Do you oscillate your diet along with your riding? Briefly
If on alternate days you cycle and rest, and your ride uses, say, 1200 calories, what's better, to eat 2600 calories daily (and then where does the deficit come from on the riding days?) or to alternate between 3200 and 2000 calories (and what kind of diet supplies you with 3200 without disturbing your digestive system?).
For the impatient, let me illustrate the question with a figure.

Not So Briefly
My cyclocomputer tells me that my ride used 1200 calories. I'm here not trying to determine whether the figure is accurate. I'm trying to better understand the appropriate diet for a workout that uses such a substantial fraction (or, for some, a multiple) of the basic daily caloric needs. The other question (how can we—or how does a cyclocomputer—determine the calories used given distances, altitudes, heart rate samples, and speeds) is a very interesting question, but it is not the subject of the present discussion.
Since going through what was most likely "hitting the wall," I've been cautious to eat more, especially carbs.
During the ride I can get 350 or so calories from three small snacks.
Right after the ride I attempt to use this glycogen replenishment window and consume 170 g (about a third of a pasta package) to get ~550 calories heavy in carbs. With a sauce and fruits this after-the-ride lunch might add up to 800 calories, which is not too far from what an adult might need without a workout (assuming vaguely 400+800+800 for the three meals).
The purpose of this worked-out example is to illustrates the difficulty of attempting to reach 3200 calories in a day.
If I did this route daily, it would be simple enough. Rather than the daily ~2000, I'd aim to consume ~3200 calories daily.
But, in full humility, admiration, and respect for those who can climb three mountain ranges racing one day and still be expected to repeat the feat on the following day, I need a day to rest.
What do you do if you ride a day and rest the next? Is it more sensible to increase your caloric intake to, in this example, 2600 daily, or would you alternate between 3200 and 2000?
I am not trying to lose weight. More importantly, I'm hoping to avoid that the caloric deficit would come from losing muscles.
If you choose option 1 (a regular diet), where does the deficit on the training days come from?
If you choose option 2 (an irregular diet), is the human digestive system able to handle the stress of this fluctuation? Or is the secret really to drop the quality of the food and eat, say, cakes or chocolate bars, and then a thousand extra calories become a small volume of food. In that case it seems a spreadsheet would be necessary—to avoid that the outlandish number of calories do not come with an equally spectacular amount of saturated fats. Few would complain of the opportunity to indulge in extra slices of cakes and chocolate bars. The trouble then is the accompanying (saturated) fat. Even if it's not the objective, one of the nice side effects of a workout is to develop a larger heart muscle and larger-flow arteries. It doesn't help if that happens while both become surrounded with fat deposits.
Update

Part of the problem is fear that my hunger triggers may be entirely off. They only signal a very slight extra hunger on riding days, which may mean a slow, inadvertent, and gradual muscle loss. The combination of potentially being hard to measure (slow) yet cumulative (gradual) muscle loss is what makes it worrisome.

Judging by the very existence of hitting the wall, it's not that hard to exhaust the carbs stored in the body. I understand that these carb stores increase with exercise, but meanwhile what mechanism does the body use to average out? Are fat stores really capable of building up and getting used in a short-scale cycle?

Either is fine - in fact on this timescale there's not much difference.
My suggestion:
I suspect that what's most satisfying for your body and your desire to measure will be somewhere between the two - probably something like 2300 Cal on your off days and 2900 on your riding days.  This should be quite achievable - a handful of cheese added to your pasta example and another energy bar on your riding days and you're well on the way.
Reasoning:
The human body is very good at averaging out calories burnt and calories taken in.  This is easily demonstrated: the recovery eating phase lasts several hours (though tapering fast especially regarding glycogen), and carb loading (not needed for up to 90 minute efforts) happens the day before the ride.  You'd see a weight fluctuation if you weighed yourself daily, but that happens anyway and hydration would affect that too.
If you're trying to maintain your weight and muscle mass, with that sort of level of riding, you should be fine with a sensible  balanced diet eaten to hunger - tracking your calorie intake isn't necessary, but if you want to do it, that's fine, except that your estimate of your requirements may not be perfect.
Your body can store enough glycogen for that much effort, so losing muscle mass to fuel your rides really isn't an issue, especially as you're snacking.  If you're worried, some small protein intake during/after the ride would do no harm (even just the little bit you get from energy bars with nuts in, for example).  I sometimes do a 75 minute early morning fasted ride (32km, just under 800  Cal which seems like a good estimate - yours seems high but not implausibly so).  In that case I start a protein drink towards the end, which seems to help my recovery in terms of muscle fatigue/aches.
I take your uneven pattern much further - every couple of weeks I do an all-day or even all-weekend ride, and then you really can't take in what you burn (Strava says 8000 Cal for Saturday's 400km).  The excess hunger lasts 1-3 days, but my weight recovers in a similar timescale (when I first started distance riding there was a permanent drop after each long ride, but as I didn't get weaker in the gym I don't think it came from muscles).  Yes there's some energy-dense junk food in there, but that's optional; I happen to like chocolate.
As for your worry about the stress of fluctuating intake - yes, it's fine.  Most of our human ancestors had no choice (could they afford much more than rice/potatoes/bread every day, with meat once a week - or what could they gather in season, how often did they hunt successfully) and anyway couldn't measure their calorie intake.  Your bowel movements might settle into a new pattern, but I wouldn't expect so much as a mild stomach ache

Alternative energy
If you want to avoid hitting the wall, you could look into using ketones. They are the alternative energy source produced by your body once our 2000 calories of glycogen stores are depleted. Ketones are produced by breaking down fat stores in our body. But because our modern diets are very carb-heavy, our bodies rarely have to produce ketones, and so switching from using glucose to ketones as a source of energy does not happen instantly. But you can buy 'ketone oil', and by familiarizing your body with this alternative energy source, allegedly your body can make the switch faster.
Getting enough calories
You mention the "difficulty of attempting to reach 3200 calories in a day." Body builders regularly have to get 3000+ calories a day. They often use "mass gainer" protein shakes, which often have 800+ calories per serving. I personally drink "meal replacement" shakes, specifically Huel, because they have a more balanced nutrition profile. Another very cheap and very convenient alternative is nuts. A 16oz (450gr) container of peanuts has ~2700 calories. That is something you can snack on throughout the day. Nuts also have a ton of healthy fat.
Calories during ride
I would suggest drinking a sports drink (such as Gatorade) in addition to eating snacks during the ride. Depending on what your snacks are, the carbs (glucose) in the food will not hit your bloodstream as quick as a sports drink will. Also, consider eating a small snack an hour before the ride. One peanut butter and jelly sandwich can easily have 300 calories.
Summary
As others have said, spread your eating out evenly. After all, when you are riding, you are using calories which your body has processed, probably the day before. Try to eat food which is more "caloric-dense". For example, a 16oz (450gr) box of pasta contains only 1600 calories.
Edit
I read your previous question. Eating a bunch of pasta a few hours before a ride is not going to fuel your ride, it's going to make you feel sick. I would suggest switching to a sports drink rather than croissants during the ride (unless you are French, because French cyclists are fueled entirely by croissants and espresso). You can buy Gatorade powder, and mix it in with your water to get precisely the number of calories you want during the ride.


How do I choose a bicycle fork? I'm putting together a bicycle on a budget from a frame I was given and various parts from a bike with a broken frame. The only part of any expense that I really need is the fork, and I want to get this via an auction (likely Yahoo auction Japan).

The frame itself is a women's Scott Tacana. Something like this:

I'm not necessarily looking for shocks, I really just want something cheap that fits. Are there different diameters, tube lengths etc, that I need to be aware of?

