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>>2051108
thanks.
it actually let me post just now, except instead of going through, it gave me pic related. I mean, yeah, I've been trying to post the same thing for days, but I never actually did. jesus christ

Been riding a cheap bike for years, finally had the front tire bend/warp while shitfaced. Looking to get a new bike, just wanted to ask some basic shit since I find Google and Youtube are increasingly useless:
>gears
What are they really for? My now defunct bike had a left toggle going from 1 to 3, while the right side had a toggle from 1 to 7. Fiddling around with either made the pedals easier or harder to use, impacting how much power I put into each rotation and making the ride slower or quicker depending on terrain. Just haven't put it all together.
>bike
Any reccs for a cheap bike that'll do on gravel/dirt as much as the city? I'm not even close to being a "serious" bike guy, just like to do 4-6 mile round trips after work to decompress. Seems like the cheapest stuff at my nearby bike shop is 700, so I'm setting the budget at 800 (optimistically).
>winter tires
I've dreamt of being able to skid through light winter weather on a bike and not having to see a single person on our local trail system. The local bike shop guy tells me this can be done with certain tires, but he hasn't tried them so details were few.
>fitness
Being fat, I'm curious if anyone has a decent routine they'd share for starters. Last summer I felt proud I could roll around in the heat for an 8 mile trip, some elevation changes here and there; currently building up that stamina at a snails pace, but I can do a 4 mile round trip without taking breaks.
>seats
I don't get sore much after a long ride, but my balls/prostate definitely feel uncomfortable/numb at times. Anything to mitigate this?

>>2051115
>>gears
pretty much exactly what you said, with harder (higher) gear combinations being used for downhill and flats, and going super fast, at the cost of little-to-zero climbing ability, with lower gear combinations being used for accelleration into higher gears and for hill climbing. with a 3x7 like you described, it's important for the gearing combination to be consistent, with the chain as straight as possible as you go left or right on the chainrings at your pedals, and the cassette at your wheel.

Can I run tubes for 25-32mm wide tires in a 37mm wide tire?

>>2051117
not him but to ad:
you use the gears to keep a consistent, somewhat spinny cadence. if you feel yourself mashing a bit too hard, downshift into an easier gear. if you're spinning too easily, it feels awkward and you're speed isn't any better than coasting, gear up to a faster gear. just do one click at a time on the rear cogs until it feels right. save the crank gears ("chainrings" or rings) like anon said, climbs/descents.
so your "engine" is always reving in your powerband, in /o/ speak, and the gears allow you to keep it consistent. proper leg extension from proper seat height is a big part of this equation.

>bike
sounds like you want a gravel bike or maybe a "hybrid " which is kind of a nebulous term but something like what are called trekking bikes in Europe. not to be confused with the brand Trek, although they probably make one.

>seats
you have to try different stuff. your problem may be yours is too padded and you're sinking down into the cushion. you need a saddle that supports your weight and is the correct width for your physique, and your stance (bolt upright vs fully aero and everything in between) affects how your body engages with the seat, thereby affecting correct width. think of it like a perch rather than an office chair.

>>2051119
meant for >>2051115

>>2051115
>>gears
>What are they really for?
For maintaining optimal or comfortable pedalling cadence depending on terrain, wind and aero resistance, and how strong your legs are. And for accelerating from stand still vs. cruising at speed.

>>bike
Specific bike recommendations are meaningless. It all depends on your local availability and budget. Looking at the local second hand market is usually highly recommended.

>>winter tires
If you live somewhere where you get proper winters with freezing temperatures, ice and snow, studded tyres are a game changer. Particularly in icy conditions.

>fitness
Ride more. Ride regularly. Do your daily commute by bike, come rain or snow or sunshine.

>>seats
>I don't get sore much after a long ride, but my balls/prostate definitely feel uncomfortable/numb at times. Anything to mitigate this?
Can of worms. Look into proper bike fit. Saddles with a central relief groove or cutout exist for this purpose, but a proper fit can make the difference regardless. Building stronger legs help as it offloads some of the weight from your saddle.

Any one of your questions is a rabbit hole.

>>2051118
Yes, but personally I'd only do it in an emergency. It puts more stress on the tube than it's nominally designed for.

>>2051122
>>2051119
Appreciate the advice, hope to eventually shitpost on the trail/trip threads soon enough.

If I have a bike with 26inch wheels but with fat tires, I should be able to easily swap them with 27.5 inch wheels with thinner road tires using the same frame right?

>>2051143
actually not massively easy; this yob fucker gives a good run down on what to look out for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqsFbnlqfN8
i'd say you'd have an easier time fitting faster tires to your existing 26" rims than fucking around with brakes, clearances, and finding an appropriate 650 wheelset. the weinmann ones he mentions are a massive pita to work with btw.

What's a good e-bike that's single speed when riding manually and that is also lightweight?

>>2051150
>>>/o/
Also lightweight ebike KEK
also riding manually
youre supposed to ride pedally fag

what kind of bike and with what kind of parts is the easiest to service out on the road? i have an old steel single speed bike with some drum brakes and im looking to do some upgrades to it and take it /out/ing, possibly with a trailer and a kayak
what parts does /n/ recommend? i want to keep the same frame and keep it a single speed but any other advice would be great

Anybody here use winter tires? Any recommendations? I fell down a lot last winter and it really discouraged me, I ended up driving a lot instead. thinking ahead to this winter I’d like to try winter tires to give myself a bit more confidence.

>>2051180
>Anybody here use winter tires?
Yes.
>Any recommendations?
I highly recommend studded tyres for riding in icy conditions. I don't understand how people ride when it's icy without them.
If you're looking for recommendations of specific makes and models, I don't think it matters all that much. Probably most tyres from the usual reputable brands will be at least decent.
The ones I have personal experience with are Nokian Hakkapeliita W106 and 45NRTH Dillinger 5. Both of them ride well, but the Dillingers are somewhat flimsy in my experience. I ruined a pair after one season on riding with extremely low pressures. But on the other hand 45NRTH customer support sent me a free replacement pair, so I'm not complaining too much.
And Nokian sold their bicycle manufacturing division to Suomi Tyres. Suomi still makes the W106 model, but I have no idea if they retained Nokian's reputable manufacturing quality.

i'm slowly getting addicted

Has anyone ever tried 11sp chains on 12sp systems?
I know the reverse is fine for the most part

>>2051186
to weed? Yeah me too, shame it's so expensive, but cycling is a good way to enjoy myself in the meantime

>>2051190
it's going to wear everything faster, probably much faster literally no reason to do this, you can get a cheap 12 speed chain for 20 bucks.

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Hey, bicycle noob here. I want something fast with a flat bar and good shifting. I live in a shithole, so ordering something from abroad will take more than a month. I've found this bicycle in my size in the nearest shop. $1000 after 20% tax, is it a good deal? Thanks in advance, anons.

>>2051218
Looks fine to me.
I wont discuss bicycle prices. You're, by comparisson, not being ripped off here.
Shimano 105. Very nice groupset.
FSA external BB. Nice.
>Wheels
generic inhouse slop
idk they might be good. Just know: When you buy a bicycle you are buying wheels. Then a groupset. And thwn the rest. The wheels make the bike. They make it go fast. They make it robust. They make it comfortable. They make the bike what it is.
Tektro brakes and levers. Mhm well I fivure since you want a flat handlebar that's what you get. I'm sure they're fine.
Gokd bike. Buy it. Remember:/If you want it to be a nicer bike one day buy a nice wheelset. Maybe the shop lets you try one.
Frames are inconsequential.

>>2051191
congratulations on writing the gayest comment on the entire site

>>2051191
Quitting that shit was the best decision of my life. I was smoking every day and stopped cold turkey, my sleep was fucked for like a week but that was it.

>>2051222
Thanks for the detailed breakdown. Why do you think wheels matter that much? Apart from weight, If they are stiff they will be slightly faster, but won't pumping the tires to max pressure give similar effect?

>>2051225
Those things are dangerous to discuss on /n/ so I will keep it brief:
Firstly: The wheels are orders of magnitude less stiff than the frame is. Yet the lever they present is longer than 300mm. That's a lot. So they matter alot when it comes to your steed feeling very direct and rigid.
Secondly: They are not only mass, they are rotating mass. This means their mass works against you in 3 ways:
When sprinting the gyroscopic effect will work against you rocking the bike, worst case limiting the frequency at which you can rock the bike.
When accellerating you have to accelerate yourself laterally, most of the work goes into that, your bike, laterally too, but the wheels not only in the direction you're going but also rotationally.
There is a silver lining: The rotational inertia of havy wheels sucks ass when riding them. Like old school deep aluminium aero wheels. But: When you're not wanting to have fun but actually be fast or if you cruise heavy wheels get you through dead spots. It's a thing one has to experience, cant really be described. But if you just want to let of steam it's no fun.
Aerodynamics: Aerodynamic drag is not linear but exponentially related to velocity. While the lowest point of your wheel is always at a perfect standstil to stagnant ambient air the top most point moves forward at twice the speed as you and your bike.
All those things: Stiffness, mass, inertia and aerodynamics are things you can pay your way out of.
>Pumping the tires
THIS is something you can definately jot discuss on /n/ which is filled with GCN-brained ~100 retards.

>>2051225
Oh I forgot one thing, since you said
>stiff
>faster
no. Stiff means fun. Feels good. Oh well and slightly faster sprints if at all but more confident sprints.
Stiffness and weight are two things that are very much inconsequential if you want to be 'fast'. With 'fast' being in terms of a TT and not a sprint. A wobbly and heavy BSO that's aerodynamic and probably breaks under you if you try sprinting on it can be very very fast. You want to be efficient anyways when you actually want ro be fast, and not have the most fun possible. So get her up to speed in an efficient manner, withdraw into the pain cave, hunker down and hold those 300 watts for as long as possible. That is fast. Just not exciting.

>>2051227
>>2051226
That makes sense, but I've never thought about it. Thanks for the insight anon-sama. I'm gonna get that giant bike and upgrade the wheels.

>>2051228
I did not say that. Get the bike. Ride it. Enjoy it. Have fun.
Just remember that if one day you want that entirely new and zippy fast nike feel, consider getting wheels and not an entirely new bike. Relegate the old ones for winter or backup.

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Hello bike friends,

My gear thingy broke today. I took the wheel off to look at it closer, and all the rings popped out as well. I was able to collect them, and I got 1 spacer washer and the 1 screw ring. I wasn't able to get the bike to work again, so I just walked it home. The gears were sliding along the axle and not able to hold any force.

Anyways, I looked into it, and I've found out that I think this thing is called a shimano style freewheel. It has no bearing balls in it, which I think is causing the sliding along the axle. I don't remember dropping any balls, but there's none in there. The two ratcheting teeth that I read are called pawls were inside, one loose, and one in place, and I was able to reset those fine. Setting the gears on the wheel, it feels it's able to hold force in the forward direction and spin freely backwards, but it slides along the axle.

