36
The main advantage is more hand positions. With a regular flat bar, you hold your hands at the grips (with possibly about one more hand position available if you have bar ends).
With drop bars, you can hold at:
The brake hoods (on top of the brake levers)
The drops (the bottom part of the bar)
The tops (on the left and right of the stem)
That place between ...
28
"Middle of the bar", "On the tops", "Middle", "Top", "Tops", "Center"
Hands on the part of the bar closest to the stem. The middle has some width and you can slide your hands around there.
"On the corners", "Corners"
Hands at the outside end of the section where the bar turns. You can grip the corner different ways. There's a sort of position in between ...
22
Yes, the bag can cause the instability. The physics is quite simple.
Ordinarily, a bike is self-stabilizing. If you turn the handlebars to the left, you steer to the left and the bike leans to the left. However, the turning gives a centrifugal force to the right, which causes the bike to want to lean to the right which, in turn, straightens it out.
With a ...
19
Two solutions I've used:
Spray the inside of the grip with hair spray. Slide it on immediately, and then when the hair spray dries, it will glue the grip in place.
Use rubbing alcohol. It does not do as good of a job at locking the grip in place, but it does evaporate quickly and doesn't leave any lubricant inside the grip.
19
Yes, typically you will obtain an improvement in speed by adding clip-on aero bars to your bike.
How much extra speed is dependent on many variables though (mostly how it changes your aerodynamics) but a couple of km/h faster is certainly possible.
One of the several compromises of adding aero bars to a road bike versus having a dedicated time trial bike ...
18
No! Don't do it!
Certainly not with aluminium / alloy bars. Any bending stresses the internal structure of the metal, weakening it. Even in a metalworking shop, I would be doubtful of the safety of the product. I hesitated to say final product because the result could be ... final. For you.
Even with steel bars, I wouldn't do it. With steel bars we used to ...
17
That's fairly normal behavior. You point out that you got used to it, but couldn't "trust the bike". It's a very similar scenario to moving to a new bike with much different geometry and not trusting the bike, your body and learned muscle memory needs time to adjust. Weight strapped to the front of your handlebars tends to do this, especially when it ...
16
Report it to his insurance company first. Period.
If for whatever reason the driver decides to renege on his admittance of fault and declines to pay damages to your bike, you're basically screwed if you're past the insurance company's reporting threshold. However, do not sign any paperwork the insurance company asks you to (which may limit their liability ...
14
John Duggan wrote an excellent checklist for what to do after a bike/car crash.
It sounds like you've already handled the first part pretty well, but here are the steps he advises:
Do get the necessary medical treatment.
Do have your bike thoroughly inspected by a reputable bike shop.
Do take photographs of the accident scene, your injuries, your ...
14
Anywhere from a month or two to years and years; how long handlebar tape lasts depends on too many factors to really answer this with a number. Of course, how often you cycle is a factor, but how good the tape is and how well it's applied also makes a difference.
For example, gel tape is notorious for wearing quickly, as the gel gets pushed away from where ...
14
What he hammered down is the star nut. It's a gription (yes I made that word up) device that serves as an anchor point in the steer tube to allow the top cap to properly compress the headset during a headset adjustment. Old or damaged star nuts are often driven all the way through the steer tube to remove them (that's why your steer tube is open at the ...
14
Two reasons, one major and one a little more subtle.
Majorly, most adult bikes won't come close to fitting in a standard, non-oversize bike shipping box if you just turn the bars and fork as you describe. What counts as oversize and how much more it costs will vary depending on where you are in the world and the carrier, but you'll need a significantly ...
13
As Chris H notes, the clerk was wrong. And he suggests a good suggestion to raise the light above the bag. However, you can also mount the light below the bag as well. Operating on the same principle as fog lights on cars, low mounted lights can do a better job of showing some road hazards. They are also much less likely to blind drivers and pedestrians (...
13
It's almost certainly cork that is used in the bar tape for its vibration damping and sweat absorbing properties.
