Q&A: Chain stretch, wheel centering, transporting a trike

Q: Hey Jim,
I'm sure that you've answered this over the years, but I couldn't find the issue addressed. I came to riding a bit late in life (about 35) and fell in love with the sport. Recently, I was told that I needed to replace the chain on my Viner because I had stretched it over time (4,000+/- miles this past year). I ride Dura Ace and am fine with the $50ish expense, but I just can't imagine that I produce enough torque to 'stretch' metal. I ride in Georgia and so there is quite a bit of climbing, but still... So my question is - "Is this for real, or are the wrenche's at my local shop snickering as I walk out the door?" And as a follow up 'If I can stretch metal, can I also leap tall buildings in a single bound?"

Ross

A: Good question, Ross. It’s a matter of slang. The mechanic said you “stretched” your chain. But, this is slang for wearing it out. What happens is the parts (the rollers and pins) that make up the chain get smaller and when this happens play develops between the parts of the chain – creating more clearance. Then, when you measure the chain to tell if it’s worn out, it has actually gotten longer due to all the parts wearing. So, the word we often us to explain that the chain is worn out is “stretched.” But, your massive legs didn’t really stretch the chain, they just wore it out from all those miles ;-)

If you get a tool like the Wipperman Chain Wear Indicator shown, it's easy to check your chain and tell when it's worn out.

Jim

Q: Hi there,
I wonder if you could advise me on why my bike pulls to one side so I constantly have to straighten up while riding, please? I bought it only recently, so I could take it back to the shop for fixing, but the shop is over the other side of town, so if it is something easy to fix I would rather do it myself. The brakes are the normal block ones not disc.

Thanks in anticipation,
Irene

A: By any chance did you remove the front wheel and then reinstall it crooked, Irene - like after putting it in your car? The front wheel must be exactly centered in the fork. If it is off to one side or the other, it can cause the bicycle to pull. So, I would loosen the front wheel, make sure it's centered in the fork and then tighten it. You can usually see if a front wheel is centered just by looking from the front for even clearance between the wheel and the fork on each side. A better way to tell is to use your fingers as feeler gauges. Just use the same finger on each hand and slide them in from behind and next to the rim or tire to feel the space between the wheel and fork. This should feel exactly the same on both sides.

If this isn’t the problem, you should check with your bike shop because it might be an issue they need to address,

Cheers,
Jim

Q: Hello! I need to transport an adult tricycle and I have no trailer hitch, trailer, or truck. The only thing I can come up with is to disassemble the trike and cram it into my Chevy Cobalt without trying to tear up the interior of the car. Do you have any suggestions? Mechanical things stupify me. Any reasonable suggestion is appreciated! Thank you!

Debbie

A: Here’s what I’d try, Debbie. It should work fine and shouldn’t hurt the car or trike. No disassembly is required. Simply pick up the trike and place it on the trunk of your car. The tires are rubber and they shouldn’t hurt the paint and the bike doesn’t weigh a lot so it shouldn’t be able to dent the trunk. If the trunk lid is super soft and might dent, first put a towel down and then put a piece of wood like a piece of plywood on the trunk (not a whole sheet - just enough to fit beneath the trike's rear wheels). Then put the trike’s rear wheels on that piece of wood (the front wheel is facing forward, probably resting on the glass, or even roof). Now the wood will spread the weight and there’s no way the tires will be able to dent the trunk lid. So, you now have a towel down on the trunk lid, next the piece of wood. It just needs to be wide enough to go under both trike rear wheels. And then the trike is on top of the wood.

To hold the trike on, use stretch cords. Wrap them around the rear wheels (you want to wrap the wheels well to lock them as that will prevent the trike from moving), and then pull the cords to the edge of the trunk lid or under the wheel wells and attach the hooks there. If it's easier you can just tie or tape the wheels so they won't turn and then just attach the stretch cords from the trike to the car. You may have to get long stretch cords - and get good quality ones. The stretch cords will hold the rear of the trike on the trunk and keep it from moving left or right, while the tied/locked wheels will keep it from rolling front to back.

Now, to hold the front wheel of the trike that will be resting somewhere near the roof, you just run a rope or a long stretch cord across. Pass it beneath one window and then roll up the window to hold it in place. Or tie it to something in the car. Then where the rope or bungi meets the trike's front wheel, wrap it around the tire a few times. Then take the other end and pass it through the other window and tie it inside the car somewhere. (You can also tie or tape the front wheel to the trike's frame to lock it and keep it from turning like you did with the rears.)

