All Questions
24
votes
11answers
2k views
Is it considered rude to draft other random cyclists?
On my commute to work, if there a cyclist in front of me, is it rude to catch up and draft? To effectively draft I would usually need to be within a foot of their back wheel.
There are two ...
23
votes
14answers
3k views
I wish to get fit, therefore should I have a heavy bike?
A lot of people seem take up cycling to get fit, and they'll talk about how light their bikes are.
However, as I understand it, a heavy bike uses more energy to pedal it. Should someone that wished ...
23
votes
6answers
1k views
Tactics for riding in strong winds
I happen to live in a windy climate. I often find myself riding against strong headwinds and sudden gusts seemingly coming from all directions at once.
What are your tactics for riding in such ...
23
votes
15answers
2k views
Locking your bike in public areas
I recently saw a small clip about how to securely lock your bike.
I was wondering what are your tips for minimizing the chances of getting your bike stolen.
...
23
votes
6answers
14k views
At what time of year can I buy a bicycle for the best price?
Is there a month when new models come out and dealers discount stock like with cars? Do they raise prices in the spring and lower them in the winter?
23
votes
5answers
798 views
Intersection detection doesn't notice me, what should I do?
I have just come to the USA (Bay Area) and got a bicycle to commute to my university. Being new to this place I kept wondering why sometimes I have to wait for a long time for a green light to make a ...
23
votes
4answers
894 views
Why are tubeless tyres popular in mountain biking?
I've noticed that a lot of people use or promote tubeless tyres for mountain biking. Why is this?
It seems a lot of hassle to get a special rim conversion kit and goop to put in the tyre. As far as I ...
23
votes
10answers
5k views
What are the disadvantages of “puncture proof” (or puncture resistant) tires?
Some people refer to tires that are more resistant to punctures as "puncture proof" tires.
For example: Specialized All Condition Armadillo Tyre
Even though these tires are not really puncture proof, ...
23
votes
3answers
530 views
Formula for Homemade sports drinks
I am interested in home-made sports drinks. I have used "Hammer Nutrition" products, but I could probably put it together myself, just by using the key ingredients. Anyhow, has anyone done this? And, ...
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 ...
22
votes
8answers
1k views
Best bike lock
I recently lost the keys to my lock and had to borrow a bolt cutter to free my bike. It was a bit of an eye opener to realise a) just how easy it was for the bolt cutters to cut through my D Lock ...
22
votes
7answers
2k views
How do I determine the correct position for my bicycle seat?
I have been suffering from IT band problems on my outer knee, which I'm pretty sure were caused by raising my seat height too much. I raised the seat on the advice of a friend who said that a higher ...
22
votes
3answers
5k views
How do I make my brakes stop squealing?
I am having a very loud squeaking voice in the brakes of the rear tyre. I don't know what the problem is, but I am sure it has nothing to do with rain, because it happens all the time even if it is ...
22
votes
6answers
3k views
What's the efficiency of hub gears compared to derailleurs?
What's the efficiency of hub gears compared to derailleurs. I know that hub gears are not as efficient, a part from being heavier, how much will I loose in performance if I use hub gear?
22
votes
5answers
917 views
Can you shift both the front and back gears simultanously?
Is it advisable to shift both the front and back gear simultaneously? Can this cause any damage?
22
votes
6answers
2k views
What headset/radio products exist for bike-to-bike communication?
I commute to work by bike, sometimes I share the journey with a co-worker. The problem is because of the wind and distance between the bikes, it's very hard to hear what the other person says.
It ...
22
votes
6answers
492 views
What is a good camera arrangement for city riding?
I would like to have continuous camera coverage while commuting on city streets, in order to have evidence in any collision. I have been experimenting with an ATC3K mounted on the pannier rack, ...
21
votes
10answers
3k views
For a long (25mile each way) commute, what kind of bike should I look at?
I'd really like to be able to commute to work. It's a long way though - 25 miles away. Too far for every day, but maybe I can cycle it once or twice a week.
I tried it on my old mountain bike a ...
21
votes
10answers
3k views
Recommendations for transporting twins on the front of a bike
are there any child seats that can be used for twins (6 month old)? I don't like the idea of putting them in a trailer as I suspect its easy for cars to not see it.
Also - special bonus point to ...
21
votes
10answers
12k views
Triple vs Double chainring?
I'm bike shopping for my first road bike, and I've asked for a lot of advice from my father who was a serious cyclist once upon a time. After showing him one prospective bike, he dismissed it with a ...
21
votes
12answers
17k views
Why ride a single-speed bike?
A question came up recently about why people ride fixed-gear bikes. I think you can't reasonably answer that question without first understanding why people ride single-speed bikes.
So, why do they ...
21
votes
7answers
7k views
Why don't brakes come with 'Safety Levers' any more?
It used to be very common to see bikes with dual pull brake levers (if that's even the right name) as shown below. However now it seems almost impossible to find brakes like this. Even finding a ...
21
votes
2answers
2k views
What's stopping you from pedalling backwards?
On the BMX bike I have, pedalling backwards moves the chain but doesn't drive the wheels of the bike backwards like you would expect it to. Why is this?
21
votes
7answers
17k views
Which way do I orient my bike tire's tread direction? and why?
I have a mountain bike tire that has stamped on the side something like:
<----------front rear------------->
Which seems like a pretty clear indication that the tire should be oriented in one ...
21
votes
4answers
2k views
Getting over a downhill phobia
I've been riding seriously/regularly for about a year now, although like the majority of the worlds population I've been on a bike since I was a kid.
