Interested in changing to disc brakes on my bike. I hear they're a lot better, although I am rather new to this sport and this (Mr. Pink) is my first road bike. Any insight on the process of switching or any thoughts that I shouldn't switch the braking would be appreciated.
122198
I've decided I want a disc brake, at least on the front, which seems a good enough reason to go bike shopping, but am I overlooking the possibility of fitting a cable pull disc brake to my current bike?  I've been using a ten year old road bike as a commuter.  It has carbon front forks with road caliper/rim brakes and integrated Shimano road brake/gear levers.
28116
I've ridden road and mountain bikes for years, and this is my first year riding as a part of a team (and actually doing races).  I've been stuck at nearly the same level of skill when descending and would like to improve.  Sure, there are some  I can read, but some are dated, and who has time to read a whole book?  (said only partially tongue in cheek)  Vague tips like, "ride with faster riders" are not needed - I ride with fast riders, and on the descents they're immediately gapping me at the first switchback.
61835
I bought and installed a set of pre-bled hydraulic brakes onto my bike to replace the mechanical discs that came with it. My future plan is to buy a new bike, transfer the brakes to my wife's bike and replace the old discs onto my bike and sell it.  In the meantime I have a very long rear line, about 30cm extra, that I'm struggling to manage. I've looped it and cable tied it on both sides of the loop, once back on itself and again to the front brake line. Unfortunately this solution slips a lot so I'm looking for a better one. At this stage performance of the brakes seems ok with this method.  Does anyone know of a better solution or is getting them shortened by my LBS the way to go?
24264
My front disk brake's piston doesn't fully retract.  While I can ride the bike, the brake is slightly rubbing.  (IE, if I just spin the wheel with my hand, it'll go around about one and a half times and then stop.) It's definitely slowing me down.   If this fixable?  The advice I got was that it's not worth the trouble and to buy a replacement set.  The current brakes are Avid Juicy 7s that are about 7 years old
19381
Jamis Aurora Elite comes with disk brakes on 700c wheels. I am wondering is it possible to put 26 inch wheels on?  Since it has disk brakes, I can't see any issues with fitting the brakes. Only problem might be the ground clearance to the pedals.  The 26 inch wheels are good for touring with load, 700c wheels ideal for daily commute. I am looking for a bike which will fit both needs.
69793
I recently bought a bike with different tire sizes (20" rear and 18" front) now I want to replace both with a 16" tire is it possible? Also, the rear suspension mechanism is totally unknown to me even to the fellow whom I bought the bike from. Is it also replaceable because i want to change it Pardon my imbecilic queries guys, this is my very first bike :)
30220
I just moved from where there wasn't much of a biking system infrastructure.  There were lots of trails though, so I bought an OK mountain bike ($350).  Now, I've moved to downtown Seattle and everyone bikes.  I'd love to get into it but not sure if a mountain bike is efficient for road-use.  Should I look into a conversion kit?  Should I just get a road bike and have one off-road and one on-road?
114906
I own a 2000 model Specialized Ground Control full suspension. The front derailleur is rusty and temperamental so my solution is to remove it as well as 2 chain rings (they are removable on mine) and convert to a 1x7. This bike is not worth high spendings on upgrades so would this work if I just bought a 1x drivetrain specific chain ring and kept everything else stock? Better yet would it even work on the current middle size chain ring with maybe a chain guide attached to keep it held on? If spacers are required that's all good. I am only a novice MTB rider and the bike will predominantly be used for downhill and small jumps, no hectic double blacks or anything. I am aware that 1x7 isn't very versatile but it will be plenty for me to have fun.