It's clearly visible in this promotional image for Cinelli tape:
12
I wouldn't recommend bending handlebar -- if the bar breaks (which is more likely due to the stresses you're putting on it), you're probably going to lose some teeth or worse. I don't know your skills with metal, so I'd also probably not suggest the bent piece of tubing approach.
If you really want a bullhorn and want to make it yourself, your best bet is ...
11
Two more positions (or variations): There is also an area in between position (1) and (3), on the corner of the bars and (depending on the bar) in between the corner and the hoods. I probably spend most of my time in these positions. Also, if I want to get in a more aerodynamic position, but not go into the drops, holding the tops of the hoods works well ...
11
Be removing the cap from the front of the lever, a hex socket is revealed through a small opening, which can be tightened to snug the lever to the handle bar:
11
Spit.
Im not kidding. Saliva is a great lubricant that will dry with little residue, and depending on any sugars in your system, could be a little tacky. I have done this for years.
11
Distribute thin zip-ties around the inside of the grip somewhat evenly so that they provide slippery "rails" on which the grip can slide on the bar. Once the grip is in place, pull the zip-ties out (with pliers if necessary).
11
What you're looking for are called Cross or Interrupter levers (i.e. they interrupt the brake cable housing--the cable passes through them. It is worth noting that in the video the cables protruding from the sides of the brake hoods are shifter cables...the brake cable is routed under the handlebar tape to the cross levers).
Most setups are designed to work ...
11
I believe that's the logo for Dyno which was acquired by GT in the '80s.
11
For a city commuter bike, don't bother with disk brakes - go for simple rim brakes. You'll want the reliability over all else. You don't need disks for most types of road cycling, as the limiting factor for grip is likely to be your tyre anyway.
As regards shifters, go with whatever is comfortable for you. I like the combination of brakes and gear levers in ...
11
The most common measurement I've seen is c-c (centre to centre), the distance between the two horizontal tops of the drops, running parallel with the stem and behind the hoods.
If that doesn't make sense, see the following image.
Image credit bikerumour.com
However, you're right to check this as not everyone does it this way. The internal or external ...
11
I now realise "gran fondo" is American terminology for "cyclosportive". That sort of event falls loosely between audax and racing. The randonneuring community prize responsible riding, and tend to frown upon behaviour or equipment that could be deemed "antisocial". For example, most audax events require riders to fit mudguards, for the benefit of others.
In ...
11
Well, from an engineering standpoint, no. It increases complexity, cost and weight. Those might be a deal breaker for the commuters who would likely use them. From a practical standpoint, maybe. @NL_Derek; you could be the first to test one!
In conjunction with other folding components (frame like a Dahon & pedals), it may suit the users need, imagine ...
11
Before looking to improve the bike, I'd look to improve your fitness. I was able to average 13–14mph on my hybrid for 1–1.5hrs; at that time, I was commuting 3–5 miles each way per day and maybe a weekend ride of 15–20 miles once or twice a month.
Hybrids aren't designed for going fast but, at 11mph, there's not a huge aerodynamic ...
10
Best solution (probably available only at shops): use an air compressor with a narrow tip to inject air between the grip and the handlebar at an angle (like spiralling around). This will create an air cushion and you can move the grip around (keep moving the air jet as you apply the air jet, since only in some positions the air cushion is formed).
Less ...
10
I commute every day in SF with drop bars. It's not an issue for me. You quickly adapt to the hand position, if you bike is set up in a way that is comfortable for you.
The real safety issue you should be worried about, IMHO is not braking itself, but rather the "heads-down" position you can be in on the bike itself. You have to get used to looking around ...
10
My bikes had one. You would simply put your bike against the wall with just that "thing" and your saddle touching the wall.
It would prevent scratches and made sure your bike doesn't fall.
That thing was made of some sort of rubber/plastic so your handlebars wouldn't simple "slide" down the wall making your bike fall when you put it against it.
Also. ...
10
Doing it safely with aluminum is not simple or equipment-minimal, either modifying it or making it from scratch. But, if you want to make a hobby of it for a while, you can do it safely in steel in very equipment-minimal fashion.
Here's a link to the public domain book usually referred to as "Bicycle Repairing 1896." It's a US bicycle shop repair book from ...
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