All Questions
18,512
questions
5
votes
4
answers
70
views
Where to mount a bell on drop bar handlebars?
Since my commuter bike was stolen, I'm now forced to use my road bike as a stop gap commuter until I find a suitable replacement. The road bike is already equipped with a bell, but it's currently ...
6
votes
2
answers
285
views
Fat tires on a Rhoades Car quadricycle bike?
Ok, we have a Rhoades Car 4 wheel bike. It has a top, fenders and the works. It currently has 20 inch tires on it.
Years ago we contacted the company to upgrade to 26 inch tires. We never got around ...
- 61
2
votes
1
answer
304
views
Why are my BMX brake pads not performing?
This is a ten-year-old Felt "Vault" BMX. I'm old but new to actually building BMX bikes.
I bought it used for fifty USD right out of a garage and immediately noticed the slow stopping of ...
- 21
2
votes
0
answers
22
views
Does (or has in the past) an adaptor existed to mount a disc rotor to a Shimano Rollerbrake type hub?
I have acquired a Nexus 8speed rear hub. It’s a good one and I’d love to use it. However, it has been set up to use rim brakes and under the plastic cover is the interface to mount a rollerbrake. Does ...
- 8,715
4
votes
1
answer
97
views
Gravel derailleur advice
I have a gravel bike with the following 1X set up: FSA Omega Megaexo crank, 40T; Sunrace 11-46 CSMS8 cassette; Sram Apex1 11 spd derailleur; Sram Apex 11 speed Double-Tap shifter.
I would like to ...
- 51
4
votes
3
answers
286
views
How to lock a saddle clamp to stop it from loosening during riding?
I borrowed my son's bike (a simple mountain bike) and I have problems with the saddle: I pushed it as far as possible to the back (so that it tilts down as much as possible otherwise I have the ...
- 987
8
votes
2
answers
390
views
When descending on paved roads - fork locked or open?
When I am descending with my cross country mountain bike my fork is open when I am riding on gravel, dirt roads or more technical sections.
But when I am descending on a smooth / paved road is it ...
- 333
5
votes
1
answer
237
views
Strange handle on the left side of Winora Youkatan 12 pro
There is a strange handle (lever) on the left side of my new E-bike (Winora Youkatan 12 pro). It looks similar to the brake or gear shifter, and it is connected to the cable that goes somewhere (...
- 3,392
4
votes
3
answers
111
views
How to silence freehub on DT Swiss Spline wheels?
I just finished building a new gravel/commuting bike. For this build, I have bought a pair of DT Swiss Spline C 1800.
However as I switched from an early 80's Peugeot bike to this new gravel, I ...
- 63
8
votes
2
answers
703
views
What are the geometric differences between a bicycle with aerobars (aka tribars) set up for touring (or long-distance) and one set up for speed?
I would like to ask some questions about aerobars, also known as tribars.
I've seen them used on bicycles meant for very different purposes. In theory, the very low, horizontal, position is ideal for ...
- 147
0
votes
0
answers
39
views
Light hardtail for small person
is there such a thing (in the UK) as a sub-12kg hardtail with 26" wheels (non-negotiable) and an XS or XXS frame size, with decent quality equipment (brakes, groupset, bars etc.) that doesn't ...
- 1
10
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Why do we say we "ride" and not "drive" bicycles?
This question has to do with the history of the English terminology used to describe using the bike. Why do we call it "riding" instead of "driving" the bicycle? And why do we &...
- 301
0
votes
0
answers
62
views
Was told i was given a dyno
I was told I was given a dyno. Serial number 00TD042035. There are no stickers or any other markings on the Chrome frame. And I've tried to search everywhere I can with this serial number but have ...
- 1
5
votes
3
answers
427
views
Improving the Efficiency of a Derailleur: Enlarging the Cassette Sprockets to reduce Friction
For reasons that I have not yet understood, the smallest sprockets with only 11 teeth have prevailed in derailleur cassettes of road bikes, which leads to a very strong deflection of the individual ...
- 151
1
vote
1
answer
103
views
Adding a second chainring to a 1X
I have a 1X gravel bike with an 11-46 cassette and a 40T chainring. This gearing works for most of my riding but there are times when I'm doing some serious climbing that it would great to have one or ...
- 51
1
vote
0
answers
56
views
How do hydraulic interrupter brake levers work?
It has come to my attention that interrupter-style levers are available for hydraulic brakes now.
By interrupter lever, I mean those levers which can be mounted to the same cable on an alternate ...
- 3,027
17
votes
9
answers
4k
views
Should cyclists on a bike path separated from the road overtake each other on the right or on the left?
