All Questions
4
votes
2answers
197 views
How to select a good quality frame?
I have asked a lot of questions here, and most of times, the answers that I get is related with having a good quality frame. But, in my nation, store owner (or mechanics) hardly give any detail ...
11
votes
4answers
3k views
Why has indexed shifting displaced traditional friction shifting?
I really don't like indexed shifters, at least on the front. They're harder to adjust, more sensitive to cable stretching, and limit the number of gear combinations you can use (because you can't ...
14
votes
6answers
12k views
Why don't road bikes use v-brakes?
In my experience, linear pull brakes (v-brakes) have more stopping power than other types of cantilever brakes (let the flames start ;). Modern road bikes always come fitted with dual pivot brakes. ...
8
votes
5answers
873 views
Weight of disc brakes
People say (for example here) that disc brakes are relatively heavy, giving this as a reason for not using them.
How much heavier than rim brakes are disc brakes? Is the extra heaviness in the ...
2
votes
1answer
120 views
Which chain should I use for Rex Touring with 5 gears?
The bike is about 15 years old. The size of tyre is probably 28.
I want to change the old chain.
I am not sure which chain I can put to the bike.
Does any chain which length is enough for 28 fit my ...
13
votes
2answers
4k views
Is it really OK to hang a bicycle by the rear wheel from a hook?
Does it not distort the wheel to have the weight of the bike hanging from just that one spot? Is it OK for any kind of wheel? I have nicer race-type wheels on mine.
12
votes
4answers
993 views
What kinds of brake designs exist, and what are their general pros and cons?
Here are the ones I'm aware of:
Center Pull Cantilever
Slightly better braking than side pull brakes.
No recentering problem.
Relatively rare
V-Brakes
Cheap to produce.
Similar in braking power ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How do I choose brake pads?
I use the plain self-centering side-pull cantilever brakes found on 99.9% of road bikes. (Well, it's a road bike. ;) ) I've got alloy rims. Both my current internship location and back home are ...
2
votes
3answers
223 views
What should I use to lubricate my kickstand?
The kickstand that came with my bike is rusty and is difficult to adjust. What should I use for lubrication?
1
vote
2answers
842 views
What is the difference between a TREK 7.2 FX and a TREK 7.3 FX?
I don't understand the numbering system on TREK bikes.
Is it the lower the number the better, or the higher?
What is exactly is the difference?
0
votes
3answers
4k views
removing freewheel MF-Z012 without tools
I'm trying to just add some grease to an old MF-Z012.
some pages online says i can remove it just by spining the first gear agains the last one.(e.g. ...
0
votes
2answers
456 views
How does a crankset removal tool work?
I don't have one to examine. How exactly does a crankset removal work?
one such as this.
9
votes
3answers
11k views
DIY Painting a Bike Frame: Is it possible?
I have painted a couple bike frames (think really cheap garage-find rebuilds) with varying degrees of failure. Can you help me correct/fill in the missing pieces of my frame painting process?
...
3
votes
1answer
250 views
Best advice for buying a replacement spoke
Can you get spokes cut to length for replacement use in run-of-the-mill bikes, e.g. one with an older 26 x 1 3/8 wheel where there is not likely to be a standard size in the 'DT Swiss' range?
Does ...
0
votes
2answers
121 views
Quick question about V-Brakes?
I'm interested in purchasing a bike, however due to my location can't get into a bike shop, so will need to order it online.
The 2009 GT 2.0 Transeo I am interested in does not explicitly say it has ...
-2
votes
1answer
205 views
Which of these bikes is best for trails and bike paths?
I have a few options, please explain which one is better and why?
SCHWINN Searcher Comp http://www.mojekolo.cz/8413-schwinn-searcher-comp
GT Transeo 2.0 (2009) ...
3
votes
2answers
569 views
Are chain-drive gears 'ridiculously' efficient even when dry of oil?
Allegedly chain-drive gears are something like 99% efficient when well oiled and something like 98% efficient when without oil.
Personally I do not like the noise a dry chain makes, this has a 'I ...
