Bicycle components without which it's not a working bike: wheels, brakes, saddle/seat, bottom bracket, derailleur, stem, handlebars, bolts, etc. Also tag with specific part.
14
votes
8answers
2k views
How much maintenance?
How much maintenance does a bike need?
Specifically, in this question (with this answer) I asked about a commuter bike, which is to be ridden 40 km every weekday, in the city. And apparently for this ...
20
votes
5answers
2k views
What bike+equipment for a long daily urban commute?
In the (distant) past I commuted 6 km (more than half an hour) each way, on a cheap bike with big knobbly tyres.
Soon I'll have a new commute: 18 km each way, daily. That's much further than I've ...
22
votes
7answers
1k views
What should I look for in clipless pedals and shoes?
I am just thinking about investing in some clip-in pedals (and presumably shoes). I want to use them mostly on my older road bike but in the future I might want to move them over onto my mountain ...
14
votes
4answers
4k views
Whatever happened to solid bike tubes?
As a child I had solid rubber inner tubes in my bike. They were a pain to get on but after I never had a flat again!
Now I've recently started biking again and have had two flats in two days, each ...
14
votes
7answers
5k views
What is the biggest component difference between a cheap road bike and an expensive road bike?
I am shopping around for road bikes now, and I wanted to know what components to look for. I am not talking about the frame, carbon or otherwise, I mean types of shifters, brakes, cranks, rims, etc.
29
votes
4answers
859 views
Building from scratch VS buying new
What are the pros and cons about building a bike from scratch VS buying it new?
20
votes
5answers
2k views
what makes a good entry level road bike?
I've been riding a mountain bike for years, but I prefer to go longer distances on paved ground, so I think a road bike would be better. When I ask what is a good bike, I don't need brands/models - ...
12
votes
2answers
1k views
Is there a practical gain from elliptical/oval chainrings?
I have seen competitive (amateur) cyclists with oval chainrings (front). What is the deal? Are they just for showing off, or is there a practical gain from it (different force transfer).
11
votes
4answers
4k views
Differences between Biopace and Rotor cranks
On mountain bikes of a certain age, "Biopace" chainrings are ubiquitous. These chainrings are (purposely) not circular. It seems that most people today agree that Biopace rings didn't live up to the ...
15
votes
4answers
867 views
Equipping a commuter bike
My commute is a bit over 5 miles each way through the city. It's not that long a commute; in traffic, it takes about 35 minutes door to door, and I'm never far from public transit that I could use in ...
10
votes
5answers
385 views
Lock for extremely frequent use
Are there lock products out there specifically designed for easy handling when locked unlocked dozens of times a day?
I'm using a normal, chain-based lock at the moment and I'm annoyed because
I'm ...
8
votes
1answer
803 views
Do I need to change my cassette if I can't see any wear?
I bought a new road bike with Campag Athena 11 speed in March last year. To the end of Jan it had covered 9000km.
In all that time I hadn't changed the chain because I don't have the Campag tool, and ...
4
votes
3answers
662 views
Dia Compe Brakes for 1991 Bridgestone RB-T
I have a 1991 Bridgestone RB-T. This bike has passed through many hands so much of the stock parts are gone. The original Dia Compe XCE brake arms have been replaced by Dimension canti arms.
My ...
10
votes
1answer
504 views
How can I tell which road bike components/groupsets are better?
Shimano has new models of their groupsets every year but the lines generally keep the same names. This makes it difficult to figure out what year/version a particular bike has. Is there an easy way to ...
5
votes
1answer
251 views
How feasible is it to transfer modern (2010) components to a 90s frame (road bike)
My 2010 aluminum frame may be toast (stripped bottom bracket) and I was considering getting an older chro-mo frame and transferring the components to it. It's a racing/sport style with drop bars and ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How to make a lockable front suspension last longer?
Lockable suspension is very handy on every ride. But I have witnessed a few cases where they break way too soon, in comparison with other types of suspension. The locks fail to be effective, or the ...
4
votes
4answers
490 views
Suggestions for progressive upgradation of bike
I have one bike, which is pretty cheap. It's a Mid-Level Mountain Bike of Motache (I tried to find a picture but, no luck). But, now I want to upgrade this bike progressively and change it into High ...
2
votes
2answers
829 views
How can I move the handlebars on a mountain bike close to the rider without affecting handling and control?
I recently finished building up a mountain bike, with the help of a friend. My initial rides - a few miles, nothing too extensive yet - revealed that I need to move the handlebars a bit up and back ...
1
vote
1answer
676 views
How to determine size of freewheel?
My previous question was: How to take apart this rear BMX hub?
How do I determine the size of my freewheel to replace it?
I have seen on bicycle sites that a freewheel comes in sizes like 14t, 16t, ...
