Whether it's rude is a matter of local custom.

Whether you're offended by it depends on your flexibility and sensitivity

Often, we cyclists can become a little over sensitive, after having to defend ourselves from car doors, pedestrians, cars, trucks, laws that don't take us into account, police who have a ticket quota, and even other cyclists.

Relax.

The person who left it there is just trying to save themselves the trouble of carrying it every day.

And yes, you can still park your bike there.

Of course they may think you're rude then, so I'd only park there if it was the last position available.

I'd pick a different spot in the rack if possible.

But if I was in a hurry or there wasn't another suitable place I'd use it (e.g. my bike doesn't fit on the bottom of the double stacker at the station; some places have decent racks and others that don't allow proper locking for all day use).

I would try to make sure it's easy to get the lock off, perhaps by sliding it to the end before parking.

Blocking out a space is properly selfish and possible in some racks (e.g. a lock right across a slot-in rack).

I wouldn't show any consideration to anyone who does that.

Luckily it's rare.

In many places if you want to store a lock, the done thing is to lock it to something like a bike shed pillar or the outer side of the outer rack, so it's easily accessed and not in anyone's way.

My views on this are perhaps quite harsh, as I park at a couple of stations where some people park all day and others all night.

Overlap is inevitable.

Offices are rather different in that they tend to be occupied for the same part of the day.

This will depend on MANY things, including but not limited to: local custom office politics special concerns (I can't think of any, but more in this later) utilization of the rack your feelings on the matter type of lock Local custom is important.

In some areas it's horridly rude; in others it's common.

Does the parking complex for cars have assigned spots?

If so then the lock on the rack is probably just an extension of that.

Office politics play a big role.

Does the lock belong to the owner of the building and buyer of the rack?

Because if it does, you're out of luck.

It doesn't matter if it's rude or not - you're not going to win this fight.

Or does it belong to an employee who has made a stink in the past and the proposed solution to some problem was to leave the lock?

I can't really think of any special concerns that would affect this, but I do have a similar example from when I used to leave the lock on the lockers at the company gym.

Essentially, I was told it was rude to leave the lock on the lockers at the company gym.

But this was an arrangement I made with management because I would frequently work half a shift, work out, shower, return to work the other half of the shift, and leaving smelly work out clothes (and I can be smelly) in the locker room was better then stinking up the office.

And, because my time around the campus was extensive, in the morning it was better to deposit the clothes in the locker then to have the gym bag around my desk.

If the rack is under utilized, and you know it's going to stay that way, it's a much smaller issue.

For example, a 25-bike rack with an office size of 20 people and only 5 of them bike.

Then it's not rude at all.

This is tricky.

But make sure you have a legitimate reason to be upset.

Often we bikers think of ourselves as "last on the list".

We see it as a treat to have a bike lane that's clean and free of debris.

Make sure you're looking at this issue objectively.

I would add that the type of lock is important.

Our local bike shop has around ten types of lock, ranging from a simple cable with built in lock weighing around a pound to massive, complicated bar and cable "systems" that weigh closer to 25 pounds.

Their most popular option is a 5 pound cable and U lock combo.

Either way, I would not want to carry around some of their heavier locks.

Does the lock make it harder for another person to use that space?

If so leaving the lock is rude.

If not then it is not rude.

If parking your own bike in that space makes it harder for the lock owner to get their lock off so they can use it in another space, that's really for the lock owner to have to deal with and nobody else.

Probably the small inconvenience outweighs having to carry a (possibly very heavy) lock on a daily commute.

In the bike room at my office many people leave locks on the racks, never an issue.

The polite thing for the lock owner to do would be to "store" the lock in a place in the rack (eg; at the base) where it's not in anyone's way.

If it's stored in an inobtrusive place or manner,then I'm ok with it.

Otherwise, if it's in a prime spot, it is an unauthorized reservation of that spot.

I often encounter this in a crowded bike rack, and I find it quite rude.

Question: We have a bicycle parking rack near the office building. It's rather large: for about 30-35 bikes.  Someone has left their lock (chain or whatever) locked around one part of the rack.  So, I've got two questions:   is this rude, or it's just me thinking this way?   can I park my bike on such a place if there are no other options?

Leaving lock on the parking rack - is this rude?

Leaving a bike lock on a bike rack may be considered rude in some circumstances and not in others. It mainly depends on the local custom and office politics. If the bike rack is under used, it is obviously not an issue. I, however, it is preventing other people parking their bikes, it is rude. Other riders are still free to park their bikes in that spot and if the lock owner cannot retrieve their lock, that is their problem. oof course the lock owner may just be saving themself the trouble of having to carry the lock every day. TROUBLE OF HAVING TO CARRY THE LOCK WITH THEM EVERYDAY.

If there are enough free spaces or the lock is not blocking a prime space, the lock was probably just left by the rider to save carrying it to and from work every day. It depends on local attitudes and customs, but it's normally polite to lock it out of the way, and for other riders not to obstruct access to it if possible. You can avoid that space if others are available, but reserving it would be unauthorised so you can park there if you need to.

If there are enough free spaces or the lock is not blocking a prime space, the lock was probably just left by the rider to save carrying it to and from work every day. It depends on local attitudes, but it's normally polite to lock it out of the way, and for other riders not to obstruct access to it if possible.

If the lock is used to reserve a space, this is normally considered rude, but otherwise it can be ignored as a minor issue.


@rclocher3's electrical tape is the easier way to go, but I often use strips of old tube to wrap things of this nature.

To keep the wrap in place I dab some vulcanizing fluid hither and thither along the underside.