11
votes
4answers
234 views
How to encourage people close to me to become cyclists?
Sometimes you try to help somebody get into cycling (buy girlfriend a bike, fix up a
friend's bike, give a bike to family, help friend shop for bike) and they never
really get into it and fall back ...
2
votes
2answers
266 views
Has bicycle gearing become 'easier' over the last few decades?
If you look at a 10-12 speed bicycle from the days before indexed gears you have a 27"/700c wheel with a 42/52 chainset and a 14-28 freewheel. At the time such a setup was standard for High Street ...
3
votes
1answer
203 views
electronic security tags
Are electronic security tags (e.g. Immobitag, Datatag) a good idea? Are the stickers likely to deter theft and does the electronic tag increase the chances of recovery in the event of theft?
3
votes
2answers
2k views
restoring old bike, remove scratched stickers, yes or no?
I'm restoring the first adult bike I owned.
It has about 30 years and was made by a brand that no longer exists, which makes it some sort of a semi-relic :)
My problem is that the brand stickers at ...
2
votes
3answers
190 views
A month in Italy (May or June) on a bicycle - advice needed
I'm going to travel in Italy by bike for 1 month, from the north (Venice) to the south (Sicilian) and back to Rome.
I'm not professional, but also not a beginner. I need some help information about ...
2
votes
3answers
394 views
Where Can I Find a Single Right Front Crank Arm for a Tandem?
Among the bikes in my stable is a department store tandem that really isn't worth much, but would be enjoyable to ride with my wife. Like many department store bikes this one was not assembled ...
4
votes
2answers
362 views
How to get enough leverage to remove pedals when their cranks are not attached to a bike?
I'm trying to troubleshoot a weird barely-felt click on my cruiser. The nest step of the process is to swap out the pedals and see if the problem goes away (if not, the problem is likely the bottom ...
1
vote
1answer
248 views
Dismounting wheel in a fixie
I have a fixed gear bike, Rocky Mountain Boroughs Fixie (see picture).
The chain is very tight compared to any free wheel bike. So anytime the tire gets punctured (unfortunately very often) and I want ...
1
vote
3answers
229 views
Could road rims be damaged by using v-brakes?
I once heard that road rims aren't strong enough to deal with the force of v-brakes, is this true? What about your standard cantilever brakes?
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Do aluminum rims provide better braking than steel ones when wet?
When I upgraded the brakes on my bicycle recently, the shop asked if I wanted to also switch from my (chromed) steel rims to aluminum rims, saying the aluminum rims would provide better braking power. ...
0
votes
2answers
744 views
Are the rear brake mounts on my Boardman Team HT post-mount or IS?
Boardman Team HT
Last weekend I broke the rear brake lever in a crash. I'm looking for a replacement brake disc kit for the rear brake, but I don't know what kind of mounting I've got. There seem to ...
11
votes
6answers
1k views
Why would I need a torque wrench for a bicycle?
I was rather surprised to find a question about choosing a torque wrench on this site. I haven't cycled for years, but many years ago when I actually cycled I would do with a set of ordinary wrenches ...
1
vote
2answers
5k views
Shimano Revoshift repair
My bike has a grip shift (Shimano revoshift) which isn't shifting through all 8 gears. Even with the gear cable removed (it recently broke) it will only shift through half of the gear numbers and ...
0
votes
2answers
556 views
Replace a Sram x7 trigger lever?
I broke the lever of my shifter (SRAM X7) when I fell off my bike on a trail. I think it just fell off the unit. I can see where the lever is connected to the mechanism that pulls the cable. Can I ...
3
votes
2answers
287 views
What are early signs of failure in forks/stem/handlebars?
I ride an SE Lager. In the past year, the following components have worn out or broken
Front chainring
Rear cog
Rear freewheel
Chain
Seat (one of the bars snapped off)
Many, many spokes
Wheels
...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How hard is it to disassemble and reassemble a bottom bracket?
I ride an SE Lager. It's a pretty cheap and crappy bike. I've had to replace pretty much everything on it due to wear/breakage.
