17
votes
Accepted
Can my bike support a kickstand?
There are at least four different places you can mount a kickstand.
From left to right:
Orange arrow: Rear axle kickstand. These come in one-sided and two-sided varieties. The one sided are not that ...
- 29.4k
11
votes
How can I tell what year my bike was made?
Serial Numbers
Bicycles (except children's bicycles) are almost always required to have a frame or serial number. Some manufacturers use a date-code as part of the serial number.
For example, a ...
- 29.4k
8
votes
How can I tell what year my bike was made?
Literature (old catalogues, fan websites, etc.)
I managed to date my old Raleigh by finding scans of old catalogues online. That model was only sold in one particular year, but more often you'd get ...
- 61.2k
7
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Dropper Posts
Dropper posts are more commonly found on mountain bikes and on some gravel bikes. They allow the rider to quickly lower their saddle height, and thus their center of gravity. This is ...
7
votes
How can I tell what year my bike was made?
Ask the Seller/Owner
A simple thing if you're receiving a bike is to ask the person selling it. Take their info with a grain of salt though - some sellers may lie to increase the perceived value of ...
- 129k
6
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Bonk
An expression used by cyclists to describe sudden fatigue or loss of energy while exercising. Also known as crashing, blowing up, or running out of steam/gas/fuel, or empty tank. The phenomenon ...
6
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Thru Axles / Through Axles
Through axles (TAs) are large-diameter threaded fasteners that secure the bike's wheels to the frame and fork, serving the same role as Quick Release Skewers. They ...
6
votes
How can I tell what year my bike was made?
Indexed and Electronic Shifting
Shimano introduced Shimano Indexed Shifting (SIS) in 1984. If a bicycle has indexed shifters, then it is model year 1985 or later -- assuming that the shifters and ...
- 29.4k
6
votes
How can I tell what year my bike was made?
Style of Shifter (friction shifter, brifter, grip shifter)
Downtube or handlebar mounted friction shifters were common on bicycles until the early 1980s when indexed shifting was introduced by ...
6
votes
How can I tell what year my bike was made?
Freewheel or Cassette (Freehub)
If your bicycle uses a cassette freehub for the rear sprockets, then it was likely made in the late 1980s or later. Shimano came out with the first commercial freehub ...
- 29.4k
5
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Chainsuck
Chainsuck happens when the bicycle chain fails to disengage from the teeth of a chainring—usually during a shift—and wraps back up and around the chainring.
Citation and image from: http://...
5
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
BCD (Bolt Circle Diameter)
As Wolf Tooth Components describes,
"Bolt Circle Diameter or BCD is the diameter of the circle that goes
through the center of all of the bolts on your chainring. On ...
5
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Tyre Clearance or Tire Clearance
Wider tires at a lower pressure are more comfortable than narrower ones, and they often have no rolling resistance penalty. For riders interested in fitting wider ...
5
votes
How can I tell what year my bike was made?
Cottered Cranks
The use of cottered cranks was popular on bikes until the mid to late 1970s until they were replaced by square taper and splined bottom bracket designs.
Raleigh, for example, ...
- 29.4k
4
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Q-Factor
Related: Stance width
Q-factor is the distance (in millimetres) between the outside faces of your crank arms. It is one component of your stance width, which is the Q-factor plus the ...
4
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Coaster Brake
(a.k.a foot brake, or pedal brake.)
A coaster brake is a special rear hub for a bicycle, which performs two functions:
It allows the bicycle to roll without forcing the ...
4
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Axle
Quote and image from Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Glossary:
The shaft at the middle of a bearing. There is some controversy as to
whether "axle" or "spindle" should be used in ...
4
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Rim Tape
For clincher type rims and tires with inner tubes: tape applied to the inside of the wheel rim to protect the inner tube from sharp edges and the ends of the spokes and spoke nipples, which ...
4
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Play
Play means unwanted movement in a system. It can be caused when one or more moving mechanical parts do not fit as specified. This can be caused when manufactured parts are out of the specified ...
4
votes
How can I tell what year my bike was made?
Mongoose specific
if you have mongoose this may be if some help..
https://shop.re-rides.com/blogs/news/mongoose-serial-number-for-bmx-mid-school-new-school
Older Mongoose bikes made through the 1980’...
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
How to start on a road-cycling?
Road cycling is a broad and deep topic, and there's probably no single source of information that could do more than scratch the surface of all its various disciplines (racing, touring, commuting, ...
- 30.4k
3
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Bike Chain / Roller Chain
Image credit: Park Tool
A bushingless chain is made of four parts:
A: Side Plates, a.k.a. Outer Plates
B: Inner Plates
C: Rivet, a.k.a. Pin
D: Rollers
A MasterLink is a ...
3
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Derailleur or derailer
Derailleurs enable bicycles to use multiple gears. The word's origin is French, but in English the accent mark is omitted. It is sometimes spelled derailer.
Before derailleurs, ...
3
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Axle Nuts
An older method of holding a wheel into dropouts.
Compare with Through Axles or with Quick Release/QR
This image also shows a retention washer with a hooked retainer.
Some ...
3
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Suspension Systems
Suspension allows the wheels to displace when they encounter a bump. This helps them maintain traction in rough terrain and improves rider comfort. A suspension fork is used for the ...
3
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Bidon. Aka water bottle.
Specifically designed to securely fit into bottle cages on the frame. Generally hold 500-750ml (22-26oz) of water; litre bottles that fit cages are becoming more common, ...
3
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Keel Tube
Also sometimes called the "boob tube" or "boom tube" (although "boom" and "boom tube" are also an unrelated part of a recumbent.)
In a tandem, the ...
3
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Mudguard Stays / Fender Stays
Holders/supports to attach the mudguard/fender to the frame, as pictured.
A single stay has two legs with one on either side of the bike, and is secured to eyelets with ...
3
votes
Terminology index - a list of bike part names and cycling concepts
Stack and Reach
Image credit
Stack is "The vertical distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the central point at the top of the head tube." (ref)
Reach is "The horizontal ...
3
votes
Different kinds of Handlebars
Pursuit Bars
Primarily used for racing, these blur the line between bullhorns and tri-bars/aerobars.
3T pursuit bars.
Lowered bullhorn bars - add aerobars to these and they become pursuit bars.
Pros
...
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