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Bicycles

Launched Q&A site for people who build and repair bicycles, people who train cycling, or commute on bicycles.

Announcements

3  
Should we avoid "etc." in audience descriptions? – Roger Pate Jun 2 '10 at 19:03
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What about people that "race" bicycles? – mxmissile Jun 10 '10 at 15:28
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Only one more follower and 65 more votes needed to get this into the commitment phase folks! If you haven't voted, please vote! If you have voted, please review your votes and see if there are better examples to vote on now! – Adam Davis Jun 18 '10 at 5:06
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103 Example Questions (13 closed)

active newest votes
up vote 20 down vote
What maintenance does [bicycle part] need?
added by Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 2 '10 at 18:03
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up vote 19 down vote
How do I true a wheel?
added by Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 2 '10 at 18:04
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up vote 19 down vote
How do I determine the correct position for my bicycle seat?
added by ire_and_curses Jun 2 '10 at 20:01
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up vote 19 down vote
My rear derailleur is spontaneously changing gears, how do I fix this?
added by Trey Jackson Jun 3 '10 at 4:29
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Isn't it SUPPOSED to change gears? – Tim Jun 8 '10 at 18:01
Maybe Trey meant "changing gear spontaneously"? – Master Of Disaster Jun 9 '10 at 0:27
Yes, that's one of those questions that would need a edit to be clear – rmontagud Jun 10 '10 at 10:20
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Until its corrected wouldn't class this as a great example – philba888 Jun 15 '10 at 23:44
Hee hee, updated the question. – Trey Jackson Jun 18 '10 at 15:20
up vote 19 down vote
What is the best way to prevent rust on my bike? If I get rust, what's the best way to deal with it?
added by Trey Jackson Jun 3 '10 at 4:33
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up vote 19 down vote
When or how often should I replace my bike helmet? I've fallen a couple times, but no serious damage is visible on the helmet.
added by kamens Jun 16 '10 at 15:00
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up vote 13 down vote
What tires are good for riding on snow?
added by Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 2 '10 at 18:02
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up vote 11 down vote
How can I convert my old geared bike into a single speed?
added by Trey Jackson Jun 3 '10 at 4:32
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up vote 8 down vote
I hear a click in my bottom bracket once each pedal revolution. How do I work out what's wrong?
added by Scott Morrison Jun 17 '10 at 15:29
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up vote 7 down vote
What is the difference between a freehub and a freewheel? How can I tell which one I have?
added by Trey Jackson Jun 3 '10 at 4:30
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up vote 7 down vote
What minimal set of tools should I have as a home mechanic? What should I take along a ride?
added by Trey Jackson Jun 3 '10 at 4:32
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up vote 7 down vote
How do i get better at climbing hills?
added by user243 Jun 5 '10 at 2:44
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What type of hills? How many hills? How fit is the person? What bike do they have? – kaerast Jun 6 '10 at 12:39
I imagine that would go in a real question, limited here to 150 characters so we can pretend that was all provided. – bikesandcode Jun 16 '10 at 22:36
up vote 7 down vote
How do I fix my brakes to not make a horrible squeaking noise?
added by Nik Reiman Jun 15 '10 at 8:11
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up vote 7 down vote
I want to fly with my bicycle. What do I need to do to get it there and back in one piece?
added by Nik Reiman Jun 15 '10 at 8:13
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I assume that you mean on a plane? Otherwise I think this should be marked as off-topic – sixtyfootersdude Jun 16 '10 at 14:11
Yes, I think the question needs to be edited to "I want to take my bike on a plane." I originally thought you meant "go really fast." – Dusty Campbell Jun 21 '10 at 16:56
up vote 5 down vote
How do I replace the lower bottom bracket on a bike with 2009 Shimano XLR components?
added by user243, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 2 '10 at 21:51
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up vote 5 down vote
Are Kevlar Tires worth the extra money?
added by gnarf Jun 18 '10 at 5:07
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up vote 4 down vote
How do you deal with repeated punctures from thorns?
added by kaerast Jun 3 '10 at 11:45
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For what it's worth, I switched to Specialized's Armadillo tires and haven't gotten a flat yet - they have a puncture-resistant kevlar strip along the tread, and we have a lot of goathead thorns in our area. – Jared Harley Jun 3 '10 at 13:19
@Jared: this is not the time to answer questions. – Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski Jun 3 '10 at 13:41
up vote 4 down vote
How can I tell what year my Raleigh road bike was built?
added by kaerast Jun 3 '10 at 11:47
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up vote 4 down vote
What are the advantages of a recumbent vs upright cycle?
added by Good Person Jun 3 '10 at 12:08
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Isn't this just going to be a religious war? – Chris Brent Jun 17 '10 at 18:22