8229
I've had an eternal struggle with my current bike over brake contamination. The levers and calipers are shimano ultegra r8000, so the latest and (almost) greatest.  I first noticed it when I took it to a repair shop (i no longer use) for a bleed, it came back and the front brake would squeal like crazy and at low speeds had little to no braking force. You can stop from speed but then struggle to come to a halt without using your foot.  At around 2000 miles I tried to replace the brake pads, when I took them out they were black with grime on both sets (front &amp; back), not to mention worn down to the metal. I replaced them with the L04C sintered pads, gave the callipers a good cleaning with a towel (no chemicals) and fitted the new set.  Annoyingly all of my braking issues are back, now I probably should have cleaned the rotors, I simply used some muc off disc brake cleaner on them. I would like to know the best way to clean the rotors, I've inspected the pads and they are looking fairly black now, with plenty of tread left. I'm going to abandon these pads and fit a new set. For the rotors I plan to completely remove them from the wheels (they are center lock fitted) and try and treat them off the bike, what is the best way to fully clean them? They have plenty of wear left in them but you can see these black grooves in them, and plenty of muck on the back that I struggle to get off.  Below are images of the rotors after soaking them in disc brake cleaners, waiting and then wiping them down with a clean, microfiber towel.   Front Wheel Outside Rotor   Front Wheel Inside Rotor - note the increased dirt on this side  Looking at ways people clean their disc rotors, I've seen plenty of suggestions that I would need to burn the contaminants off the discs. Would the best approach be to remove them and use a blowtorch, should I soak them in some nasty chemicals overnight before I try to heat them? Do I try baking them in the oven?  And finally, what is the best way to prevent the brakes from becoming contaminated in the future? it's really off putting when they squeal and don't perform how I'd expect because it means I'm more reserved whilst out riding on the bike, leading to reduced time riding around outside. I commute on this bike (50 miles a week) and then ride about 50 on the weekends also, so it see's it's fair share of road use. I tend to wash it once after my big ride on saturdays and will rinse it off if it's been raining, any day that occurs (since I live in north east england, the acid rain..). I've owned disc brake bikes before and never had half the issues I've had with this, I had a cheap trek with tektro brakes and the brakes were sharper and never had any issues with contamination whatsoever (i did around 500 miles on that bike before a motorist happened).  Thanks for any and all advice :)
108102
Disk brakes are becomming more popular on bikes now, and I was just wondering what the advantage is of this type of brake over the older rim brakes.
41636
I'm thinking of changing the 9-speed Tiagra rear mech on one of my (road) bikes to something, still Shimano, but 10-speed.  The obvious replacements I'll need are cassette, right-shifter and chain. But I reckon because of the narrower chain I'm also looking at a new chainset and rear derailleur. However I think the front derailleur and left-shifter should be safe (still keeping the front mech the same). Ditto the bb, regardless of whether I need a new chainset  Has anyone actually done this conversion and is able to confirm (or put me right)?  Thanks  Update  Decided in the end that going from 9- to 10- was too much to spend all in one go. But I used a service as an excuse to change the cassette (to a 9-speed ultegra) and the chain (dura ace) at quite minimal cost. Can upgrade other parts as and when, although I'm basically looking at Shim's 6500 range here so all quite dated now.
70247
Earlier this year I purchased my first road bike (a 2013 - Felt F75). I had never really ridden before, so I didn't want to spend too much money up front not knowing how much I would actually ride. All in all, I think I'm riding more than I really ever thought I would.  My question is this:  If I wanted to start upgrading components on my bike, generally speaking, where can I get the most bang for my buck right off the bat? I've heard that getting new wheels can make a night-and-day difference in some cases, but didn't hear much evidence to back that up.  What do you guys think? Here is the spec list for the F75 for reference:  broken link. For the 2016 edition see
6106
I'm moving to a city where I can ride a bicycle to the grocery store, coffee shop etc. I want to purchase a decent used bicycle. I'm leaning towards a bike that's in between a "10-speed" or road-bike and a mountain bike. What should I look for when choosing a particular bike?  I've never purchased a used bicycle. Other than classifieds (e.g., Craigslist), what types of places can I look? What other issues should I consider, such as size, visual appearance, leaking tires, etc.? How can I make sure it's not stolen?