This saves electrical tape for electrical things, is perhaps a bit more rugged than tape, and also provides fodder for people who would mock me on stackexchange.

I've used some heat shrink in the past for things like this, it's used in situations to replace electrical tape.

Usually, I use a soldering iron to heat it up after getting it in place, but a hair dryer might also work

but it'd take a little longer though.

I originally used electrical tape - the "rubbery-ness" of the tape was quite appealing as it stopped things slipping, but it went gooey after a few months.

When the orange rubber padding dried up and cracked away on my guitar stand, I peeled it off and replaced it with clear, PVC hose of a similar diameter, plugging the hose ends with the original plugs.

It provides good cushioning.

PVC is the same thing as what is already on the hook, namely vinyl.

The word "vinyl", when it refers to a material, is usually just a short name for polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

PVC hose is an easy way to effectively get a really thick vinyl coating onto a steel rod instantly, without any dipping or painting.

Because some of the curves are rather tight, the hose inner diameter should be generously larger than the hook's diameter.

The extra width, thickness and air gaps between the hose and the hook will also provide better cushioning than the original coating, letting you be more abrupt in your movements when you hang the bike or take it down.

It doesn't specifically have to be PVC.

I chose it for that guitar stand because it's durable: it will last long without drying up and cracking like the original covering.

Being transparent, it also looks kind of good on that particular guitar stand, over its chrome tubing.

Tip: if pulling hose onto the hook gets a little difficult, in spite of good sizing, a dab of vaseline will help.

There is a liquid sold in hardware stores that is advertised as being a fast and easy way to make a rubbery coating for a tool handle: just dip the tool into the liquid and let it dry.

In the US it's called "Plasti Dip".

You might try that.

Personally I think I'd just wrap the hooks tightly with two or three layers of electrical tape; the tape stays put better if you cut the tape with scissors rather than stretching the tape to break it.

Electrical tape is sold in many colors these days, so you could match the color fairly closely if you or your significant other is picky about such things ;)

The obvious answer to me is (old) handlebar tape!

Question: Vinyl covered wall mounted bike hooks coating is wearing away due to use. What can I use to cover them so my wheels don't get scratched?  Using These type of hooks:

Rubber on wall mounted bike hooks is wearing away. What can I use to cover them so my wheels don't get scratched?

Worn rubber on wall-mounted bike hooks can be replaced with olf pieces of tube, heat shrink, electrical tape, pvc hose, handlebar tape and liquid rubber product.

Possible coverings include pvc tubing or hose, heat shrink covering or wrapping in electrical or handlebar tape. Electrical tape may be too thin and easily damaged for this purpose. Hooks can also be dipped in coating liquid sold in hardware stores.


Consider how you feel when a fellow cyclist approaches you will full beam straight ahead.

It's pretty blinding, even for a moment, and especially off-road when your eyes aren't used to it.

So in a park: Dim your light to its lowest setting (within reason).

Put it on steady beam.

Flashing is more visible but also more annoying anddisorientating.

Physically push it forwards/downwards

so it's pointing towards the ground, not into anyone's face.

If you do this then it doesn't matter whether you illuminate pedestrians or for how long.

There are now many bike lights on the market which have a shaped beam with a "horizontal cutoff" giving strong light onto the road or path, but much less above the horizon.

When adjusted correctly these allow you to see where you're going without dazzling oncoming traffic or pedestrians.

I use a Busch & Muller Ixon IQ (pictured), but there are others .

If you don't want to fork out for a new light, you can make a hood for the light to block the light from going upwards.

I had to face exactly this on an old commute.

Dipping the front light was absolutely necessary in a park and another stretch of unlit bike path.

It was a bright enough light to illuminate the road, though not well enough to ride at any decent rate on low power.

The solution I found to this was to add a narrow-beam head torch.

This can be dipped hands free, and points where you look rather than where the bars are pointing (quite useful when it's pitch dark and you're next to a lake going round sharp bends).

Overhanging branches can mean the need to illuminate stuff that's not the road surface, so I tended to adjust the light as I rode much as you'd switch from main beams to dipped beams in a car.

The head torch I bought was ~5 from dealextreme, and is 150 lumens nominal -- so not very much ligfht in total.

But all that light is in a bike-sized area of road even if it's directed 10 bike lengths away.

I tended to adjust the angle such that I had to tip my head slightly up to illuminate as far away as I'd like for ~30km/h speeds on imperfect tarmac, so that a natural head position was more suited to slower speeds with other people around.

In busy areas well-lit I could easily point it almost straight down.

You can dip the light slightly (point it towards the ground).

Even without considering politeness, you might prefer to illuminate the ground ahead of you, instead of (as you would on a lit city street) pointing it straight forward to be seen as maximum distance.

In case you can read German, here's a nice explanation how to adjust the bike front light .

Summary: put bike 5m from a wall measure distance (height) of the light from the street make sure that the upper rim of the light at 5m distance (wall) is below that height.

Official German regulation: center of light beam should be at half height at 5 m distance = should hit the road at 10 m distance Adjust speed according to visible range (just like when driving a car)

bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/7450/cbeleites unhappy with SX

I wear an adjustable head strap flashlight at night while riding my bike.

The one I have has three colors (white, red and green)which allows me to use a less intense color at times, so as not to blind people.

As an addition to three colors, of has three level of intensity.

It is worth looking into.

With this you are able to turn your head slightly when needed.

These examples may be of help to you.

The one pictured is the style I use at the moment.

Question: Sometimes I ride in the park which has no light. There always are dog walkers, runners and other cyclists.So, when I ride towards someone I have two options:   dim my light and slow down (since I can't go fast anymore)  speed up to to minimize time that I light on those people   My front light is:   So, the question is: how to be less irritating?