So, I think I need bearing balls. I've read from sheldon brown guy to not do this, but that the bearing balls are 1/8". I've also seen 3mm bearing balls. Does anyone know which are the correct bearing balls for a what I think is a shimano style freewheel? I don't know much about the design or where it's from or anything. For 2 layers of bearing balls, the difference would be 0.35mm. Appreciate!

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>>2050762
buy a less thick saddle, you'll have less of that sweat swamp experience. i got this cheap m-wave one, a road bike saddle that still is pretty comfortable for over an hour of cycling without padded shorts
>>2050812
get a thermos so you can have actually cold water instead of lukewarm
>>2051073
if you're not descending it really doesn't matter
>>2051218
why do you want a flat bar? it makes sense if you want something cheap, but if you have 1-1.5k to spend i'd get drops

any recs for big thermos flasks that fit bottle cages and actually maintain temperature for hours?

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>>2051241

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>>2051242
>filename
you bully, do you actually have experience with using this one?

>>2051243
actually, no. i have several traditional size hydroflasks that i use with oversize cages.

>>2051234
a whole freewheel costs fifteen bucks.
ordering a package of bearings plus shipping is... I dunno but rebuilding a freewheel is not something anyone does

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I got myself a mini velo and as I was look at the frame, I saw that there was no cable guide/stops for FD. I immediately tried to shop online for those clamped cable stops/guides but the downtube diamater is actually around ~38mm which is very uncommon.

Do I just buy a 31.8mm cable guide/stop and force it on the frame?
What about pic related? It being 3d printed doesn't give me confidence.

>>2051246
just use full length housing with zip ties, shifts smoother anyway

I accidentally bought a rear derailleur without barrel adjuster. My shifter doesn't have one either. Will I be able to get this thing shifting well at all or should I just buy a different one?

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>>2051241
Nah.
If the sun having a big day out, nothing is gonna keep that water cold for more than an hour. Unless you're ready to carry more metal than liquid in the bottle.
It's better to just embrace the suck and get used to piss warm gatorade.

>>2051248
Inline barrel adjuster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zUhwdXj7wc

>>2051249
idk about that, i bought a fancy non-bike thermos flask and it stayed icy in a hot car for most of the day

>>2051249
>Inline barrel adjuster
Cool, that should do the trick. Thanks.

>>2051234
This is all a bit dubious. I doubt it would have ran for long with no rolling elements. It shpuld also be impossible, geometrically, for them to fall out normally. Out of curiosity can ypu try recreating the chain of events that led to the failure? Like did the threaded ring back out?
>ball size
shouldn't really matter. It will remain centered and the threaded ring sets the preload. The groove is always oversized for the ball but if you want to be safe get 3mm and grease.
>>2051245
mimimimimi
altho me personally: Yeah no rebuilding of freewheels but I do freehubs and modify hubs to take shorter freehubs and all thaz becauae legacy things and companiea discontinueing stuff.
>>2051250
>>>/o/

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I got a "new" bike recently. It has a skiptooth (?) chain evidently. Since the only one I can find new is $180, I thought it might be wise to take good care of this one. Which brings me to my questions...
1) How do I remove the chain? I know there is a "master link" in there somewhere, but they seem to be snap on... Do I just pry it off with a flathead screwdriver or something? That seems wrong but there are not exactly a lot of skiptooth tutorials on youtube.
2) Can anyone recommend a good biodegradable degreaser? I think I'm going to use the "jar method" to clean the chain. I haven't settled on a lube yet, either, so if you have recommendations on that it would be nice too.

>>2051261
1) lol, okay, it's just twist and screwdriver. older ways are simpler I guess.
https://ratrodbikes.com/threads/how-do-i-remove-restore-skiptooth-chain.78756/

>>2051261
wax lube will give you the longest chain longevity by a large margin. the process involves stripping the chain to bare metal with a solvent like mineral spirits, dipping the chain in molten wax, and then using a wax based drip lube (like squirt or silca super secret) going forwards every 300km or so.
but if you aren't going to put 1000s of kms on it, a premium oil based lube like silca synergetic is probably a good option, after cleaning the chain with dish soap in a jar.

>>2051245
Yeah, I saw that, some of them even come with the tool

Options for me in order of cost are like jar of bearing balls $5 including shipping

New freewheel maybe up to $25 with tool

Change to free hub style, I don't know if I can use same spokes, tools, etc

>>2051260
I don't know for sure, I was just almost home, it's all uphill so I was mostly in second lowest gear. Sometimes, very rarely, and usually on like a very forceful pedal, I would get some kind of grind and skip feeling that I'm not totally sure about. The threaded ring is only 3-4 threads, so I'm not sure if there's somehow some axial thrust force that's able to jump threads, and this thing is really worn out. I wasn't really familiar with this thing, so when I took the wheel off and all the rings started coming out, I did think like oh I don't want to drop any balls, but I don't remember seeing any. Before I took the wheel off, the gears were able to be slid axially and get a small amount of tilt too. I'm not sure if it was thrusting into the frame and the frame was holding it in while bending. I wasn't sure of the assembly of the thing, so I really just stuck the rings back in and stuck the wheel on and rolled it home, and actually just rolling it home, the threaded ring screwed in a little bit, to the point that the gears couldn't be pulled off and that it would not spin totally freely when slid as far out as they would go.

Anyways, I'm going to just try some 3mm balls first. I looked into some copperhead bb's my mother has, 4.5mm, so they don't fit into the ring groove, they stick out too much. I think that the ring isn't supposed to apply force onto the balls, but it should tighten onto the spindle through the washers, and when there is an axial thrust, the balls touch the ring. I was able to find the second washer last night, when I walked back with a flashlight, and it was the thinner of the two and not too bent from being run over by cars.

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>>2051268
Let me know about changing to free hub with mostly same spokes and stuff, possible and worth or no

>>2051270
you're going to source a hub with a freehub in it with the same flange height as your current one, disassemble your wheel, and learn to build a wheel from scratch (which is the most time consuming thing you can do for a bike, and pretty difficult the first time, if not every time) just so you can avoid buying a new freewheel and screwing it on?
have you ever even trued a wheel before?

>>2051268
idk abput copperhead bbs just know the balls must be hardened steel, ground and lapped. 'Bearing balls'. They got actually a quite interesting machine that does that.
>>2051270
>same spokes and stuff
Chances are this will not be possible and in any case it is not worth the effort. Look: The spokes must be the correct length with a margin of error of 1, perhaps 2 mm. This means you would have to find a hub that has the same geometry as your current hub:
Same number holes
Same hole circle diameter
Same distance between flanges
Flanges might be offset because it's a rear wheel so also same offset
Same diameter holes (yes theres different ones)
And all that only so you can put alot of work into building up a wheel with your same old tired spokes and your rim.
Your work is worth more than some stupid components.
Now:
How many gears do you have in the rear?
What is the rear dropout spacing (measure between inside faces)?
How many gears would you want to have going forward?
I am very confident that the easiest way to go forward is getting a replacement freewheel.
Buying the balls is a bit of an if but should work. You'll still have some expense while you'll be left with your same old worn cogs and freehub (minus the balls). One that miracolously failed before and you are not sure why so it might again.
Building a wheel is several. times the eypense and work, availability of narrow hubs and hort freehubs may be limited, the alternative would mean more gears, potentially a new deraileur and most likely a new shifter.
The wheel huilding or changing option is a labour of love.

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>>2051271
Not just to avoid buying a new freewheel and screwing it on, but to maybe avoid this same situation again. I haven't done it before, and likely an experienced person's could be a better quality, but I think I could get it to work.

>>2051278
I'm finding something like this 32H type,
looks to be 3mm diameter,
I don't have a flange distance on this picture, but mine seems to be around 55mm, if a new hub is narrower, then I think that means there would be extra length,
don't know about the offsetting exactly, both are definitely much shorter on the brake disc side,

Currently, this freewheel is 7 gears in the rear 14-28T, and this cassette is 7 speed 12-32T,
Rear dropout spacing is about 5 and a half inches, pretty close,
There's other options in 7 speed like 11-28T that I think I could possibly use without changing anything, if the cassette is placed correctly with spacers, since 7 speed is the smallest size for this hub, 7-11 speed,

I'm thinking about it, I don't need tool to remove the old spindle from the old hub if I just abandon it, just need to look into spokes tools and that kind of assembly, and it's not too expensive for me or anything yet

A chain link has become wedged into my chain guide rail thing, is it worth replacing the whole thing? Or is it over?

>>2051247
but doesn't a FD need a cable stop to work/shift? Unless it's integrated which mine isn't (campy centaur).

>>2051290
>wedged into my chain guide rail thing
we can't answer your retarded question until you Google the parts of a bike and tell us what actually happened.
but anyway just buy a chain tool and remove the link and hook it back up, probably.

is it worth trying to build your own road bike versus buying something from a generic sports shop?

I've rode mtb all my life however I want to buy a proper asphalt bike with a lighter frame and low friction tyres because bike lanes are getting better around where I live and I want to ride faster

appreciate all responses

>>2051304
the bike mfrs can build a bike a hell of a lot cheaper than you can. buying used and then upgrading certain things can be cheaper though.

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>>2051249
Thanks again for the tip with the inline adjuster. Works well and integrates perfectly.

>>2051288
My friend look:
There's websites publishing geometries for well known hubs. I find sometimes they are wrong.
What I was saying is that you would have to do alot of digging to find a hub that is exactly the same dimensions as your hub. And that requirement severely limits the pool you can choose from. You'll end up having to pay the orice they are asking and be contempt with how it looks. All for your stupid requirement to keep your tired spokes. It is stupid. Trust me. The narrower pool of hubs you get to choose feom will probably make it such that you can't get a cheap hub, which seems to be what youre after, which ends in you paying the price that would have gotten you spokes extra for the hub.
And in the end you will be left with having put money and work into a wheel with OLD TIRED SPOKES.
Idk do yoh not want to hear that? Do you think I am writing several paragraphs ITT just to fuck a stranger over?
>seems to be around
You need exacting dimensions. I measure every hub I use even if I have a datasheet.
>bout 3fiddy.
You need to measure the rear spacing. There is no way around it. They range all the way from 110mm to 200+mm. And there's many standards in the 140mm range. (Btw what sort of bike is this why is it so fat in the rear like really only some new bikes but comes with a freewheel like old or cheap bikes?)
So again:
Hub needs to match rear spacing (it's probably 135mm), needs to match flange width, offset, hold dia and hold circle dia.
Also: Bad idea. Why keep old spokes and perhaps old rim also because autism? It will be a costly old wheel.
Buy the freewheel.
Or buy the hub.
Or buy a wheel.
Or buy a hub of your choosing with sookes and nipples to match.
Spend ages to find a hub that hapoens to match, pay whatever price they ask for and ride your spokes until they start breaking.
This is in the order of increasing stupid.
>spoke tools
get a good quality nipple wrench, or you'll br rounding nipples.
>remove spindle from hub
No need.

>>2051311
did you rattle can that?

