in 9 speed so you will be limited to Tiagra.
You can not upgrade to a 10 speed group without changing out your rear hub which would mean a new wheel or wheel-set.
You mentioned 9/3 drivetrain. I imagine that means a triple front crank which is not compatible with tiagra or 105 and would require a crank replacement.


You are correct that the type of puncture you're getting is caused by the rim "pinching" the inner tube.

The root cause here is one of the following:

pressure too low (most likely)
You're not avoiding potholes carefully enough
Weight is too high for the tires/terrain.

This has nothing to do with fixies except perhaps that people on fixies tend to awkwardly power through obstacles without unloading enough weight at the right instant in time.

There is junk you can inject into your tubes, but that stuff is terrible and increases rotating weight. You don't need it. Also, this has nothing to do with tire quality. Your rim is pinching the inner tube, not something from the outside the tire.

Suggest you increase pressure on tires and avoid potholes. If that fails to work, try fatter tires. It is OK to go beyond the pressure specified on sidewall.


Looks identical to an early 90s MTB I ride.   That too was 3x5 for 15 gears total.
I found that 6/7/8 speed chain worked well enough with the 5 gear freewheel.
But after decades of wear, the moving parts were a bit sloppy so when an opportunity arose, I fitted a 9 speed cassette and freehub wheel, with 9 speed chain/shifter/derailleur and its going nicely.  The bike still uses the original triple chainring and shifter, so theres a 9 position deore right hand shifter under the bar, and a friction twist shifter over the left side of the bar.


The  cage length is what determines the rear dérailleur’s total capacity. The total capacity equates to how much slack chain the dérailleur can handle. Sheldon calculates it as

(number of teeth on largest rear sprocket - number of teeth on smallest rear sprocket)
+ (number of teeth on largest front chaining - number of teeth on smallest front chaining).

On my hybrid I have an 11 - 34 cassette on the back giving a difference of 23, and a 48-38-28 set of chainings on the front giving me a difference of 20. This means I need a rear dérailleur with a cage capable of dealing with a total capacity of 43.

Sheldon's page about dérailleur selection is here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailleur.html

There is also a capacity measurement given with dérailleurs which equates to the largest sprocket size it can cope with in terms of the number of teeth.


Been to the bike shop that sold me it and they confirmed the cosmetic damage only.


Bottom bracket and crank confusion for dirt jumper

A 'threaded' bottom bracket shell on modern frames means an ISO standard threaded shell aka 'BSA' or 'English'. Standard shell widths are 68mm, 73mm, 83mm or 100mm.
External threaded bottom brackets are usually used with 24mm diameter crank axles (Shimano Hollowtech or SRAM GXP), but 30mm axle cranks do exist - as you know because you found 30mm axle bottom brackets.
The crank you referenced has a 24mm axle so it won't work with any of the bottom brackets in the first set, however you correctly identified the bottom bracket it does need to fit in a threaded 73mm shell (RF-2925).
If you want a 30mm axle you need to identify the equivalent 30mm crank, the documentation should point you to the correct bottom bracket which should be RF-2881.


How tell if spokes too tight without tensionometer

Roger Musson's book "Professional Guide to Wheel Building" simply states that: "The best place to start when judging the correct tension is to examine a similar wheel you know to be good and reliable and compare the spoke tension to the one being built."

Musson does not use the sound of the spokes to determine their tension, only to find differences in tension between them.

Roger Musson's website does also have a good discussion about tensionmeters and their necessity when building wheels. http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/support/tensiometers/


I would suggest any site like Amazon, EBay, or craigslist even. I just skimmed through and Amazon, as well as EBay have a good assortment of seat posts in that size.

If you want an actual bike shop website, try using Wiggle. It is something of a surplus store, so they have a pretty decent selection at decent prices.

Your seat post size seems to be fairly common, so I don't think you should have any problems finding something that works for you.


Clothing: when should we wear what, are there any guidelines/conventions?

For the question you actually ask, about team riders, the answer is that its a personal thing.

Keep in mind, though, with a pro rider (any sponsored rider, in fact) that there may be contractual things which require/prevent them from wearing certain things. The range of kit available to them will depend on the depth of the sponsor's pockets.

Someone like Santini, for example, produce lots of different clothing products (they have a catalogue online) and so getting each and every product made up in team colours will be prohibitive for the smaller teams. (I suspect non-team clothing is not an option for the riders, and you do hear stories from way back about riders sewing their sponsor's labels into their preferred clothing, so as to "appear" compliant - a bit like footballers and their boots.)

As for the rest of us....the general rules are (a) to wear your layers many, thin and wicking, so as to prevent getting sweaty (and therefore damp); (b) not to allow yourself to overheat during the ride - in practise this can mean starting off cold and relying on the exercise to get you warmed up.

Those two are good for the dry. In the wet, bear in mind that the more waterproof you go, the less you will wick, so it is a sliding scale. My personal preference is to accept that you're going to get wet, but to concentrate on wearing clothing that will dry quickly once the rain stops. But this rule doesn't work very well though for e.g. winter socks (and shoes for that matter) - the combination of cold and wet is always difficult to overcome.


Installing an IGH in a Trek District SSB

Checked with Trek, and that is a 135mm spaced frame, so yes, that hub should work fine with it.  I would make sure of the interface for the belt drive "cog" on the rear wheel, make sure it will work with that hub.  Otherwise, that Alfine should be very good.  That shifter should work fine with that hub too.  Making that interface question the only issue I see other than building the wheel if that's your plan.  If you've never done it before, be aware it's a lot more involved than it appears.


Bent shift lever on Shimano Deore MTB shifter

It’s the bottom lever that is bent right?

You are just going to have to find some way to apply leverage to the thumb lever, I.e., bigger wrench or pliers.

An approximately 30cm length of metal or stout plastic tube that just slips over the shift lever is ideal.

Be aware that the aluminum lever is going to be weaker at the spot it was bent and bent back.


Is it possible to remove wheel without loosening the (V) brakes

Yeah. Use the quick release.

If you push the brake arms together, you should be able to pull the noodle out of the noodle holder (you may need to wiggle it a bit out). Then the arms will be wide enough to remove the wheel.

Alternatively, you can de-inflate the tire, remove it and then re-inflate it after re-installation.


Interoperability of hydraulic disc brakes and levers between model lines/manufacturers

You should have no issues with your proposed Shimano-Shimano setup. You may  confirm this using the Shimano technical documents si.shimano.com.


What's a safer alternative to a flag for marking special bikes?

Some local recumbent users have a different style flag on their bikes rather than the rectangle or the pennant.  I couldn't find a photo online, but the flag is about a 1~1.5 meters tall, and the poll runs up the whole length of it.  It is then about a half meter wide.  There is very little flapping around and nothing loose to blow in faces and get tangled up.  I came across them driving so I can say they make you visible.  I have seen businesses use them before for advertising signs in windy locations.

Here is a image from Wikipedia.  It is called a vertical flag on it, the type I'm describing is 3.  (image credit)


What is the measurement in inches of a XL frame?

It depends on the particular frame - XL doesn't mean a specific size. Also, even for frames labeled as the same size number (say 23" or something), thats only one measurement to summarize the size of the bike - there are many more which can make a bike fit or not - top tube length, stand over height, etc.

(Look at all of the quantities labeled on the figure, courtesy of Trek).

The two most important though are top tube length (E) and standover height (B?).


What is preferred lacing for PowerTap wheel build?

According to the FAQ on their website:

  Note: PowerTap hubs must be laced with a minimum 2 cross pattern to avoid damage to the hub and maintain the warranty."

That suggests that making the non-drive side radial could lead to warranty issues. Radial lacing does stress the flange more than tangential lacing so many hub manufacturers do not allow it. To work on a driven wheel it also needs a certain amount of torsional flexibility in the hub which large-flange solid hubs don't have (Rohloff, PowerTap for example).