When I was first starting out I had no real ...
21
votes
3answers
9k views
How do I know when to replace my tires?
The treads on my road bike's 28C tires are almost completely gone—they only persist along the shoulders of the tire. Do the treads matter? What is a good indicator of when the tire as a whole needs ...
21
votes
1answer
381 views
'safety dot' on rims
My Araya GP-710 rims have a sticker that says 'safety dot' with arrows that point to little dimples in the rim -what are they for ? Dimple not visible in pic, but are on the rim
21
votes
4answers
282 views
Do I have to simply wait for google maps to add cycling directions to my area? Or can I help?
Related to this question about submitting road data to google maps. I'm curious to know if there is any way to get Google started on cycling data in my city. There are a lot of cyclists in my city, ...
21
votes
9answers
12k views
What is the best breakfast right before cycling?
Sometimes I feel I will faint when I am cycling in the morning. I usually don't have this problem after lunch.
My breakfast is rich in carbohydrates, but maybe I'm eating too much or missing some ...
20
votes
8answers
1k views
Alternatives to buying a repair stand?
I'd like to buy a repair stand, but I can never seem to convince myself to drop the $100 minimum it seems I'd need to spend. Has anybody had any success building a stand themselves, or is it worth it ...
20
votes
7answers
2k views
What are the pros and cons of panniers vs messenger bags?
I was shopping for new panniers and thought it might be worth it to also check out messenger bags as an alternative. What are the basic pros and cons of each?
I started out using just a regular back ...
20
votes
12answers
5k views
When should I not use my front brake?
I have only been riding for a short time and I remember when I was a child there was a belief that if you used your front brakes going downhill that you would fly over your handlebars.
However, my ...
20
votes
5answers
9k views
Why is carbon fiber inherently weak? Or is it?
This question got me to thinking: If it were possible for me to use a carbon frame, I would, but the expense and my riding style keep me using steel and aluminum. (I like hauling stuff on racks and ...
20
votes
7answers
2k views
How long should a road tyre hold its pressure?
How long should a road tyre be able to maintain a pressure of around 100psi, and what factors are likely to reduce this time?
Background:
My tyre pressures are consistently dropping to around 60psi ...
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 ...
20
votes
5answers
5k views
How often should I lube my chain?
I ride less than 200 miles a week, and I'm at about the 200 mile mark on my new road bike. Most of my riding is done on the road in an urban city, so there is a lot of odd, unnatural debris. My LBS ...
20
votes
3answers
5k views
Cycling uphill on a road - sitting or standing on pedals?
When cycling uphill on a road, what are the pros and cons of cycling while standing up on pedal versus sitting on saddle?
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 - ...
20
votes
6answers
7k views
Is it really going to damage a bike to wash it with a hose?
I was chatting to the guys at my LBS the other day about how they get my bike so clean when I take it in for a service. They said they use compressed air to clean it.
They warned I shouldn't use any ...
20
votes
4answers
464 views
Basic toolkit for bicycle maintenance
What should be in the basic toolkit for someone that wants to maintain their own bicycle?
I'm looking for something for your average day to day maintenance and tools that I will get the most use out ...
20
votes
5answers
1k views
Which states or countries have stop-sign-as-yield laws for bicyclists (Idaho stop law)?
In Idaho (PDF), bicyclists are allowed to treat stop signs as yields, and red lights as stop signs (essentially; see the actual law for details). This seems like a very reasonable approach, balancing ...
20
votes
5answers
1k views
Recommendation for panniers used off the bike a lot
I'm looking for panniers. I mostly just potter around town, and am not planning any cycle touring so my main criteria is that the panniers should be easy to carry around off the bike. Built in ...
20
votes
2answers
2k views
Does the chain direction make a difference?
Recently, I helped a friend install a new chain on her road bike, and for the first time read the instructions for installing one. It seems to claim that there's a forward direction, and that it ...
19
votes
11answers
6k views
Is it safe to ride a racing road bike in very wet weather?
I'm used to riding on a MTB, but since I've got a new road bike, I'm quite paranoid about the slick tyres. How good are they in wet weather? I'm scared of braking too hard, or even just turning!!
19
votes
5answers
2k views
Why is it easier to follow a cyclist up-hill
Watching the Tour de France on TV I notice that the riders like to ride close behind other riders when going up a steep hill.
I understand that rider can benefit from a slipstream on the flat ...
19
votes
10answers
1k views
What to wear when it's cold?
If I put on heavy clothes it will be very hot inside them after the warm-up. If I wear only a T-shirt I'll freeze.
What's the solution?
I ride around 20 km in a hilly city, with temperatures between ...
19
votes
11answers
2k views
Do glueless tube patches work as well as glue ones?
Quite a few years ago I tried some glueless patches for repairing my punctured tubes while out on the road, and found that they rarely stayed on for very long. I know that technology has advanced a ...
19
votes
8answers
16k views
How do on-road mountain bike speeds translate to road bike speeds?
When cycling on roads on my mountain bike, I generally get around 10-12 miles per hour on a flat surface.
What sort of speeds can I expect to get on a road bike?
19
votes
8answers
1k views
Runny nose while biking
Now that the weather's cold, my nose gets plugged up after about a mile and inevitably some runs down my throat and I have to pull over and spit. I feel like stopping all the time is probably ...
19
votes
4answers
2k views
Are bananas still a good food to carry when cycling?
I am very much an old school cyclist and I always carry a banana with me when I go on rides longer than an hour. In the past I have found them ideal - they easily fit in my jersey pockets, the ...