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Bike new fag here. Purchased a cheap bike off of market place to get started. I had to get new shifters and I can't seem to get the bike to shift into 3rd, 2nd, 1st from 4th. I've tried tightening it and turning the nub counter clockwise. Still no go, thought I could be doing it wrong
Help

>>2051234
I can't picture a freewheel breaking the way you're describing. It sounds more like a cassette. Show us a pic of your hub.

Im building a bike to from frame and fork. the fork is designed to use flat mount calipers and up to 203mm rotors. I am running trp hylix and can get a crazy deal on 203mm rotors. seems like the breaks are designed for 140-160mm rotors. can i just throw on a flat to post adaptor and call it a day?

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did you guys fall when using clip pedals for the first time

>>2051336
Yes, everyone does, I used straps before that and used clips n straps but without slotted cleat before that. Ofc I had to eventually forget just once that I am on clipless and not straps so I was distracted, pulled out to the back, didnt work, panic and just fall ovfer. KEK
Happens only once and at standstill. Few weeks later youre adapted enough to bail like normal.

>>2051332
He literally showed us his freewheel. He is not considering or hellbent on switching to a freehub. The only thing that camn not fail in the way he described is a casette as if your casette has any balls you're doing something very very wrong.

>>2051338
>not considering
*now considering

>>2051336
no, I am not a retard

>>2051331
If you disengage the cable, does it shift to the smallest cog?

>>2051331
If the rest of the cable is in the shape the end is in, it won't be able to move anywhere. :D Undo the cable nut and check that the cable can move in the housing. If it does and ithe mech doesn't shift to the smallest cog, loosen the H-limit screw.

>>2051341
Yea it can shift 7 thru 4 no problem
>>2051342
Yea I torn up the end a bit lol. I loosened the h limit screw and the shifter still goes stiff when I try to get into 3rd from 4th

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>>2051332
>>2051338
I'm still considering changing to free hub. It's not like I hate the original wheel builder, but I think that maybe the newer design could be more robust or whatever.

Anyways, my bearing balls came in the mail today, and I was able to just do that. I rode it around today, and it was pretty smooth, especially on the smaller sprockets. On the larger sprockets, it's getting a little bit of clink clink sound happening only while pedaling. I think it might be related to some axial wobble when driving on the larger end, but I'm not totally sure. I only finger tightened everything before testing, and it definitely loosened up before I got home, so I took the wheel off and tightened the screw ring with a mallet, before I see what happens next time.

>>2051304
No unless you want some specific snowflake setup or already have the parts.

>>2051336
No. But I'm not using my clips properly as intended. I don't clip in and tighten down the straps. I just keep the straps tight enough to provide some retention but loose enough that I can easily slide my foot out.

I did fall when trying to use clipless though. After a couple of weeks of riding I decided clipless is not for me.

>>2051325
Yeah... can you tell?

In my defense, that wasn't normal spray paint. It was meant to be thick and rugged. I didn't know it would build up like that. Luckily it's only that bad in that spot.

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>>2051359
>it was pretts smooth
see i told you all you really need to do is fix what you have. I hope you greased everything.
>a bit of clink clink
was there a sensation of your pedals slipping? It might be your pawls loosing grip intermittendly.
>I think it might be
I think it's related to the freeaheel body slightly shifting. The cog you're using decides where the chain pulls on it and if it's got too kuch play the body can shift accordingly.
>I only finger tightened everything.
Adjustable bearings should generally be adjusted for smooth operation with either minimal slack or minimal preload. The good thing is that the bearings in a freewheel or freehub are the bearings that see the least duty in a bicycle.
Adjustable bearings should also have a mean to lock the adjusting mechanism. At least somsthing like a self locking nut or a jam nut or such.
Youre using a punch or screwdriver and a mallet to turn it? Look how pin wrenches are constructed you can buy them cheap or make one.
Anon, how do you and other anons manage to squish down video like that? When I take video using my phone and wanna upload its to big, so I set it to lowest resolution, crop it, cut it, end up with 4 seconds video maximum and it almost breaks the limit. You and others manage to upload long ass video with decent quality.

>>2051359
>>2051382
I didn't watch your video.
Good to see you greased it.
BUT ANON! Did you put only one row of balls in there? Of course you need a second row. How else is it going to be contrained axially? What do you think the ring is for? There must be a second row of balls, usually above the pawls and it makes contact with the screw ring.
There's your clicky issue btw. LOL

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>>2051381
yeag sorry to inform but i see many bikes like that
>>2051362
Young players today don't know this anymore but to 'use your clips as intended' you need the shoe plate with the slot. It will engage with the rear plate on the pedal. Once you cinch down your foot is fully immobilised. I want my knees back.

>>2051384
>Young players today don't know this anymore but to 'use your clips as intended' you need the shoe plate with the slot.
I did know that.

>>2051115
>fitness
miles miles miles miles
don't shy away from the hills either as its the best for most people to practice riding powerfully and train cardio

low intensity miles are a way to sustainably train frequently but high intensity rides are very valuable in driving significant adaptation

>>2051359
My bad, I've never in my life laid eyes on one of those frankenshits and it looks like a really bad idea, but what do I know

>>2051382
>>>/wsg/5949330

I was even able to access the pin hole while the wheel is on the bike, with the right shape rod, you could put the rod in and just slam the pedals and the rod will hit the frame and turn the screw ring.

Wsg board sticky has the basic command, I just used the highest bitrates that will reach max file size during the length of the video, and there's a 2 pass command that can become more efficient.

>>2051383
I did put a second row in through the top, I was just dropping the balls in and adjusting into a single file with the screwdriver, a little hard to see.

I'm going to try to put a small camera on it while riding to inspect and see

>>2051410
I'm almost definitely going to try it if it breaks again, and maybe even if it doesn't, I'll let you know here

>>2051414
>>2051415
oh okay sorr I didnt notice that maybe 4 second videos are good for me because attention span etc
anyways so how about the lreload and locking the ring down? did you get that dialed in?
and yeah just heed my advice regarding the stupid spokes like really man
now that i know you have disc brakes I will redact all statements about the rim being tired, its likely not but the spokes still are just get the hub you want and the spokes with nipples shpuld you go that route
ill be here to help you build a first wheel

I need a recommendation for an e-bike. Preferably a mountain bike. Very cheap. Doesn't need to be much. My commute to work is 7 minutes by normal bike with casual peddeling. Second hand is fine, I don't mind tinkering with it or upgrading parts after some time. Any advice? Maybe something with good parts availability? Or would you recommend I just get the cheapest chinese crap I can get? Again, it's only for like 10-15 minutes of total use per day. I know zero about e-bikes.

>>2051421
>Second hand is fine
mate go on facebook marketplace and sort by cheapest to most expensive and click on the first one that seems ok
>parts availability
90% of parts interchange with an analog bike and the ones that dont arent ones that you would be able to replace easily anyway

>>2051421
>>My commute to work is 7 minutes by normal bike with casual peddeling [sic].
>needs an e-bike
Fuck off.

>>2051423
How generic are batteries and chargers? I see a bunch of cheap options, the absolute cheapest ones have batteries or chargers that don't work.

>>2051424
Fuck you, I want to do as little as possible exercise at 7:30 in the morning. I currently walk every morning for 20 minutes. I live in the Netherlands, for 12 years I rode a shitty bike with half deflated tyres, no brakes and a heavy steel frame for 20 minutes to and 20 minutes back from school. Every day, even when it's minus 10 celcius, raining and windy. With no gloves and no rain gear. Sat in school wet all day. This is normal here, and basically I can guarantee you that I was hardened as a child in ways that your faggot hobbyist cyclist would consider child abuse.

>>2051421
>any advice
>>>/o/
and start calling a moped what it is: Moped.
>>2051425
>half deflated tires
and you could not every think of a reason for your misery or a way to lift yourself out of it?
>heavy steel frame
NL, almost perfectly flat, 'heavy frame'
bicycle weight is a meme and becomes even less relevant as average grade is reduced towards NL levels
>minus 10, rainy and windy
pussy. Really.
>no gloves
>sit wet all day
you again couldn't think of a way to improve your situation, right? It only took me 4 or so years to figure out you can dress for the occassion over suffering.
Anyways did that through all of uni, only it was a 16 km ride and often times colder than that. Never complained in fact quite enjoyed it. My commute to work is longer than it was to uni. All that changes was that I learned to not go all out always and wear the right clothes. There's plenty of anons here who bave far longer commutes in far extremer climates. Neither do they complain.
>hardened
KEK! We get to see the result of that now.
>child abuse
KEK! Grow a pair pussy.
Now fuck off to >>>/o/ already fag.

>>2051426
Nigger how is an e-bike a moped you dumb fuck? I want an e bike because you have to wear a helmet with a moped. And no, you can't wear rain gear or gloves as a kid because everyone would call you a faggot in school. Let alone a helmet. I was hit by a car 3 times on my school commute and fractured my skull in 2 of those. My parents also made me run into the sea every year on january 1st and in school they make everyone swim under a tarp stretched over a pool from one hole to another, fully dressed, at like 10 years old.

>>2051425
>Every day, even when it's minus 10 celcius
-10 is comfy.
>With no gloves and no rain gear.
You don't get points for being stupid.

>>2051427
>fractured my skull in 2 of those
Explains the retardation.

>>2051427
>expletive how is an e-bike a moped explitive
Moped. Compound word. Mo-ped, motor & pedal. Moped. Get it? Expletive!
>I want an e bike (moped) because you have to wear a helmet...
ah the motorist at it once again, convincing politicians, lawmakers and NPCs that some motorvehicles were in fact not motorvehicles
>>>/o/
>you can't wear
like I said, did that for years too, not because anyone would have called me expletive but because I managed to delude myself its so stronk and healthy and all
>cagers hit you
news man.
>go into sea
>also dive in pool
can you just transition already?
fucking homo tranny nigger expletive faggot
>>>/o/

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why dont the make star nuts with an extra bit so they are self aligning?

>>2051450
Probably because the inner diameter of steerers aren't consistent

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fucking game changer

>>2051450
I dont understand, why do you think a third plane of contact would provide additional stiffness that an increase of the distance between the two existing ones could not?
That also implies: They do. You posted it.

>>2051474
You don't understand how these work or anons proposition.

>>2051453
>sprays oil and chain cleaner all over your brakes
thank you very cool

>>2051483
I oiterally said 'I do not understand'. I suspect I do not understand anons proposition.
On a sidenote I see nothing wrong with the nuts we get, just fuck em in and do your preload up. Whats the problem? Usually one is good for the life of the fork if you ask me. Its not like im changing stems on all my bikes every week.

>>2051484
1. Rim brakes.
2. That's the biggest issue you have with this clip?

Is it worth it to patch chink TPU tubes? I've tried the glueless ones and they do jack shit.

Also, are TPUs more prone to pinch flats? All of my flats were from pinch flats

>>2051490
I have zero experience with TPU tubes, but with how expensive they are they better be patchable.
Glueless patches for normal butyl tubes are shit.
>All of my flats were from pinch flats
You're running too low air pressure in your tyres.