Your trike will now be held securely on the back of your car. The only thing you need to be careful about is not driving under anything too low because you now have something tall on your car. Other than that this should work fine.

I hope this makes sense. Let me know if you have questions,

Have a nice trip,
Jim

Q: Jim - I have an older Norco & recently I changed the rear tire - since then, I've had issues with the rear wheel nut. I get the wheel in the right position but then when I tighten the nut to secure the wheel, it gets pushed out of line & then the wheel rubs. Any suggestions?

Deborah

A: Yes, Deborah,
You need to outsmart that wheel :-) To do it, only snug one nut on one side. Then check to make sure the wheel is centered. When it is, snug the other nut. At that point the wheel will stay in place and you can fully tighten both nuts. But do it gradually, adding a little to one nut, checking that the wheel is still centered, then adding a little tightness to the other nut, checking, and so on, until both nuts are fully tight and the wheel is centered. What's causing your problem is trying to fully tighten one nut first. This can cause the axle to turn with the nut and the axle can move out of position changing the wheel position as you tighten the nut. Tightening the nuts as I explained will prevent this happening.

Give it a try,
Jim

Q&A: Colnago Book, Car Racks, New Old Brake Hoods

Q: Dear Jim,
I've been given your name from our local bookshop when I went enquiring about Colnago books. Our son David is a dedicated cyclist and a collector and restorer of Colnago bicycles. I would dearly love to get for him some catalogues from the 80's showing these frames. He is so good to me that I thought I would surprise him if I possibly can. Am I in the right direction sending you this message? If you have time, I would love to hear from you, (I'm not even sure where you are!)

Kind regards,
Pauline - Melbourne Australia

A: Nice to hear from you, Pauline. I'm actually in California so a long ways from you. Before I get into how to find Colnago books here's a link to an excellent Colnago page showing a selection of beautiful Colnagos. I'm sure David will like it.

For finding Colnago books and catalogs, I recommend searching on ebay.com. Just search on the words "Colnago book" or "Colnago catalog" I tried that recently and found 3 catalogs and a book listed here on USA ebay. You might find more on your local ebay. FYI: The photo here is of a promotional not-for-sale book from my library that Colnago published in 1986 - but there have been other books and catalogs and you'll surely find some if you hunt a bit.

You could also check your telephone directory for bicycle shops and call a few and ask them if they ever sold Colnagos. It's a possibility. If they didn't they might be kind enough to tell you a local shop that did and you could contact them and inquire whether they have any books, catalogs or posters they'd sell (some shops might even give some things away if they got them free as promotional materials).

Lastly, you could also contact Colnago, the company in Italy and ask them. That might sound crazy, but they're just a bike company, Italians are very friendly, and you might get somewhere for the cost of a long distance phone call. Here's a link to their site where you will find contact information.

Checking their site, I see that the Colnago distributor for Australia is in Sydney. You might also contact them. Here's the contact info:
FRF SPORTS
3/595-615 PRINCES HWY, NSW 2044
TEMPE (SYDNEY)
Phone: 0061-2-95599011
Fax: 0061-2-95599088
rosanna@frf.com.au
http://www.frfsports.com.au

Hope this helps you find an awesome Colnago gift for David!
Cheers,
Jim

Q: I am moving cross country and need to buy some type of bike rack for my car. I have a 2006 Toyota Rav 4. I have no idea which one to get. I've also been looking on craigslist.org, but just don't know. I want an affordable option and something that will be dependable with my new bike. Any thoughts?

Thank you!
Kelly

A: Hi Kelly,
The tricky thing is that I think your car has a spare tire mounted to the back (I'm a bicycle expert, not a car expert ;-). If I'm right on that, I would recommend looking up the bike shops in your area in the phone book and asking them what rack they have that will fit your car. Or, you could visit the rack websites like www.saris.com or www.thule.com or www.yakima.com and look for the link to the configurators or fit charts. For example, Thule's is called "Rack My Car" and is at the top of this page. The Saris rack finder is on this page (on the left). You just select your car, year, model and make, tell how you'll use the rack, and the online tool tells you which racks fit. You can also find a dealer in your area on the rack sites.

It should be pretty straightforward. Once you know which rack fits your car, you will be able to search for it on craigslist.org.