I would go with a ye olde traditional 3x lacing, and lean more towards 2x and bladed spokes than other options if the rider wants to spend more money.


"Footprint" of the Park Tool PCS 9 stand

From the Park Tool support site, here:

  Base when open forms a triangle of 36” (92 cm) x  36” (92 cm)x 45”
  (115 cm)


determining make model and year of a BMX frame

No. Generally, you need to know the manufacturer at least and then see if theres some code for their serial numbers.


Replaced Shimano Bottom Bracket, now front derailleur won't shift to largest gear

Despite the the spindle length is 113, but as you observed, the offset is different - so the cranks are sitting in different positions. Not all Shimano BB are made symmetrical - and UN55 BC 1.37 x 24 113mm. means its a 1.37*24tpi thread, with a 113mm shaft - not mention on the offset of the shaft. Based on all this, evidence is that you have an imcompatable BB.

Presuming you have correctly refitted the crank (so it is seated properly) - What to do about it - best would be to go to a 110, or even 107 mm BB - this will move the crank to the centre of the bike and fix the problem, also providing better alignment.

Alternatively, are you certain the derailleur won't move out further. Best thing to do it unhook the cable outer from the frame (or shifter) so the cable is certainly free and not stopping the shifter moving to it's outer most position, and release the outer limit adjustment screw on the derailleur. If the derailuer then moves out far enough, you should be good to set up, as it's "just" adjustment of cable and limit stops. If not, you will need a different BB.

It is not possible to install the BB backwards - the right hand side has a left hand thread.......

Edit: In response to OPs comment.....
The problem is then to do with the BB getting to the correct chainline - MTB sets should be about 47.5-50mm. If you cannot find the correct sized BB, and a 110mm is too short for the left crank, you have two other options - try a different left crank, or (Perhaps for the really desperate only) I have seen this web article about grinding off the lip on the fixed right hand side, allowing you the thread it into the frame further, thereby to give the ability to adjust the chain line. (I would get a local engineering shop to use a lathe.....)


Are road bike saddles more comfortable in the drops?

It's not normal. Road bikes are designed for the hoods to be as comfortable/sustainable as possible.

If your rear is more comfortable when you're in the drops, you should probably try tilting your saddle back a bit.

However... consider the possibility that when you are in the drops:

The discomfort in wrists, neck and back are greater.
Like you said, you spend less time there.

These could reduce your awareness of saddle discomfort.

As with any saddle discomfort, you should pinpoint exactly where you feel pain, and make a change that reduces pressure there.


Is is safe to use WD40 as a matte paint protector for a carbon bike?

There's not really a generic answer as not all finishes will react the same way to a given chemical, especially over time with repeated application. WD-40 has a bunch of naptha, which generally speaking you want to keep away from paint you care about. It also leaves an oil coating behind that can attract dirt, which is ugly and potentially bad for the finish by itself.

Just use one of the many silicone cleaner/wax/protectant products. Silicone is good because its whole deal is it doesn't harm any finish type on bikes, regardless of specifics.


How do I prevent STI shifter cables from blocking access to my Randoneering Bag or Handlebar bag?

The best solution is probably to move to either a different shifter setup like newer shimano 105/ultegra or SRAM (with cable routing under the handlebars) or to a barend setup like most randos employ. I know this isn't your preferred solution, but it's probably the easiest and most effective. If you mess with the routing/length on your shift cables, you're going to start experiencing shift slipping and improper shifting.


You have an older type of stem that is used with a 'threaded steerer' fork.

In this system the fork is held on by the large nuts on top of the head tube, the stem is held in the steerer tube with a wedge that is tightened by the bolt on top. On newer, now much more common, 'threadless' steerer systems the fork is held on by the stem clamping the steerer tube.

If the fork is moving in the frame the headset bearing need adjusting. If the stem is moving it need to be tightened (I suspect the former as you say you have tightened the stem bolt already.)

Here are a couple of videos that deal with threaded steerer systems:

Adjust The Bike Headset On A Threaded Steerer

Adjust A Bike’s Handlebars Attached To A Threaded Steerer


Do tubeless tyres explode more easily than standard one?

TLDR - I have been commuting daily on tubeless tires now for about 3.5 yrs. In my 20 years of daily cycling experience, I have had a number of tubed tires spontaneously rupture due to heat, especially if a wheel set was left in the back of a car! I haven't had a tubeless tire explode yet using tubeless specific rims and tires.

Hypothesis: Previous damage
My best guess is that the tire was already  damaged (e.g., road debris causing a partial cut that could be re-sealed) and then the added heat could have caused it to rupture. A damaged tire casing can undergo rapid decompression regardless of whether you are running tubes or tubeless.  In the case of tubes, if the tire cords (the internal structure that actually counteracts the force from the pressurized air)  gets damaged the tube can escape out of the tire carcass and rupture as a result.  Similarly, in the case of a tubeless setup, if the tire gets damaged in such a way that it can no longer support the pressure, a the tire would rupture in a very similar way as a tubed tire.
What about the shop's claim?
Tubeless tires can also rupture if their is an unsuitable tubeless tire/rim combination. For example, in the early days tubeless specific rims were rare, so people often converted regular rims to a tubeless setup.  It can be done, but the tolerances are not as good, one problem is that the tire bead can climb over the rim hook if pressure is too high for the tire/rim combination (many wheels are slightly undersized (i.e., out of spec) for easy of tire mounting).
With a tubed tire this is less of an issue as the friction against the tube helps to prevent the bead from climbing, even if the rim is slightly out of spec.
Ad hoc tubeless setups were also less of an issue in mountain biking because mountain bikes run lower pressures. That said, tubeless is still a bit of a wild west when it comes to road tubeless. There unfortunately isn't a single standard and some wheel/rim combinations (even if specified as being tubeless) can fail under high pressures.  Further adding to the confusion people may also be experimenting with "road tubeless" with regular road rims which will be highly unsuitable due to the higher pressures typically used on road tires.
I suspect these issues may be what the shop was referring to, but it's hard to assess as we would need to directly speak to them.
That said, I don't think this was you issue.  In your description you also described the tire has having a gash, as such I suspect the tire failed due to damaged as was described above, not from a poor tire/rim combination.
As such, the shop's claim may be a bit of a red herring in terms of your described experience.
So are tubeless more dangerous?
I doubt it. Anecdotally, I have been commuting daily on road tubeless tires for about three years, including one tire that had a partial sidewall gash that resealed (descending too fast on very rocky gravel trail), and never had the tire explode like you describe. Furthermore, I have never had a flat tire in those three years.  I would suggest, that there is higher "risk" with tubed tires, as getting an unexpected flat can easily cause a crash.
In terms of your experience, if this was the result of tire damage, it was likely the culmination of a number of low probability events.  Partially damaged tire, that resealed, then increase pressure due to heat that didn't cause the sealant plug to fail, but initiated a structural tear in the tire due to the earlier damage. Because of the low probability of these events it is hard to assess how likely this type of event is by tire type.


How do you adjust the set-up of road bike brakes for women with small hands

If the problem is that the levers are too far out from the bars, that may be fixable. Some brake levers come with small rubber inserts that you can use to reduce the distance to the levers.


Rear wheel not centred, presses against one of the brake pads (Rohloff hub, Magura rim brakes)

I have a Rohloff hub with rim brakes (HS33, for the sake), with vertical dropouts, but I also have a single speed bike with horizontal dropouts.

