Most Popular
1500 questions
20
votes
6 answers
Avoiding being wiped out after work commute?
I work ~15 miles from home and have made the decision to make the commute via bike. This is for a couple reasons. First of which being I don't actually have my license yet, second being that taking the bus actually takes longer, and third, that I'm…
mowwwalker
- 541
- 5
- 8
20
votes
1 answer
What is guttering the peloton
Rider_X refers to "guttering the Peleton" in his answer to this question.
What is "Guttering the peloton"?
Ken
- 1,311
- 2
- 11
- 11
19
votes
11 answers
When bikepacking solo, how to handle luggage when shopping?
I'm planning my first solo cycling trip this summer. While it's not my first cycling trip (I've already done 4 big ones over 1000 km), it's the first tour I'm planning to do alone. One thing concerns me a lot, is how it works with shopping. So far,…
Weiss
- 557
- 1
- 9
19
votes
7 answers
Why participate in an organized century ride when I can ride the route on my own?
I have never ridden a century ride before. This June, a friend and I plan to ride our first: The Montauk Century Ride. But I'm wondering, why should we commit to paying $100+ to ride this route in relatively heavy bike traffic, from a starting point…
samthebrand
- 1,389
- 12
- 30
19
votes
5 answers
The stock brakes on many e-bikes may be inadequate. What changes would make them adequate, and at what cost?
Note that some links in this question go to sites with a metered paywall, i.e. you can access something like 4-5 free articles per month. While the question mentions a bike manufacturer, the problem very likely spans all manufacturers of low-cost…
Weiwen Ng
- 31,327
- 3
- 50
- 113
19
votes
3 answers
What exactly is the "clutch" doing on a Shimano M8100 rear derailleur?
My new Shimano 12s XT 8100 rear derailleur has the switch with on and off positions. From that I found on the web, it is a "clutch" and I must turn it off when removing the wheel. I can shift the gears with the switch in both positions without…
nightrider
- 7,731
- 1
- 21
- 53
19
votes
10 answers
Should cyclists on a bike path separated from the road overtake each other on the right or on the left?
I am going to assume right side traffic for this question. Switch all the left and right if you are in the UK. If you are cycling on a road with or without a designated bicycle lane you should stick to the right. If one cyclist wants to overtake…
quarague
- 454
- 3
- 11
19
votes
13 answers
How to deal with lock that keeps jamming?
I have a kryptonite U lock and lately it's been sticking a lot while trying to turn the key. Usually I can eventually get the key turned. It was getting worse though and a few days ago I (unable to find any lube/wd-40 etc) cleaned it out with soap…
Damon
- 525
- 3
- 5
- 10
19
votes
11 answers
What are the counter-intuitive surprises an amateur bike mechanic encounters, after pedals and cables?
Pedals
It's pretty obvious that one of the two pedals needs be tightened counterclockwise, but which one?
A brief reflection on the right pedal's sense of rotation (while pedaling forward) with respect to the crank would suggest that it is the pedal…
Sam7919
- 9,112
- 4
- 28
- 92
19
votes
2 answers
On a long smooth descent, do brakes really heat less with intermittent hard braking compared to dragging?
It is my impression (both from experience and from online opinions) that braking on a mountain bike is to be done in intermittent hard engagement of one or both brakes. The reasoning being that braking during bad traction (cornering, wet…
Vorac
- 13,698
- 19
- 82
- 153
19
votes
6 answers
Fat or Skinny Tires for Winter Riding?
Fat or Skinny?
I think the arguments are as follows:
Fat: You can float on top of the snow and you don-t have to go through it. You have a larger contact patch with the ground.
Skinny: Will find it's way through the snow to find some pavement to…
sixtyfootersdude
- 8,516
- 15
- 61
- 110
19
votes
3 answers
Tool identification
I was cleaning out my garage today and found this old set of bicycle tools. I don't know what they are or what they're supposed to be used for on a bicycle. Can you identify them for me?
J. Lenthe
- 293
- 2
- 5
19
votes
11 answers
Why do cyclists use thin bottles?
I got very frustrated when shopping for bicycle bottle holders because I almost wasn't able to find thick ones (ie, larger, longer, or higher capacity). I just found some and immediately ordered them, hoping they will turn out okay. But why was this…
UTF-8
- 379
- 2
- 6
19
votes
4 answers
Why do people use bigger cassettes for lower gearing when they could instead use smaller chainrings?
I want lower (sub 1:1) gearing on my next drivetrain but also a decent range, reasonable spacing between gears and still be reasonably light.
While looking at different combinations of components, I noticed that:
1x options were not nearly as light…
Ryan Witt
- 193
- 1
- 2
- 7
19
votes
11 answers
Is there such a thing as frame failure?
Several general questions have been asked regarding how long a bike or bike frame will "last", and the gist of answers seems to be that a bike can last quite a while if the replaceable components are replaced and the bike is reasonably well…
orome
- 1,444
- 4
- 14
- 31