I like simple racks that you can put on and take off and that fold up easily for storage. There might be one that attaches to your spare tire. Or maybe you have a hitch (receiver) under that car and if so, you can get a hitch rack. Those go on really fast and are super easy to use, so that would be a good way to go for easy on/off and easy bike mounting. The ones that hang on the back usually use straps and they take a little adjusting the first time you put them on, but after that it's almost as easy to put them on the car as it is a hitch rack, and strap racks are cheaper too.

I hope these tips help you find the perfect rack.
Jim

Q: Dear Jim,
I'll be putting Cane Creek replacement hoods on original non-aero Dia-Compe brakes/Schwinn Super Le Tour 12.2. Since the cables have to be fed through holes in the hoods, I would appreciate a recommended procedure for releasing the cables from the levers, or lever removal, pins, complete brake hood from bar, etc., and reassembly tips.

Thanks much if you can find time to respond before I attack this project in a clumsy manner and ruin something on my 32-year-old otherwise mint bike. The old gum rubber hoods have been removed and all metal parts are nice and clean already.
Hugh from Arizona

A: Hi Hugh,

You don't have to take anything apart. Just put those new hoods in a little cup of warm to hot water and let them "cook" a bit. They'll then slip right over the brake levers from the bottom nice and easy. Just slide them on gently. They're stretchy enough to do it dry, but the little bath will make them even more supple and slippery. An even faster method is to just breathe in them a few times. This slightly wets the insides and makes them slip over the levers. But, if you use the hot water, they'll be even less likely to rip even if you're a bit "clumsy." You could also use a harmless lube like isopropyl alcohol, which will make them slippery too. You'll just need to wait for it to dry for the levers to stick fast again.

In case you don't know how to detach the cables at the levers here's how: It's really easy. No wrenches or adjustments needed at all. Just remove the wheels and then squeeze the brake calipers fully closed (both brake pads should be touching). Then using something like a toe strap or a zip tie, "tie" the brakes so they stay like this.

This will create slack in the cable and all you have to do is push toward the levers with the cable and jiggle the lever a little bit to get the head of the cable to pop free of its holder inside the lever. There's a slot in the cable head holder for this purpose. Once you get it free the cable will lift right out of the lever. You can then slip on your rubber hoods and reverse the process with the brake cables to hook them back up.

With this approach no brake adjustment is needed at all. It should only take about 15 minutes to do the whole thing. Those old brakes were really nice to work on

Have fun getting that classic back on the road,

Jim

Q&A: Bike Repair Schools, Bike Storage, Fixie Gearing, Scratched Carbon and more

Q: Hi, Jim. I'm in Kailua, Hawaii. I am a bike enthusiast and have been competing in time trials. I have always wanted to attend a bike mechanic course and understand some of the main schools are in Oregon and Colorado. I will be visiting my daughter in Santa Monica soon. For efficiency, I wanted to attend a course/school in the area, or maybe work in a great bike shop (as free adult supervised labor) to learn much more about bicycles. I would appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you,
George

A: Nice to hear from you, George. LA's a huge place so I think there's a good chance you can find some type of bike repair school there. What I would do is have your daughter call around to the shops in her general area and ask them if they're holding any bike repair clinics this summer. I bet if she calls 3 or 4 shops she'll either find out about a class a shop is offering or about one held at a local college.

Rec departments often hold them in the summers in big cities, too - and they're usually taught by local bicycle mechanics. I think since LA is so large that there's a good chance you'll find something like this. It will just take a little searching on the part of your daughter but I think just using the Yellow Pages and calling shops down there should do the trick.

Working in a bike shop - even for free - is something you can ask about, but I suspect most shops won't be interested due to laws that put them in jeopardy should they employ you and not pay you. If you'd like to learn more about the main bike repair schools, visit United Bicycle Institute and Barnett Bicycle Institute.

Q: Hi Jim,
I recently re-married to a wonderful non-cyclist mother of two. Of course, I immediately turned them all on to cycling! It worked so now the trouble is bike storage. I don't have a garage and my basement was remodeled into a family space so I lost my bike room and work area.