I would suggest a procedure much like Daniel Hicks suggested, but in a different order, as to assure everything is fine. So, you should follow these steps:

Make sure the wheel is true AND symmetric. You can do it by finding out a bike with vertical dropouts, removing the tire from the wheel, and fitting the wheel with this second bike upside down. Measure the distance from rim wall to one of the sides of the frame. Then, you mount it in reverse (with sprocket pointing to the wrong side) to make sure that distance is the same. If not, the wheel is dished (should never happen with Rohloff), and you should use a spokes wrench to bring the rim to "center". Most probably, a bike shop is the recommended way to do it, but only if you think your bike shop's mechanic knows better than you (sometimes, they do not).
Assuming the wheel is symmetric, you should mount it in the frame WITH BRAKES REMOVED, in order to make the wheel centered relative to the frame. Since your dropouts are Rohloff OEM, you should:

Replace your missing bolt in the first place (always use a washer!!);
Loosen these bolts so that the dropouts slide freely;
Tighten the wheel's quick release while the axle is fully inserted into the dropouts ON BOTH SIDES;
With the chain engaged around the sprocket, slide the chain-side dropout fully backwards so the chain is properly tensioned, and tighten the two dropout bolts;
Move the rim sideways, near the brake posts, so that there is the same distance between rim wall and frame tubes on both sides;
Tighten the remaining two dropout bolts, on the other side;

Only then, install the brakes so that there is the same distance (the manual recommends 2 mm) between brake pad and rim. Maguras are a bit tricky to adjust, so again, if you're in doubt, ask a mechanic, but remember that some mechanics (depending on the place you live) don't "capture" the subtle essence of correct setup of Maguras.

The steps described seem complicated, but they are necessary to guarantee, in this order, that your wheel is true, centered on the frame, the chain "tension" is correct, and the brakes are setup properly.

Your bike setup is fairly complicated because of Rohloff OEM dropouts, but mostly, I think, because you use rim brakes with moving dropouts. It means that, for every chain's lifetime, each time you have to compensate for chain slack, you have to mess with four small-sized Allen bolts, AND hydraulic rim brake setup. The brake has to be adjusted in this case because, if the dropouts move back, the rim moves back and the previous brake setup is not valid anymore.

Hope all this helps, and good luck! And PLEASE, replace that missing bolt!!!


Derailleur indexing problem - doesn't change from 8 to 7 but skips form 3 to 1

Good description of the problem, I think you've done everything correctly so far and the issue you describe is normally a misaligned derailleur hanger. It doesn't take a lot of misalignment to cause this issue.

I don't understand how the shifter cable tension can be correct for the gears at one end of the range but incorrect for the other end of the range.

You're right, it normally shouldn't because the 8 speed shifter will pull exactly the right amount of cable for the derailleur - shimano 8 speed will always work with Shimano 8 speed. If the gears behave at one end of the cassette they should behave at the other end. Whenever I work on a bike and have this trouble I think 'derailleur hanger' and proceed to straighten it.
You straighten a derailleur hanger with a specific hanger alignment tool, which references the wheel rim itself. A difference of +5 mm at one side of the rim and -5 mm at the opposite side can give problems with shifting like you describe; for a diameter of 622 mm this is a very small bend of the hanger.
Normally this is a rare enough job to pop into the bike shop for a quick adjustment, not least because you will take even greater care not to bend the hanger in future. During a pandemic you can do your own cost/benefit.
As long as the limit screws are set properly, this problem is mostly a bit annoying rather than dangerous. You might find an indexing setting where it's a bit sluggish to go into an easier gear on a certain sprocket, but an extra half push of the lever encourages it all the way on. That's a valuable skill if you don't already do so, but reliable indexing obviously preferred.
Here's a photo of such a tool in action for your reference (it's not a link (!) though videos exist of course)


How to perform a long-distance bunny-hop?

Some points.

If you bunny hop by getting both wheels to leave the ground at the same, the rear wheel has to jump the length of the obstacle plus the length of the bike to clear the obstacle.
A more modern, trialsy and BMX-y bunny hop is what is what is sometimes called an 'American bunnyhop'.  In this, the front is hauled up first, then the back as the front is being pushed down (tutorials are available on youtube, other video sharing sites are available).  This means the back wheel can leave the ground later, and so doesn't have to jump as far as in the point above.
Your time in the air is determined by your height, your distance traveled in that time is determined by your speed.  So jump higher while riding faster and you'll go further.  (And, potentially, crash harder.  Every silver lining has a cloud.)
When mountain biking, simply "unweighting" can often be enough to help an already rugged and quite probably suspended bike better cope with rough patches.  And if all else fails - just get the damn front up and over!


Winter maintenance before putting bike in winter storage?

Wash it. Dry thoroughly. You can even wax it if you truly love your ride...
Lube the chain
Lubricate all pivot points (derailleurs, brake handles, etc)
Loosen the tension on the cables and put a small amount of grease on the cable ends.
If the hubs haven't been overhauled in a while you can do that.
Remove the seatpost and if metal apply a light coat of grease and re-insert but leave the seat clamp a little loose.  If carbon fiber, remove, clean and re-insert (no grease).  Remember to tighten again in the spring.
Inflate tires to full recommended pressure.

Store your bike in a warm place and check the tire inflation periodically. If they deflate and it's cold your sidewalls are likely to crack when you pump them back up in the spring.

If hung, you may want to periodically take it down and spin the wheels (and the crank) and then hang it again. While it's unlikely that hanging the bike will result in pitting on your hub cones, spinning them a couple of times over the months can't hurt.


Can I use 11 speed chainrings with 9 speed chain?

Basically, so long as the front derailleur is wide enough to carry a 9 speed chain that you're using (so a 9 speed front derailleur would work) without problems, you'll be fine.

So, go for it, provided they'll fit (i.e. the bolt pattern + BCD matches).

As for mismatching the chainrings, chances are these are the cheapest ones on the market now. My road bike, for example, runs a Shimano 105SC groupset (7 speed) and I'm going to have to replace the chain rings with things that are "10/11 speed" eventually.


Will slightly loose bearings result in damage?

A bearing that is adjusted too tight can actually seize completely. This happened to me once. I overhauled my front hub and tightened the bearing cones too much. Result: a front wheel that plain stopped turning at some point.

Too tight adjustment will exert more pressure on the cones and cups, and will probably wear out the bearings faster than too loose an adjustment.

For proper adjustment, the Park tool website has good instructions: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/hub-overhaul-and-adjustment


I have a Cannondale Supersix Evo and I've had issues with tires rubbing in that exact spot.  The frame will accommodate a 25mm tire, but the clearance is very tight, so you really have to pay attention to keeping the wheel trued up.  I've also found that the stock wheelset (Mavix Aksiums) flexed enough when I'm cornering hard to cause a little rubbing even when the wheel is near-perfectly true.  For a little while, I put some protective tape on the chainstays (I used ISC Racers Tape), but I eventually just switched back to 23mm tires. I like the ride quality of the wider tires, but replacing the protective tape periodically got to be a bit of a hassle.

To answer whether or not it's safe to ride, it LOOKS like it's just through the paint. If that's the case, cover it with some protective tape to prevent it from rubbing into the carbon, and you should be good to go.


Need I mount my wheel flush to the top of my fork ends?

The QR interface is designed such that the axle is fully seated in the dropouts before engaging the QR.  The QR engagement should be firm, but it is not designed to hold the wheel in the way you describe.  Dangers of trying to do what you suggest are:

Severely over-tightening the QR (which you may need to do to keep the wheel in place) could potentially result in QR breakage. If the QR breaks there will be nothing to hold your front wheel on and there is a very good chance you will end up in a bad crash.
If you do not seat the wheel, it is easy to accidentally clamp on an angle.  Given you want to clamp a fair ways down in the dropout it is easy to get really off-angled if you are not paying attentions.  As in (1) if you are severely over-tightening this could damage the drop outs and contribute to problem (1).
Even if you can get this to work, 3mm of clearance is still incredibly tight.  Tires can expand and contract with temperature and speed (meaning this clearance could start to disappear) and small debris picked up by the tires could result in a jammed wheel (briefly giving you the ability to fly).