There are only a few measurements you need to be aware of when purchasing a new fork, particularly if you're avoiding suspension.  If you don't need suspension, don't get it - it will only add cost and complexity, and a cheap suspension fork will be much worse than a rigid fork.

The basic measurements you need to be aware of are:

Headset type.  Not truly a measurement, but there are two types of headsets - threaded and threadless.  The photo you show is of a bike with a threadless headset; the fork's steerer tube will be a smooth, unthreaded tube and the headset is tensioned with a bolt from the top and the clamping action of the stem.
Steerer tube diameter. Also two main options, 1" (25.4mm) and 1 1/8" (28.6mm, also known as 1.125" or 9/8").  Nearly all threadless headsets use 1 1/8" steerers. You can verify that the frame you have is for that size by measuring the inside of the head tube, it should be 34mm.  If you already have a headset installed, you can verify that the inner diameter of that is 28.6mm.
Steerer tube length. If you are purchasing a new (or "uncut") fork this is extremely unlikely to be an issue, but on a used fork you'll need to check. The steerer tube needs to be long enough to extend above the top of the headset with room for the stem to clamp fully.  Too short and it can't be used with that frame.  Too long isn't an issue, since you can easily use spacers and/or cut it to length.  If you measure your stem clamp, your headset, and the length of your head tube and add a few mm for a safe margin you've got a bare minimum steerer length you'll need.
Wheel size and brake type. The bike in the picture has 26" (559) wheels and is designed for cantilever or v-brakes. The position of those brake mounts is specific to the wheel diameter, so you'll want to make sure it's for the right size wheels.  If you switch to disc brakes, you can omit this concern, but not entirely, because of...
Axle-to-crown length. This is the distance from the center of the axle to the top of the fork crown, just below where the steerer tube starts. The frame's geometry was designed around a certain distance here, and changing it dramatically will alter the handling by increasing or decreasing the angles relative to the ground.  For mountain bike forks this information is more difficult to come by than for road bike forks, but if your bicycle originally had a suspension fork the rule of thumb for rigid is to find a fork that is "suspension corrected" for the amount of travel your bike originally sold with.  In the case of the Scott Tocana it looks like most models shipped with an 80mm suspension fork, so an 80mm suspension-corrected rigid fork should keep things normal.

Basically, given the bike you've shown, if you look for an '26-inch fork, 80mm suspension corrected, 1 1/8" uncut steerer, v-brake posts' you will probably find something suitable.

I have some advise for you... Dont buying a cheap fork..
You will feel it the different cheap fork and expensive fork...
My first bike using RST fork and i used it for MTB...
It's so terrible the rebound is not good...
Now my bike using roxshox revelation...
It's so different the rebound so smooth...


Adjusting Gear Actuation I recently brought a second hand bike with Shimano Deore gears on it and  when I switch up a gear on the chain-ring it requires a significant amount of actuation pressure on the 'flappy' paddle  (almost reaches travel limit before changes).

I was wondering how I should adjust this to reduce actuation pressure?

I'm not sure what you're comparing the effort to, but typically the front derailleur requires more cable pull to actuate, in comparison to shifting in the rear.

Adjusting Shimano Front Derailleurs

Adjusting Shimano Rear Derailleurs

It could be that you need a bit of slack removed from the cable, but without photos, it's hard to say.

Front shifting explained


Cyclocross on airplane I'm planning on flying to Japan for a bicycle vacation early this spring. Having had a look at flight bags, I'm puzzled. They are expensive, weigh tons and are huge, I couldn't feasibly bring them with me on my bicycle trek. I might be able to rent storage for roughly a month in Tokyo, but it seems like quite a tedious project on its own.

How do the rest of you manage? Remove the wheels and wrap the thing up in (EDIT: cardboard and) plastic-wrap on the airport, have it checked in instead of luggage, and then use the panniers as carry-on luggage? Is it safe? Has anyone had their bicycle damaged or stolen during transport?

For packing, a box from a bike shop will do fine and you can chuck it in the recycling when you get to Tokyo and find another before flying out. Most bike shops will give these to you if you ask nicely and even if they charge you, it ain't going to be much.

A much bigger issue is airline choice. Options for flying with a bike range from free to pay by the kilo in excess charges to some obscene special bike charge. Read up and check the baggage allowances for sporting goods very carefully.

If you fly a lot, get a loyalty card, the extra 10kg you get on most airlines' lowest tier covers a bike in a box nicely. And if you get some special luggage tags, that can't hurt either.

My bike has survived a few flights totally unharmed, this was in a bike box though. Though I do have friends who have shipped a lot of bikes all over the place in cardboard and I've never heard of any problems. Not that it can't happen, it's just unlikely. You can't move for bikes/bike shops in Tokyo so getting spares isn't going to be an issue.

Getting your bike stolen is not going to happen. Walking out of the secure side of an airport with a bike up your jumper is going to raise eyebrows.

Wrap your bike in plastic is not an option.

Pay a shop to box in cardboard.
In Tokyo pay a shop to assemble.

For the trip back pay a shop to disassemble and box in cardboard.

With assembly, disassembly, boxing, and shipping you are going to pay $1000.
You might want to look at rental.

There are bikes built for shipping.


If I currently have 700x23/25C tires on my bike, will 700x35C winter tires fit? I understand that the first number is the tire diameter, so on that part I know it will fit, and that the second number is the tire width and that's my main concern.

I want to put winter tires on my bike and all the studded winter tires that I find are 35C. Will they fit on my wheels if I currently use 23C and 25C?

35c might be a bit too wide for your rims, maybe 32c would be a better choice. They may fit your wheels just fine, but they may or may not rub on the chain stays, seat stays or the brake caliper.

35c tires are not only wider, but also have a larger outside diameter than than their smaller counterparts.

If you have enough clearance on your frame & calipers, you should still consider how big of a change in size you want to try.

Consult the chart below to help determine if they will fit.

From Tire Sizing Systems

  Width Considerations

  Although you can use practically any tire/rim combination that shares
  the same bead seat diameter, it is unwise to use widely disparate
  sizes.

  If you use a very narrow tire on a wide rim, you risk pinch flats and
  rim damage from road hazards.

  If you use a very wide tire on a narrow rim, you risk sidewall or rim
  failure. This combination causes very sloppy handling at low speeds.
  Unfortunately, current mountain-bike fashion pushes the edge of this.
  In the interest of weight saving, most current mountain bikes have
  excessively narrow rims. Such narrow rims work very poorly with wide
  tires, unless the tires are overinflated...but that defeats the
  purpose of wide tires, and puts undue stress on the rim sidewalls.

  Georg Boeger has kindly provided a chart showing recommended width
  combinations:

  Which tire fits safely on which rim?

   Note: This chart may err a bit
  on the side of caution. Many cyclists exceed the recommended widths
  with no problem

I want to put winter tires on my bike and all the studded winter tires that I find are 35C. Will they fit on my wheels if I currently use 23C and 25C?

I used to ride 40C studded winter tires in the winter. I found them to be far too narrow for this use case.
Especially if you have to ride on snow modified by pedestrians walking over it, the 40C tires do not travel in a straight line. You will find your bicycle continuously wobbling from left to right.
I would assume a 35C tire is far too narrow, being even more horrible than the 40C tires I used to use.
Also, while a 35C tire is far too narrow to ride on snow modified by pedestrians, it may at the same time be far too wide to fit into a typical road bicycle (IMO, these bicycles that come with ridiculous 23C/25C tires shouldn't be called road bicycles -- they should be called racing bicycles). In the winter, you want enough clearance between the tire and brake/bicycle. Especially with caliper brakes, you may find a tire wider than about 28C may not fit. With disc brake bicycles, the situation may not be as bad, but you may still find the space to fit a tire with decent snow clearance may be limited.
My advice would be to get a fatbike for winter. Yep, it's slow but then so is riding on a snowy road.