Polite way to ride in the dark

The best way to avoid annoying other park users at night with your bike lights, if you don't want to buy new more controllable lights, is to dim the lightsto their lowest setting or angle them downwards. If the lights can't be tilted, a hood can be made for this purpose.

Lights may be irritating if they are too bright, flashing, moving around or pointed at eye level. Bike lights and some torches are designed to direct the beam downwards and reduce glare for other road users. If your light is not like this, dim it and point it downward if possible. You can make a hood for a torch to prevent too much light from being directed at people's eyes, or face a wall and adjust the beam to direct most of the light at the ground 5m in front of you.


Rule #41 Quick-release levers are to be carefully positioned.

: Quick release angle on the front skewer shall be an upward angle which tightens just aft of the fork and the rear quick release shall tighten at an angle that bisects angle between the seat and chain stays.

It is acceptable, however, to have the rear quick release tighten upward, just aft of the seat stay, when the construction of the frame or its dropouts will not allow the preferred positioning.

For Time Trial bikes only, quick releases may be in the horizontal position facing towards the rear of the bike.

This is for maximum aero effect.

Something noone has mentioned is that the QR lever is not to be touching the frame or fork when in the closed position.

Reasons for this are the clamping force is not as high as it could be the frame or fork can slowly push on the lever and loosen it a bit more over time.

I'd put both of them in a way they can't be hit by rocks or branches.

I had no trouble aligning them as described below.

So: for the front wheel it should be aligned with the fork.

For the rear wheel I think two possible and secure options are to point it upwards or align with seat stay.

For disc brake bikes specifically, you want to have them positioned in the way that makes them easiest to open without touching the discs.

For the front this is easily achieved by putting the lever on the right (in whatever orientation you fancy), but you can also have it slightly in front of the fork on the rotor side (behind also works if it's not interfering w/ the caliper).

In the rear, I find that just slightly below the chainstay works best for me, making it easy to brace against the chainstay for both opening and closing.

Front QR is to be exactly parallel to the fork arm.

Rear QR is to be positioned exactly half way in between the chainstay and the seatstay, oriented to the inside of the frame.

Mechanically it makes no difference, since the quick-release work any way you position the lever.

The only reason to adjust the levers position is for the ease of use.

The best way is to position the front lever slightly behind the fork (not aligned along the fork, otherwise you cant press the lever down completely and its hard to open because you cant get between lever and fork with your fingers).

Same for the rear: between the two makes the lever accessible most easy.

You can press with the thumb on the chainstay/seatstay and open the lever easy.

Personally, I think it depends a little on the design of the quick release lever.

I put my front one pointing upwards aligned with the fork.

However, some quick release designs will actually contact the fork before they are fully closed.

In this case I would place it slightly behind the fork.

For the back quick release, I position it between the seat and chain stays.

Again if you have something in the way, you'll have to adjust parallel with the seatstay or even behind it a bit if something is in the way.

I've seen some people position them both facing backwards.

The idea is that they are less likely to catch on something and open as you are riding.

However, I think this makes them more likely to be opened by some other factor when not riding because there is nothing guarding them.

This would be fine if you checked them before each ride, as we probably should, but most people probably aren't consistently checking their quick releases every time they ride.

If they are in a position that they are least likely to be opened accidentally in most situations, then that is probably the safest.

Question: Is it best to have the front wheel release lever in front of the fork, tailing the fork, or aligned with the fork? How about the rear; ahead, behind, or alingned with the chainstays, seatstays, or between the two?

What is the proper position for quick-release levers?

Mechanically it makes no difference, since the quick-release work any way you position the lever.  The only reason to adjust the levers position is for the ease of use. Quick-release levers should be put in so that they can't be hit by rocks or branches. For the front wheel it should be aligned with the fork. For the rear wheel the two possible and secure options are to point it upwards or align with seat stay. If they are in a position that they are least likely to be opened accidentally in most situations, then that is probably the safest.

The levers should not be touching the frame or forks when closed, as this may mean that they are not fully locked. While the mechanics are not affected by the positioning, it should reduce the risk of getting caught or opening by accident. Another consideration is ease of opening and closing without obstruction or touching brake discs and other fragile components.


There are a few possibilities but its fairly easy to isolate the likely problem.

Unclip

the noodle (where the cable comes out) and check if the problem is in the V brakes or the cable.

If its the V brakes, it could be a broken spring, or the brakes need oiling.

If the brakes are free to move and spring back firmly, its likely a problem with the cable or the brake lever.

Without pulling the cable out of the housings, slide the cable back and forward - it should be free to move.

If not, check the brake lever is free, or it could be a corroded or kinked cable.

If its the cable, a replace is only a few dollars and is the best option (I almost always put in new outers as well).

You can try adding some lube to the cable and working it, its usually successful but never as good as new cables.

If the cable is kinked, you may have luck straightening it, but again, a new cable is always a better option.

Daniel's comment is right, in addition check the brake lever for stiffness.

You should be able to undo the noodle from the noodle-holder, the brake arms should extend out to the sides, and each should have about the same hand-pressure required to close up.

There should be a "tension" adjust screw in the base of each arm, although I have bikes with just one and another bike with none.

Each brake arm has a spring which can normally slot into one of three positions too.

It could be one of your springs has got really weak

, they don't tend to get stronger with age.

Its a lot of trial and error and tweaking.