If something does go wrong my bets are on (1) or (3).  The short of it, is that your frame simply isn't designed for 28mm tires.  This is the issue with short reach caliper brakes (now what most define as standard reach).  Frames with mid-reach caliper brakes can support tire sizes up to around 32-35mm depending if you want to run fenders as well.

Unfortunately, the N+1 rule has struck again...


How to change the seat clamp on a dropper post?

As you already noted you have to unscrew the remote from the handlebar and push the hose/cable into the frame so you can pull on the dropper post. Afterwards you just remove the screws from the seat clamp and pull it over the cable. Install everything backwards and you are good to go again.


Can I achieve good cycling shoe stiffness in winter with a boot insert?

It's not a very good idea, but since you're going to do it anyway, I'll give you some pointers on what to expect.

The contact area between your foot and the surface of the boot / pedal system needs to somehow conform to your foot, or you will have painful hot spots. In your idea, the sole of the running shoe should take care of that, and the insert can be indeed flat. The outsoles of running shoes are curved, though, so your stiffener would have to conform to that shape or you'd need a lot of room inside your overboots.
The shock absorption in running shoes absorbs a bit of energy on each pedal stroke, feels mushy and doesn't really offer any benefits for riding. A plate between running shoe and outer shoe wouldn't help here. This is why cycling shoes usually have thin anatomically shaped soles.

My suggestion would be mountaineering boots or hiking boots with rigid soles combined with large platform pedals. These boots are very stiff, don't have too much shock absorption and are designed for low temperatures.

As a side note, thin plastic plate isn't going to be very rigid. The stiffness of a plate is related to 3rd power its thickness, so in order to have stiff soles you'll need either a very thick plate or 3D structure. Because of the exponential relationship, using stronger materials doesn't help much.


There's very little you need on a 'bent trike that you wouldn't also need on a conventional bike. Rear jersey pockets are useless on a 'bent, of course, so it's nice to have an accessible place to store energy bars and stuff like that (I've used a bag that's intended to fit above the top tube, behind the stem of a conventional bike, and a small fanny pack turned sideways). Rearview mirrors are a necessity, but I think all new trikes come with them. Many trikes lack good bottle-cage mounting points, requiring you to improvise with clamp-on cage mounts; I use a Camelbak Unbottle and some webbing straps.

Trikes often have oddball tire sizes, which you would need to know if you were going to get her spare tubes. Normal seat-bags won't fit, and some trikes don't really need them. There are recumbent-specific bike shops on the Internet. It wouldn't hurt to ask her what she got.

So, regular stuff: a cycling multi-tool is always handy to have (assuming you know how to use it). Likewise the typical frame pump, patch kit, lights (may need special mounting adapters), etc.


Should I remove unused screws from my frame?

If you're a weight weenie then your frame wouldn't even have those mounts.

Removing the screws might save you 10-20 grammes, which is less than a good dollop of mud, or under half a snackbar, or a quarter the weight of your spare tube.

If you're worried about rust, remove screw and apply some grease then refit.

If you're really worried about rust on the bike then fit mudguards, for which you'll need those screws anyway.

Answer: don't bother removing spare screws/bolts from your bike.


Only regular wrench key for wheel mount like this?

That looks like a thru-axle that has lost its handle. You can see the threaded bit in the first photo where a handle should have been bolted in. This can happen if the retaining bolt vibrates loose during a ride.

Luckily the axle has flats so can be removed with a wrench but you’ll want to track down a new axle for when you need to remove the wheel by hand when out on the road/trail.
It’s probably a 12mm x 142mm rear thru-axle but length will need measuring against the current part along with the seat type (square or conical) , thread pitch and thread length. The frame manufacturer (Cube) might provide you with an exact specification.
This blog discusses the technical differences in depth very well.
EDIT Changed last paragraph because thru-axles are not standardised.


Invested too much in my car! How can it be worth cycling to work?

It is a known psychological fallacy (sunk costs fallacy) that already having spent too much resources (time, money…) on something that turned out to be a mistake somehow justifies persisting in doing that instead of switching to something else. Because it is irrational, it is hard to use rational logic to persuade.

Maybe pointing out that the very feeling is irrational, and that feelings should not be placed before logic and hard data when making certain decisions will help somewhat. Point out that new information obtained later on can and should affect people's reconsidering of past decisions, instead of living in the past. Also, maybe asking on a forum dedicated to psychology will give better results.


Why would semi-solid fork make whizzing sound?

From looking at the picture, you do have a front suspension, of a type you would usually see on "hybrid"/"comfort" bikes, with a very small amount of travel. I can't think of any way that a problem inside that suspension component could cause a whizzing noise, though.

I think it's more likely the wheel rubbing against something, such as a fender, brake pad, etc.  If the wheel is off true (not straight) or not seated properly on the fork, it could be slightly rubbing against something but get better with some weight on it.

What's on the front of the bike that gets anywhere near the wheel? Front brakes? Fenders? A basket or rack? Lights? Disk brakes like shown on that bike?

Here's some things I'd try:

Does it make the noise with no weight on it?  Can you hold up the front of the bike and listen? Figuring out exactly where the noise is coming from would be very helpful.
If you hold the handlebars or fork steady and try to move the wheel sideways, is there any play (does it wiggle or is it solid)? The wheel should spin freely
Look at one of the brake pads (or something else that's close to the wheel) and spin it; can you see the wheel move side to side as it spins?
Wiggle the spokes. Do they all feel the same, or do some feel looser than others?
If there's anything optional, like fenders and you still haven't found the source of the noise, try removing those and see if the noise goes away.


Not particularly fine lugwork. Look like Prugnat lugs, but not S4s. Fork crown isn't too finely filed either. Can't tell the brand of ends from the shots. Straight brake bridge with no tangs at the stays. Can't see BB very well at all. Nor chainstay bridge. Is Campag brazeon cable guides? Can't see. Are forks replacements? Does the fork raking look like it's cheaply done? Match the quality of the lugwork? Fork ends match the stay ends? What else could narrow down its country of origin?


Adjusting disk brakes after taking off the wheel

Tip of the day for how to adjust brakes so they dont rub when tightened:

Use shims on either side of the disk!

Here's how to do it:

Get a beer can and cut a strip about an inch wide and 6 inches long (careful when using this, it's sharp)
Take the wheel off the bike, loosen up the hex cap bolts on top of the calliper, not the wheel, adaptor, etc
Put the shim over disk, in the position where the calliper will float over it, put the wheel back in so the shim is now jammed up into the loosened calliper and do up your quick release nice and tight
Put the brake on a little (to centre the calliper) and tighten up the calliper bolts.
Remove the shim (you may have to remove the wheel) and you should have a really properly aligned brake (either cable or hydraulic).

Make sure your beer can strip is really clean (use soapy water and properly rinse) so you don't contaminate the pads or disk.

I've got Avid Juicy brakes and I had huge problems with getting them properly aligned so they didn't make little squealing sounds whenever I was riding (they never really rubbed) and this made it so much more pleasant!


Informally, I find that on long rides, your body will simply know what it needs. You pull off at a stop; the trail mix and pickles look delicious, so you eat them.

More scientifically though, your body can process about two servings (e.g., bottles of gatorade, gel packs, etc.) of carbohydrate per hour. Any more than this, and you can experience gastrointestinal distress (politely put) as the excess carbohydrates back up in your gut. For this reason, I prefer to drink water on long rides, and use food or gel packs to replenish salt and sugar. This way I can decouple hydration from my carbohydrate intake — if I'm parched, I'm not stuck with the choice of getting dehydrated versus consuming too many carbs.