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>>2050352
I'm really happy with it. Could be a bit lighter, though.

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>>2051450
Think of the weight!

>>2051492
I take my words back. It's ugly as fuck. Delete this.

>>2051492
howd you do the specialized decals?

>>2051490
they take special patches. some tubes come with a few. cyclami on ali sells a separate patch kit.

>>2051500
Ebay

>>2051504
ah. bike looks cool

>>2051505
Thanks man.

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Hello guys

Bike is a Trek with Tektro Novela mechanical disc brakes.
My rear disc brake doesn’t fully stop the wheel. I’ve adjusted the barrel adjuster and cable tension so that the brake lever has about 2 inches of travel before it engages, but even when I pull the lever all the way, the rear wheel doesn’t lock up. The front brake works fine and stops completely.
I’ve already tried adjusting the cable tension and playing with the barrel adjusters.
I also noticed that at the caliper clamp bolt doesn’t seem to be much cable left sticking out after it’s secured. Could that be the issue, or is something else likely causing the weak braking?

>>2051514
Nah seems all good here dude

Where did all the colored spokes go in the last 10 years? All I can find now are black and silver, even white spokes are gone (berds notwithstanding).

>>2051520
Bikepocalypse happened.

just bought a vintage bike for super cheap, about $40
just took a proper look and its getting to the point that I can't handle—trueing rims, basically
worth it to have a shop do the cleaning that I wanted and to true the rims?

>>2051520
wut
https://www.prowheelbuilder.com/spokes/shopby/white_gold_yellow_blue_orange_purple_green_pink_red_rainbow.html

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Why do people ride shit like this

>>2051537
cus retards got money and want to spend it on toys?
its not THAT bad

>>2051425
>I want to do as little as possible exercise at 7:30 in the morning.
>7 minute bike ride is exercise
fat?

>>2051537
cuz they're a boulder tech bro who bought into the bikepacking meme and needed a hardcore rig to do the occasional half-mile ride to the nearest brewpub after a stressful day of vibe coding at home? idk

Is there anything actually wrong with using a single speed as your main bike? I remember trying out a friend of mines multispeed and even under optimal gearing I didn't feel like I could push it all that much faster than my single speed, but I see multispeed bikes have become the new standard so now I'm curios if there's something I'm missing here.

>>2051549
>is there anything wrong
no

>>2051491
>You're running too low air pressure in your tyres.
I was running optimal pressure. Then again, the times it happened I was riding into/off an uneven sharp road. Still though, my rubber tires have never been pinched flat.

>>2051502
tried both cyclami and ride now's glueless stick on patch kits. both failed.

>>2051537
What do you think is wrong with it? Looks less faggy than road bikes to me.

>>2051537
Because they want to.

>>2051551
>I was running optimal pressure.
Clearly not, for the terrain and the way that you were riding.

>>2051549
Enjoy blowing out your knees at 30

>>2051549
>Is there anything actually wrong with using a single speed as your main bike?
No it's fine.
>the new standard
If by "new" you mean the last hundred years.

>>2051556
This is such a stupid meme.

>>2051549
>but I see multispeed bikes have become the new standard
did you wake up from a century long nap? anyway no, and in fact there are advantages to singlespeed like less maintenance

>>2051557
>This is a stupid meme
>>2051556
Yes and no. There's nothing intrinsical about single speeds or fixed gear that does this. And neither do skids.
Is running a 62-13 up long steep hills every day good for you? Probably not. And yes when you're working the signals your body gives, you are attenuated and you only later realise what it's telling you. It's like that with every endurance sport.
Just run a 48-17 and you'll be fine with everything. Downhill, uphill and flat. Don't sprint or climb right out the gate, learn to go easy and do it if you're not feeling well. Do jlnot neglect your body, run, walk, stretch, you can not exclusively bike.
Full disclaimer:
t. blown knees and a history of alot of fixed gear
but:
also blown back, two fucked AC joints, ome twice, fucked hip etc.
Guess you need to grow old before you learn some things.

>>2051299
ah right that's true, if a bike has cable runs it probably doesn't have a cable stop at the fd itself. personally i just run a 1x, maybe you could attach an aftermarket cable stop to the seattube?
>>2051304
it's more expensive but it teaches you a lot about road bikes, and picking your own components can be fun.
>>2051336
never used clipless, flat pedals for life
>>2051425
wrong thread, all the other lazy losers in the NL get a fatbike so follow their example i guess
>>2051549
single speed is no different from using multi speed bikes in the wrong gear, it will feel a bit too spinny or grindy if you're not used to it but it works fine on the flats.

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>>2051537
>comfortable saddle
>comfy up right riding position
>large comfy tires
>low range gearing for comfortably climbing hills
>zero maintenance fork
>external cables
wow how horrible

>>2051537
why do people post uncropped screenshots like this

>>2051537
It looks fun to ride. I would.

>>2051514
Open the nut and pull it a bit tighter before fastening the nut again. Maybe it had too much slack.

>>2051536
>3 bucks per spoke
are they fucking daft

>>2051551
>both failed
worked on my machine. sounds like you're retarded

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Redpill me on brompton folding bikes. Is the tiny wheel size and seat position so inefficient that I will arrive at my destination tired, sweaty and late most times? I know I'm over exaggeration in my question, but "normal" bikes are just more efficient and that's a significant thing sometimes.

>>2051581
I've ridden their 3k€ top model with titanium fork. It's surprisingly bad. Maybe it's a really great ride compared to other folding bikes, I wouldn't know. But compared to a normal bicycle, it's unstable, squirrely, shaky and inefficient.
Also, it had several weird issues that just looked like bad design to me. Like the pedals can get wedged into the spokes when folding and they fit in there so perfectly it's almost impossible to free them again. And the folding mechanism gets blocked by the seat tube if it's set too low. And the front fender gets squished against the tire when folding. And the spokes are too close together for most pump heads to reach the valve. And of course all parts are proprietary and overpriced. If you're thinking of buying a Brompton to commute by bike and train, you're better off just buying two 100€ bikes, one for each leg of the journey, keep them at the train stations and replace them when they're stolen.

>>2051576
nope, blinging up your ride is always going to increase cost. you could always get the colored leaders for $2 a pop if you can stand knowing that your wheelset is 50g heavier because you cheaped out on spokes and got straight gauge, or get silver double butted and DIY paint, I guess

>>2051583
I think the folding mechanism is well thought out and tried and tested and the problems you allude can probably be avoided with care or don't occur in practice as much as you think. I mean people have these bikes for years and never have issues. But yea the instability of the frame is to be expected. Im just wondering how much youre really coping with the ride everyday and compromising on practice.

>>2051557
True, in some cases it's 25, in some cases it's 35

>>2051581
Owned one here (C-Line M6R + Dynamo).
You only get a Brompton if you really need that small folding size (as small as possible) and you do hybrid commuting especially with train (like intercity commuting in Europe, you don't pay extra train ticket).

How practical is the small size? not very much: other brands with bigger, cumbersome size offers more comfortable ride (Tern BYB, Birdy, Vello) with their 18-20" wheel, extra suspension, disc brake + cheaper price. Bigger & more cumbersome, but more than enough to fit inside trains. The only moment Brompton beats the others is on airplane travel: possible to fit as cabin baggage, yet a topic of bringing Brompton in air travel, in a bigger scope, is a case of impracticality, masochism.
>just get normal bicycle and check-in with extra sport equipment ticket instead of wasting your energy to squeeze your Brompton as normal baggage.

>>2051593
Quality wise? decent. Expensive? yes, but worth it (Personally, it's hardly a rip-off when you compare it to those other brands; are all on the same price range), not to mention it's high resell value.
Expensive & proprietary spare-parts feels like rip-off like Apple components, yet it also means plenty of spare-parts & accessories around in case of maintenance, replacement, add-on.

I just had the gears adjusted on my giant with a SRAM NX 1x11 but it feels like now there is small clunk I can feel through the pedal when i push down with my left leg. What could this be now? Cant really be assed taking it back to the shop.

>>2051612
And how does it ride? Where there times when you wished it was faster?

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>>2051418
You can kind of see it wobble here, I'm uploading gigabytes of it to youtube so you can hear it too, I'm almost completely sure that the wobbling is making the noise when the chain pulls, it rocks back and forth

I'm thinking about trying larger bearing balls on the larger sprocket side, past 3mm and 1/8" is 3.5mm and 5/32" and 4mm

>>2051617
While you're pedaling?

>>2051617
Sounds unlikely if you're sure it appeared with the gear adjustment, but it could actually be the pedal? Either you pedals are worn and need replacing or bearings need service, or just greasing the threads and mounting it tight to the crank arm, are both things that have helped me in the past with the clunk you describe. I've also had it from a worn bottom bracket.

>someone else worked on my bike and now I have a new problem and I learned nothing to help diagnose and fix mechanical problems to make my bike run smooth
This is why I do my own maintenance. It's cheaper and you learn how to make adjustments as needed as issues pop up.

>>2051631
Yeah, its odd, as i put power down through left pedal, feels like there is a bit of freeplay before power is tranferred to wheel, almost like if you back-pedalled a tiny bit before continuing to pedal. Its tiny, but do enough kms and these things are noticeable. Its fine, ill continue to keep at eye on it, might check to see if crank is tight.

>>2051632
Thanks for this, all things I will check

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>>2051634
>feels like there is a bit of freeplay before power is tranferred to wheel
Technically there always is, as the pawls might need to travel a few millimetres to engage with the ratchet teeth. Usually shouldn't be noticable with a decent freewheel in good working order.

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>>2051618
>how does it ride?
bit unstable compared to 20" conventional folding bikes, and obviously normal bicycles. First experience: wobbly. But it's fast, high acceleration.
Also cities only: Paved roads, asphalt. avoid some cobblestone street = rough ride (got internal puncture from the shock, small wheels are pretty much unintended disadvantages),

>Where there times when you wished it was faster?
When I found out P-Line has 12 speed; wider gear transition than 6 speed. And news of C-Line will get upgrades to 12 speed (with new rear frame) at early 2025. Weigh is less of issue than the size (unless you travel with airplane, again one complicated debate)
It's actually more of personal buyer's remorse not going for the newest updated feature than actually needing the speed. If i waited for 6 months, I'd get the C-line 12 speed instead, but my 2nd hand 6-speed bought in july 2024 was too good (1500€, pristine no blemish, come with original box & brompton warranty; as good as new)
Yet, me, most other Brompton owners i met & on internet, even authorized sellers said 6 speed is more than enough for most case. At highest gear 3+ I could ride around 20-25 Km/h comfortably and i found 2- and below being too light for me, only use it for climbing.

For comfort ride, i recommend upgrading the generic brompton saddle with better one; most get the Brooks one due to branding.