Another crude (but often effective) hack / adjustment for older or ineffectual springs is as follows: the springs - which are essentially just a long piece of heavy gauge wire that gets tucked behind a protruding peg to hold them in place - can be "untucked" (for lack of a better technical term) and then you can manually bend them out slightly by using a screwdriver, e.g. behind the curvature of the spring arm, for leverage.

This is an admittedly rather crude but

yet still often very effective "hack" to bring them back to life, provided you don't overdo it to the point of causing more harm than good.

This would be a hack to employ after other more "proper" ways of adjustment (e.g. tension screws or what not) have been attempted first.

I had a similar problem in the front brake of a Schwinn Loop folding bike, but the arm wasn't moving at all.

It seems like it's all rusted inside, because I couldn't even take it off even after soaking it in WD-40.

I did manage to move it a bit side to side, but with a lot of force.

I'll try heat from a hairdryer in a couple of days when the new brakes arrive.

But if it's stuck like that, you might need to change the brakes.

I had one of my v-brake arm sticking to the wheel this morning; I wanted to get to work on my bike

so this is what I did: Remove the arm, plunge the base for 5-10 min in ultrasonic bath with degreaser solution (if you don't have one, just immerse it while moving the spring hub).

On the spring side, drip WD-40 on the hub while moving it until it comes out clear on the other end.

Note that on top of cleaning it WD-40 also removes the water contained in the degreaser solution so it does not rust afterward (hint: WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, 40th formula...)

At this point the hub should move with very little resistance.

Wipe off and put thick oil on the hub while moving it so it penetrates.

Reinstall and adjust screws to get even tension on both arms.

NB: I did not even bother removing the pad, I only immersed the bottom end with the moving base.

Just try not to put any oil on the pad as it'll weaken it.

Question: I have a folding bike with v-brakes and I noticed that when I pull on the rear brake lever, one arm of the v-brake doesn't go back to its original position. I tried adjusting the screws but it still doesn't go back. Although I'm not entirely sure if, when it stays in place, it hits the rim.  What could be the likely cause of this? The spring? Lubrication? Thank you.

V-brake arm not returning to "open" position

If the brakes are free to move and spring back firmly, its likely a problem with the cable or the brake lever. Without pulling the cable out of the housings, slide the cable back and forward - it should be free to move. If the problem is the cable, it is best to replace it and does not cost much. It could be a weak spring. Another option is to try lubricating or WD-40.

The spring could be broken or stiff. Both sides should extend outwards about the same distance when the noodle is removed, and should provide similar resistance to closing. The tension screws can be adjusted on either side and the springs should be cleaned of dirt and grime. If the springs are working correctly, check that the cable can move freely in the housing and the brake levers are not stuck. If the cable is worn, kinked or otherwise stiff, replacing the cable and outer sheath may be the best solution.


I never wash any of my bikes with water.

Water, specially at high pressure out of a hose may get to places it shouldn't (i.e. bearings) and thus reduces the life expectancy of your bike.

Personally, I don't have a lot of space inside, and this works perfectly fine:

let your bike dry completely scrub off all bigger chunks of dirty with an old dry cloth use a cleaning agent (ideally something like WD40) for stains that don't come off easily degrease your chain, also using a bit of WD40 and some dry cloth possibly remove wheels from frame if you really wanna get everything off reassemble everything, grease movable parts using a little bit (!)

of chain oil or thicker grease (i.e. motorex)

if needed most importantly: repeat regularely , so your bike never becomes too flithy

I keep a piece of thick PVC foil, about 3×1 m in size which I spread on the floor in my corridor and put my bike on it (it has a kickstand so it can stand on its own).

I spread 4-5 sheets of newspaper just below the bike.

I take the chain off (which is easy since I have a master link) and clean it by shaking in a bottle of naphta.

I dust off all dried dirt from the frame using a cheap paintbrush (with a wooden handle so it doesn't scratch the frame).

What is left, I clean up with moist disposable paper towels.

If I'm in the mood, I clean the shock absorbers in the fork with a paper towel sprayed with WD-40.

After drying, I put the chain back on and lubricate it.

Most of the time, the dirt collected on the newspapers and the foil is completely dry so I can easily pour it over to the trash bin.

After a long bike tour through south east Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia totaling ~5000 km) we were flying back to NZ with our bikes.

NZ customs has very stringent requirements that no dirt/bugs/diseases comes in to the country on used sports gear, so we got the bikes sparkling clean by smuggling them up to our hotel room and putting them into the shower.

Nice low pressure, warm water.

Good drainage for the dust/dirt.

Soap and a flannel to clean up the frames.

No mess to clean up afterwards.

In fact, using a cloth to wipe clean the bike dirt are quite eco-friendly.

You might use less water if doing it properly.

It also reduce the risk of splashing water into bearing,etc.

For heavy dirt like mud, first use gardening spray lightly spray to wet up dirt in order to remove them.

Just be careful when dumping the waste water, toilet bowl is a good idea compare to bathtub drain.

For greasy part, spray grease removal/solvent and use paper towel instead of cloth.

Don't feel bad about "saving the tree" on the paper towel.

Though cloth are "reusable" ,you will waste water and pouring those greasy dirt into your drainage, which is more harmful to the environment.

Put the bike on a bike repair stand inside of a room that doesn't have a carpet or any fancy hardwood floor covering. Put down a thick plastic sheet under the chain and cassette area.

Instead of plastic, you can use a few pieces of thick cardboard.

Clean the chain with 30 revolutions of the chain, back peddling, using a Park Tool cyclone or similar tool filled with Simple Green or another de-greasing product.

Keep the chain and cassette over the floor protection that you put down in step 2. Flush dirty contents of cyclone down the toilet.

Repeat steps 3 and 4.