74911
I just installed a new chain on my 2002 Trek 2200 Road Bike.  The old chain was a Shimano 9 speed that I installed 18 months and about 5000 miles ago.  It had stretched modestly and was full of winter cruft/grime.  The new chain is a SRAM 9 speed, my first time using the gold snap ring system.  I followed instructions and made sure I have the same link count as the chain that came off the bike.  The cassette was new with the old chain, so it has about 5000 miles on it and doesn't appear to have significant wear.  After installation and a clean/wipe/lube/wipe, I took it for a 15 mile easy ride at about 15-16 mph.  It shifts perfectly and I didn't have to make any adjustments to either derailleur.  Three times, however, when putting it under stain (once on a modest hill climb, once starting from a stop sign in a fairly big gear, and once on an acceleration coming out of a sharp turn) it skipped several teeth and caused my foot to slam down hard.  On the hill, it actually hurt as I had my weight off the saddle (not really standing) and I came down hard on the inside of my thigh.  I think all three were on the right side (power train side) pedal stroke, and I don't think they were all in the same gear.  I'm pretty sure it was the rear cassette that skipped, not the front chainring, but it did happen really fast each time.  I will also say that it's not like these were the only three times I put substantial pressure on the pedals in the ride - I wasn't going hard, but I wasn't being tentative or anything.  Also, in case it's relevant, it was cold, about 40 degrees F or about 4 degrees Centigrade.    My question:  Is this going to get me hurt, or will the new chain 'settle in' over a few rides?  I searched here and pretty much got confirmation of what I had previously thought, that you always get a new chain when you get a new cassette, but you should be able to get a few chains out of each cassette.  Thanks!
63610
Are there any modern road/light touring tires which look like the gumwall tires of yesteryear?  In particular, I'm looking for all-weather road tires with serious puncture resistance, i.e. a more-or-less-direct competitor to .
102404
As a newbie rider, I was asked by many experienced riders and bike shop experts if I was using clipless pedals yet?  The implication was you are not really a serious rider until you are clipless, sort of a rite of passage. No one ever told me you can break bones, but told 'everyone' falls a few times, count on it, and move on.   Are there precautions or conditions where one could or should not use clipless pedal products?  The previous year, I had ridden 1700 street and paved bike trail miles on a comfort bike and a Mountain tandem with Pedal Cages and never had an issue.  I incorrectly assumed I was ready to advance.  I purchased a new touring bike with Shimano M540's.    Here is an  riding clipless.  It was an unexpected stop due to a flood closing a tame paved trail. Someone had painted a bright blue line from the trail up to where I fell ().  It was my error in trying to ride around the obstacle and ended in the railroad ballast (2"-3").  I had un-cliped going up but the M540's re-clipped  I stopped at the edge of the ballast but was clipped.  My ankle twisted > 150 degrees. It was my third ride and fall clipless. It all happened in 10-15 seconds.  I know through good friends of two very much younger but very experienced  riders who were hurt much more severely than I due to clipless.  Should I try again with the beginner clips and different pedals, or as my son and wife tell me, are you crazy?  Revisited  Having just rolled over 2,000 miles this year with flat pedals on the road I can report I have found a solid solution for me.  I now ride with "Pin" Pedals available from several manufacturers I use (Xpedo MX Force 3).  These pedals have a grid work of short pins sticking up on both sides of the flat pedals. These pins rather lock my foot on the pedal preventing foot creep or shifting out of position while allowing for quick mount and dismounting as necessary.
61873
I've been thinking in changing my v-brakes to disc brakes. Now that my rear v-brake can't brake anymore I think that it is time change it. I've already seen . My frame is prepared for disc and, as I don't want to change my brake lever, I'll go with mechanical brakes (does  look ok?);  The only problem is the rear wheel hub that has not the six holes for the disk. Is it ok if I just change the rear wheel hub and keep the front one?