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New bike. Thoughts ? I might get a shorter stem and some bars with sweep and more rise. And bigger tires + front basket. Also running out of seatpost

>>2051661
neat

>>2051628
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj9DxUZKGhY

You can hear it here

>>2051661
Don't like it at all.
Typical deraileur bike conversion. Old.10 spd? Flip flop hub, freewheel. Riser bars. Meme saddle. No foot retention. So its a formerly bike made shitty and you want to
>even more rise
>fat tires
make it even shittier. Also throwing good money after bad money when you have a working bike.
You already have comical amount of stem with riser bars and your bars are almost the same height as your saddle. And you want to get parts with eben more rise?
The only good thing about it is having two brakes and a sensible tire size. All the good stuff that once made this bike nice is gone.

>>2051667
my mans glad to see you're still comitted
but I really want to ask again because I do understand you're very much opposed to it but/I dont understand why: Why do you insist on keeping and fixing a freewheel instead of swapping the entire freewheel. Please let me know. See above for all the reasons why I would really consider getting a cheap replacement freewheel over sinking the same amount of money into all possible sizes of nearing balls and risking to still end up with a problematic freewheel.
My experience with freewheels is a bit more limited than freehubs. But I believe in the case of freewheels it's common for the design to use one size of balls inboard and outboard.
Btw anon, you can tighten the threaded rjng to where the bearing seizes up, right? You see if you can not do that the adjustment is basically pointless and something about the geometry (ball size, missing shim...) is badly wrong. If you adjust it correct I dont see how it would wobble unless damaged and I don't see how a didderent size ball would make a difference. Think those things through. You adjust the bearing clearance via the ring, not the size of the balls.

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First ride since end of autmn, nearly fell down stairs agter getting coffee because legs were like jelly. Think frame has crack halfway down seat tube. Wat do you think? Crack or split paint?

>>2051674
It’s not supposed to be a fixie bro. I’m looking for a middle ground of comfort, speed, and maneuverability. And not “fat” tires, just more of a rando vibe. I’m paranoid about flats and the roads suck where I am

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Serious question, how do I know if slicks are “bald” or need replacing? Also is picrel grounds for replacing tire?

>>2051678
Depends on the material, I wouldn't expect a metal frame to break there, they usually break in the welding joints

Are chinks groupsets any good? Looking to get LTWOO 2*11, is the shifting performance decent or should I just get a Tiagra or secondhand 105?

>>2051685
Alloy. There was a bit of grease there, and when I wiped it away I could feel where it was raised a bit.

>>2051661
I have the same frame/fork, a few sizes larger. Maybe I posted pics here when I was working on it?

I half bought it because the OG Suntour derailers were in good shape.
The shifters were surprisingly low quality, but I like the lack of dt shift bosses. Looks good on a ss/fixed gear setup.

Drilled out the crown (ez) & brake bridge (pretty tricky), to accept recessed nut brakes.
What headset do you have on there? This is one of the few bikes I have w/ a JIS headset.

It's fun to ride. I have mine set up as a fixed gear bike. I'll try to take some pics in the next few days.

>>2051687
I don't think it's worth it since shimano is always heavily discounted

>>2051682
Yes I did notice that this bike was never supposed to be single speed. So? Yoh're making my point?
Either way I find it sad and undesireable.

>>2051661
>raceass

>>2051684
>Serious question, how do I know if slicks are “bald” or need replacing?
They usually come with wear indicator marks. Pay attention to those.
>Also is picrel grounds for replacing tire?
Are you kidding?

>>2051687
Check out MicroShift, they are pretty based.

>>2051678
That would be an odd place for a crack.

>>2051661
Beautiful. The cranks don't fit the look of the frame, though. Try to find an oldschool set for it. Other than that, cool ride.

>>2051678
Definately a crack. Sorry dude. The bottle boss just did that. Just like the internal cable routing meme does. It's likely also very thin in that area as the ST might be externally butted towards the top.
Bot sure how worried I would be. Never saw a crack in the middle of the seattube but then again bottle bosses there are rare. Usually when one breaks the ST towards the BB end they are fine and no catastrophic crash occurs.
A proper repair is a question of how much you are attached. Economically not viable.
A botched repair will be fine too but just bad practice.

>>2051674
>meme saddle
rent fucking free

>>2051707
>then again bottle bosses there are rare
Huh?

I'd recommend sanding that spot down to get a real look at the issue. Maybe it's nothing.

>>2051702
Am I kidding? No, but I’m thinking it means I need to replace it?

>>2051724
I've replaced tyres for mush less. How does that even happen?
>need to
Technically you can ride anything that holds air. If you *really* want to.

>>2051684
that missing material showing the fabric weave is a deal-breaker in my book. too vulnerable from the outside, too likely for the internal pressure to bulge it out.
the rest of the tire is probably not bald enough to replace, if it weren't for that missing piece you could keep riding it.
I mean, it *might* be fine, you might could cover the spot with, iunno, roofing tar or something and it could be fine. but I'd replace the whole thing, that's not a little rip but a big ass chunk missing, too big imo.

>>2051687
my microshift 2x7 brifters are serving me well.
Velo-Orange sells microshift and sensah empire groupset components, and they used to put them on their bikes, but they seem to have pivoted to only selling frames and components separately now.

>>2051689
>alloy
I don't think it's able to fail catastrophically like carbon. if it even does fail there, it's going to bend, and probably pretty slowly. until then, I'd personally be comfortable with riding it.

>>2051684
Whenever you see the ply where the 'tread' (apllies to slick too) is supposed to be yiu change the tire.
>>2051708
I do want rent. NOW!
>>2051723
>huh?
huh?
Most bottle bosses are on the downtube. Usually on the ST you'll only find them if they wanted more than they could fit on the DT. Now since you have bikes without bottle bosses and bikes with bottle bosses on the DT only it follows that on the ST they are relatively rare. Whats hard about this?
>Sanding it to look.
It's a crack. But sanding it wont hurt it IF anon wants to do something about it anyways.
>>2051728
I guess everyone has at some point for whatever reason replaced an otherwise perfectly fine tire. But that shouldn't be the yardstick.
>>2051729
Theres also that thing with the ply usually not being inherently waterproof. It will wick water and distribute it inside.
But its a futile discussion anyways. The ply shows up you replace it.
>>2051731
>alloy
>no catastrophic failures
KEK he doesn't know.
But that's irrelevant in this context. Ut's a seat tube. Hence anon wont die when it goes. But it will eventually seperate. The crack will propagate.
>>2051678
Anon. Why dont you put two felt tip marks at either end of the crack. Ride it as usual. You can now check if it grows.

>>2051707
>Just like the internal cable routing meme does
Internal cables break frames?

>>2051746
quite often you'll see things like top tubes that cracked where the cable enters on the front, sometimes where it exits on the rear. Some bikes will have an exzra stiffener brazed on to reinforce the hole but it usually goes wrong too. Also some mamufacturers that had internal cable routing have changed an existing model to fature those reinforcements because the frames were so notorious for breaking.
Look at the older Koga Miyata Full Pro, Pro Deltas etc. Early internally routed versions did not have a stiffener there. Later versions had an extra bit brazed on. They still cracked.

>>2051728
>>2051729
I put superglue in it. We’ll see what happens

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>>2051749
I found two pictures online that help illustrate.
Note on this one how they soldered an oval reinforcement to the hole. The plastic thing is absolutely non sgructural. and just clicks in.

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>>2051751
Now notice here how they just punched the hole and slappes the plastic thing on. All else being equal this would be more likely to fail and fail sooner.

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Continuing on my bike restoration journey. Took off the free hub bc it's super stiff I can pedal forward but can't back pedal or coast (or the chain would go slack) I have the free hub body here and correct me if I am wrong but that center cog should moce freely ? Like I said it is super stiff and I'm not sure of the bearings or bad or what. Is there a way to pop this off and get in there without breaking? I'm trying to get under it with WD-40 and oil but it's still pretty stiff

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>>2051750

>>2051753
You come at it the other way. Probably not worth it, if you can source a replacement. But maybe you like to tinker with things.

I'm sure RJ The Bike has a video about it. Look up "freehub body disassembly".
Usually people will recommend a "drag link socket", I ground down a socket so it only has two tangs sticking up.

Probably do it over a pan, most of the internal parts are small. There's a bunch of tiny bearings, some little springs, some pawls, some retaining clips, probably some shims.

>>2051723
>Huh?
Maybe the other guy rides small frames?
I think I've had one bike in the past 20 years that didn't have st bottle bosses.

>>2051774
Maybe you guys ride frames from a different category than I do. Got plenty of bikes with not a single bottle boss.

>>2051753
Huh? Youre not the freewheel. guy are you?
>it's super stiff
most often there is gummed up grease, dirt or rust inside. You can remove the locking right that's towards the outside of the bike. Make a suitable tool for it. You can then disassemble it and clean the pawls, springs, balls and major parts in fuel, grease and put it back together.
In a pinch you can always spray a penetrant into the gaps, soak it and work it back and forth. Usually it frees up. and often remains free when you use it.

>>2051778
Granted, I ride old-school mountainbikes.

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I rented a Western-made, prestige-brand road bike about 5 years ago and it blew my mind with how nice it was and I ended up buying an entry level road bike (made in the Far East of course) and then upgrading most of the parts over time, except the frame.

This summer I rented an even higher-prestige, Western-made road bike hoping to see what I was missing and it was basically like my own bike, except the shifting made cool noises because it was electronic and the wheels felt slightly less precise in their handling, and of course the brand stenciled on the downtube inspired fear and respect from the other freds.

I'm feeling kind of lost now, I thought bikes would just keep getting infinitely better. Especially a bike made by white Westerners in a rich country. It had to be better right? What went wrong? What do I do? I need to consume.

Should I build up a Winspace? Hambini said Winspace is good. Their latest frame costs what my whole bike cost before I started slapping nicer stuff on it. I bet a Winspace would be better than the high-status Westoid brands I'm used to, right? Imagine how much better my life would be if I had a Winspace.

Yes, I think that's it. I'm going to get myself a Winspace. The secret is in the East.

>>2051785
>I'm feeling kind of lost now,
Why? You own a really nice bike. Ride it, enjoy it.
>I thought bikes would just keep getting infinitely better.
That's silly. Stupid even.
>Western-made
They're all made in asia. The frames and wheels and most components.
>I need to consume.
>Hambini said
Oh you're just meming. Never mind then.

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>>2051788
On the contrary, many brands still do frame manufacturing in the west. Particularly Italy, but other countries as well. Slovakia, Czechia. France if you count finishing and painting to be "manufacturing". England if that counts "as "the west". Not to mention US and Canada.

To be fair, these are expensive bicycles, and many of the smaller parts were indeed made in Asia and a lot of the diffusion lines are made in the east. A $2500 Bianchi is obviously not going to be made in Italy.

>>2051783
See. I ride mostly old tri and tt bikes.
>>2051785
>western made
KEK
>>2051789
Well so do artisans. But the gux is asking abiut a bike with prestige n shiet so some ginorelli strudoli shit.

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Im running 24s now. How wide could I go with this kind of clearance?

>>2051814
Just measure the clearance instead of asking anonymous strangers on the internet to guestimate things from picture.