I need to build a place to store our bikes plus a workshop space. We currently have 11 bikes plus my 10 month old son's trailer. (I'm sure he'll have several bikes soon enough which will add to the quiver.) These developments have interested me in your Home Bicycle Workshop book. I'm sure it will address lots of areas but my main concern is bike storage. Does your book address things like ceiling height recommendations, wall vs. ceiling vs. floor vs. stands, etc?
Thanks in advance,
Steve

A: Yes, Steve, my book (photo) talks about storage solutions. You can read more about it and order your very own copy here, but I'm sure I don't address every possible situation. From what you wrote, it might make sens to line all your bikes up on one wall, hanging each by a single hook. You'd alternate bars up, bars down, and they

wouldn't take up much space except to poke out into the room as far as they are tall. You might want to add a wall "bumper" 2 x 4 for the tires (on the wheel that hangs lower) to bump onto so they don't mark the wall. Since studs don't run closely enough, you can use a long 2 x 4 to screw the bike hooks into as close as they can be placed to space your bikes right (just stand your bikes up side by side and measure to see what will work best). Then you can screw the 2 x 4 to the wall with lag bolts into the studs on the wall.

You need a fair amount of ceiling height to put them overhead, but if you have it, you could hang each bike by the wheels with 2 hooks and that's pretty easy if you have rafters overhead or joists to screw to. Don't put them any higher than you can reach, though, or you won't be able to get them down easy/fast,
Jim

Q: I have a 1994 Klein Attitude with a pressed in bottom bracket. My problem is that the spindle snapped. Can you help me find a replacement bottom bracket?
Thanks,
Stephanie

A: Thanks for the email, Steph. You probably don't need a whole new bottom bracket but just the bottom bracket spindle. You can get it from Phil Wood. You may have to have a shop order it for you as I'm not sure Phil sells direct to consumers. You may want the shop to install it too, so they can make sure it's right and regrease your bearings too.

Q: I managed to crash my road bike this weekend and amazingly did little damage appart from frustratingly scratching my deep section carbon tubular rims. The scratches are deep enough to be felt when braking on the wheels, as they are on the braking surface, but not so deep (I hope) to be serious in structural terms. I was planning to fill them (epoxy?) and then sand/polish them back down so they are flush with the braking surface. Can you give me any advice about how to approach this and what to use. It would be much appreciated.
Cheers,
Ned

A: You could try basic 5-minute epoxy, Ned, but it's messy to work with and thick enough that if it's only small scratches it might leave too thick a layer to easily stand down. A bigger issue is that epoxy usually softens with heat and braking causes heat. So it may not work very well to patch the braking surface. It's important to make sure the scratches aren't structural. You could tap on the rim with a quarter to see if it sounds different than a non-scratched part of the rim. If not, the rim's probably okay. I bet the scratches won't effect the braking much, and they'll smooth out as you brake, so you might just keep riding the rims and see if the braking issue goes away.
Good luck,
Jim

Q: I just purchased a Cannondale Capo singlespeed bicycle. I have been riding a Cannondale R500 road bike for years now, and really never ever switched out of the highest gear, so I figured I would simplify things. Upon purchasing the Capo I feel like a hamster spinning in an exercise wheel. The chainring and cog have way too low of a ratio for me to feel like I am doing anything. The crankset and cog give me a 42/17 gear.

The cranks only attach to the chainring in four places instead of five. Basically I want as large a chainring as possible, and as small a cog as possible, but I do not want to get rid of the cranks as I like the way they look and feel. What options do I have? I want my new bike to feel as comparable as possible to riding in high gear on my previous bike. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Sebastian

A: Hi Sebastian,
Since you just purchased your Cannondale, the best thing to do is to return to the bike shop where you bought it and tell them you want harder gearing. Because it's a new bike, they should be happy to switch out the gearing for you, and if you're lucky, at no cost to you. Also, since they carry that bike, they should have the chainring and cog to fit, or can order them.

You probably don't want to go to as high a gear as what's on the high end of a road bike. That would be a 53/12 usually, and that's a super hard gear. It would be hard to get going from stoplights and difficult to pedal up any real hill. So, what you might do is just change the rear cog to a 13 and try it. That'll give you a much harder gear and I bet you'll find you like it. That way you won't need to change the chainring.

If you have to pay for the parts, the rear cog will be inexpensive, but the chainring could cost a fair amount, so it's always better just to go with the cog if you can. You might want to have a selection of cogs so you can vary the gearing from time to time.

Keep in mind that putting on a smaller cog may mean shortening the chain, too. But, I would think since it's a new bike that the shop would be happy to do this for you for a small fee or for free.