Use small strips of cloth or "gear floss," soaked in de-greaser, to clean between the gears on the cassette.

Use a small brush, soaked in de-greaser, to clean the rest of the drive train.

Fill cyclone with warm water.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 using warm water instead of de-greaser.

Flush dirty water down toilet.6c.

Use dry cloth to dry the chain as best you can.

Mix a liberal amount of dish soap with water and use the mixture to fill up a spray bottle.

Fill another spray bottle with warm water alone.

Spray soap mixture onto bike to clean dirty parts of frame, rims, spokes, pedals, etc.

Wipe off with clean cloth.

Repeat step 8 with just the water spray.

Dry off the entire bike with clean cloth.

Remember to lube the chain before you ride the bike after cleaning.

I would say it's probably easier / cleaner to take your bike to a friends house who has a garden or to a petrol station or car cleaning place (but don't use the jet wash on your bike).

I can't imagine trying to clean a bike in bathtub!

Question: There are many sources describing how to wash your bike but all of them are for people who live outside town with a nice garden and a lot of space. Provably most of people live in small flats in a city block making it impossible to use these guides.  How can I wash a bike properly without going outside and having really small space?

How do I wash a bike indoors?

To wash a bike indoors, something to cover the floor is needed. All major dirt should be scrubbed off. Stains can be removed with WD-40. A lot of water is not recommended as it can get into places it shouldn't. TheWiping down with a cloth is eco-friendly.  cahin should be degreased also with WD-40. Chain should be relubed. Any waste water should be discarded in the toilet.

Place the bike in an area without carpet or sensitive flooring and protect the floor with a plastic sheet. Since water at pressure can damage bikes, using it sparingly can extend your bike's life. Let the bike dry and brush off loose dirt before wiping it down with a cleaning agent and cloth, wipes or paper towels. Dispose of waste water in the toilet rather than a sink or bathtub. Clean the chain with a degreaser in an enclosed chain cleaning tool, and use strips of cloth to clean between the gears of the cassette. Remember to lubricate moving parts after cleaning.


Yes , people riding with a frame pump or a mini frame pump will use this in conjunction with a repair-kit (spare tube, patch kit, tire levers).

Most if not all recreational cyclists carry some method of a repair kit because flats happen and it doesn't have to mean the end of your ride.

Generally with practice a reasonable time to fix a flat is 5 minutes.

Those 5 minutes spent fixing a flat will be much faster than calling an Uber or your SO for a ride, or even resorting to public transit.

Better yet spend those five minutes changing a flat and then go finish your ride!

You don't need a lot of bike tools—you, just need the right tools.

A frame pump is one of those tools...

A frame pump can be seen as a one time cost to get air into a deflated tire.

Whereas others use a CO 2 cartridge to inflate a tire, but over time a few bucks for one cartridge adds up.

A pump and a CO 2 cartridge have their advantages and disadvantages, but in the end the result is the same—fix a flat and be on your merry way!

Some satire on the matter can be found here .

Generally, most prepared cyclists carry a spare tube, some tire levers and a bit of money or something else that could be used as a tire boot.

With these, if you have a damaged tire or tube, you can normally put in a new tube and continue your journey.

For tubeless riders, a spare tube is sometimes necessary.

A pump or CO2 cartridge is necessary to inflate the tire.

CO2 is nice because its quick, and you can reseat a tubeless tire if necessary with one, but it is wasteful and once you're out of cartridges, you have to go to a pump anyway.

I carry both, just cause a small pump can be tiring on your arms.

A patch kit is useful but usually you end up replacing the tube on the road and patching it at home so that the patch is reliable.

Another use of a frame pump is to get dogs to go away .

In any case, I leave mine on my bike normally so its always there (its a mini, and attaches to the underside of my rack, so nobody sees it).

If I'm riding around town, I won't carry a spare tube or levers since its less of a hassle just to walk the bike home or catch a bus, but when I go out of town, I carry them just cause there aren't many options to get home without fixing the flat myself.

I use (tough) touring tires.

If I have a puncture it's usually a slow one, from a sharp piece of grit (embedded in the tire) that has finally managed to work a tiny pin-prick through the outer tire, and begin to hole the inner tube.

I've been able to get home after discovering a slow leak, simply by stopping to re-inflate every 40 minutes or so (and without even finding and removing the offending grit until after I get home).

I also now carry tire levers and a spare inner tube.

I don't count on repairing a puncture (hence the spare inner tube): to find a puncture when I'm at home, I need to submerge the faulty inner tube in clean water and look for bubbles.

Pumps have other uses as well.

If you have a tubeless setup, punctures can be sealed by your tubeless juice, but still cause some loss of pressure before self sealing.

In that case, carrying a pump without a patch/spare is completely appropriate.

It allows you to replace air lost while your tire sealed itself.

Additionally there are styles of riding to which frequent pressure changes are important.

Winter cycling races are a good example.

Over a long course , it may be well worth it to put additional air in your tires if trail conditions improve or the temperature drops significantly.

Punctures are of small enough concern during winter racing here that I often don't care a spare tube, but will still carry a pump to adapt tires to changing trail conditions.

I carry a spare tube, a pump, patches and glue.

Because if I get a flat tyre I don't want to be stuck pushing the bike.

Simple as that.

Question: I've seen people fit tire/tyre pumps to their bikes. What's the use in that?  If I have a puncture it's  usually  a sizable hole in the tube, such as a piece of glass that pierced the tube.  I could image that the pump is for if you  also  carry a puncture repair kit, plus levers to get the tyre off. Is that the use in carrying the pump?

What's the specific use in carrying a pump?