>>2051814
very wide but youre a retard for doing this

>>2051817
I just want a comfy ride frie/n/do

>>2051814
on my 2009 race bike i have to deflate my 25s to get them past the brake pads. then inflate them when they are on. as long as you have fork clearance you are good as far as I can tell.

>>2051817
whats wrong with it?

>>2051818
Then why are you hell bent on making a bike that was never meant to be a cruiser into a cruiser that will never even be a good cruiser because after all the modifications it still wasn't meant to be.
>>2051823
He'll have to eventually even swap rims. Put see above for whats wrong. The whole 'I'm ruining nice old 10 speeds because retard' is just gay. Just get what you want in the first place: A single speed balloon bike.

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Look exhibit A
single speed balloon bike. Everything that faggot ever wanted. Dont even have to ruin a perfectly good bike and look stupid.

whats a good tool brand from aliexpress?
need everything and also some whacky shit like a bearing press

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>>2051840
riderace, toopre, RISK.
theres a bunch, but I find generally anything that's branded like pic related is usually decent. The unbranded generic shit can also be good though but less of a safe bet.

>>2051830
Going downhill on that in the rain will bring you closer to god, one way or another.

>>2051772
I wouldn't mind getting a replacement part if I can find the right fucking thing. I went to my local bike shop and the white dude with dreadlocks was no help
Thinking about just replacing the whole tired tbqfh
>>2051779
Nta
But yea that's what I've been trying to do but its super fucking stubborn

>>2051823
>i have to deflate my 25s to get them past the brake pads. then inflate them when they are on.
This sounds more like you haven't figured out that brake calipers can be flipped open and closed, precisely for this reason.

>>2051814
You don't own a ruler?

>>2051849
yeah even with the quick release released. and the barrel adjuster adjusted out

>>2051851
That sounds, implausible. But if you say so.

>>2051830
Too slow

I want to be fast, agile, and comfortable

>>2051852
different guy here. both my bikes have calipers from the late 80s, one low end shimano and one 105. the quick release thing only goes to about 28mm on both . on my bike with 32mm tires, I have to set the wheel on the pads and push it through.

>>2051854
That's 32s. Other anon claimed to have that problem with 25s.
From googling it looks like some cheap caliper brakes without quick release actually exists. Can that really be true?

>>2051855
ok I just checked and the 25s fit through, 28s dont though. might be that the cable tension was set too tight though now that I think of it.

>>2051772
Just found it. My brother in law just reversed Google search images it and it came out
>Shimano FH-C201
Looks like it's sold out

>>2051858
thank god your brother-in-law was around to handle all the highly technical nuances of doing a reverse fucking image search

>>2051108
Work at a thrift store and looking to pick up a bike of some sorts (haven't owned one since elementary lol)

What sort of things and features should I keep an eye out for

>>2051876
Two wheels, straight. Gears and brakes in working order. A single speed bikes will have one less thing that can be wrong with it. It's the right size and fits you well.
A thrifted bike will inevitably have wear and tear on parts and components. You should learn enough about bikes that you have an idea of how to replace parts that have reached end of service life and how much that would cost you. Weigh the purchase price and condition of the bike against the maintenance costs it would need.
Or just buy whatever catches your fancy and learn from bitter experience.

>>2051877
Well I can get things for pretty cheap and every now and then you come across random bike parts.

What size bike is good for a short guy? I'm 5'5 lol

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>>2051878
Ballpark numbers. Every manufacturer has their own recommendations.

>>2051878
>every now and then you come across random bike parts
Just don't buy worn out trash.

>>2051842
no not really, you cant ted shred it thats true but you'll be fine
>>2051845
Those things take time more than anythibg, it's like the old mtb indexed quick fire shifters
chuck it in a bucket of gas and work it a little every day, if its gummed up grease that will freee her, or like i said just take it apart and clean properly
>>2051853
It's not a bicycle that is inherently slow. The rider is slow. The same applies for agility btw. You can bhop grandpas moped, it's just easier on a bmx.
Also you're unironically in the process of enshitifying in every possible way a bike that once was good and suitable for going fast. That includes reducing it's potential to be fast. But you do you.

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>>2051845
Sorry for double posting I didnt read the response to the other guy.
It's usually easy to find the right one there's just a few differences really. Show yours.
You're mostly confronted with hyperglide nowaydays so I'll be discounting uniglide and the uniglide hyperglide transition phase freehubs. Also I will ignore propertiary, manufacturer specific freehubs with industrial bearings n shiet, you'd know what you have if you had kne of those.
Then its almost entirely down to a few versions of that starshape drive interface thing that also can be an innie or outie to match the hub and the length of the splined section or if you want the 'number if gears' in the cluster. Usually those things are fairly easy to find but uniglide and the short 7sp designs are drying up.
So please show yours, state number of gears, state aproximate location, I shall try digging a replacement up. It may be a no name chink part but I have only good experiences with over 10 used in whacky OLD conversions of later hubs.

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What I mean regarding innie outie in case its not obvious.
>>2051753
You got an innie btw ;)
Also not the length difference because numbers of cogs and how the same hub will need a different length axle to take a longer or shorter freehub and will have a different OLD.

>>2051876
different things to look for from different eras, different things to look for depending on the type of bike.
old road bikes have different "tells" for quality. old mtbs you judge differently.
90s mtbs with no suspension are often reliably good as long as it's not a Walmart brand, but thrift stores usually get Walmart brands. a road bike from the late 80s onwards can also be desirable but there are tells to avoid.
what kind of riding are you looking to do?
is it flat or hilly where you live?

>>2051897
It's kinda funny I thought of giving advice to that guy but then realised listing the things I do when I evaluate a bike (for example/to buy it), let alone explaining how to do them, would fill pages. You get your hands on a bike you're checking out and alresdy you've ticked the first 10 items in your mental list, when you're done you might have checked for 100 common issues.

>>2051898
yeah, I thought the same and realized I needed to be brief at first.

>>2051897
Relatively flat I think mostly. Indo live in ahilly area though but there is a walking/biking trail walking distance from me. (Just pavement)

Feel kind of uncomfortable at the idea of riding on roads with cars as I haven't ridden a bike in decades

>>2051917
>Relatively flat
>Indo live in ahilly area
okaay...
well, if you live in a flat area you might like a single speed bike but if it's hilly then gears are your friend. a geared bike in flatland is good but a single speed in hills is not unless you're a hardcunt.
you want a bike with a frame that fits you, so leave everything too small or big out of your search, no matter how good it is. a little small might be ok but definitely not too big. anon posted a sample size chart with a good caveat: >>2051879
90s mtb is a good all-rounder but slick tires for roads and light off road, knobbies only for heavy off road.
the lower quality old road bikes tend to be packaged the same way; straight gauge regular steel frame, the little "turkey wing" attachments on the brake levers so you can brake from the top of the bar instead of the sides, shift levers on the stem steerer column, centerpull brakes (not to be confused with cantilevers or Vs). any or all of these indicate not so desirable bikes, although they do frequently have frame clearance for wide tires which is good.
if you see a decal on the frame that says cromoly steel that's a good sign, also double or triple butted tubes. Reynolds and Columbus brand steel are common but there are many others. shifters on the downtube or shift levers integrated with the brake levers is good. dual-pivot brake calipers are nice. I like my single pivots OK. the centerpull brakes are supposed to work well but they were cheaper so it's a sign of a cheap bike.
unfortunately, in the good old steel bike era, it was more pro to use narrow tires, so these frames and brake calipers tend not to have clearance for wide tires, which is better not only for non-race riding, but also even the pros use wider tires now. this is all to say that if you see a bike on skinnies and the fork and rear triangle are hugging the tires, that's a style that nobody uses anymore. narrow tires are a dead-end for racing and comparatively no fun to ride.

>>2051929
road bikes from the late 90s on tend to be aluminum or carbon and have integrated brake and shift levers ("brifters") and the frames have "compact geometry," a sloping top tube instead of horizontal and therefore a really long seat tube, and the more recent ones have the wider tire clearance. more modern bikes have disc brakes. if you see one at the thrift store with hydraulic disc brakes, that's an expensive bike and if it doesn't suit you, buy it and flip it.

if you're going to be riding on roads, a road bike is best. the old mtbs were more similar to road bikes, but as they got more optimized for offroad they became pretty terrible for roads, although normies love riding them on roads anyway. unless you're actually going to be taking your bike on gnarly offroad regularly, avoid suspension forks and frames like the plague. they're for hucking the bike off big drops while going really fast. for anything else, it's a liability.

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What is this inclusion in my rim? It only appeared towards the end of a short ride this morning. When I noticed a rhythmical knocking when braking, I took a look and saw this.

>>2051941
Probably a stone hit it's fine

>>2051946
It's an elevation though, not a pit.

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>>2051941
You gave it monkeypox.

>>2051941
>>2051946
>>2051948
>>2051953
Nevermind, I gave it a tap with a flathead screwdriver and it dropped right off. No idea how it held there by itself with the brake pads going over it.

I'm torn between

Riverside 100 (with all the whistles and bells, fenders, lights, kickstand, rear rack)
Elops 540

I always had mountain bikes and road bikes so I dunno how to chose.

I want something that

>Does not attract thieves
>Can go uphill
>Can bring me far (I like cycling and do centuries on my mountain bike. I don't fancy my road bike)
>Will make me burn calories

I like the Elops 540 because it has unique IGH
I like the Riverside 100 because it's basic and because AI keeps telling me to buy it

>>2052001
>Can go uphill
R100= 33lbs/1x 6speed
elops 44lbs/1x7 speed
jesus christ. the 100 wins, but how can something so basic weigh so much?

>>2052001
Both of those are actual garbage. They're like the equivalent of those v-tech """laptops""" for kids. Show us your current mountain bike and road bike. It's probable that those are also trash.

>>2052004
MTB Cube reaction c62
Road bike is some Viner with Campagnolo.

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>>2051115
Gears are the bike's transmission and transmissions are just spinning levers. A low gear ratio creates a long lever. Easy to move, but the end of the lever moves only a little bit compared to the one you push on. A high gear ratio is hard to push, but moves the end of lever quickly. The pulley system of the chain allows the lever to made small and spinny instead of an actual big lever. The end of the lever on the bike is the wheel.

>bike
How rough is the planned gravel and dirt? If you need a mountain bike, that works just as well in the city. Otherwise, just get a generic commuter bike. 4-6 miles isn't really anything on a bike, so it doesn't really matter what kind you buy here. If you're concerned about grip on the commuter, then just put gravel tires on it.

>winter
You haven't said anything about how rough these trails are. Paved foot paths are miles different from single track MTB trail. If it's just cold, then winter tires with winter rubber will do. If it's snowy, then you're going to want a fat snow tire and maybe even studs if the trail is off road.

>fitness
Pedal hard for a long time. you should be breathing just as hard as if you were running if you're trying to use it for fitness. Having a goal like you r 8 miles is good.