Hope this helps and have fun on that great new bike!
Jim

Q: Hi Jim,
I have a TT bike with 650 x 21 tires/wheels. Will a standard inner tube, size 700C, fit these wheels?
Thanks
Jim

A: Hi Jim,
You should use a 650c tube in those wheels/tires. If you were to get a flat tire while out on a ride or during a race, and not have the right size tube - or maybe you needed to borrow a 700c tube from someone riding with you - you can stuff it into the tire and use it to ride home on. But, the 700c tube is larger diameter and you'll need to fold it over a little to get it to fit in the tire. So, it's possible to use them, but it's not ideal. The tube adds weight, isn't as easy to install and doesn't install correctly with the fold in it. For every-ride use, I would stick with 650c tubes, which is the right size for that tire/wheel.

Hope this helps,
Jim

Q: Hi Jim,
I am a female cyclist, road bike, kinda new, a year or two. My computer is not displaying the cadence. I do not know were the sensor is or how to fix it. Can you help?
Thanks!
Debi

A: Hi Debi,
Bike computers usually pick up the cadence reading from a sensor that's attached to the crankarm (where the pedals are). There should be one on that and probably one on the frame too right near the crankarm. If you slightly adjust their positions you should get the cadence to show up again. Keep in mind that some computers have to be put into cadence mode before you see the cadence. In other words, you might have to press buttons on the computer before you see the cadence shown on the display.

Hope this helps you out,
Jim

NEWSWIRE: CUSTOM BICYCLES BOOK REVIEW

Like A Visit To the NAHBS - But In A Book!


If you haven't heard of the NAHBS, it stands for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, a not-to-be-missed event that brings together the gifted artisans from around the world who build custom frames and bicycles. Ordinarily, you'd have to visit the framebuilders to view their work and learn about their philosphy of design and cycling background. But, this super show, gives you full access in one place, which is quite a treat.


A couple of years ago, the show was held in San Jose, California and I was there to see the phenomenal craftsmanship, innovation and beauty in person. Here are some photos. This year, however, the show was held in Indianapolis, which was too far away for me to attend. So I was delighted to discover this new book about framebuilders and their work called Custom Bicycles, A Passionate Pursuit by Christine Elliott and David Jablonka. Like attending the NAHBS, this hardcover, 240-page coffee-table book takes you into the workshops of 39 custom bike builders from the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, England and Australia.


Many of these builders are familiar to me, like Richard Sachs, Bruce Gordon, Jeff Jones, Bilenky Cycle Works, Cycles Alex Singer, Lynskey, Steve Potts Bicycles, Pegoretti and others. But there are new frames and faces too, like Atum22, Wolfhound Cycles and Crisp Titanium. And, all are lovingly depicted in 300 large color photographs that capture their wonderful work and spirit. It's truly like a bicycle show in a book. Plus, the focus of the writing is on what brought the builders to bicycles and what their design theories are, so you feel like you get to know each artist and understand the type of machine they'd build you.


I thoroughly enjoyed Custom Bicycles and recommend it highly. The only thing is that reading it is a lot like visiting the NAHBS. When you get done, you'll probably wonder how you're going to find the funds to buy all those dreambikes you now simply have to have. At least with the book, though, you can keep ogling the pages. I've been going back and forth between Columbine Cycle Works with their luscious lugwork, Richard Sachs' flawless finish work, Jeff Jones' delightful curving tubes and sweet head badge and Bruce Gordon's over-the-top custom components and accessories... I just need to win the lottery.


Custom Bicycles, A Passionate Pursuit is available online from Amazon for about $40.

Inspired Bicycles - Danny MacAskill April 2009

Inspired is right.

Wild And Wonderful Bicycles Of Old Video

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Here's the direct link just in case:
http://tinyurl.com/589sbt

Q&A: Carbon touch-up, triple upgrade, how much chain lube

Q: Hi Jim,
I have a Bontrager X-Lite carbon handlebar that I want to sell, and I don’t know what I can use to polish it up. The bar’s scratched where the grips were, and I need to make it look shiny and pretty as much as I can! How would I go about that?