Generally, most prepared cyclists carry a spare tube, some tire levers and a bit of money or something else that could be used as a tire boot. Punctures happen and they have to be fixed, especially you are out of town and there is no other way home. The pump puts air into the flat tire.

Usually a pump is carried for use with a repair kit or spare tyre, but it can be used to pump up an underinflated tyre or slow flat without repairing the leak. A basic set of tools and spares is important to allow cyclists to continue after a puncture or other minor problem. CO2 cartridges and air pumps have advantages and disadvantages, but both will do the job.


Here's the actual climb in question, according to OP.

So if you are out of the saddle, clipped into pedals, and have your hips to the stem and are bending forward at the waist, then there's little more you can do to balance the bike.

Consider not wearing a backpack.

You might be able to vary your track on the path by zigzagging, or taking a slightly less head-on approach.

Try the climb again, while recording on strava.

Then use the Compare function, or a link like this https://www.strava.com

/segments/4354748/compare/MzU0NzM3Nzc4NSwxNTgzODc4OTU0NA== to compare your best segment effort to someone else's.

The top time was only doing 1.4 km/h on the really steep bit at 0.7 km into the segment.

Generally the answer is momentum, and lots of it.

And if you stop, you're stuck.

If you're there, try and watch other people ride the same track.

See how they approach the same sections and where they push hard.

Don't just lean forward... move forward such that you are sitting on the pointy nose of your seat...

that's right position it

so it feels like you are about to have your rear impaled.

It requires leaning forward

but it also lowers and shifts forward your center of mass.

Here is where I get all nerdy.

Imagine an ellipse whose ends are defined by the front and rear tires contact points with the ground...

the sides (or width) of the ellipse would be a function of speed, terrain surface, and a riders comfort leaning into turns...

so we have this ellipse...

when climbing if a line projected from your center of mass (gravity) to the ground along the earth's gravity vector falls outside your ellipse you are in an unstable position...

So get low, get forward, and keep two wheels on the ground.

Have fun out there.

I think its the steep turn that is stuffing you up more than the grade alone.

Consider this instead, go around and out along the ridge.

Then turn around on the slight crest, and nail it in a straight line back up the ridge-line.

If you get out of the saddle I bet you won't have a problem.

I don't have a section that steep

but I have a front wheel lifting problem on the last part of my commute since I have a lot of weight in the back pannier.

No amount of leaning forwards stopped it when I'm fully loaded.

So I drape a toolbelt over the handle bars which makes a big difference.

The toolbelt weighs around 7 kg.

As well as the suggestions already mentioned there is one tip that may help - when you are on a steep climb you will almost certainly be pulling on the bars - if you are pulling up on the bars then it will obviously encourage the front wheel to lift.

Instead, think about trying to pull backwards on your bars - so imagine that you're trying to pull them towards your knees.

Question: When climbing longer 40-50% gradient sections my front wheel starts lifting even at cadences around 70. Leaning forward doesn't help much, I am already balancing myself on the rear wheel. Today the bike suddenly got out of control, I flipped and fell on my bum.  Longer stem? Saddle forward? Can you shorten the front suspension? What can I do to shift weight forward?

MTB Hardtail preventing flipping backwards on steep gradients

If you are out of the saddle, clipped into pedals, and have your hips to the stem and are bending forward at the waist, then there's little more you can do to balance the bike.  You could consider not wearing a backpack. Another option to try is not just leaning forward but moving forward such that you are sitting on the pointy nose of your seat. Draping a toolbelt over the handle bars may help move weight forward. Think about trying to pull backwards rather than pulling upwards on the handlebar.

Try to shift as much weight forward as possible by moving forward in your seat and bending forward, not wearing a backpack and adding weight to the handlebars. Try watching the technique of other riders on the same section. Reduce gradients by zigzaging and going on the outside of a steep turn. Try to avoid pulling up on the handlebars, and instead try to pull toward your knees.


I have a Burley pet/cargo trailer

and when I take it to the store, I use a long (~ 3 meter) cable with a loop on the ends.

I loop the one end around itself on one wheel, loop it around the hitch bar, thread it through the spokes of the other wheel, loop it around the hitch bar again, then lock it through my bike's U-lock.

It's not super secure since the wheels have quick releases (as does the hitch bar), so it wouldn't take long enough to pop them off and untangle the cable from the hitch bar, but it's a mild deterrent against a quick "smash and grab" theft.

Plus they'd have to leave the wheels behind,

which would make the trailer pretty useless, especially if the thief is going to try to sell it

so he's probably not going to want to have to buy replacement wheels.

On the downside, it's just a 10mm cable, so wouldn't take much work for a thief to cut through it.

I wouldn't want to leave it parked all day like this, but for a shopping trip with bike rack in a high-traffic location near the front of the store, it's worked out fine.

A bike trailer isn't particularly easy to transport if you haven't planned for it.

So opportunists won't take much deterring.

Some form of lock on the trailer itself would be a good idea, but this would depend on the trailer design - a cable may be your only realistic option if it's loaded .

The contents may be more of a risk, so simple measures like not putting anything easily portable/valuable obvious on top would be a good idea.

If you're regularly parking a trailer somewhere for long periods (e.g. commuting with it for transporting a child or shopping)

you really could do with D-locking the frame to something solid even if it's fiddly.

But some trailers don't have a single looped bit of metal - this may even be relevant in choosing your trailer.

If this isn't an option, taking a wheel or two in with you would be good.

Unlike with bikes, it wouldn't be so easy to steel a wheel off another trailer to complete a stolen one.

Alternatively you could remove a wheel from the trailer and lock it in the same D-lock you use for your bike.