>seat
Seats are like shoes. There's a billion different ways it can fit and everyone has a specific preference. Numb penis is typically from the perenium pressing against the seat. Seats with cut-outs in this area are made to address that. You may also be badly positioned on the bike and that's causing your pelvis to rotate forward and put pressure there instead of on your sit bones. Hard to tell without a picture of you on the bike/ bike seat. Don't be afraid to bring it up to the guy at the store, it's a common problem.

>>2052001
>riverside 100 vs elops 540
Idk man, that price range gets pretty iffy for bikes. I'd honestly recommend buying something used at that point from your local shop. You'd get something that originally cost more and has been checked out by someone competent. Most shops also offer a warranty of some sort on used bikes they sell. Especially if you're planning on riding 100 miles (or km) on it. Those cheapo bikes just don't hold up for shit.

>thieves
All bikes attract thieves. If they can make $50 selling it on craigslist, they'll steal it. Buy a good lock and don't be dumb

>calories
Bikes don't make you spend energy. You make yourself spend energy by pedaling hard. You could do that on literally anything.

>>2052002
>how can something so basic weigh so much?
Thick pipes made of the finest chinese steel

>>2052014
>maybe even studs if the trail is off road
If it's snowy it's freezing, which means there's potential for ice, which means you want studs ON road.

Need a good new touring bike for 1000-1500$/€

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I've been thinking about building a gravel bike based on chinese BXT 135 frameset. People online seem happy about it, but obviously dead ones won't write a negative review.
The frame itself is a copy of scott addict.

>>2052027
VSF T-100 Sport

>>2052028
The "Chinese = bad" meme is 10 years out of date. All you're paying for when you buy the same frame from a "Western" brand is some CEO's salary.

>>2052030
>All you're paying for when you buy the same frame from a "Western" brand is some CEO's salary.
Not that anon, but I thought what you paid for is quality control.

>>2052051
Lots of Chinese brands have now made a name for themselves and do QC on par with the west to protect their reputation.
What you actually pay for is not having to do your own research to find those brands, a return shipping address in your own country, support by someone who can read and write your language, and a boomer tax.

>>2052030
You also buy access to someone to sue if you lose your teeth

>>2052053
You live in the past. Normal people (in the US) can't sue corporations anymore. Cause a working and just legal system would be woke communism, or something.

>>2052052
>What you actually pay for is not having to do your own research to find those brands, a return shipping address in your own country, support by someone who can read and write your language
Might be worth it.

>>2052056
I mean I get where you're coming from here but that mostly applies to S&P 100 or NASDAQ 100, you're never in a million years going to be able to sue Verizon or Meta no matter what they did, but if Specialized or Trek or your LBS did something that was provably negligent you should be able to sue and get some kind of damages, if nothing else from their insurance company.

>>2052057
It's worth it for 95% of all people.
Everyone except gear autists who have lots of spare time and no spare money, but still care about performance they'll never actually need or use.

>>2052027
https://www.bikeride.com/best-bikes/?fwp_type=touring
there's a lot of flat bar bikes on here, personally I'd not use anything other than drops for any type of long distance, touring or no.
the Fuji is still available but they're only mech disc now which can wear out your hands over a long day. the 3 user reviews for it were all 5 star, though.

>>2052028
>copy of scott addict.
these days it's just as likely the factory designed it and Scott just picked it and branded it for themselves

Ok, so I am about to pull the trigger on upgrading my shitty thrown together parts on me MTB, from Altus/Acera combo I want to move to something better.
It was supposed to be 2x Deore, a bit of an overkill for a shopcart bike which also goes on 30-50km+ rides but now I see Shimano already is phasing out these lower groups for Cues.

Anyone knows if I want to go with Cues?
As I have said, city rides with occasional offroad rides for which a "gr*vel" bike would be shopped to me extensively, I want it to hold together through bad shifting and dust without reindexing every 2 weeks, to trade off any type of weightweenism or shifting smoothness for pure sturdiness.

I also don't know yet if I hate 1x groupset yet but many opinions seem to suggest it sucks in versatility and durability and just today I had to shift to my smallest cog (3x front) to ride up a lake embankment.
So I am heavily leaning to a 2x setup.

Advice?

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>>2052116
deore is going to be way cheaper than cues
this whole groupset is about $80
i would only get cues if you want drop bar and a wide range cassete

>>2052116
Cues is intentionally gimped so you can't use it with non-cues parts. Which kinda defeats the whole purpose of shimano. Just get microshift or ltwoo if you're looking to save money.

I'm a runner who is looking to get into biking soon, possibly for doing a triathlon in the future (also as a form of cardio to stay fresh in case I get a running injury). Everything around me is all paved (not always amazingly) so I am looking at different road bikes. The two brands that seem to come up a lot in my searches are Trek and Canyon. I'm going to look for a used one but what should I be looking for? I guess the models I'm looking at are the Domane for Trek and Endurace for Canyon... is there a tier of model that is good value? I see that the carbon Enduraces aren't a whole lot more than aluminum and I see a bunch of different drivetrain options on the Domanes.
I'm 6'1" 190lbs with a 32" inseam if that matters.

>>2052136
This question for me boils down to:
Do you want the bicycle you'll get now to do the triathlon?
Or do you just want a bicycle for cardio and then maybe later get one specifically for race day?
Because you can just use any old shitter for your cardio. 'Slow' bikes are better for cardio. Not because you need to work harder to go fast, doesn't matter, you just want to work hard and going fast-ish is just a symptom of that. But: Slow bikes allow you to breathe. Slow bikes allow you to do aerobic shit. Fast bikes are all about 'how much can we ball him up before the aero gains don't make up for him loosing the ability to breathe? '.
At any rate do not get an actual tri- or tt-bike as your first bike.
So two options:
Get a used 90s shitter road bike now. Cardio on that. (Your heart will still be broken no matter how much cardio but your knees will eventually break too). And then get a bike IF and shortly before WHEN you decide to enter a tri. No need to get a tri-bike but you wont have a chance on UCI legal bike that is set up in a UCI legal way.
Other option:
Get the bike for both now. Puts you at risk of not ending up liking it / good at it, never tri, expense for nothing. Also forces you to compromise. Bike for cardio that will race in a tri.

>>2052136
I know essentially nothing about triathlon but I would encourage you to disregard the poster telling you to get the shitter. Bike tech has changed so much since the 90s your fit will be weird, you'll develop weird habits, and any lessons about wrenching will be irrelevant if not harmful when you have to re-learn them after breaking something. People mashed hard on long crank arms back then, and dealt with really small cogs, that's not really a thing anymore, as technology has accommodated more comfortable and efficient pedal styles.

Estimating value for used bikes is a fool's errand because every market is different. But you should be aware that after you've been riding the bike for a while you'll have things you'll want to change to fit your preferences. Bars, stem, crank, saddle, etc. So while I would encourage you to get something that uses present-day standards (because you don't want to be dumpster diving with a bunch of sanctimonious hipster pricks at the local bike co-op for square taper threaded headset nonsense for your 185mm drillium biopace chrome chainrings when you can just order a standard part from universal cycles), you can safely assume that the bike you buy tomorrow will be 40-60% replaced when you're done with it. You may end up spending more on wheels than on the entire bike.

If you're not 80 years old you can make rapid progress on cardio if you train in a diligent way, so buying a shitter now thinking "oh I'll just toil away on this thing until I'm fit 5 years from now and then upgrade when I'm fast" is really just dumb and counterproductive. Buy a bike you'll want today and if you really want to torture yourself because you hate fun, get a turbo trainer or something, then you can hate riding by taking the joy out of it and that makes you hard core.

>>2052139
>>2052142
Thanks for the tips, I forgot to mention that I'm currently running an average of 60 miles a week and my main goal for training is to qualify for major marathons (so sub 3hr marathon plus a little extra). So I would like a bike I could use for longer rides plus a bit of training. I was hoping to use the bike in a triathlon if possible... I wouldn't be going all for time, just trying to finish it while saving my all out efforts for running races.
Also I live in a city 60 miles from an ocean and it's a flat ride there that is supposed to be pretty nice, so it would be cool to do that too.

>>2052145
well I guess you have to listen to me or Schlomo the bicycle merchant up there. But also not that Schlomo built a fallacy here and tried to pass it, when Schlomo implied I TOLD you to get the shitter. When I actually told you to consider that route or get a compromise.
So road bike it is. Just dont fall for the idea that a tri bike was a road bike with extensions and the only difference was that you didn't get to shift on your extensions. But we can fit you for raceday to give you an edge.
Just remember what I said: For cardio make sure you get to breathe. Doesn't matter if that means unaerodynamic and slow. Training matters.
USA? 60 miles feom ocean sounds like it. Asking becauae local brands are a better pick often.

>>2052147
Yeah Philadelphia

>>2052148
Well there you go
https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/products/bike-bikes-road-endurance-addict

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Are there any actual arguments against making this type of mod other than nervous-nellyness?

>it wasn't designed to handle the braking forces!!!!!

90's bikes were in fact overbuilt because they didn't have the software to actually design them for anything, plus the bike will skid way before muh braking forces cause any amount of stress that the tubes can't handle

Adjusting v-brakes is a chore

>>2052173
>bike will skid
depends on the tires
there are some ludicrously grippy ones, as in it will tear before losing grip

>>2052173
>Adjusting v-brakes is a chore
My man has never had to adjust a 3x front derailleur.

>>2052173
>engineers couldn't do what they were educated to do because they had no software that did the magic part
really nigga?
they flew to the noon when they barely had software and btw
you need an engineer to create software that lets normies think they could just use it and get meaningful results without understanding
>skid way before muh braking forces
the concern definately is not about a single event loading the structure beyond it's strength
>>2052174
>tire will tear
doesnt really matter in the context as lomg as the tire road interface gives and limits the force
fact is: You levers involved work against you, expect 3 - 4 times whe force on a 700c wheels contact patch at the caliper
usually bicycle rear wheels lift off at around 0.6g which is why bicycle rear wheel brakes are inconsequential and who attempts to use them to stop hard anyways?
So what? For a heavy bicycle and rider we get maybe 60N at the contact patch and 240N at the caliper? Thats laughable. I also doubt 60N rip the tread of a tire but thats a tangential discussion.
But anyways the guys who do that just chuck an extra piece of seatstay in there and call it a day. Why not just do that?

>>2052176
forgot a zero. 600N and 2400N, can still be assumed to be far from anywhere the strength of half of the rear triangle.

>>2052177
Shame shame. Another correction:
I had that 0.6G number in my head for when the rear lifts. Naturally you have to apply the front to do that. I assumed the rear skids right before it lifts and thus application of the rear only would also lead to 0.6G.
Turns out in tests they only ever got ~0.4G max at the rear. So thats 400N and 1600N respectively for contact patch and caliper.
Just chuck a piece of seat stay or gas pipe in there already. Like everyone who does that does. Or leave a good bike alone.

>>2052173
v-brakes are a piece of piss to adjust
cantilevers are bastards

>>2052028
The vast, vast majority of carbon bikes are made in layup shops in China. The west doesn't evne make the tools to make things anymore, they just email a design to china and they build everything over there. That said, you still get what you pay for. Chinese mystery meat frames can be utter dogshit, or they can be really high quality. Hard to tell without opening it up or getting reviews from people you can verify have ridden them long and hard.