Disc Rotor Alignment Mavic Crosstrail I have a disc rotor alignment question you maybe can help me with.

I have a Canyon Nerve AL+ 8.0 that's been working nice until the front wheel got stuck on the brake. First I thought it was a brake issue but now I'm not so sure. When I inspected the wheel placement it looks as if the wheel is misaligned on the "hub tube". I took a few photos to illustrate the potential problem. But can only post two of them here (2 link limit, not enough reputation).

This is how the caliper aligns with the socket when on the rotor. Not very well at all.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=5FF9BFDF1E0E64EB%2120369
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=5FF9BFDF1E0E64EB%2120370

The brake worked fine for a year then all of the sudden the front wheel got stuck. If I attach the caliper to the socket the right pad presses firmly against the disc rotor. It looks as if the whole hub has moved a few mm to the right on the "tube". The wheel is not centered in the front fork. The rear wheel IS centered.

Is the front wheel supposed to be centered. If so can I fix the hub alignment myself?

How much displacement are we talking about.  A mm or two?

I've never heard of the wheel moving along the axle.  Is the 15QR skewer (the axle) tight?  There is a rotatable nut with numbers on the opposite side which you can adjust to move the final angle at which the skewer lever handle sits.

One thing I would try is to remove the caliper completely (two bolts to the fork) and see if the rim and or the rotor wobbles when turned.  Also check to see if the wheel itself is loose and moves "along the axle" or rattles / has loose play.  The front wheel on my Nerve AL 8.9 is centered, as far as I can tell.

It's possible that the caliper position changed during a crash.  There is slop in the two mounting bolts on purpose so that you can center the caliper pads onto the disk.  But before you try that, you should probably make sure the disks aren't warped as well.


Winter tires with removed studs as summer tires? I have just a set of summer tires in very poor condition and a huge heap of studded winter tires. Selling winter tires is very hard so I got an idea to use the winter tires as summer tires with removed studs.

Is it a good idea and how should you remove studs without damaging the tire itself?
Can you use the tire afterwards as winter tire or will the studs become too loose? Any experience?
Should I fill the stud-positions with something if I remove the studs?

The winter tires are W106 Nokian tyres, Hakkapeliitta.

While the tire itself might or might not be intact after removing the studs, the tube inside the tire would suffer. Studs are installed by piercing the tire itself, and you'd have to patch the hole left by each stud or you'd have blowouts.

I suggest selling the extra studded tires.

No. Don't. It's a bad idea.
Maybe. Don't. It's a bad idea.
Yes. But don't. It's a bad idea.


Are freewheels really that prone and susceptible to bent axles? I'm 90kg (198pounds) and I have a 27.5 hard tail mtb 9 speed freewheel and it is quick release. I only use my mtb as a commuter on roads and never on trail. I run my tires at 35-40psi.
Ever since i bought the bike, the stock axle lasted about 1000-1500 kilometers before my rear wheel started rubbing against my frame. I got it checked out and replaced at my local bike shop cus it was indeed a bent axle. After they had replaced it and replaced my bearings, it only lasted 200km befofe it got bent again. I went back had them replace it with a new one again and same thing happened, only lasted 200km. I tried getting it replaced at another bike shop near me and this time it ony lasted 100km before it got bent.
Is this because of my weight?
Or because my tires are too hard? Or are freewheels just prone to bent axles especially when you have more gears?
I have read somewhere that the greater the speed (7-9speed) the more it is prone to having a bent axle if it is using a freewheel.
I do plan on upgrading to a cassette type hub. I just fear that i may still bend my rear axle even after upgrading my hubs. That's why I want to know if there are other factors causing my axle to bend and will it it still occur if I upgrade to a cassette type hub due to my weight or tire pressure (if those are factors causing or contributing to a bent axle)
Sorry for the long post. Thanks in advance of your answers.

It almost certainly won't happen with a cassette hub. It can happen on standard axle cassette hubs, but it takes a lot, and there's basically always a dropout alignment problem at work in addition to heavy loads over time when it does.
Eight and nine speed standard axle (M10 or 3/8") freewheel hubs are the definition of a cynical design. They work terribly and exist only because hubs are fairly reliably overlooked by buyers of entry-level bikes. They're an utterly crass means for product managers to jam more bullet point type features into a given price point. They are that bad. Light riders are spared some of the pain, but what you're dealing with is common for heavier riders who wind up with them.
Five and six speed standard axle freewheel hubs put much less leverage on the axle where it protrudes from the locknut, and have a pretty minor version of the problem, even for a somewhat heavy rider. Seven is kind of in the middle but is not that problematic for most.
You could put in a solid Wheels Mfg chromoly axle, which means switching to nuts instead of QR, and it will mitigate the issues a lot. It's unfortunate if you haven't had that presented to you as an option. I don't necessarily recommend it though, compared to just putting the money towards a new wheel and cassette.

Is this because of my weight? Or because my tires are too hard? Or are freewheels just prone to bent axles especially when you have more gears?

All of these.
Weight is the cause of broken bicycle components. If you imagine that you never put any weight on your bike (i.e. never ride your bike), it won't fail. The more weight you put on it, the more likely it is to fail.
Those having a higher weight should ideally use wide tires pumped to lower pressures so that the tires cushion the peak loads on the bike. I ignore that advice: I weight more than you do (110 kg), I use 28mm tires pumped to 7 bar, and I have found that wheels having less than 36 spokes don't last for me -- their spoke nipples start to unscrew.
However, the true reason of bent axles is a fundamental flaw in some axles, especially those used in freewheel systems as opposed to freehub systems. The right side bearing is too far from the end of the axle.
Shimano fixed this issue with the introduction of the freehub / cassette system, where the right side bearing is very close to the end of the axle.
Many hub manufacturers copied the Shimano freehub / cassette system. Not all put the right side bearing at the end of the axle (possibly due to wanting to avoid infringing some patents).
When I used to weigh about 70 kg, I bent a cassette hub axle. It was a no name brand, "Black Comp". The cause was that even though it was a cassette / freehub system, the right side bearing was not at the end of the axle.
So if you buy a freehub / cassette system to replace the freewheel system, be sure to purchase a Shimano one. If not, do at least verify that the right side bearing is at the end of the axle.


Sram Red AXS Crank Bolt Cap missing - how to remove crank, if at all? I've got an Sram AXS Dub Crankset on my bike and noticed a few days ago, that the black cover around the crankset bolt (chainring side.. where you tighten/loosen usally to remove the crankset) has apparently.. fallen off. I didn't touch that but it's gone. I asked my dealer and he said Sram doesn't offer these covers, yet so he sent me a replacement crankset which is nice, but I am having problems removing the old crankset in the frame.

I tried and tried but couldn't remove it (by turning counter-clockwise with an 8mm hex key) so I started googling and it appears that this particular black cap is actually needed to remove the crank - is that true?

Or let me ask another way: is it possible (and if so how) to remove the crankset as is / shown in the picture?

Yes, it's true!

The design is known as a self-extracting crank, you can find some excellent videos on how they work, by searching online. You'll see on page 24 of the installation manual that when the crank is removed in steps 1 and 2, it has the little cover with the four small holes in around the crank bolt (where yours is missing). The crank bolt turns against this cap to drive the crank off the spindle. The crank bolt might be nice and tight, but it is designed to be turned.

There isn't any other good way to remove the crank. Some people might remove the bolt and then start hitting the crank until it falls off the spindle, but I wouldn't do that unless it was a last resort to save a bike with a crank which will be scrapped.

The SRAM Road DUB BB/crank manual (page 24) says to simply 'lightly tap the spindle with a rubber or plastic mallet from the drive side'.