I have a Croozer Kid Plus 2 for 2 seasons I recently had to leave it outside for some time.

I struggled for w while to find a place where I can slip my U lock.

Eventually I used a cable I fortunately had with me and wrapped it around the beam that goes underneath the trailer.

There are no gaps between the frame and the trailer body.

Bumpers are open on one side – no luck here.

Locking the hitch bar with a provided key is pointless as it can be detached on the trailer-side with one hand (with I do every time I use it and love the practicallity of it :))

Update:

I've purchased a 2 meter Kryptonite cable, wrapped it around the beam underneath the trailer and it sits there permanently.

It's just long enough

so I can u-lock my bike and the trailer cable to the same object.

I have a Burley Flatbed on an expensive Pedego Interceptor.

I bought two Abus 55MB/40HB63 (brass) padlocks from Amazon.

They have long, 1/4" shanks (shackles).

One for where the trailer tongue fixes to the trailer and one for where the trailer connects to the bike.

Fits like a glove!

Only need to take the key to where it fixes to the bike with me.

Read about this elsewhere but wanted to provide the data on the padlocks and size of shank.

Consider the trailer its own vehicle and lock it away independently.

A trailer should carry its own locks, just like your bike does.

Pulling a long chain lock through both wheels is quite effective (although a bit cumbersome if you have a wide trailer).

So is locking both wheels to fixed objects like lanterns.

Depending on your threat assessment, you could even go for the overkill and lock everything that has enough room to fit a lock through to something.

Key in all this is to consider the bike trailer its own vehicle.

Lock your bike like you'd usually lock it, remove the trailer and park it somewhere safe.

Locks will help you with that, just like they do with your bike.

Except treating trailer as a single unit with its own lock (capable of locking at least one wheel and the frame to bicycle stand) there is something more you can do as an additional protection.

Inspired by the way some car trailers are secured to the car hook, I recommend finding a way to complicate unauthorized detach.

If your trailer use Thule ezHitch axle mount or similar, you can find a way to make hard to take the cotter out (custom cotter with padlock eye)

If not possible, you can consider adding additional flexible secure connection (lock cable /chain), that will not get between spokes.

I have a trailer like the others pictured here.

However it also has a removable handlebar across the back and a third wheel at the front, and the drawbar can fold underneath, turning it into an odd-looking three-wheel pushchair/pram.

Don't need to lock it outside the supermarket if you're pushing it around inside the supermarket.

Only downside is its a fraction wider than a normal shopping trolley/cart so other people tend to clip it.

Question: Many of us pull bike trailers - whether one-wheeled or two-wheeled -- cargo or kids.  What is the best way to lock up trailers - especially when you're commuting? Most trailers come with a quick-release attachment to the bike, which means they're also easy to steal.

How do you lock up your bike trailer?

Options for locking a bike trailer include long cable with loop ends that can be locked to the bike U-lock, a specific lock for the trailer . Alternatively, the trailer can be taken into the supermarket. Trailers are harder to steal than bikes so maybe just removing one wheel and locking that would be sufficient deterrent.

Treat the trailer as a separate vehicle and lock it independently, or with a long cable attached to the bike's D-lock. Removing a wheel can make a trailer much more difficult to transport, or the trailer can be  taken with you into the supermarket. The contents of trailers can easily be stolen, so remove valuable or obvious items before leaving.


So your boy is simply sitting and not pedalling, so you push him along?

Of course he's not going to pedal when he's getting a free ride from you.

Stop Pushing!

Firstly, does he understand how a bike works?

Do you ride?

Does he see you or others riding?

You might consider going the other way, and remove the whole transmission and the training wheels.

Essentially revert the bike to a balance bike until he gets the idea that he has to push.

Something like this:

Eventually he'll realise how slow the balance bike is, and want his pedals back to go faster.

And that's awesome.

Two options: Remove the pedals (leave the crank in place) and set the seat low enough for him to touch the ground with his feet and push himself along.

Keep raising the seat a little at a time, as he gets the concept of balance, and reinstall the pedals when he seems ready.

Intentionally do what is often unintentionally done to a bike:

Wrap something -- rope, twine, some sort of rubber strip -- around the rear axle, between the wheel proper and the sprocket.

Get it tight

(tie it in place if necessary) and make sure it doesn't stick out to where it will get caught by the chain.

This will keep the sprocket from "freewheeling".

As to #2, two cautions: 1)

There is a very slight chance of serious injury if the kid gets going downhill with his feet off the pedals, then sticks his feet into the path of them.

There is also a slight chance that the bicycle will be damaged by the wrapping, and the forces between the two moving parts.

(However, I've seen several bikes with this done unintentionally, and, aside from busted spokes on larger bikes, there has been no obvious damage.)

What you describe is fixed gear bicycle.

Generally they are recommended only for people who are already very proficient at riding a bike, not kids under 3 years.

I have 2 kids, they both knew how to ride a bicycle around 2.5 years (with pedals and without training wheels).

The secret was to teach them only 1 thing at a time, in a funny way.

Basically, here was the plan : Move forward,

Use the direction, Balance, Use of pedals, Everything combined.

Balance bike

The bike they used the most during all this process was their balance bike.

We bought one and give it to them around 1.5 year.

Since then, we proposed them to use it every time it was possible (going to the park, at nurse's etc).

Basically, kids will learn steps 1 to 3 by themselves.

You know they rock at step 3 when they intentionally raise their feet just for fun in slopes, or just after strong pushes with their legs.

If they raise their feet, they're ready for step 4 : learning to use pedals.

Bike with training wheels Make this step as short as possible, and make them alternatively use the balance bike.