Thanks!
Staci

A: Good question, Staci. Since the handlebar is actually scratched, you're probably going to need to refresh the clear coat that was originally on there in the area that was scratched. (I'm not positive your bars had a clear coat, but most do.) An easy shortcut that might work is to just get some clear fingernail polish and take the brush and try painting the scratches just like you were doing your nails (if you do), and see if the scratches disappear. That sometimes works. It depends on the scratches but maybe you'll get lucky. If so you'll be done with your "repair" in a few minutes, plus drying time. This works as a way to touch up a paint chip on carbon frames or parts too. Just get the right color of fingernail polish for a paint finish (fingernail polish comes in an amazing assortment of colors and is often easier to find than regular touch-up paint... FYI, I even know someone who painted an entire frame with fingernail polish).

If this doesn't do the trick, it might be that the bars are scratched more. In general you want to be very careful with any carbon part that has scratches on it because carbon as a material is highly notch sensitive. This means that if you scratch it deep enough you create a weak point in the piece (a notch) that will usually result in the part breaking right at the scratch/notch.

The tricky part is figuring out what's a minor scratch and what's a real notch you need to be concerned about. You can usually do this with a good magnifying glass. A notch to be worried about looks like a break, or if you have a strong magnifying glass, it looks like a small Grand Canyon in your part where you can see down into the granular structure of your part (your handlebar). A scratch won't look like this. It will be a shallow indentation. Here are lots more tips on caring for carbon bicyles and components.

In most cases what you are describing from the grips on your bar will be scratches in the clear coat on your handlebars, not a real notch. But, I just wanted to make this real clear since you wouldn't want to sell anyone a handlebar and then have it break when they are riding. An example of a notch issue is when you overtighten levers on the bars, or if the levers are slightly loose and they move around on the bars and actually cut into the carbon fibers of the bar. That wouldn't be good.

For simple surface scratches in the clear coat the fix is relatively easy:
1. Get some fine wet-sanding emery cloth at a place like The Home Depot. 600 or 400 grit will work fine. You only need a few pieces.
2. Put the emery cloth in a pan of water to wet it.
3. Gently sand the bars until the scratches are removed. As you sand you will roughen the clear coat on there and you won't be able to see the scratch you're working to remove. To check how it's coming along, wipe the bar with a damp rag. This will show how you are doing removing the scratches. Stop sanding when the bar is nice and smooth and the scratches are gone. Keep in mind that I am assuming these are only surface scratches. It will take too much sanding to remove deep scratches and probably not worth the trouble since they will be covered with grips/levers anyway. I would just cover deeper scratches with the clear nail polish I mentions, but again, be sure they are only scratches, not structural damage.
4. Once the bars are nice and scratch-free, clean the sanded areas completely with something like rubbing alcohol that leaves them clean and residue free.
5. To finish the job, you next spray the bars with a clear coat of enamel. You can get this at Home Depot when you pick up the 400/600 wet/dry emery cloth. Get clear coat enamel. It can be a little hard to find. You don't want what's used on wood. You want an auto body clear coat enamel paint. It's best sprayed when it's warm out, about 70 degrees. One light coat will usually do it. It dries quick.

If you do all this right the bars will look brand new when you're done. One more thing: you want wet sandpaper and to sand when wet because you need to prevent any carbon dust from being created. You don't want to breathe carbon dust. Sanding with wet paper will prevent any issues.

Hope this helps! The photo with this show carbon dropped handlebars as an example, because I use the procedure outlined above to remove even large logos on bars like these and it works perfectly (sometimes the logos don't look right with a certain frame color or if you use a stem that's not that same brand).

Jim
PS: A reader named Bill offered these great suggestions, "A better way for the carbon scratches is to go to a motorcycle shop. Buy a tube of Scratch X. It is designed for helmet faceshields and windshields. It will polish out a surface scratch quickly and leave it as new. Also in auto paint stores, 3M makes a clear-coat polish that does the same thing." Thanks Mike!
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Q: Hey Jim,
I have a blast reading and learning from your site. Thanks so much for all the great info! My wife has a Raleigh Venture 7-speed comfort bike. She wants more gears, but doesn't want to buy a new bike. I think she should, but she loves her red color that is no longer offered by Raleigh on the 2009's. I have been wondering if I can modify the bike to make it a 21 speed?. Is it as easy as adding a 3-speed shifter on the left handle, a front derailleur, triple crankset, and new chain? Or is there much more involved?

I'd like to do the job myself, but don't know what it will require beyond these components. I can run the shifter cable and install the shifter myself, but don't know how hard or easy it would be for the front derailleur or crankset. Thanks for any advice you have.

