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1500 questions
28
votes
8 answers
Why are male and female model bicycles different in the between-legs part?
Female bike:
Male bike:
Other than the basket in front, the only difference is that the female version is far more convenient to get up on and get back down from. And you never accidentally crush your "package" (as a male) when using the female…
Sirmon
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28
votes
5 answers
Why do we need air-filled tires?
Why do we need air in bike tires?
Having changed hundreds of annoying flats, carried a change kit for thousands of miles, and pumped up tires before pretty much every ride, I got to wondering: why do we need to fill tires with air anyway?
Why can't…
kmiklas
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28
votes
8 answers
How bad is switching derailleur gears under load?
I have heard several times the wisdom that you should not switch derailleur gears while pedalling hard ("under load"). The "right way", according to those people, is to pick up speed, stop pedalling, then switch gears, then pedal lightly (without…
Vilx-
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28
votes
8 answers
What are the main improvements with road bikes in the last 23 years that the rider would notice?
Back when I was a younger man I bought a road bike, a 1998 Giant Kronos. It has a frame made from aluminum tubes, a triple chainring in front, and a 7-sprocket cassette in back. By US standards, it was an entry-level quality road bike from a bike…
rclocher3
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28
votes
4 answers
Is there a difference in having tires filled with CO₂ vs air?
When you fill your tire with a CO₂ cartridge you are obviously putting CO₂ into it. When you use a pump you are putting air into it. Are there significant temperature variations that may lead to poor or better performance when using one or the…
Joe Phillips
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28
votes
20 answers
How can I prevent bicycle theft while bikepacking?
I’m planning a multi-day gravel ride with a few friends. We would have to sleep in public campgrounds, which are also full of people because of the camping season. What is the best way to secure our bikes at night? As you might imagine, having your…
MaplePanda
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28
votes
6 answers
What are the risks of untrued wheels?
I understand that wheels should be trued for efficiency. Are there any safety risks (or risk of damaging the bike) in using untrued wheels?
Are the risks different between wheels untrued left-right and up-down?
My question is motivated by the…
Vinko Vrsalovic
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28
votes
4 answers
What is the foam tube on the top of bmx frame for?
What is the foam tube found on some bmx bikes for?
Here's an example:
Besides for advertising, I'm guessing its there to save biker's legs when doing tricks, but I could be wrong, because I've seen most bmx bikes without it.
What exactly is it…
Bensstats
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28
votes
28 answers
What is a simple mnemonic for remembering the thread direction when removing pedals?
Given that pedal threads are different on the left and right pedals: the right side pedal has a right-hand thread (removes counterclockwise, installs clockwise); the left side pedal has a left-hand thread (removes clockwise, installs…
Zippy
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28
votes
8 answers
How to give away lights to cyclists without lights?
My objective is simple enough... I want people to be safe when out riding. Too often on my way to work I often see cyclists in the dark and rain without lights. When I see them I try and offer them an extra light I keep handy, just in case.
The…
Rider_X
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28
votes
6 answers
What bike+equipment for a long daily urban commute?
In the (distant) past I commuted 6 km (more than half an hour) each way, on a cheap bike with big knobbly tyres.
Soon I'll have a new commute: 18 km each way, daily. That's much further than I've done in the past, and I don't want it to take 2 hours…
ChrisW
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28
votes
6 answers
How bad is road salt for my bike?
I took my mountain bike out yesterday in the snow. Did some hills around town, riding through slush and puddles, and all sort of dirt/mush/ice/snow.
I gave the bike a pretty good wipe-down after the ride, but I have my outside spigots turned off,…
Baltimark
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28
votes
5 answers
Should my foot be able to step flat on the ground, when I sit on a bike seat?
I was wondering, for a correctly sized mountain bike, or hybrid, should I be able to place my foot flat on the ground, when I sit on the bike seat?
Cheok Yan Cheng
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28
votes
4 answers
What is the purpose of the plastic disk between the cassette and the rear wheel?
There's a plastic disc between the cassette and rear wheel on my bicycle. It doesn't seem to have any effect on the actual drivetrain; but I've seen it on a number of bicycles.
What is it for?
Billy ONeal
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28
votes
4 answers
Basic toolkit for bicycle maintenance
What should be in the basic toolkit for someone that wants to maintain their own bicycle?
I'm looking for something for your average day to day maintenance and tools that I will get the most use out of. Ex: I don't think I need a chain…
milesmeow
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