I am going to assume right side traffic for this question. Switch all the left and right if you are in the UK. If you are cycling on a road with or without a designated bicycle lane you should stick ...
- 305
5
votes
2
answers
380
views
What Causes Tubeless Road Tires to Blister?
Road tubeless setup, and have been happy with it for several years. In the past year I have had a couple of my tires blister either on the centerline of the tread or just slightly off it. In one case ...
- 414
0
votes
0
answers
27
views
Can I fit 25 MM tires on Bontrager Paradigm Comp 25 wheels?
I am switching from a tubeless 32mm tire to a 25mm tire set with tubes. The tubeless is messy and with the number of flats we experience I feel going back to tubes will be easier.
- 1
-1
votes
0
answers
28
views
Looking For Info On Dyno Crush BMX
I don't know anything about BMX bikes but I recently acquired a Dyno Crush and was hoping to get any information I can on it such as year it was made, information about Dyno, are the parts original, ...
13
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Are brake calipers directional?
I'm interested in putting a discs brake on the right side of a bicycle. The goal is to have dual front discs, similar to how motorcycles often use double front brake discs.
I can buy or make a custom ...
- 3,027
2
votes
2
answers
59
views
alleviating localised pressure from pedal cage
I ride my Brompton in normal shoes with quill/cage pedals and half-clips:
I've done 25-100 miles journeys, and occasionally find the balls of my feet get sore / toes go a bit numb. It feels as though ...
- 351
3
votes
1
answer
68
views
Can't index gears with both chainrings
I have a 2011 Lapierre sensium 3 which I bought new in 2012. It came with 2X10 Ultegra gears which have never really indexed well, needing 2 clicks to change direction. My bikes with 105s work ...
- 31
3
votes
2
answers
234
views
What type of bikes have a steel frame with 135mm rear dropouts spacing?
I'm looking for a bike frame made of steel with a 135mm rear dropouts spacing. The reason is that I might have to cold set at ~ 138mm for a project.
It could be a road bike, a mountain bike, or a ...
- 343
5
votes
1
answer
613
views
Brake mounting points very close to the rim
I have a bike that came originally with roller brakes. I would like to remove the roller brakes and install rim brakes instead.
For the rear wheel (this question is only about the rear wheel) there is ...
- 460
3
votes
1
answer
37
views
SRAM X01 derailleur very slow to shift into two smallest cogs
I recently changed bikes and have my first SRAM derailleur. I'm relatively new to bikes (couple of years) but mechanically handy, and had no issues adjusting the Shimano XT derailleur on my last bike....
- 31
5
votes
2
answers
492
views
Does a z-shaped cone wrench exist?
This is a massive cone, and I was under the mistaken belief that if it remains perfectly smooth, I can either overhaul it yearly, or grind it with a Dremel and repack the grease every two years, and ...
- 4,049
7
votes
1
answer
109
views
Water in (tubed MTB) tyres for weeks after a riding through a ford - is it a problem?
I changed my MTB tyres yesterday for today's ride (lots of road and gravel, not much tricky stuff, and very dry, so I wanted the faster ones). That bike with the other tyres had last been ridden ...
- 45.1k
2
votes
3
answers
76
views
Chain clanking whenever I start to pedal
This issue started a few days ago and I'm not sure what is causing it.
Anywhere from 5-30 seconds after starting off, I can hear a loud clanking sound coming from the drivetrain, and sometimes there ...
1
vote
1
answer
51
views
Carrera impel im-1 Electric Hybrid Bike ridgid to suspension fork
Hi there I have the Carrera impel im-1 Electric Hybrid Bike this bike has been great so far but as far as living in a town not quite a city there are some bumps and curbs I would like to get over more ...
5
votes
1
answer
161
views
Is it safe to ride on wheels with rusted spoke eyelets?
I bought an old Bianchi with 26" wheels and I’m finding it hard to find a replacement with max width 23 mm tires and an old 6 speed freewheel
I was trying to true the wheels but the nipples where ...
- 1,447
1
vote
1
answer
44
views
Front wheel squeak
I am wondering what is the correct solution to this problem and if I am diagnosing the problem correctly.
Recently, my front wheel started squeaking once per revolution of the wheel. I tried to ...
- 161
5
votes
1
answer
157
views
Is this a common failure mode for Nuvinci/Enviolo hubs? How do I fix it?
The cables coming out of the twist grip for my Nuvinci N380 went "sproing" the other day and I pedalled home frantically in low gear. This isn't the first time this has happened. On closer ...