The manual actually isn't very descriptive of the crank removal process, but it does not mention use of a cap to get the crank off.

Update after OP stated that the issue is undoing the bolt.

Page 20 of the above linked manual specifies a torque of 54Nm on the crank bolt, which is pretty tight and will be difficult to undo. You'll need a full size socket driver or long 'cheater bar'. I'd also recommend a good quality hex bit which will be much less likely to round off the bolt.


Is it safe to ride on cracked carbon rims (Zipp 404 Firecrest 2010 edition)? I've got a set of Zipp Firecrest 404 Tubulars (2010). I went over a pothole recently but did not crash. It was a pretty big pothole. After going over the pothole, I heard a rubbing sound from the front wheel when braking. Continued the ride home (20Km) and inspected it when I got home. I found a crack on the side of the rim. The tubular tires look fine. At the point of the crack, there's no visible damage to the tubular tires or the other side of the rim. The tubular tires also still hold air perfectly. I've attached some pictures below. A couple of questions:

I don't think the crack is due to impact. It's probably due to the side grazing the pothole. There wasn't damage on the other side. If it's an impact crack, it would likely appear on both sides?
Is this repairable and worth repairing?
I've read many other posts and the classic answer is "is your face worth more than 1000 dollars for a new wheel". It's of course easy to buy a new wheel, but I'd like a more thorough answer on what caused this crack and whether or not it is still rideable from a scientific perspective.

Sorry to hear about your damage.

I don't think the crack is due to impact.

Maybe, maybe not, but regardless of a reason the wheel has become damaged. On the two sided likeness of damage — things are not symmetrical in practice, especially pot holes, and a crack does not have to be symmetrical.

Is this repairable and worth repairing?

It depends on whether a specific shop agrees to repair it. A wheel after such a repair essentially becomes warrantied by the repairing shop and not the wheel manufacturer. In a case the repair won't hold and you'll crash because of that, the liability will be on the shop. For this reason, many carbon repairing shops won't risk fixing such a critical part of a wheel as the braking surface. Other shops are more willing to address the problem.

I'd like a more thorough answer on what caused this crack and whether or not it is still rideable from a scientific perspective.

The wheel is certainly rideable now because you have managed to get back home on it. For how long it remains rideable before it fails, that is something nobody can tell for sure. There is likely not enough public statistics of people riding cracked carbon wheels to make any scientific predictions.

I don't think the crack is due to impact. It's probably due to the side grazing the pothole. There wasn't damage on the other side. If it's an impact crack, it would likely appear on both sides?

Impact, grazing. All of these common events reduce the life of carbon fiber components. You can consider yourself very lucky that the damage in this case was visible and audible. Carbon fiber components can due to unforeseen loads structurally weaken in an invisible manner, so that the only way you can see the damage is by some method seeing through the material like X-rays. Such an invisibly structurally weakened component can then later suddenly fail "just riding along".

Is this repairable and worth repairing?

In general, cracks should not be repaired, especially on carbon fiber components. A cracked metal frame is perhaps the only exception to this: it may be possible to repair a cracked frame by welding. A cracked metal rim, stem, seatpost, handlebar or any other load bearing component should NOT be repaired.
I would also say that if a wheel has very few spokes like these wheels, if they're repairable you should really consider whether to spend money on such marginal wheels or to replace them with something more durable.
Aluminum rims have a far safer failure mode: well designed rims (rims that have double eyelets and rims that are not hard anodized) bend rather than crack. Such bent rims are always repairable, although if the repair is not done perfectly, you still may have a little bit of tension imbalance in the spokes after repair.

I've read many other posts and the classic answer is "is your face worth more than 1000 dollars for a new wheel". It's of course easy to buy a new wheel, but I'd like a more thorough answer on what caused this crack and whether or not it is still rideable from a scientific perspective.

Fortunately, you need not spend 1000 dollars. I built a new front wheel for my electric road bike by spending 130.57 euros (excluding the tire, tube and brake disc). Due to the current exchange rate, it's slightly more in dollars but nowhere near 1000 dollars. I did not cut corners by reducing the spoke count: there are a total of 36 spokes in the front wheel. If you choose not to build a replacement wheel yourself but pay someone else to build it, it would probably still be below 250 euros.
Usually on wheels if you pay less, you get more (except on maybe the very cheap end). By paying less, you are more likely to have a repairable (i.e. aluminum) rim. You are also more likely to have a wheel having a full complement of spokes (36). Also, Shimano hubs are some of the best bicycle purchases you can make, and they are also some of the cheapest hubs!


Speed and distance for a beginner I'm 26 and haven't ridden a bike since I was 15.
I decided to start again and purchased a nakamura crossland, last Saturday, to get back into action.
Last Sunday, I did 17km in 50 minutes on a mostly flat road. I didn't want to start too hard, afraid to hurt my legs. In the end the only thing that hurt was my butt, I probably need a better saddle.
I was wondering what distance and speed I should aim for as a beginner, in order to improve my stamina.

P.S. I decided to purchase a bike to lose weight and enjoy the countryside. Maybe it's relevant for choosing the right distance.

A few simple tips:

Whether it's cycling, running or any other physical activity the more gradually you build up your mileage, the better off you'll be in the long run. A good rule of thumb is don't increase your time or mileage by more than 10% a week.
Carrying on a conversation with someone should be difficult but not impossible. If you can't carry on a conversation you're probably pushing too hard.
Consistency trumps volume. 3-4 short rides a week will do more for your overall fitness than 1-2 longer riders each week.
We can not get grace from gadgets. It's easy to get sucked into buying ever newer, shinier and lighter parts. However, if you think these things make a big difference you're fooling yourself. Keep in mind when you're pedaling up a hill you're not just pedaling a 14 or 20 or 25 pound bike. You're also carrying your weight and the weight of anything you have with you (such as water bottles). When you look at a combined bike and rider weight of 170 pounds or more suddenly saving 30 or 50 grams is a minuscule difference. I've wrenched for several professional racers and trust me, most of them couldn't care less about their bikes.
Do invest in cycling shoes and clothes if you're going to do longer rides. Cycling shorts - whether the baggy style or the lycra type - are designed to reduce friction. Cycling shoes with clipless pedals are more efficient and also safer (once you get used them - which takes some practice).
Don't forget to drink. It's easier to get dehydrated while riding than in most other activities. You're moving faster so the sweat evaporates faster and that fools you into thinking you're not sweating that much.
Enjoy riding. I've seen people who bail on a ride because they couldn't get Strava to work. That's insane. Ride because you want. You're not a pro, your paycheck doesn't depend on how fast and how often you ride.

Go for it. It will be hard for a while, but not too hard.

When I was eleven or twelve on a 3-speed I could do 60 or 70 miles a day, on a weekend, with my mates, for a laugh.  Carry water and food like a mars bar maybe a banana or can of coke here and there.


Convert rear hub width 142 mm to fit 135 mm dropouts I recently bought a pair of Shimano XT Deore wheels. I then realized they cannot fit my MTB hardtail dropouts.

Is there any way to convert an MTB rear wheel with hub width 142 mm to 135 mm?

You've made a bad purchase by not checking the specs.

If these are brand new from a shop, you may have a limited time when you can return them for a full refund.  The time window will depend where in the world you are.

If you bought them used/second hand or more than a month ago, you're stuck with them.  Either resell them on ebay or similar, or look at your other bikes to see if they will fit.

Another option is to buy a frame that does fit these wheels, and build up another bike.

If your bike frame is steel then you may be able to cold-set the frame to accept the larger wheel, but this will utterly void any warranty on your bike.  If your frame is aluminium or carbon or titanium then this is not an option for you.

