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May 17 |
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How to calculate bike stand-over height using frameset geometry and wheel radius? Seems like it would be impossible without having the angle of the top tube. If you think about just dropping the top tube to a lower height, you could do that without changing any of the other numbers that are given. |
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May 17 |
answered | upsweep and backsweep for mtb handlebars |
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May 17 |
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Evaluate hill gradient I have an Oregon 450 which is a lot cheaper than a Garmin 800, and it gives me readouts of meters/minute or meter/sec as my "climbing speed". It has a barometer in it, so it's supposed to be more accurate than just GPS for altitude. I'll have to keep an eye on that next time I'm doing a climb to see how well it works. |
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May 16 |
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Is having your hands “on the hoods” of drop handlebars safe for braking? I have a touring bike which has a much more relaxed posture, while still having drop bars. This allows me to ride with my hand on the drops most of the time. It's a little less aerodynamic than a road bike, but a lot more comfortable. |
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May 16 |
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Evaluate hill gradient I do use Strava and like it. They do kind of put an emphasis on comparing you against others, which can be both fun, if not a little demoralizing. They break up your ride into different sections that allow you to see how your time compares to others who have done the same climb. You can just ignore the standings if you want. |
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May 16 |
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Evaluate hill gradient Strava is another popular site that you can upload your GPX file too. They offer quite a bit for free but also have some advanced features for those willing to pay for a membership. |
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May 16 |
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High pressure water cleaning and chain lube Yeah, if you're a pro mechanic working on pro bikes, and your components are provided as part of you sponsorship deal and replaced frequently, go nuts, it's the fastest way to clean a bike. But definitely not recommended if you want to improve the longevity of your parts. |
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May 16 |
answered | High pressure water cleaning and chain lube |
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May 15 |
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Does frame size inside a particular model affect the ride characteristics of the bike? Along with the first comment, I would venture to say that if it's true for the smallest, it's probably true for the largest, or if you change the stem, drop the bars a bit, or if slide the seat forward a bit. All these things can change how a bike feels. The fork is always the same size to accommodate the same size wheel and allowing the brakes to reach the rim, So you can't really just scale a bike and have different sizes have the same feel. If you can't test drive the bike, perhaps you can persuade them to do a free fitting, with a free stem exchange to ensure it fits you as best it can. |
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May 15 |
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Italian bottom bracket Shimano BB-6400 fixed cup tightening - what tool? @alex How does that allow you to measure the torque? Seems like it would be very easy to over-torque something when using the frame as a giant lever. |
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May 14 |
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Number of gears for a racer Probably worth noting that the number of gears on the cassette (in the back) won't do much to determine the "range" of gearing, but really determines the size of steps between individual gears. I have an 8 speed (11-32) with way more range than most racing bikes, but the gears are further apart so I sometimes feel like I can't get in the right gear. It's likely that an old 14 speed bike will have just as much range as a modern 20 or 22 speed racing bike, but the steps between the different gears will be much larger. |
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May 13 |
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Cannot fit pump nozzle properly to the presta valve of my tyre That pump, and especially the head looks quite similar to the pump I own. On mine, you have to put it quite far on to the valve to get it into the right position. I always test by pushing the release valve to ensure it has a decent lock, if it's not on right, the release valve doesn't work. |
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May 12 |
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exploding inner tubes The OP states that he rides them into the mountains. I'm don't ride in the mountains, so don't have any experience on this, but when going up to higher altitude, the lower pressure on the outside would result in a higher (relative) pressure on the inside of the tire. Since there is less atmosphere pressing back on the outside of the tire, the inside air presses harder against the tire and rim. I'm not sure how much of a difference this makes in the actual scheme of things or if its enough to make the tire explode. |
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May 12 |
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Bags for longer touring What are you planning on carrying? Will you be carrying a tent or sleeping in hotels? How many days of food do you plan to carry? How often will you be able to go shopping for food or other supplies? It will help if you add a little more detail about the tour so we can give better recommendations. |
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May 11 |
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Thinking of quitting due to dangerous driving Yeah, you would have to trust the person you're riding with quite a bit. Probably something you have to work up to. Start off slow and work your way up. |
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May 11 |
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Thinking of quitting due to dangerous driving A quick Google indicates the there are blind/partially sighted events in the velodrome for the paralympics, so this is a possibility to consider. Even if you aren't interested in doing it competitively. Although from reading it seems that (at least some events) are on a tandem with one sighted rider. Seems to bring up other possibilities. |
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May 10 |
awarded | Pundit |
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May 10 |
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Disabling back-pedal brake I think the coaster breaks and internal hubs work amazingly and are hassle free right up until they fail. After that, adjustments or fixing can be a big chore. While cable brakes and gears will require more frequent adjustments, but are easily fixed by anybody with a little mechanical aptitude. |
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May 10 |
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Why is cycling on a road so much faster than cycling on a cycle path? Same thing in a lot of places. Normally the "cycle path" is actually a shared path for pedestrians, roller-bladers, cyclists, and many other forms of transportation. Even when they are well maintained, smooth asphalt, it's difficult to go fast for more than couple hundred meters before meeting up with some kind of obstacle which will slow you down. Also, they tend to follow the "lay of the land" in order to make them cheaper to build, so you'll often find lots of turns, bends, and small hills which will again impede your progress. |
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May 9 |
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What happened to pumps? From what I remember with screw-on fittings, a significant amount of air was let out when unscrewing the fitting. So you'd have to pump them up a little bit extra to account for the air you would lose when unscrewing the pump. Maybe that's just the pumps I was using though. |