The only area I haven't tackled is the bottom bracket. I can ...
3
votes
3answers
551 views
Which type of handle bars are best for off-road & road use?
There are quite a lot of types of bars. Some best bit for aerodynamics, some best fit for control, some offer significant amount of positions.
I am looking to change my handlebars to the best fit ...
1
vote
4answers
265 views
How should I alight from the pavement?
Whenever I'm exploring a new bike route or climbing a steep hill, I often need to get of the road and onto the pavement to avoid motorists, pushing my bike on the pavement until I feel it is ...
1
vote
1answer
349 views
upgrading gears to Shimano XT
My bike is a ClaudeButler CapeWrath D24, with Shamino Alivio gears front and back. I was thinking it would be good to upgrade these to something like Shamino XT, at least on the front to start with.
...
1
vote
2answers
300 views
mountain bike chainsuck, replacing parts while thinking of future upgrades
I have been having what I believe is called chainsuck for a while now. Chain will get stuck between first and second ring and have to stop and pull like "%&$* to get it out. It is always the ...
2
votes
2answers
151 views
What tactics other than 'setting an example' successfully encourage friends/family/others to become cyclists? [closed]
We all know the scenario - you buy the girlfriend a bike, you spend a day servicing a friend's bike, you give an old bike to someone in the family or you spend time in the LBS helping a friend get a ...
4
votes
2answers
258 views
What should I look for in a torque wrench?
It has come to the point where I need a torque wrench for installing things on my bicycle. What should I look for when purchasing one?
3
votes
2answers
278 views
How can you tell how far apart your chainrings are?
I just replaced my cassette and my crank with one from the LBS that the guy said would work. I've had no problems with the cassette, but the crank is too wide so that my front derailleur does not ...
3
votes
1answer
247 views
When replacing wheel bearings, is there a standard or are they different for each type of bike
I have a claudebutler CapeWrath D24 (around 3 years old). My front (not sure about rear at this point) wheel bearings need replacing. The wheel it has is a Rigida Zac2000. I realize that some bikes ...
3
votes
4answers
523 views
Aero Wheels, Velocity Wheels. Does it really matter?
Of course, they look pretty. But what I do not understand is: How will having taller rims or composite wheels improve a ride? Is the increase in efficiency drastic enough to make you think twice ...
4
votes
4answers
491 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 ...
4
votes
7answers
1k views
Do mudguards/fenders help? If so, what are the best for a fixie commuter?
I ride an SE Lager fixed. I'm riding on sealed paths and roads pretty much all of my commute.
On wet days my bike picks up a lot of water and also a lot of sandy/silty residue. It coats the frame and ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
What's the difference between galvanised brake cables versus stainless steel?
I'm looking at buying a set of new brake cables and I'm wondering what the difference is between the stainless steel ones and the galvanised cable? I'm only getting relatively cheap ones but I can't ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
Recommendation for panniers to carry a laptop for daily commute That's available in the UK
I've seen this question about Panniers, but as far as I can tell, the Arkel Panniers aren't available in the UK.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a good laptop holding pannier that converts ...
15
votes
5answers
3k views
Can your rims wear down from too much braking?
I have a question about rims based on information in another question. The person asking states that he doesn't want his rims wearing down. Is this really a problem? Assuming you don't wear the ...
5
votes
3answers
171 views
Compression clothing
First, some context: I commute to work on a fixie and go for longer rides on weekends on a road bike.
I often find my legs get sore/tired, especially when I've been on a longer ride or have pushed ...
4
votes
3answers
8k views
What are the advantages and disadvantages of riding a smaller Mountain Bike frame?
I am 182cm (5' 11'') tall and am looking into buying a new frame for my mountain bike.
Right now i have a 19'' frame and i found a good deal on a 17'' frame.
The guy from the shop told me that it ...
2
votes
6answers
840 views
Bike Polish for Carbon Frames
I'm looking for a recommendation for a good bike polish for carbon clear coat frames. Something the fills in minor hair line surface scratches and leaves a nice shine.