I would go the other way round, i.e. converting the frame from 135 to 142mm, unless it is a carbon frame.
Simply rely on the metal deformation and follow the RJ The Bike Guy method presented here: Upgrade Vintage 10 Speed Bike To 14 Speed & Indexed Shifting

I'm sure a steel frame can have it without any drawbacks to its structure. Aluminium frames are not that flexible as steel but 3.5 mm per side should be ok in my opinion. However, don't try it on an aluminium or carbon frame - those won't handle deformations well.

EDIT: seeing the downvotes and comments I've made necessary changes.


Choice of two Stevens bikes, which one makes more sense? I'm going to need a new bike for next summer, my local shop carries and suggested Stevens. I've sort of narrowed down my selection to two, but since there is a steep price difference I'm not particularly happy about taking advice from the people I'm about to buy it from.

I'm looking at 7X LITE DISC vs. 8X SX DISC RACE, see comparison chart for comprehensive differences.

The main difference seems to be a fixed vs. a suspension front fork (I don't do a lot of off-road biking, I'm mostly on tarmac or grit, albeit steep roads), however I don't know whether all the other differences are significant. Is the 650 Euro price difference warranted?

As you noticed yourself, the largest difference is suspension fork. It adds complexity and usually weight, but these bikes are almost same weight. That means that the one with suspension fork has lighter and more expensive components. Whether it is worth it and do you need the suspension at all is a separate question.


What to do after an accident with a child? I was biking home last night and had a minor bike accident with a child of around 12 or 13. It was around 6pm on a mixed use pedestrian+bike path and completely dark, with little lighting on the path.

I was going uphill maybe going 8mph, he was on the downhill. I was well lit (headlight + white flashing light on the front of my bike, with full reflectors including reflective vest), he was unlit, no reflectors (except half a yellow reflector on one pedal). I saw him at the crest of the hill, he was on his side of the path, I was on mine. Then not more than 10 or 20 feet in front of me, he suddenly swerved into me. I was against a fence and had no where to go, so I yelled at him and just clamped on the brakes as hard as I could before he hit me.

I think the left side of his bike clipped the left side of mine, but both of us ended up on the ground, he seemed ok, and got up on his own after laying there for a moment -- he did have a bleeding finger, but he was able to bend it without pain. He wasn't wearing a helmet.  I asked him where his mom was and he said she was biking nearby, so I asked him where I could find her. He called her on his friend's cell phone (who also had no helmet or lights or reflectors) and told her to come.

I asked if he was ok or if he hit his head, he said he was fine and didn't hit his head. Mom showed up a few minutes later (no lights, reflectors or helmets) and said "What did he do?" so I told her what happened and pointed out that he needs to have reflectors and a helmet, and she said "but it was light out when we started riding". I also told her to check him for head injury just in case he hit his head on the ground, and she kind of rolled her eyes at me. My bike was ok, I was ok, he seemed ok, and mom just wanted to leave so I just left it at that and continued home without incident (I did discover the next day that my head light was scraped up and the light mount was cracked, but I had a spare mount so that was easy to fix), but after leaving I'm wondering what else I should have done?

We didn't even exchange last names, I got one picture of him and his bike with my cell phone camera but that's it.

Should I have called it in to the police? California law requires riders under 18 to wear a helmet and to have lights at night. Should I have said more to the mom about helmet and reflector use? Should I have gotten his full name in case I discovered significant damage or injury later?

Or since neither of us was injured was just biking away the right thing to do?

This is my first real accident in over 15 years of riding, I always figured that when I did have an accident it would be with a car, I never thought that it would be with a snot-nosed (literally) kid on a bike path.

Where I live there is a legal requirement to report any injury accident to the police, and from past experience they would call a bleeding little finger an injury. However, I personally would not bother for such a minor injury, they will fill the report and forget all about it.

As far as other legal issues (Again, speaking from my own) - you stopped, ascertained injury and damage and rendered assistance - you fulfilled you legal obligation.

It appears that you did way more than was really needed, and had/have real concern for the other person -  there is little else anyone can do, especially if offers of assistance are turned down and advice is shunned.

On the issue of lights and helmets - there is not much you can do about it and you went beyond what is morally required (Sounds like mum probably thinks way beyond).

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mind had a teenager (No helmet) T-Boned her car at an intersection - he came off a foot path at high speed and could not stop. He and bike flew over car bonnet leaving a small dent, he cracked his head on landing. Although dazed, he refused offers of help and a ride home etc, and rode off before an ambulance was called (Here there is no cost for medical treatment for accidents), despite several bystanders "suggesting" that he needed to be checked out. What else could she do?  These things happen - especially with kids and teenagers, as long as no one is seriously hurt, it's a good day

No laws on this in most places because no motor vehicle. But good sense to trade info, take pix. I think the kid has the liability here.


Why are my quill pedal cages "wobbling"? The plates and connectors on my old quill pedals "move around" in relation to the pedal axle itself: In the photo below, I'm pushing the pedals to opposite sides to show how the pedal cage "distorts". The fact that the plates and these connectors are loose in this way causes them to "wobble" while riding, which means not only that the pedals move around a little bit while riding but— more importantly— they make horribly annoying metallic rattling/squeaking sounds when riding.

it looks to me like the cage part of the pedal is pressed together you may be able to remove the pedal and pound the end of the cage part back into the frame of the pedal thee type of connections are held together by distortion of the metal ie widening of the end of the piece to be held by widening by pressure like a rivet so possibly u could re hammer them together


Why are bicycles considered vehicles and not "walking aid"? The Bicycles.SE blog states "Cyclists are vehicles, not pedestrians.". I think most of this community, plus most of the laws agree with that.

However, a cyclist has the speed, mass and maneuverability of a sprinting person (who is, of course, a pedestrian).

Why are bicycle riders considered vehicles and not pedestrians?

a cyclist has the speed, mass and maneuverability of a sprinting person

Not really! The world record for 100 m sprint is 9.58 s, which equals 37.6 km/h, which is fast but not anything spectacular for a bicycle. The marathon world record equals to little more than 20 km/h, which is less than my average commuting speed. Going back to "human" speeds, I would estimate that an average biker goes roughly twice the speed of an average runner.

With double speed:

Braking distance is quadrupled (ignoring reaction time).
Kinetic energy = damage in case is collision is quadrupled (not even taking into account 10-20 kg extra mass & hard and sharp metal parts of the bike).

My understanding of the law in the UK is that a bicycle is a vehicle (meaning that you must cycle them on the road and not the pavement, not that anyone around here seems to obey that particular law), but they are not motor vehicle, meaning you don't need to pay road tax, hold a license, are exempt from speed limits (but can still be pulled up and fined for dangerous cycling which can include excessive speed) and don't need an MOT certificate to prove your bike is roadworthy.

I am not a legal expert, however, so the usual disclaimers apply.

My opinion is that they're considered vehicles because getting hit by a fast-moving bike is a much bigger deal than being hit by a sprinter! Also, a pedestrian can come to a stop and not fall over, whereas a cyclist needs to put their leg out, hold onto something, etc, to keep from going over when stationary.


Tools for 2011 Santa Cruz Heckler tuneup Hi, I have a Santa Cruz Heckler from 2011 that was in storage for the last three years, and before that I was riding it a few times a week on local trails. I never did anything maintenance-wise beyond changing tires and brake pads as needed. I've started riding it again and it clearly needs some tlc. The issues I'm seeing are:

terrible shifting and skipping drivetrain,
creaking from all over the place.

I plan to regrease all bearings and replace the chain.

I am interested in suggestions for maintenance under such a situation and also what tools I will need to do these repairs for this particular bike?

Update: I got to work and here is what I found.

-Headset and rear wheel bearings were dried out and needed grease
-drive side bb brearing was toast
-cassette and middle ring on the front are worn and need replacement
-The kona pedals came apart easily and could be greased

Thanks all for the pointers!