But first and foremost, listen to what your body tells you it wants. Drink plenty of water and try to spread out your consumption of food and drink evenly. Lots of small snacks will be easier on your digestive system and keep your energy level even, as opposed to a few large binges.


"Never run with a chain that is too short, except in an emergency." (from Sheldon Brown's Derailleur Adjustment page). If a short chain ends up on the big chainring and big sprocket at the same time, then the derailleur will probably get damaged.
To avoid damage, there should be at least one full link of overlap when the chain is put around the big chainring and big sprocket (with the rear derailleur bypassed).
Unless the chain was too long to begin with (which is unlikely), you should get a new chain.
You can also by a single link instead of getting a whole new chain, and if you get a replacement master link, it will be easier to disassemble your chain for cleaning in the future.


Bent Chainring causing chain to attempt changing gears

no, it's almost impossible that you bent it just by pedaling. Exacerbate an existing bend, yes, but bend a straight ring, no.
Bending it back into shape is possible, but be careful - bending metal back and forth weakens it. Do not pound it with a hammer - if you dent it you are also thinning it and making it longer. Which means it will be permanently bent. Use an adjustable wrench set to grip the chainring and try to bend around the attachment bolts, not just at the end of the wrench jaws.
A new chainring should be $20-$50, depending on what exactly you get. If your chainrings are not removable that means a new crankset but it also means your crankset is cheap, so it should be in that price range as well.

To replace it yourself is easy and should require a 5mm allen key and a thin coin. There will be four or five bolts on the outside of the chainring, and a matching slotted nut on the inside. You can buy a special tool to grip that nut, but I find a small coin is usually enough. Taking the chainring off before trying to straighten it is not a good idea as there's too much risk of dishing the chainring.


How do you switch the Raleigh RX10 rear light to flashing instead of constant

Typical - no sooner posted than worked it out.

Pressing the button turns the light back on, but pressing and holding the button eventually turns it on in the mode it was not in last time (i.e. if it was on constant mode then pressing the button turns it back on in constant mode, but pressing and holding the button eventually turns it on in flashing mode.)


Are both sides of a Avid rotor the same?

Rotors are identical on both sides but are marked to ensure correct rotation as they aren't bi-directional. Few hubs and forks allow for a right hand mounted disc so rotors are only marked for left hand set up. The water and mud shedding capabilities drives the design and direction they should turn.

The earlier Roadrat RB2 was designed for a right hand mounted disc brake (outwards facing on front fork) to negate pressures put on the wheel when braking. The wheel was simply reversed in the drop  out. The new RB3 fork has a left hand mounted disc brake but uses a 9mm thru-axle design which integrates with current 9mm QR hubs. Lawyer lugs achieve the same thing.


No, it's set up the right way.  (In fact, because of the way the front and rear gear systems work, it's essentially impossible to set them up backwards: you'd have to re-engineer the whole system.)

Think about it in terms of how many times the wheels turn for each turn of the pedals. When you change to a larger-sized cog at the front, the chain moves farther for each turn of the pedals, so the rear wheel turns more times.  When you change to a smaller-sized cog at the back, moving the chain the same distance causes the wheels to turn a greater number of times.  So, in both cases, moving to a higher-numbered gear causes the wheels to rotate more times for each turn of the pedals.


Will tubeless tires out-perform my Armadillos on my commute?

Bald-ness isn't a problem on tires used on roads. In fact, it's favorable. I'd replace the tire once I start getting flats (or a bit before), or seeing canvas.

The primary advantage of tubeless would let you run lower pressures (since you can't pinch flat a tube if it isn't there) which is useful for running big tires while mountain biking for more grip and comfort, but it won't really make a difference for commuting use (smaller tires at higher pressure).

The best thing you can do is have a properly inflated tire and buy a durable tire (e.g. the Schwalbe Marathon line) -- low inflation can lead to rim damage and increased wear, while overly high inflation can also lead to damage, less comfort and loss of control. A properly inflated tire shouldn't see many flats in either case (road debris will be the primary cause , which sealant may protect against in the case of a tubeless tire).

I'd stick with a tubed tire; tubes are relatively cheap and are easy to replace on the side of the road with slightly less mess than inserting a tube in a tubeless system. Note that you'll likely be paying a bit of money to go tubeless overall (e.g. with the Bontrager TLR kits).


The datasheet for the crankset says it calls for a 123 mm spindle length. This would mean that your crankset would sit about a half centimeter further out than the existing one if you use the Shimano recommended bottom bracket, which will affect the chainline.

I'd go for trying it out as is -- it will probably work. If the shifting is fine, and the chain isn't jumping or derailing when its not supposed to, you're good to go. If it is having problems after adjustments, get a new bottom bracket.


SRAM chain came with only half a powerlock

No, don't do that unless it's to limp the bike home. SRAM says not to and I've seen sufficient evidence it's for good reason.
The theoretical/manufacturer-stated reason not to is that the press fit is prone to not being as strong as intended once you've pushed the pin out and back in.
The pattern I've seen when people, myself included, do this is that it can seem to be fine but is in fact prone to breaking. When it happens it's usually during a shift under load, particularly in front. It needs to be in just the wrong spot, so you can see how it can give the illusion that it's fine.
Re-using an old one for a while would be fine, as would be using a 9-speed KMC Missinglink if you can find that locally.


What's the proper way to fit a hybrid/commuter bike?

Hybrids are very similar to hardtail mountain bikes in their geometry, but a significant difference is the width of the bars: the hands can be much further apart on a mountain bike (as sold, my MTB was 100mm wider between the grips than my hybrid, now it's more like 150). Even allowing for a change in elbow angle, this will have knock-on effects on reach.

Another difference is that MTBs tend to be set up with a low saddle despite the high bottom bracket, as the rider needs to often stand with bent knees. This isn't suitable for hybrids in general, and one of the first things to do when converting a mountain bike from trail use to commuting is to raise the saddle. This will then affect the desired stack (and reach). A high saddle over a high BB will make the ground a long way down when the saddle height is "correct" (for efficiency and knee health). If this makes stop-start riding tricky, it will have the opposite effect to that desired. Luckily hybrids tend to have a slightly lower BB than mountain bikes, and thinner tyres, so this isn't necessarily an issue. (This one is a bit personal as having a child seat on the back makes holding and starting the bike harder with a significant lean, and also means that getting going from standing over the toptube is harder)

As a fit for comfort (rather than performance) is desired, it's possible that an MTB fit would be too aggressive anyway, and although efficiency is desirable, the difference between an OK fit and a perfect fit won't be noticeable on most hybrid journeys.

Comfort fits are rather subjective anyway(so measurements will only get you part of the way), but it takes a fairly long ride to get a feel for the last little bit.

As an example, I bought a hybrid and used it for occasional day rides before starting a 15km each way commute. It was the right nominal size and all I did was adjust the saddle height and fore-aft position (the latter because I slid forwards). Only when I started doing rides of 3-4 hours (up to 70 km) did I do anything to the reach/stack, and also made the bars narrower.


The following chart can be found in an interesting article on Training Peaks blog.
From this you should be able to adjust your power level occordingly.


26" fork on 24" bike: reduce travel on suspension fork

The fork's travel is often regulated by adding/removing or repositioning plastic bottom out and/or top out tokens of fixed height inside the fork. For such a system, one can reasonably assume that two following possibilities are most common.

A decrease of, say, 10 mm of travel is accompanied by exactly 10 mm decrease of axle to crown height. All moving parts of the fork are just getting shifted up by the same distance.

A decrease of 10 mm of travel results in 0 mm of AC length change. This may be the case when the fork's construction decouples travel adjustment from AC adjustment.

