Bicycles Stack Exchange
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1500 questions
25
votes
2 answers

How often should I refresh the sealant in tubeless tires?

I've got a set of tubeless tires that have been on my mountain bike for over two summers and have had zero flats. How often should I be adding more sealant? How much? Should I be removing old sealant first?
Benzo
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4 answers

Does it make you safer to use lights during the day?

My bike light, the Cygolite Metro 360, has a "Daylighting" mode which flashes very brightly and is intended to be used during the day. Similarly, many tail lights have flashing modes. Obviously one should bike with lights at night. But is it…
Jason
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2 answers

How to wash a bike properly?

I use my bicycle in a typical urban commute setting. No extreme MTB, but it still accumulates some dust and grime. How should I wash my bicycle?
Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski
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25
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6 answers

Discouraging motorists from stopping at an intersection when they have the right-of-way

Where I live, bicycles are widely accepted in traffic; motorists are on balance considerate and careful around us. But on an almost daily basis, I run into motorists who are too "polite" at intersections. They stop and try to wave me through when I…
jscs
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25
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8 answers

How to minimize wear on pants

I commute on bike and I wear jeans (which I work in). I find that after about 500 miles of bike commuting in a single pair of jeans I've got holes in my pants from the saddle-jean rubbing. My problem is probably accelerated by the fact that I have…
Joe
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25
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13 answers

How can you speed a road-bike up?

So, I have an 80's raleigh bike, reassembled from spare parts. I'm wondering what the best way to get more speed out of the bike is. Wheels? Gears? Lighter gear? Different pedals? I'm rather fond of the frame, so I'd rather not replace that.
gabe.
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25
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2 answers

Passing cars on the right, and later merging into their lane

My commute takes me along a fairly busy road, with 4 lanes of traffic and parked cars along most of it. There are no bike lanes, but in some places, it's wide enough that I can easily pass traffic on the right (which is legal in my state, as far as…
Brian Campbell
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3 answers

How do I lubricate my chain?

I know I should lubricate my chain regularly. I got some lube at my LBS; how should I apply it? Do I just drip some on one spot, and turn the pedals around a few times to spread it out? Drip it all over the chain? Do I clean the chain first? How can…
Brian Campbell
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25
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10 answers

What to wear when it's cold?

If I put on heavy clothes it will be very hot inside them after the warm-up. If I wear only a T-shirt I'll freeze. What's the solution? I ride around 20 km in a hilly city, with temperatures between 0 and 30 celsius.
Jader Dias
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25
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3 answers

How much motor do I need for my electric-assist bike?

I take my twins to preschool by car, and I'd like to switch to doing it by bike. There's a hill, and we're heavy, and I'm not in great shape, so it's hard. I've done it a few times, but I always collapse when I get home, and I certainly don't have…
Jay Bazuzi
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3 answers

What's the rubber tube in my puncture repair kit for?

I've got an old school puncture repair kit, the type with glue and patches. As well as the sandpaper, patches, 'vulcanizing fluid' and instructions, there is a 2.5cm long, 3mm wide, beige rubber tube. What's it for? (it doesn't seem to appear in…
Jonny Cundall
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25
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8 answers

Does the plastic cap on a Presta valve serve any purpose once fitted to a rim?

I can see the use of the valve cap on a Presta valve when the tube is still packaged (it obviously stops the valve puncturing the tube), but does it do anything except look pretty (or not) once you've fitted the tube to a rim? I've kept them on out…
Will
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25
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4 answers

Upgrading straight handlebars to drop handlebars

I have a two-and-a-half year old Giant FCR 3 (with a road-bike-like frame and thin tires; it's somewhere in the loosely-defined "hybrid" range) that I use to commute to work, twenty-five miles round-trip, once or twice a week. The bike has straight…
Commodore Jaeger
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25
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2 answers

What does "modulate" mean when referring to brakes?

Often in a review of brakes, or an article talking about braking the author will use the term "modulate." E.g. "The brake modulates well" or "Modulate your front brake." What exactly does this term refer to?
Darth Egregious
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8 answers

Does spin class prepare you for a long bike ride?

I need to train for an upcoming bike ride and i wanted to see if attending a spin class 1-2 times a week (45 min course) would be appropriate way to prepare for a long bike ride (50 - 75 miles)
leora
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