There are real, quantifiable advantages as well as real, quantifiable disadvantages so it shouldn't be - though it depends on the participants to play nice. Fact is that a lot of things that one would think ought be black and white in terms of cycling turn out to be subjects that can spark surprising, erm, discussions – Murph Jun 21 '10 at 8:51
up vote 4 down vote
What should I look for when buying biking shoes?
added by Nik Reiman Jun 15 '10 at 8:14
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Add some more specifics (as in shoes for MTB/Road etc) and this could be a good on-topic. – David HAust Jun 18 '10 at 4:12
up vote 4 down vote
What forces of physics make a bike stay upright?
added by sixtyfootersdude Jun 16 '10 at 14:06
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up vote 4 down vote
How do I know when my cassette needs to be replaced?
added by Drew Stephens Jun 16 '10 at 21:00
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up vote 4 down vote
Should I ride with blinking or steady tail lights at night?
added by Adam Franco Jun 17 '10 at 4:11
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up vote 4 down vote
How tight should the chain be on a single speed or fixie?
added by David HAust Jun 17 '10 at 22:46
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up vote 4 down vote
Am I legally required to wear a helmet in <region>
added by Pete Hodgson Jun 18 '10 at 0:08
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In several Spanish cities there are ordinances where wearing a helmet is mandatory even on "green zones" like the old Turia's park in Valencia, so this is definitely a good question – rmontagud Jun 21 '10 at 7:19
up vote 3 down vote
What specific training should I do before considering a double century?
added by Adam Davis Jun 2 '10 at 19:06
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up vote 3 down vote
What are the pros and cons of fixed-gear vs. derailleur gear bicycles?
added by sblair Jun 2 '10 at 20:11
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3  
This will almost definitely lead to a flame war... – user243 Jun 5 '10 at 2:42
Shouldn't this be fixed-gear vs. single speed? Or single speed vs. derailleur/geared? – Jack M. Jun 17 '10 at 14:19
up vote 3 down vote
What do you look for in a good bike shop?
added by CTKeane Jun 3 '10 at 17:23
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up vote 3 down vote
Your strategies for how to identify the source of miscellaneous noises that may or may not indicate loose fasteners or soon-to-fail parts.
added by bernie Jun 5 '10 at 18:50
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up vote 3 down vote
I've found this cheap secondhand bike, how do I know if it's stolen?
added by googletorp Jun 9 '10 at 9:06
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should say where, as this is not hte same in the UK and the US – Ian Jun 21 '10 at 14:51
up vote 3 down vote
How can I improve my balance on my bike? Bike delivery people are always balancing at traffic lights for entire minutes. How can I do it?
added by sixtyfootersdude Jun 16 '10 at 14:06
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Bike messengers are cheating and Track Standing .. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Track_stand .. don't see how this is off topic? – gnarf Jun 18 '10 at 21:22
up vote 3 down vote
What is a good rear wheel for a heavy rider?
added by Ryan Olson Jun 16 '10 at 21:25
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Mountain? Road? Racing? Commuting? Trials? 29"? – Trey Jackson Jun 18 '10 at 19:25
up vote 3 down vote
What should expect when I enter my first bike race?
added by Chris Brent Jun 17 '10 at 18:23
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up vote 3 down vote
Should I ride with or against traffic when riding on the road?
added by gnarf Jun 18 '10 at 5:17
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Two things I don't like about this question: 1) I have a hard time believing that the question is asking "Should I ride against traffic in a lane used by cars going the opposite direction?" I think common sense would dictate that trying to take a car head on is a good way to die. 2) Assuming that it's a variation on that question involving a sidewalk, a road with a shoulder, or something like that: it doesn't specify a locale. Laws about riding on the shoulder, sidewalk, etc. vary. – noah Jun 22 '10 at 16:37
up vote 3 down vote
My front hydraulic disk brake keeps dragging, how can I fix this
added by nkassis Jun 19 '10 at 5:01
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up vote 3 down vote
How do I check if my chainring is worn enough to require replacement?
added by Daniel Fortunov Jun 21 '10 at 19:18
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up vote 2 down vote
What are good lights for commuting?
added by Drew Stephens Jun 3 '10 at 16:37
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up vote 2 down vote
My rear derailleur keeps slipping gears. How do I retune it?
added by Nik Reiman Jun 15 '10 at 8:10
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up vote 2 down vote
I am thinking about converting my mountain bike to a touring bike. How should I do this? Would I be better buying a cheap used road bike to convert?
added by sixtyfootersdude Jun 16 '10 at 13:59
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up vote 2 down vote
What wear items do I need to replace on my commuting bike?
added by Drew Stephens Jun 16 '10 at 21:02
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Maybe change to 'How often should I replact [insert part here] on my commuting bike'? – David HAust Jun 18 '10 at 4:11
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