The maintenance you need to do depends on how many miles you put on the bike before it went into storage. Assuming you were riding it regularly between 2011 and it going into storage you just need to do a 'well used bike refresh' which includes replacing a number of parts that wear out.

As others have said, start out by giving that poor bike a good cleaning. It was not a good idea to store it wet and dirty and that may have contributed to some of the problems you are seeing now. As part of that process thoroughly de-grease the chain, cassette, rings and rear derailleur idler wheels. There are a number of bike cleaning videos out there that make recommendations for cleaning supplies.

You will need a basic tool kit: hex wrenches 2-12mm, open-end/box wrenches 6-17mm, small and medium needle-nose pliers, set small to medium flat and Philips screwdrivers. On some bikes with disc brakes a T25 torx wrench is needed. A  bike-specific torque wrench is nice to have. I'd recommend at least a 2-8Nm one for small bolts. You'll have to decide if you want a larger one (up to about 15Nm) as well.

There are many good instructional videos available on all aspects of repair and maintenance. I personally like Park Tool Company's YouTube channel. These will tell you the specialized tools you need, but I'll mention them below as well.

Go over the bike and check for general obvious problems and loose bolts or fasteners.

If you were riding the bike regularly a new chain is a certainty. You will also need to check the cassette sprockets to see of any of them are too worn, and replace the cassette if required. If you need to replace the cassette you will need a chain whip and cassette lock-ring removal tool. I believe most lock-ring tools require a 25mm wrench, a large adjustable wrench will work. You may want to invest in a chain wear tool as well. Chain rings wear more slowly than cassette sprockets but check those for excessive wear also.

While you have the chain off, check the derailleur idler wheels, if they do not turn freely they will need servicing and re-lubricating, or just replace them.

Also with the chain off, check the crank spins freely in the bottom bracket bearings. If it does not turn freely, but there is no roughness you may be able to service the bearings. Research the particular type of bottom bracket you have for serviceability. If there is resistance and roughness it will need to be replaced. You will need the appropriate external bearing bottom bracket removal tool for your bottom bracket.

I don't know if chain quick links existed in 2011. If yours does not have one you will need a chain tool to break the chain, and to connect the new chain if you get one without a quick link.

When the new chain (and if needed, cassette and rings), perform a full front and rear derailleur adjustment (Park Tool's derailleur videos are particularly comprehensive). It's more than likely that you will need to replace the derailleur cables and housing to get your shifting working correctly. It's a good idea to replace them anyway. You'll need a special cable and housing cutter.

Service and adjust the brakes. I'm guessing they are mechanical disc which I don't think require special tools (someone please correct me in a comment if I'm wrong here). As with the derailleur cables the brake cables may need replacing. The same housing and cable cutter required.

Check for play or roughness in the headset bearings. If there is play but no roughness you can adjust the bearing tension. If there is a gritty feel you will need to disassemble, clean and repack the bearings.

Check for play or roughness in the pedal bearings. Depending on what pedals you have there may be as service kit or replacement bearings available if the bearings are worn out.

Check the wheel axles for play or roughness in the bearings. Depending on the hubs the bearings may be serviceable or replaceable. You'll have to research your particular hubs. Check rims for trueness and check for loose spokes. If the wheels needs truing I recommend having a bike repair shop do it.

Forks and rear shock may need re-build or servicing but that is beyond my knowledge.

The various creaks you will have to individually hunt down and address.

Very bad condition. And photo bad too. But how i understand you need that tools for remove bottom bracket.


Pavement riding in Scotland I've just moved to Edinburgh, and I understand that the land reform act 2003 lets me cycle on most land, excluding certain places like some highways or ministry of defense land. Does this mean I'm within my rights to cycle on the pavement, as long as I'm not behaving in an "antisocial manner"?
 I presume I can't do so on the land directly next to a highway, but what about paths set in from the road?

From http://www.bikehub.co.uk/featured-articles/cycling-and-the-law/

  In Scotland the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives everybody the
  right to non motorised access to most land in Scotland, including
  roads, tracks, and paths. So, apart from trampling over gardens or
  disturbing working farm-yards, you can walk, ride your bike, or ride a
  horse on any path, road or field margin.

But even in the rest of the UK you are often within your rights to cycle on the pavement:

  Minister for Cycling Robert Goodwill has reiterated that the official
  line from the Department for Transport (DfT) is that cyclists may ride
  on the footway – more commonly referred to as pavements – provided
  they do so considerately, and that police officers need to exercise
  discretion.

This reiterates advice that Paul Boateng, Home Office Minister at the time, gave to police in 1999. At this time a new law was introduced allowing cyclists to be issued with a fixed penalty notice for cycling on pavements. However Mr Boateng gave advice on how this should be applied and recommended that it be used only when the cyclist is riding in a manner that "may endanger others":

  “The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible
  cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of
  traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing
  so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement,
  acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young
  people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use
  of police discretion is required.”

I found a bit of info on the internet about the pavement issue on a Government laws and rules site that stated bikes are not allowed on a pavement unless they are a designated cycle path. The not was highlighted in bold letters and underlined. Hope this helps

Jimmy


52/15 fixed gear ratio - what should I change to? I have a 52/15 gear ratio and I find it sort of difficult to pedal.

I'm wondering what I'd need to switch the chainring/cog sizes to that would allow for me to not remove any chain links.

I'm assuming I'd just make up for the difference, for example: if I switched the chainring to 48 the cog would need to be 19 in order to match??

I don't want a drastic difference because I like the control I have when going down hills.

With the current setup the wheel sits in the drops, with the chain is completely tight, and leaves about 5/8" of room I could move the wheel back to (if I were to change the sizes and needed to use the extra real estate)

The area I ride is mostly flat with some moderate hills (none i'd consider steep)
I have a 40 tooth chainring lying around that I could use if that'd be a good fit.

I'm new to swapping out ratios and I'm going to order the parts online, so i want to make sure it works.

Different from the other answer, I read the question as OP wanting to change to lower gear ratio without changing chain length. 52/15 is an extremely high ratio.

For all practical purposes, if you want to keep the chain length same, the sum of numbers of teeth in cog and ring should stay the same.

The changing geometry does affect the result a bit, but the difference it will make is less than a half link's length. The exact math is a bit hairy, since you have to take into account that the part of chain that wraps around cog is not actually part of circle, but N-gon that has its angles at chain pins.

My recommendation would be to bite the bullet and get a chain tool and not try to optimize cog sizes. You will need one anyway later, and if the old cogs and chain were worn, it's best to replace the chain at the same time. A normal sized chainring will give you more options to play with ratios later, and prime numbers 41, 43 and 47 would let you use any cog without thinking about skid patches.

With lower ratio you might need to take the skid points into account.

There are also an array of chain tensioners out there, if you really don't want to cut the chain.


How to replace a Sturmey Archer's cable? I would like to replace the cable of a Sturmey Archer hub, but can't find a way to disassemble the old cable without destroying it, and it puzzles me how to insert the new cable.

To better explain, I have five elements:

The cable
The cable tip 1 (top)
The cable tip 2 (bottom)
The adjusting part (for the lack of the proper term, I'm refering to the cylindric piece that screws into the hub's cable)
The housing of the cable

I haven't found a way to remove the cable (1) because tip 1 and 2 (2, 3) are attached to the cable, and the adjusting part (4) also is attached and doesn't pass through tip 2 (3). The housing is also too small for the rest to pass through.

I wouldn't mind keeping the current cable, but would really like to know how to replace it.

Here's a photo to document this:

Another one showing the "adjusting part":

You are correct. This is different than "regular" cables. On regular cables you pick the end you want and cut off the other. Thats because the connection on the cut-off end is usually a clamp. You run the cable under a screw/nut and tighten it down.