Here's an interesting video on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go3O5NGT7QQ

>>2052173
Vs are like the easiest brake to adjust ever

>>2051268
I can't recommend taking the freewheel apart and fixing it. You'll have no bike to ride for days/weeks as youre waiting for parts to ship, with no guarantee that it will even fix your problem. The time and effort alone are worth $100

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>>2051108
have you guys bought chinese brake pads? I'm looking for shimano a01s brake pads. some local store sells some chinese pads for $5/pair (pic related) in my country. I'm wondering if the chinese ones are reliable and last long enough or not.

>>2052254
the "china shit quality" meme is a meme these days. if theyre crazy cheap you may as well carefully test them out

>>2052257
they cost half what the shimano ones cost
anyway, I ended up buying a 2 pairs of shimano pads. the webstore says they are on sale so I guess and it looks like they really are, so I might as well just buy them...

>>2052254
>elite cooma
cant make that shit up

Where do people even find used bikes for a decent price? All the sites like ebay/fb/buycycle/offerup seem to be selling them for more than double the bluebook price... same thing with all the in person shops. Do I just have to wait for it to get colder or something?

>>2052268
Bluebook value has nothing to do with reality. Best deals are in Facebook marketplace and Police auctions

>>2052268
Walmart/Target if you want something that's at least not used

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>>2052268
This shit has not yet started where I live. You can still find enough instances of "old mountainbike" from people who don't know.

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>>2052274

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>>2052275

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Thoughts on adding sirens to your bicycle

>>2052282
better off going to a scrap yard and finding a motorcycle horn and adding that

>>2052145
>runner getting into Triathlon and suddenly needs a bike for that application
Been to Triathlon events and you will see 3 types of bikes being raced there:
1. all out expensive carbon aero bikes with Tri-bars
2. good allround carbon "normal" road bikes
3. lower tier road bikes, alu frame etc for those who don't care about the last second
You have to decide for yourself in what category you fit. My advice is to not get a tri-bar machine, except if you are really aiming to be a top 10% finisher. Having owned one, Tri-bikes are terrible in unblocked roads since you can't brake in the aero position, they are harsh as fuck and steering is nervous. On triathlons, drafting other riders is permitted since the bikes are not safe enough for that.
You propably want to be in category 2 or 3, which gives your bike a much wider range of useabillity.

As the other anon said, I would not buy a bike older than ~8 years due to technical advancements (light gears, at least 32mm tire clearance, cranks etc). Buying a budget bike new is a serious consideration such as the new Canyon Endurace Allroad, Trek Domane Al, Triban RC500 (my friend uses that for his triathlons).
Above that bikes only get lighter. I'm 6'5" and barely care about weight. Triathlon race tracks are also mostely flat-ish to cope for their heavy-ass aero behemoths.

>>2052284
*not permitted

>>2052224
t. VBIDF.

>>2052176
>you need an engineer to create software that lets normies think they could just use it and get meaningful results without understanding
Do you know how much effort that would take in comparison to just overbuilding it?

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>>2052145
Don't listen to this >>2052284 anon get an older rim brake bike (ie super six evo tarmac sl5 tcr advanced) and fit clips ons
now you a fast/light bike for both disciplines

>>2052288
Retrofitting aerobars on normal drops is a good take, which I missed! Aerobars can be fitted on new bikes aswell

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Some wanker actually chopped my chain and stole my bike from inside my apartment garage. Learned my lesson there, but now I'm in the market for a new bike. Are Hilands decent?
.inb4 shop local
I gave all my local shops first crack. All of them had drop bar commuters starting at at least twice the price.

Buy used

>>2052296
>Hiland
Never heard of it.
>$320
Yeah that's not a bicycle. That's a BSO.

>>2052297
Been bit by that before. Bike seemed fine with the exception of some tlc. Took the wheel off and the bearing nut was fused to the axle from neglect and rough riding. Trying to free it only sheared the axle. Seat post was also fused to the inside of the tube by who-knows-how.
>>2052299
It's a recreational commuter I take to the gym, paved bike paths, and riding around the neighborhood. I'm not entering any races with it.

>>2052300
I think if you buy that thing, you're gonna get bit again.

>>2052296
id see whats available on your local fb marketplace for $300. havent heard of hiland but generally you get way better bang for your buck buying something used.

>>2052300
Skill issue

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>>2052296
kek


Don't do it, Anon.

>>2052284
>My advice is to not get a tri-bar machine
I'm with him, and kinda said that up there before. But in my experience and opinion
>Tri-bikes are terrible in unblocked roads
this is complete BS, I own a row of tri- and TT-bikes, have dailied tri-bikes and only don't do so anymore because I want more utility for my bike and grew up to where I can be 'less cool'/and 'less fast'.
>you can't brake in the aero position
This is absolutely true. I5 leads to hilarious situations with people panic breaking before finishing transitions. I had a crash like that behind cars where one found a parking spot and I drafted the last car downhill.KEK. So basically you have to always figure in the time you need to transistion from one position to the other to shift your weight back. Else you're riding a uniwheel and trying to brake. In a panic breaking situation you need to make good decisions and choose if you rather evade or first transition then brake.
>they are harsh as fuck
nah. Not really. Definately not harsher than many other bikes, even many road bikes.
>drafting other riders is permitted since the bikes are not safe enough for that
This is equally not true. The reason is because the triathlons cycling leg is a TT. A triathlon tests individual performance, not tactics, luck, teamplay or anything else. The reason for the rule is the same why it exists in TTs, together with a staggered start: It's supposed to test your ability to ride hard, not the ability of the guy up front, your tactical understanding or dumb luck.
>As the other anon said, I would not buy a bike older than ~8 years due to technical advancements
To enter in a tri? Definately! To train on and find out if you actually like it? Why not?
>>2052287
WDYM?
Artisanal bicycle construction, as it was common a very long time ago, relied on experimentation. Especially for performance bikes the builder woukd just see what they can get away it, how and where it failed, beef that up and take it off somewhere (...}

>>2052311
(...) else. This approach would slowly lead to an optimized bike, probably with relatively limited lifetime but that was never what performance bikes were about. It's about winning this season, not in 10 years. So they already understood pretty well what they are doing and we see that today when we look at their designs.
After them came the bicycle industry. Idk what you do, I:'m an industrial engineer but always work as development engineer. Perhaps you don't have a clear picture of just how important proper engineering is for any product and your profit and hence even surprisingly small companies have very busy dev teams for just the few products they make. So yeah bicycle industry had that from early on and it only got more. And yes engineers back then, just like today, were perfectly capable on working it oht in their head and on paper. Like I said they shot men to the moon that way. I think it's often a misunderstanding from other walks of academia that there was a software basically telling the engineer what to do or enabling him to have ideas and come up with designs. It's not, you have to be ingenious yourself, you have to design things yourself, in your mind, on whiteboard and paper and only then can you use software to standardize, maybe tidy up and verify your design. You still need to understand how say FEA works and be capable to do it by hand, as only that way you understand which questions to ask and what results are worth.
Why do yu think long ago the industry arrived at sub. 5 mm wall thickness tubing? It was framebuilders phoning the tube company and telling them they need to go liggter and they know where they can do it without much compromise.
So yeah, for ages no one is
>just overbuilding
bicycles. Some are built for reliability and heavy duty use. But they are defibately not 'just overbuilt'. They are engineered that way. Like other bicycles are engineered to be light and fast for maybe a season before turning into a tired noodle.

>>2052302
I think the price drop is because it has to be assembled. All the drop bars in my area are maybe $50 cheaper than this or they are "vintage gas pipe shitters" according to /n/. I'm familiar with wrenching, but no amount of wrenching is going to fix rusty, fused, obsolete parts.

>>2052291
Do not listen to
>>2052288
anon. They are clueless.
I missed this comment earlier.
It may be pattern recognition at work. KEK. But you should understand that a road bikes geometry is funadmentally different from a TT (UCI nerfed) and especially tri bike. Both are built with aero bars in mind. A road bike is not and you won't find a good position, it's probably impossible to find a position on the bars on a road bike. And will you disconnect shifting from your brifters for bar ends? The alternative is breaking form to shift. Never break form.
'But I'm not going to fully sit up like gramps to shift'.
No but it might very well be the case that a bad position on tri bars, or you reaking it momentarily, is even worse for aero than a fast road bike position.
'But I'll be down there 99% of the time. '
It doesnt work like that. You suddenly loose alot of speed when you do shit. You want to keep your head down, your hands close to your forehead and stay down.
A bicycle having the outward appearance of a bicycle that could make you faster doesnt mean it is going to make you faster.

>>2052268
Craigslist because many sellers aren't bike guys and just want somebody's old bike out of their house. if you can spot something desirable from shitty pics, you can often get something good for $100 or 2.

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>>2052274
>>2052275
>>2052277
damn I would love those prices, it's even worse because a lot of the ones for sale near me are obviously stolen too

>>2052318
>I'm familiar with wrenching
Good, you're gonna end up doing a lot of that. Or more likely you'll ride it a couple of times until it breaks and end up getting a new bike.
>obsolete parts
Look at the shifters, ffs. And the gearing. I'd be surprised if it's not heavy as fuck too.
But you do you. It's your money. At worst you'll learn the hard way that sometimes it's not worth it throwing money on garbage.
At best you'll end up with a bicycle shaped object that you'll ride and learn maintenance on, although I doubt you'll enjoy it.

>>2052321
Yeah I guess I just have to be patient and keep my eyes open

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Will this work? No mud or hard cornering since it's just a gravel bike going down old rail lines covered in crushed limestone. I have maybe 5 mm of clearance on this side and more on the other.

>>2052268
depends on local market but here its FB market place. the bike blue book doesnt perfectly represent a bikes value. I think it uses a pretty simple algorithm based on age, msrp, and condition to price a bike. for instance I got my bike for $700 and it suggests ~$260. It had a msrp of $1200 in 2009, but compared to other active listings in the $700 range it was a good price.

I think an important consideration when using FB marketplace is that the listings you see are bikes that haven't sold (yet). You want to keep an eye out for new listings by checking weekly/daily. Then when you see something good listed buy it before someone else does.

>>2052332
that's not 5 mm more like 1 mm. Trim the hair on the tire, they will rub through the paint. Well the tire will rub through the paint with this setup anyways due to wheel and tire flexing when cornering.

Most dramatic concern is that if you accidentally run into sticky mud you have to choose between walking home or ruining the frame. Yes, you can rub through steel chainstay in less than 10 kilometers, seen it happen.

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>>2052320
>And will you disconnect shifting from your brifters for bar ends? The alternative is breaking form to shift. Never break form.
that position is so advanteagous the uci banned it

I've been riding city bikes for the last 2 weeks, holy shit those things suck. Heavy as shit, awful control, and the gears are useless. They are like shitty ebikes but with no electricity.

>>2052361
>awful control
Skill issue.