- 610
1
vote
1
answer
46
views
What components of the drive train are cross compatible between casette number of rings(10 / 11 speed)?
I have an old 10 speed road bike fitted with (Mostly) Shimano 105 groupset drivetrain.
I'm looking to replace a few parts and I noticed that 10 speed 105 and Ultegra parts are not so easy to find, ...
- 186
5
votes
2
answers
559
views
Do mountain bike cantilever brakes have different pull than road bike cantilever brakes?
I was discussing with a friend who worked at a bike shop for 4 years about switching my mtb flat bars to drops (either a horrendously awful or great idea) and they said I would have to replace my ...
- 121
2
votes
1
answer
96
views
Wheel not straight in dropouts - can this cause brake rub?
My front wheel is not straight in the fork dropouts. It's been like this since I've bought the bike second hand a few years ago. See pictures below.
I've tried installing an identically sized wheel ...
- 353
3
votes
1
answer
82
views
Suspension bike
I recently bought a hyper plush 24 inch bike that says it has full suspension but only my rear suspension works I've seen other bikes for example an ozone 500 ultra shock it looks the same but mine is ...
0
votes
1
answer
90
views
Can anyone identify this old German bike?
I found this old bike, it comes from Berlin, the brand is ACTIVE, but can’t find anything online about the brand. Is this worth putting 500 euro in to restore? Is the bike rare?
3
votes
2
answers
588
views
Would you be able to use mountain bike/straight bar cable brake levers as auxiliary/inline brake levers on drop bars?
Really dumb question, but would this be possible, with or without practicality? Drill a hole in them, perhaps?
- 121
3
votes
2
answers
153
views
What do "capsize", "wobble", and "weave" mean when referring to bike stability?
Some research into (uncontrolled) bicycle stability (e.g. Jason K. Moore, Human Control of a Bicycle, 2012) models the dynamic behavior of some bikes and determines "critical speeds" for &...
- 241
4
votes
3
answers
118
views
Carbon fork - removed exapnder plug before loosening stem
So I forgot about the correct procedure and removed the expander plug on my carbon fork before unfastening the stem's bolts (carbon-specific stem, 5 Nm, unscrewed stem right after removing plug, and ...
- 387
0
votes
0
answers
47
views
Shifting issue on road bike
Got given a BH Zapphire road bike, in good condition but rear gear cable was snapped. I have fitted a new cable but now got an issue.
The gear will move up to the larger cogs fine, but then when I try ...
4
votes
1
answer
114
views
Deriving formula for spoke lengths
I know that I can use online calculators or tables to determine spoke length. I also know that there are some pre-derived formulas for spoke length that I could use to calculate the spoke lengths or ...
- 3,027
1
vote
1
answer
39
views
Swapping BB and crankset between bikes
I have a 2001 DeVinci Santiago road bike, which has a Shimano 105 road triple crankset and an octalink BB. I'm about to buy a 2010 Masi Speciale CX, which has a Truvativ Touro compact double and a ...
- 170
4
votes
1
answer
87
views
How to use the 3rd brake on a tandem?
I found myself looking at tandems today and was surprised to find one with 3 brakes.
A bit of further research found that a 3rd brake can be used as a drag brake on steep descents - especially when ...
- 12.7k
3
votes
2
answers
330
views
Searching a new city tyre for Two old bikes, one has 26x1,90 tyre on it and another has 37-622(28x1 3/8x1 5/8)
I have two old bikes. Without changing their rims, I want to make them city bikes which I will use for going to work. I prefer thin tires as much as possible. Could you help me to choose a good pair ...
0
votes
1
answer
60
views
Shimano CS-HG31 vs HG41 8-speed Cassette
I need to replace my cassette and found out that there are two types that I can get for an 8-speed. I usually replaced the Shimano CS-HG41 by itself. However there is also the Shimano CS-HG31 8-speed ...
- 75
5
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Do rotational-symmetric-looking front lights usually throw half their light into oncoming traffic? How To dinstiguish?
Many front lights look rotational symmetric, also pretty powerful ones (>500 lumen).
Is that usually the case? Or are there many that only look like that, but are still constructed to produce a ...
- 534
3
votes
1
answer
177
views
How to get Rear derailleur aligned and in correct position?
I have a shimano altus rear derailleur that won't go into biggest cog for gear 1 - it is two out so in the gear 3 cog. Would it be the limit screws needing adjustment or other?
I have tried adjusting ...
- 145
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
New bike is making rattling noise
Brand new specialized rockhopper 2022 is making rattling noise.
Sample:
Is this normal or could it be a manufacturing defect?
- 51