Cheers,
Michael

A: Thanks for the kind words, Michael. I appreciate it. Adding gears is usually possible, but it depends on a few things. I checked out the Venture online and from what I can tell, I believe you could install a triple crank, front derailleur and shifter and be good to go. You might or might not need a new chain. It will depend on how large a chainring is on the bike now compared to the size of the large one on the triple.

It's not a difficult job to make this upgrade but you need to figure out what to buy to make sure it all works properly. There are some dimensions to get right. So, the easiest thing might be to have your local friendly bike shop figure this out and buy the parts from them to ensure you get stuff that will work right. One issue you need to check is the cable path. I know you mentioned that you can do this, but you need a way to run the cable/housing from the new shifter to the front derailleur.

I can't tell from the photo online if the Venture is setup for that or if you'll have to come up with your own solution (clamps, zip ties, etc.) Sometimes the manufacturers include this, sometimes not. It's details like this that the shop could tell you about just by looking, and then get you what you need. Front derailleur clamp size and cable pull are other details, plus you'll want the correct bottom bracket for your frame and the triple crank you choose.

Something to think about is what you really gain by upgrading to a triple crankset. Right now the bike probably has 7 gears, some pretty easy ones, some pretty hard ones. Typically if you go to a triple you will end up with several easier and harder gears. If you knew that all your wife wanted was to make the bike easier to pedal, you could probably provide that by simply installing a larger cassette on the rear wheel. That would be a lot cheaper and easier than converting to a triple chainring setup and it would give her the gears she needed if all she really wants is easier pedaling gears.

Hope this helps and have fun dialing in the bike,
Jim
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Q: Jim:
I wonder if you can help me. I have an old Mavic sew-up rim (probably 25 to 30 years old) that I would like to change over to a clincher. I don't know whether to buy a 700c rim or a 27 inch rim. It has 36 spokes if that makes any difference. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Bruce

A: Hi Bruce,
Sure! You should get a 700c rim. That is the same size as your sew-up rim. A 27-inch rim is actually larger diameter so your brake pads won't line up the same - they might not even brake anymore. As long as you go with a 700c, the "new" wheel will fit almost exactly the same as the old one. Also, it will be the same size as the other wheel on your bike - even more important probably ;-)

Hope this helps!
Jim
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Q: Hello,
I have a question about my bicycle chain. I use my bike to ride to the train station and then I have to leave it there all day until I get back from work. This make it hard to keep clean. I initially had a big problem with black greasy buildup on my chain. I was told that my problem could be fixed by using silicon based lubricant, and only use one or two drops. I cleaned my chain and switched to this lubricant, and the greasy buildup problem went away. Unfortunately, now my chain is prone to rust.

I was told that the way to keep rust off the chain was to keep it “well lubricated.” I think this would then put me back in the first situation again with the greasy buildup. Is there some way out of this catch 22?

Puzzled,
Larry

A: It sounds to me like you were using too much lube and then you switched to too little lube, Larry, hence the rust problem. You want to keep your chain fully lubed but not too lubed. The key is to clean it once so there's no grimy buildup and then lube each link (every link, all around the chain) with one drop each, of good quality bicycle chain lube suited to the conditions you ride in. Your local bike shop should be able to recommend a lube that's perfect for you or ask riding friends in your area what they use and check out their chains to see how they look too.

To apply, drip the lube on the links on the lower run of chain (beneath the chainstay) and do it while pedaling slowly backwards so the rear wheel is not spinning, or else the rear wheel will throw any lube that mistakenly gets on it across the room. After you lube the chain let it sit overnight so it soaks in and dries. Then wipe off the excess in the morning before riding.

Most people who ride every day for commuting or fun can ride for about 2 weeks before having to repeat the lubing process. But, you never want the chain squeaking or rusting. Those are signs of not enough lube and you'll want to relube. Greasy buildups are signs of overlubing so clean again and lube less. There's a learning curve to figuring this out and you have to find a lube that works. I use ProGold ProLink Chain lube, which is expensive but works nicely in our rather dry conditions here in Santa Cruz, California. I use it on my road bike that sees heavy use. And, I relube about every 2 weeks. I also take care to wipe the chain down before and after lubing to get any buildup off. That works well. You have to keep after it, lubing, cleaning, lubing some more, and so on, but it's pretty routine after awhile and your chain won't squeak or rust.

To a clean, smooth, quiet drivetrain,
Jim
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