Then you just put a cable crimp on the end to protect the cut cable

However, your internal hub cable is differnet. The cable and housing is really one piece. You have to replace it all together. I have a similar issue on my Shimano internal 3 speed hub. Luckily you can get an entire replacement set (cable and housing).You can get something like this from Harris Cyclery (I only hype them because a Sheldon Brown article was helpful to this post.)

You'll have to make sure that the barrel is the same threading as your "adjusting part" and that you get the length you need. A sales person (or phone call) should get you the exact part. It would probably help to know the model of your hub. It should be engraved or stamped somewhere visible.

Not familiar with sturmey archers, but on regular gear/brake cables you can just cut off that small top near the bottom of the picture. It's really just there to keep the cable from fraying and you can get replacements from your local bike store for about $0.02. If you grip it with a pair of pliers and pull hard enough you can sometimes just pull them off so the cable doesn't get shortened. I'm not sure how would remove the "adjusting part" or if it would just slide off when you removed the tip off the same end.


Electric bike rear wheel spokes breaking I have an electric bike with a 500w rear hub. The spokes have broken twice in the last month on the hub end of the spokes.The spokes are bent at the hub end and threaded. This is where they break.

As the bike is under warranty it went back to the supplier for repair and was returned to me with the same type of spokes. Should spokes be made from rod that is threaded at the hub end as it must surely weaken them when bent on the thread. The supplier says it's the first time this has happened but as I've only done 45 km on it since new I don't think that is a good enough answer.
What could be the reason for the problem?

You're probably OK as the wheel was (hopefully) properly rebuilt rather than assembled on a production line.  I assume it was the same wheel, rather than just a swap-out, as the hub motor is an expensive part.  It would be more surprising if they did change the type of spokes, as that would mean holding stock of an extra part.  The thread depth is a small fraction of the spoke diameter so shouldn't weaken it too much.

There are a couple of e-bike specific issues here which can increase the failure rate:

The loading on the rear wheel is much higher than on a normal bike, because of the hub motor, batteries (often near the back) and extra-heavy steel frame (common, not universal).
The large hub motor means that the spokes are at more of an angle relative to the rim.  Unless special provision is made for this -- which it often isn't -- this increases stresses on the spokes (but not at the end that failed for you).  The spokes are also shorter than standard, and the hub motor can make assembly harder.

We have an e-bike and it broke 6 spokes in a day (after probably ~1000km): 1 in the morning, 1 on the way home, then 200m later another 4.  After getting new spokes from the manufacturer, we had the wheel properly rebuilt, and it's completely true, with even tension, and no broken spokes since.

If it breaks more spokes, I'll use the first set to patch the wheel up and order good-quality custom cut new ones for the LBS to rebuild the wheel.  If not for the warranty aspect I'd suggest you take the same approach.

Pictures will be good.

In electric bikes there is a huge load on the rear spokes, so they tend to loose and break. You have to check the spokes tension every couple of months, adjust it and true the wheel.
Maybe in your country you have better quality bikes than we have, but I really didn't see even 1 bike without this problem. That is why magnesium rims became common.


Can't remove lockring Have been trying to get the lockring removed from my cassette so I can replace it with a spacer kit and one sprocket (singlespeed conversion). I managed to get it loose, although the wrong way - so the whole cassette started unscrewing off the hub. I can't turn it the other way at all. Can someone confirm:

That this is actually a lockring
If so, any tips on how to remove it?

I have a chain whip, lockring tool and 24mm spanner/wrench.

If it screws on then it is a freewheel not a cassette.  They are not the same.  There is a link in my comment.

Your spacer kit with one sprocket was probably for cassette / freehub.  It is not going to work.

I suspect you can find a freewheel single speed conversion.
You need a single speed freewheel - not a sprocket and a lockring.

take a sparkplug  3/4 make sure that the back willfit inside the freewheel of the cog and no axle is there it might need a little hammer tap to get the six sided part down in there make sure u dont mind scratching outside of socket then u need a pipe wrench or good table vise and grip socket turning wheel counter clockwise for it to thread off the hub..


What harm results from riding with a stretched chain? Due to sheer laziness, my maintenance amounts to an annual trip to the LBS.  After moving, my new LBS suggested that I replace my chain immediately, before it destroys the drive train.  What they didn't mention was that it already had, so I needed a new cassette within a week, because the chain slipped under pressure.

The next year, they checked the cassette before recommending a chain replacement, and it was already getting worn, so I decided to stay with the current chain at least as long as it takes to pay for a new cassette in the chains I'm not purchasing every thousand miles.  At about three thousand miles a year, it shouldn't take all that long.

Now, though, I'm concerned that I might be causing more problems than just cassette wear.  Might I have to replace the chain ring, too?  Am I setting myself up for other potentially expensive problems?  Is the chain likely to break in the middle of a ride within the next year or two?

This is always a controversial topic, with some people arguing on both sides, but in my opinion you should replace your chain when it reaches the official "worn" state (as indicated by a chain stretch gauge).  If you let the chain go the sprockets develop a "hook" and will begin "sucking" the chain.  In addition, shifting performance will suffer.

If a chain is replaced when it first reaches "worn" status, without letting it go too long, the sprockets will not have taken a "set" to the stretched chain and reasonably good drivetrain performance will be retained.

Failing to replace a worn chain results in more cluster wear, more chainring wear, and an increased risk of both shifting difficulty and thrown/broken chains.

You will of course eventually need to replace your cluster and chainrings.  My experience is that you need a new cluster about every five chains, and new chainrings about every two clusters.  Generally when cluster/chainring wear reaches a critical point things go to pot pretty rapidly in terms of shifting problems, slipping, etc.

The wear issue usually ends when the chain starts jumping out of the sprockets (chainring or cassette) while applying heavy loads.
This can be dangerous if you are used to dealing with traffic issues.
A good chain lube should be used in the early stages of wear . . . it will only make jumping and slipping worse.
I have never broken (thrown) a chain unless it was not installed correctly.
Avoid connecting links . . . use a chain breaker instead


Chain falling off front sprocket I have a 7 speed Mongoose Bike. The chain often falls off the front sprocket.  There is only one chain ring in the front.  Any ideas what to check for?

Thanks,
Paul

Worn chain or chainring can cause this, as can a very dirty or un-lubricated chain, especially is there is a stiff link pin. A bent chainring can also buck the chain off.

Another possibility is the derailleur is not providing enough chain tension. This can happen if one of the tensioning springs has broken or has become weak. Check the 'B' spring (at the attachment bolt) or the 'A' spring (where the cage pivots).

Unfortunately the tendency to drop the chain may just be a 'feature' of an inexpensive bike. You might look into fitting a chain tensioner to keep the chain on. Modern 'one-by' drive-trains with a single chainring use 'double-wide' chainring teeth profiles which are much better at retaining the chain. However, this is not an option on inexpensive bikes where the chainring is integral to the cranks.

Check the chain ring (front sprocket) for damaged teeth .


What is the best breakfast right before cycling? Sometimes I feel I will faint when I am cycling in the morning. I usually don't have this problem after lunch.

My breakfast is rich in carbohydrates, but maybe I'm eating too much or missing some nutrients.

Entirely depends on the lenght of ride. If you're riding for less than 2 hours then your body already has everything on board that it needs. If you're working for more than 2 hours you should eat complex carbs (pasta, oatmeal) 2 hours before the ride so that they have time to digest before you actually need them.

Also eating too much just before can limit your performance as your body also has to work to digest a load of food in your stomach. Adding links to answer the comment below.