It would be less reasonable to expect a 10 mm of travel change to cause an unproportional decrease to AC — where would additional millimeters go to? Again, it should be possible to imagine/make such a fork, but it would not be a feature used/requested by many customers.
In your case, it may be more realistic to try simultaneously reducing both the travel and the AC distance by 50 mm (2"), from 100 mm to 50 mm, thus achieving the desired AC distance and still keeping some of the travel. However, other aspects of the fork's construction may interfere with your plans. It is impossible to say for certain without looking at how it is made inside.


It's not totally clear what's going on here, but:

If this is a cup and cone hub, your problem describes a left cone that is stuck somehow, maybe crossthreaded or the threads otherwise damaged, and you'll need to find some way of getting more purchase on it. If you have access to the right cone wrench flats, a clear way of doing that is to lock the right side locknut and cone against each other and put a cone wrench on the right cone for leverage, then unscrew the left one. If you don't have access to the right cone wrench flats, you could take the left side locknut and lock it down against the right side locknut to play the same trick. If the threads are damaged but not toast, a 1mm thread file on the axle and an M10x1 tap on the cone may help.
It looks a little like this could be a cartridge hub and the left side cone-looking bit is torqued down against the bearing inner race, whose other side is secured against a shouldered axle. If it's actually totally immobile, that would be an explanation as to why. Hubs like this usually have internal 5mm allen wrench flats on one or both axle ends to help in such spots. If not, and if you in fact need to get this part off to replace the freehub, and if the right side cone's wrench flats are inaccessible, you will probably need to do something similar to the above.


Could I be pumping up my tyres the wrong way?

I have had such experiences even at much lower pressures, (I ride diverse disciplines of mountain bike, so I use my tires around 40 PSI, but still...). I have found three main causes for inflation difficulty:

I will discard air leaks as this one is pretty obvoius.

1) Faulty valve: Some valves get somewow obstructed, and won't get air in as easily as it should. This has happen to me with three types of vaole: Schrader, Presta and Dunlop. To test for this, inflate the tube while it's off the tire. You should feel almost no resistance, since the tire is not there to build up pressure. The tube should inflate quickly. You can also try a different valve core (Dunlops are easily changeable, but not too widely used, Schraders require a special tool but are also easily changeable. Some presta valves are changeable but not all of them.

2) Pump design: Some pumps are simply, by design, not capable of much mechanic advantage, so it is harder for the operator to achieve high pressures. The force required to push down the pump's piston is the pressure in the chamber multiplied by the piston area, thus, a pump with a large area piston is harder to push, but, usually such pump will put in a bigger amount of air per stroke. As per my personal experience with a wide range of pumps, for a floor pump the best sacrifice is a pump with piston area of about one square inch (roughly one inch in diameter). It will be painfully slow for 2.5 downhill tires, but will easily pump the pressures required for road tires. (For my downhills I use a cheap pump that has a piston with 1.5 diameter, its quick, but you'd start to suffer at 45 or 50 psi).

3) (or 2.2 if wou will...) Flawed pump: This is somehow related to the previous point, but this reffers to some defect, design error, damage, wear, etc. I have used pumps that have restrictive hose, valve (almost any pump has a 'check' valve) or connector. If this is the case, sometimes these parts can be cnanged or modified, but most of the times, it's not worthy. To test for this, press the pump without anything attached. The pump should move freely, with almost zero effort and you should hear the air hissing out without restriction. In fact, you would not be able to exerpt any force donw the handle, it will quickly go down before you know it. If you can apply noticeable force, this may be the cause. This is more common with cheap pumps, but there are brands able to sell expensive ones from time to time. Restriction to air flow can also be due to debris that somehow got inside the air ducts or the valve. If the pump is serviceable with regular tools, then carefully disassemble it to check the hose, the connector and the valve or any other narrow air passages.

Naturally there are other issues tha can come up with a pump, but they are rather obvious and do not seem to be your case: such as piston seizure (It is difficult to displace the handle even as slow rate) or seal failure (gives the oposite symptom, you can not apply gerat force to the handle because the air is leaking out).

Perform some tests to discard possible causes: inflate someone else's tires with your pump, borrow a pump with different design as yours and use it on your tires. You'll easily find the culprit.


carbon gates belt drive . need to have lower gears to get up steeper hills. best options

Apparently on the front you can’t go smaller than 46t (you have the 130mm diameter front sprocket).
On the back you can change from 22 to 26t which would make it 18% easier.
It would be in violation of Shimano’s recommendations:

•The cassette joint should only be used with sprockets with 16T to
23T.
•The gear ratio of the front chainring to the rear is about
2.1-to-1.

But I think it’s fine, considering that the ratio (and therefore torque at the hub) is still relatively harmless
The lowest gear of the Alfine 11 is 7.5% easier not easier than that of the Nexus 8.
Edit: No idea where I had the number from, I now looked up the official specs, the easiest gear is identical between Alfine 11 and Nexus 8.
Both have "Gear ratio_1    0.527"


Replacing a 1950s or early 1960 solid rubber 20" bicycle tire

Measuring the wheel diameter will not give you the correct tire size. I suspect it is a 16 x 1 3/4 tire. I think they are still available. These tires are replaceable. You cut off the old one with a hacksaw. Mount the new tire by first soaking it in hot water for about 20 minutes. The heat will make it larger in diameter and more pliable. Work it on the wheel with your hands and if needed careful use of a screwdriver. I rubber mallet will help seat it.


Why can't the gear ratio be something like 100:1? Is it practically possible?

The main hindrance will be actually getting going from a standstill.
This kind of thing has been done quite a bit and is called motor-pacing and involves riding a very highly geared (usually fixed-gear) bike behind a fast car with some kind of fairing to reduce wind resistance on the bike. Speeds of well over 100mph have been reached.

This kind of bike is totally unsuitable for riding anywhere but a specially controlled long straight under the right conditions.

Check out this video for an idea of what's involved.


Is it safe to bolt my single-speed chainring to the other side of the crank?

Looks perfectly safe to me.

In fact, it looks like that crankset's spider arms were designed to also be used as a double crankset for a bike with a front derailleur, with chainrings mounted on both surfaces. Note how the support "fences" inside the bolt holes have the same curvature to clear a chainring that the outside supports do.


New roadbike. Poor cassette quality control?

There does not appear to be anything wrong with the cassette. Shimano helpfully put some nice clear pictures of individual sprockets on the product page for the CS-58000 cassette.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/105-5800/CS-5800.html

You can easily see that the smaller sprockets have some 'chisel' shaped teeth.

Clicking at the rear derailleur usually indicates slightly miss-adjusted indexing which is quite plausible on a new bike. Check for that first.


Huffy 24 Alpine mountain bike POWER shifter compatibility

A 24 gear bike means you have 8 sprockets in the rear and 3 on the crank. Any shifters for 3 front gears and 8 rear will work, that match the manufacturers of the derailleurs.

If derailleurs are Shimano you need Shimano shifters. If the derailleurs are SRAM you need SRAM shifters.


Cone size for Shimano Type D on Schwinn Cruiser

You probably need a 15mm cone wrench and a 17mm regular wrench. If you're going to buy a cone wrench, the 13/15mm double-ended wrench covers most hubs.

I recommend any PTFE-based bearing lubricant. You can buy a huge tub of it from an automotive store for very cheap.


I am always having a broken spoke once in every 500Km

Check if all spokes are properly tightened. if some spokes are too loose that can put extra stress on the rest of the spokes which can cause premature failure.
If so (some of the spokes are not properly tensioned) you should true the wheel (or have it done if you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself).

Is the back wheel the original back wheel that came with the bike or has it been replaced with an aftermarket rear wheel? If so it might be of lesser quality (in which case the spokes will most likely also be of lesser quality).