Eating and exercise: 5 tips to maximize your workouts
What to Eat Before Exercise
Eating for Endurance Running

I eat a small bowl of Cheerios with some fruit thrown in for flavour. I ride most morning at about 5:30am. If I'm working hard (either 2 plus hours or 2 hours really hard workout) I'll carry some Gatorade diluted 50/50 (I find it's easier on my stomach).

When I ride 100k+ or century length I make sure I get up and eat 3 hours before the ride. Then drink 50/50 Gatorade till the ride. During the ride I drink both 50/50 mix and water. I also start refueling with food after about 30 minutes. Small bites of energy bars, bananas, whatever your stomach can handle.

What type of conditions do you ride in? Is it really hot? Are you drinking enough fluids? If you lose more than 2 pounds on a ride you're not drinking enough. What is your exertion level? Are you going too hard for too long for your fitness level?

Someone below also mentioned protein. Many of the 'higher end' sports drinks also come in a protein variety. The reading I've done at the very least suggests that you eat protein and carbs within 30 -45 minutes after a ride to maximize the recovery/refueling of your muscles.

I usually have a full English breakfast and keep myself topped up with bananas, Mars Bars, plenty of water and even a can of Red Bull, then fish n chips afterwards. It doesn't hamper my performance! Mind you, I'm Lance Armstrong.


Uphill riding hard for me New to riding what is the best way to ride going uphill? I live on a hill going down is fine but I have a hill to get to the main road.

Basically the only real way to get better at going up hills is to get fitter - which you can do by repeatedly riding the hill :-)

Some tips:

Stay sitting down
Use low gears and a fairly high pedaling cadence
Use good gear management, shift down progressively as you start the hill and keep pedaling cadence up.

The main point is you want to avoid using your anaerobic system and exhaust your legs. Pedaling too slowly and too hard will make you go anaerobic. Low gears and faster pedaling will keep you aerobic longer.

Get pedals with pegs. They bite into the soles of your shoes, which greatly increases your grip to the pedal. What that allows you to do (with a little practice) is to pull the pedal with one leg as you are pushing the pedal with the other. In other words, you can then use all of your leg muscles, as well as work both pedals at the same time, which makes going uphill much easier.

Just watch out for the pegs. They bite into your shoes, but they can also bite quite hard into your leg when you are walking your bike.

Alternatively you could get pedals that attach to your feet (such as "clipless" pedals), but you would need special shoes for that.

PS. I use Atlas pedals from Race Face for this and they work excellently, but there are much cheaper pegged pedals that work similarly.


What is best for your brakes when stopping at the bottom of the hill? You are at the top of a hill and want to stop at the bottom. What is best for your brakes so you don't wear them down:

brake continuously; or
brake when you reach the bottom?

In terms of wearing out the brakes, they will wear less when you brake at the bottom.
When you descend a hill you have a fixed amount of energy to lose, and when you descend at a higher speed, a larger proportion of that energy is lost to wind resistance.

Practically however, brake pads/blocks tend to last a long time and are cheap to replace, wear is not really something to consider too much.  It's better to descend safely at a speed you feel comfortable with.

As Andy P points out, that ignoring air resistance, there is a fixed amount of energy the brakes have to dissipate, regardless of strategy. The more time this is spread over, the more slowly the energy is being converted into heat. At some point (at some temperature), heat will be shed into the environment as fast as it can be produced. So the harder you brake, the hotter the brakes will get, and it is temperature that causes damage and shortens component life.

There is an argument that releasing the brakes allows them to cool because the pads are no longer in contact with the rims. Well, yes and no. Not in contact with the rims means no more heat production, so of course they will cool, but rims are large heat sinks and have more surface area to shed heat than the pads which run on them. So, continuous braking means you are constantly creating heat, but it is going into both the pads and the rims; contact also means that heat in the pads can flow into the rims, even as they are turning, so the rims can actually help cool the pads during a long, controlled descent.

Bottom line: the gentle descent can be the best for both safety and equipment longevity.


Armor and helmet for ultra-safe commuting (womens size)? I'm about to start daily bike commuting again after a long hiatus and want to go all out on safety. My fear of an accident is extreme enough that I am looking into regularly wearing body armor and a full-face helmet just for commuting. When I commuted previously, I felt like I was having near-death experiences on a weekly basis. Anyway, I'd love tips and recommendations on body armor and helmets that could maximize my safety in case of a big crash - especially stuff that comes in womens sizes. I know next to nothing about what is out there and have never done any mountain biking or the kind of sport biking for which people normally use the heavy duty safety gear. Putting on separate knee pads, elbow pads, etc. etc. seems like a huge pain to do twice a day, so I want to find something more like pull-on long-sleeved or short-sleeved top, and ditto for shorts or pants, that has the padding sewn in that I could wear under t-shirts & skort/skirt for summer. And solutions for winter as well. I'd love to get any tips. I'm considering just getting a padded waterproof motorcycle or ski outfit for winter.

Oh, and on helmet safety - are the skate/multisport helmets like Bern safer or less safe than traditional cycling helmets? Could one of those potentially be a better choice for commuting than a full-face MBX-style helmet?

A little more info about my commute: I live in Washington DC and go about 4.5 miles each way, and it's fairly steep downhill (going) and uphill (coming back). My bike is a very heavy electric assist model. Because of the electric assist, I don't have to worry about overheating as much as on a traditional bike, and I also have much quicker acceleration from a stop. Biking on my route is fairly dangerous, because cars constantly whip around right turns without even looking whether there are pedestrians or cyclists in the way (hence my many near-death experiences). Due to the heaviness of the bike and the speeds I reach going downhill, braking hard can also be dangerous. In addition, I will also be biking throughout the winter when my homeward leg will be in darkness. I was once rear-ended by a cab, and another time I had a braking problem and had a sidelong collision with a car as a result - thankfully no injuries those times, but given past experience I do not want to take any chances of orphaning my daughter!

While you can certainly wear BMX armour, or possibly even use motorbike armour and wear full face helmets,  I would put much more emphasis on changing the way you cycle to reduce the risk from cars.

You say cars turn without seeing cyclists- well, you have two options:

become more visible. It isn't high fashion, but wear colours and lights, flashing and bright. Use your lane- own it, don't hide over at the side.
become more aware of other vehicles and make sure you are not where they will be.

If you wear a full face or motorbike helmet you will not be able to hear as well, so your awareness of other vehicles may suffer.

Especially on such a short commute cycle, you should be able to take care at each junction.

Concerning an ultra-safe helmet I'd recommend to have a look at a Hövding or similiar bicycle airbag systems. It certainly isn't cheap but seems to offer the best protection at the moment.

That said, in my experience the best protection is to drive defensively: you have to accelerate and brake faster. In a city like Berlin you constantly have to watch out for people cutting you off on turning and you must be able to brake or at least evade.


Safety guidelines for cycling in traffic Please post your safety tips for cycling/commuting that should help you get to your destination place in one piece.

I came across a nice printed guideline a few years ago when working as courier, it was posted on the wall in the base and covered many common road situations. Recently I tried to look it up on the web but with no luck, so I thought that placing a community wiki question here could be beneficial for many commuters.

A lot of cyclists promote vehicular cycling in which you act just like a car, obeying all of the rules of the road.  This includes respecting all stop signs & lights, travelling in the same direction on the same side of the road as motorized traffic, and using the full lane (taking the lane), often ignoring marked bike lanes if they are too small or marginalized.

To me, vehicular cycling means acting like you belong on the road and that you have the legal right to be there (which you do).  I think a lot of bicycle accidents happen because the cyclist is trying to stay out of the way of cars and in doing so becomes very difficult for cars to see.

Your visibility is KEY.  To be more visible use flashing front and rear lights even during the day; stand up on your pedals at intersections so that you appear larger; whenever possible ride in a group as the visibility of a large group is greater than even a car.