How old is the bicycle/how old are the wheels? Metal gets 'tired' after a certain number of load cycles ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatigue_(material) ).
(If the spokes break when trying to tighten them to a normal level the problem is most likely metal fatigue and you should either replace all spokes or replace the wheel (the latter is a more realistic option)). If the wheel is indeed quite old, the spokes are all properly tensioned and there is no other reason to suspect spoke failure metal fatigue might be the issue, if so (as afore mentioned) either replace all (old still remaining) spokes or replace the wheel (which is more conveneint/also cheaper in most cases). Spokes are quite cheap but rebuilding the wheel will take a considerable amount of time.

Where are the spokes failing (at what point on the spoke do they break, near the nipple, near the j-bent?) Can you add an image of the surface of the spoke at the break point? The type of surface at the failure point can give an indication of the failure mode (if it failed due to fatigue or overloading (putting too much stress on the spoke).

I quote:

  Fatigue usually begins from a stress concentration at the surface. The fatigue cracks grow slowly and usually leaves a striated pattern that looks like a smooth sea shell. Then, when the crack has gone far enough, the object will break suddenly due to the stress in the small remaining area exceeding the ultimate strength. This sudden fracture will usually look different - rough or torn looking.

Source: http://www.learneasy.info/MDME/MEMmods/MEM30007A/properties/Properties.html

Source: https://www.fastenal.com/en/3289/fastener-fatigue

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/tensiles


Will I snap my derailleur? (too large front chainwheel)

As suggested in the comment above, I would take it back and ask them to add a few more links. It's totally negligent of your LBS to fit a chain that cannot accommodate every combination of gears, however silly. There's always a chance you can fumble a shift and end up locking the drivetrain, as you've already experienced. This is definitely dangerous - if the pedals suddenly lock up and surprise you, you could crash. Another possibility is that if you keep pedalling, the rear mech will be pulled into the spokes, trashing both mech and wheel.

There is also an outside chance that with the new, larger chainring, you have exceeded the take-up capacity of the derailleur - meaning that adding links will result in a slightly slack chain in certain other combinations of gears. This is less of a problem, but bear in mind your chain may jump off if you run the small ring with a small sprocket on a bumpy road.


What do I do after a tubeless tire has been punctured and self-sealed?

If there is no debris still in the tire, then add pressure back to what you regularly run. If it holds, which it most likely will, then consider it fixed! Sometimes if the sealant hasn't had sufficient time to cure (or there is still debris) the hole will re form. In this case spin the wheel a bit so sealant meets the hole and wait for the sealant to do its thing. Let it cure a bit longer, then try adding more pressure.

If there is something still in the hole, you should remove it (to prevent further tire damage), then go through the above described steps to get the sealant to reseal.

The only time you really need to patch is when the hole is too large for the sealant to plug.

What do I do if it won't seal?

Check that you have sufficient sealant in the tire.
Is your sealant old (e.g., over 6 months)? It may have degraded to the point where it won't seal properly. In this case you will need to change your sealant.
Is the hole is too big?  If (1) and (2) do not fix the puncture then the hole may be too big.

Try adding a particulate (e.g., glitter) to your sealant, this can help plug larger holes.  Some sealants include particulate as part of their "formula."
The hole may simply be too large for any sealant to successfully plug. In this case you repair with tubeless tire repair kit. These are either a cord that you use to physically plug the hole or a special patch for the inside of the tire.

  Note:  Avoid using a regular inner tube patch as these are not designed to provide the structural reinforcement needed for a tire carcass.

Will the hole reform?

Maybe, but you will probably never know because the sealant in the tire will simply reseal.  The only time I have ever had an issue with previous punctures is when I tore down and scrubbed out the sealant from my winter tires which had a number of punctures.  The scrubbing removed the sealant plugs.  When I re-seat that tire I simply need to take a minute or two to reseal the old punctures.  That is about as hard as it gets.

How do I know I still have enough sealant?

If you set up the tires with sufficient sealant (e.g., 40-50 ml for 700x25) then there should be enough sealant  to handle multiple punctures which should get you through the 6 month window when you should refresh or change the sealant.  Otherwise if you get additional punctures, that do not seal, that may be an indication you do not have enough sealant remaining.  If your setup is mission critical (i.e., upcoming events or races).  It is a good idea to open up the tires and ensure everything is set up properly.


Where is the best place to carry water (back or bike)?

Best?  Doesn't seem like there's any one right answer.

Pros for carrying on bike:

Weight is on the bike, not you
Doesn't make your back all sweaty
No adjustments necessary
Generally easier to clean
Easier to choose alternate beverage options (with the right bottle)
Easier to just always have a water bottle on the bike (one less thing to worry about remembering to bring)

Pros for carrying in a hydration pack:

Easier to drink from (so you drink more often in little sips)
Can drink without waiting for smooth riding (don't necessarily need to remove a hand from the handlebars)
Less likely to pick up dirt (cleaner; but see comment about flip-top for bottles)

Seems like the kind of cycling you're doing makes a big difference.  Mountain biking has more dirt and more rough terrain where your water bottle nozzle could pick up trail dirt and be hard to reach down and grab to drink from.  Road biking tends to have plenty of smooth pavement allowing for drinking from a bottle and not as much dirt to worry about.

I mostly ride on the road and generally use a water bottle (or two or three; or a water bottle and a coffee travel mug), but if I'm going for a long ride (especially in hot weather), I'll use the hydration pack (and probably have a bottle in all 3 cages, maybe with juice or something like that in one) just to be sure I keep well-hydrated.


You use a Torque Wrench.  You set how much pressure, and when you tighten to that pressure, the wrench will "click" and not tighten the nut/bolt any more.


How to correctly use an Avenir Airsource One bicycle pump

That appears to be a standard flip-up chuck, and it claims to be "universal".  If using on a Schrader valve you just push it on and flip up the lever.  If using on a Presta valve you unscrew the knob on the Presta valve first, then push on and flip up the lever.

With some of these you need to not push the chuck quite all the way on if using on Schrader.

On the other hand, if the tube is fully deflated, you may need to press the tire with your thumb to hold the valve in place (keep it from sliding back through the rim) as you press the chuck on, so that you can get the chuck on far enough to hold.  (My suspicion is that this is your problem -- the valve is sliding into the rim so the chuck does not get on far enough.)

If need be, you can sometimes tighten the nut around the chuck opening to achieve a tighter fit (or loosen if the fit seems too tight).


There's a Schwinn serial decoder at  https://bikehistory.org/serial-number.html   could be a useful tool, but need the full serial number.

Try cleaning that area with warm water and dishwash, then dry it off then use an oblique light from a torch/flashlight to help illuminate the deeper metal of the characters.


Adding pedals & training wheels to this balance bike?

You could probably add training wheels, but not a crank.  There simply isn't anywhere on the frame for cranks to go.  Also, adding training wheels to a balance bike is kind of defeating the purpose of a balance bike.  It's meant to be an alternative to training wheels that allows the child to learn to steer into falls and "scoot" around and eventually learn to glide around before riding a bike with cranks on it.  These have been pretty universally hailed as the best way to teach a younger child to ride.  Oh, and with the shape of the frame, you may not be able to find an appropriate set of training wheels too, they would end up at a forward angle, and would be more likely to get in the way of the "scooting" action kids do on these bikes.


Why are license plates for bicycles no longer used?

In the Netherlands at least:

The license plates for bikes were tied to the taxation of bikes. You needed to get a new plate every year.
The taxation lasted until WWII. The Germans abandoned the tax.

After the war the tax wasn't introduced again so the plates were no longer needed.

It was speculated that after the war the taxing of cars more then made up for the not taxing of bicycles.


You can use google maps, and click on the bike to see local bike paths and trails. (still in beta but very good nonetheless.

http://www.bikely.com
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/
http://www.ridethecity.com
http://www.pedaling.com

are some of the more popular routing sites, I'm sure there are more but that should get you started :)

Also (added by editor)

http://ridewithgps.com/
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/
https://www.strava.com/activities/search


There are far too many options and it's far too subjective for someone to give you a straight "get this bike" answer.

You're kind of talking about the "All Mountain" to "Enduro" range of bikes. Ie bikes that can go long distance but can also go downhill.

The all mountain type bikes typically start at 140mm-ish travel. The cube you link is one of these.

The enduro bikes typically start at 160mm travel. Cube do the 160 version of that bike too.

The difference is, less travel, better pedalling efficiency, the more travel, better downhill efficiency.

You just have to decide what is more important to you, having a nicer time going uphill and sacrifise some of the down (get an all mountain). Or just be good enough to go uphill, but the downhill is the main point (get an enduro).

For decent bike, like your cube, the difference between the 140 and the 160 will be marginal in terms of pedalling and downhill.

You just have to decide, on which side of that margin you want to be.


How to unscrew freewheel sprockets with 9 broken spokes

This one is way easy. Use a pneumatic impact wrench.  There is very little torque transmitted. Bruuupppp and its off. I use this a lot with my single speed spin on cassette with the torque from Hades. When I did this manually, I needed a six foot breaker with wheel tied down. Impact hammer is awesome.

No vise. No marks on part. I would just hold hub carefully with work gloves.  Heck, bring it by my house, we'll have it off in 30 seconds.


Greasing your seatpost will prevent problems like this:  "Removing Seat Post rusted into downtube".

Don't use chain oil, grease is what you want.  As whatsisname pointed out, all fasteners on your bike should be lightly greased.  This is what keeps them from corroding and seizing over time, becoming a real pain to remove.

If you have trouble with a slipping seatpost (like me), carbon grease is what you need.  Contains enough grit to keep from sliding, while still offering protection.


The British Standards Institute provides the following summary:

BS EN 14781:2005 covers the test methods applicable in the design and manufacture of racing bikes.  It was developed to ensure the strength and durability of individual parts as well as of the bicycle as a whole, demanding high quality throughout and consideration of safety aspects from the design stage onwards.
This European Standard specifies safety and performance requirements for the design, assembly and testing of racing bicycles and sub-assemblies, and lays down guidelines for manufactures instructions on the use and care of such bicycles.
BS EN 14781:2005 applies to racing bicycles intended for high-speed amateur use on public roads, and on which the saddle can be adjusted to provide a maximum saddle height of 635 mm or more.
This European Standard does not apply to mountain bicycles and to specialised types of racing bicycle such as tandems or bicycles designed and equipped for use in sanctioned competitive events.
For bicycles with a saddle height of ≤ 435 mm see EN 71 and with a maximum saddle height of more than 435 mm and less than 635 mm see EN 14765.

Standards documents themselves are usually rather expensive (£254 for this one, even though it's obsolete) so I doubt many here have access to the full text.


When accompanying children on roads - ahead, beside or behind?

For safety reasons I prefer to be behind them. That way I can position myself on the road slightly further out then they are. This forces any overtaking vehicles to negotiate past me first and makes them provide a little more breathing space for my child in front. It certainly seems to prevent them trying to squeeze past.


Each greater "speed generation" of chain is narrower than the last, which is measured in the length of the pins. If you run a wider chain than matches the cassette, it will tend to ride up on the shifting ramps and be otherwise impossible to adjust cleanly.


Parking rear-wheel first: which sprocket to put rear derailleur in?

You're unlikely to get the derailleur outside the rack with much clearance, so the chances of knocking it getting the bike out again are quite high. It may even be possible for someone to bump the back wheel and bend your derailleur.

Selecting a bigger sprocket also puts the derailleur further forward. This is likely to improve the clearance around it but of course that depends how your bike sits in the rack.

Cross-chaining into a big ring and a big sprocket brings the derailleur even further forwards, but change out of this when you get going.

You may also want to invest in security skewers and/or an extra lock for your front wheel. Your local bike thieves sound like they have a surplus of bikes without front wheels.


What previous Shimano road shifters are 10sp and exit cables under bar tape?

Shimano calls this 'hidden brake and shift cables.'
https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/claris-r2000/ST-R2000-L.html
First on Dura-Ace 7900
There is a list of 10-speed groupsets here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimano#Road_groupsets
Then:

Dura-Ace 7900
Ultegra 6700
105 5700
(Tiagra 4600 does NOT have the hidden cables and is based on an older design.)
Tiagra 4700
(Not listed there and irrelevant unless you have hydro disc brakes, but ST-RX400)

7900 and 6700 are almost identical internally (both contain ball bearings). 5700 is a bushing design, as is 4700.
4700 is essentially an R9100/R8000/R7000 design; i.e. the brake cable/lever follows 'SLR EV' design, rather than 'New Super SLR'. It also uses the 11-speed RD pull ratio (along with GRX 10 speed), which pulls more cable and is therefore easier to setup and generally better. So you can use any 11-speed RD with this, or RD-4700/RD-RX400 10-speed RDs. But not the older 10-speed road RDs.
7900 revised the brake pull ratio, so your bike will stop poorly if you mix 7900 with brakes BEFORE 7900/6700/5700/4600/3500/2400, but you can mix it with newer design (symmetrical pivots on the arms, rather than one on the arm and one on the top - symmetrical design is called SLR EV), R9000/R8000/R7100/6800/5800/5810 brakes
I would go for the 4700 brifters rather than any older ones.
In terms of FD, assuming you will use band-on, then 4700 has the long-arm design:

the increased leverage here means it should shift better than the 7900/6700/5700, design

(note that 7900/6700/5700 introduced a new pull ratio, which as indicated above did not propagate to 4600, which was older.)
[also note that the long arm created problems with cable routing on certain braze-on frames, so they updated it again for the current R9100/R8000/R7000 series)


Shimano hydraulic hose - BH90-SB compatible with BH90-J/JK

Are the two hoses compatible?

Judging from related questions and my experience, Shimano hoses are interchangeable (same for calipers) and most people won't notice the difference without dedicated comparison procedure.

  I am aware that BH90-SB uses a banjo connector, obviously that need to
  go. Can I just cut it off, fix the pin and olive and connect it to the
  R7070?

Yes, that will be enough. You should be able to use standard Shimano caliper inline furniture(page 13).

Just in case, R7000/R8000/R9100 series hydro shifter require special flanged bolt.


I'm a 5'9 male- is this 51cm frame road bike too small?

Most answers to this question will advise you to test the bike, read about fitment, etc. But let’s cut through that - are your body proportions roughly average? If yes, a 51cm is too small for you. 54 is a good target.


Switching from straight handle bar to drop down - which dual control lever would fit?

What you are proposing to do is basically impossible. There is no documented compatibility between Shimano mountain and road groupset components.

The derailleurs have different actuation ratios (how far the cage moves for a given length of cable pull). MTB and road cassettes have different sprocket spacings. I've not read about anyone experimenting with Shimano road levers and MTB hydraulic brake calipers but I'd bet they are not compatible either.

You cannot  replace the entire drivetrain and brakes. An 11 speed cassette may not fit on a MTB freehub body and a road crank won't fit in a wider MTB bottom bracket shell, and if you are contemplating buying a whole now groupset, just buy a whole new bike!

Another reason to not attempt this is that flat bar bike frames typically have a longer reach, as the distance from the head tube to the flat bar grips is shorter the the distance from the headtube to the hood or drop hand positions on a drop bar. Flat to drop bar conversions typically need a very short stem which can negatively affect the steering.