That's not simple to get the idea that you need to push on on only one foot, and alternate.

In terms of coordination.

But as they know they need to go forward, just showing them once or twice will make them get the principle.

Once they get it, they just need practice to make it automatic.

Then they're ready for real bikes Without training wheels Once you tried this, you can forget the training wheels : you still can alternate between a bike and a balance bike.

Find a slightly downhill portion of asphalt

(you need it to be long enough, and safe).

Place your child on a bike (without training wheels) and if he's ready, just help him place his feet on the pedals and run next to him as he will enjoy the ride After a few descents, he will get it completely.

I had the same encounter with my 2 year old in 2015, then winter came.

When the 2016 summer came ~8 months later, he at 3 years old understood it with no effort.

Just relax, and as his cognitive skills grow, he will learn quickly.

I had the same problem with my son.

He didn't understand how to pedal and he lacked the strength in his legs to get it moving easily and so form any association with pushing and movement.

I was advised to use a push-bike without pedals, but obviously this doesn't solve the actual problem, but rather just avoids it.

In the end, I jacked the back of the bike up on some bricks (on the stabiliser wheels) and then manually moved his feet around on the pedals until he had figured it out.

I also got him at first to just give little pushes on the pedals rather than a full 360 turn.

Question: I bought a 12" bike with support wheels for my kid. He is 2.5 years old. He is not pedaling the bike, so I push the bike from the back. The bike moves forward, the wheels rotate, but the pedals do not move. Since the pedals do not move, my kid just puts his feet on them and will not pedal.  How can I make the pedals move when the wheels move so that he'll learn to pedal?

Making the pedals on my kid's bike rotate when I push so he'll learn to pedal

There are a number of options to encourage small children to pedal. One way is to remove the pedals (leave the crank in place) and set the seat low enough for him to touch the ground with his feet and push himself along.  You can always wait for the child to develop the skills naturally with time. Of course he's not going to pedal when he's getting a free ride from you so stop pushing.

Some children need time to develop the cognitive skills necessary to ride a bike, so don't worry if he doesn't get it yet. Get him to practise balancing without pedals while pushing along with his feet, then pedalling will be easier when he has mastered this step. Pedalling can be mastered by supporting the bike on stabiliser wheels and letting him pedal without moving or balancing. Stop pushing the bike for him, and he will have to learn for himself.


The most accurate way to do it would be with a pitot tube to measure wind velocity and then to contrast that against speed-over-ground from your GPS or wheel speed sensors.

Before one laughs about the science-fiction nature of this, there's a product that does so: The PowerPod (link is to DC RainMaker's review of it).

The Isaac software that comes with the PowerPod allows you to extract effective wind speed and direction amongst other things.

We like tailwinds as the effort to ride at a given speed is lowered.

In the same token we like slight downward slopes.

If you base your riding on effort, rather than a fixed speed, you will automatically utilise a slight tailwind.

If you however ride at a fixed speed, you simply had an effortless ride.

In other words, you missed nothing.

@Daniel has made several comments that capture what experienced cyclists have learned.

You think something like

I'm going well , or killing it , or even (as happened today)

this looks like it's uphill , while blasting along.

When you stop you discover the awful truth.

It's a headwind home .

The reality is that we nearly always have a headwind , especially as Daniel says, when climbing a hill, because we're cyclists.

And we usually have a headwind going there, and coming back.

That one in a hundred tailwind case is not the first thing we think of.

Yes, vegetation can tell us.

But in many cases in a built up environment we can't see any vegetation.

But it wouldn't be the first time I've seen the vegetation looking like I have a tailwind when I actually have a headwind.

Because I'm a cyclist.

If you are biking along and you encounter a terrible smell -- look around and realize that it's you yourself that you're smelling -- then you're in a tailwind -- and that it's time you washed your bike jersey.

Thank you for the downvotes, I'll show myself the door. :-)

You can check wind direction from bending of vegetation, it stays bent to the wind for longer periods than it springs backwards in eddies, attach a white cotton/wool thread to the handlebars and check it's movement every time the bike slows, feel the wind in left ear, right ear, forwards and back, and check a weather graph with wind direction and speed expected for every hour of the day, and go out when it's max tailwind and come back when it's calmed on the return.

mostly the wind is as likely to be against you as with you, although checking the daily forecast can mean taking advantage of massive tailwinds to get some place very fast and then coming back in relative calm.

If you travel through an entire country you can get a map of the prevailing winds for every season and for every region.

The simplest way is simply stop in an open space and feel where the wind is coming from, using your face.

Downside is that any trees or buildings will make the wind veer, and traffic makes its own wind.

Plus you have to stop (anathema!)

Flags work really well, because they're often up high and in the real airstream.

You can also check the local weather report for your area.

For me that's http://www.metservice.com/towns-cities/christchurch/christchurch

but you should have something similar for your location.

Fresh answer - I did a bit of a ride yesterday

and it was quite warm.

So I ended up rolling my pants cuffs up to my knees for added cooling.

An unexpected side effect is that on my shins I could feel air gusts and eddies that were different

depending which way I was riding.

Its really hard to explain, but in a crosswind I could feel a wind vortex on the inside of my left leg and on the outside of my right leg.

In a headwind I could feel the wind curling around behind my shins, and in a tailwind there was no particular sensation either way.

So if like me you habitually wear pants, try some shorts, or roll up your pants cuffs and see how it feels.

Mind out for sunburn though

- that's a whole separate painful issue right now.

Question: I think I missed a lot of opportunities to go faster when cruising and not taking advantage of tailwind. I find that if I put short effort in acceleration, the tailwind will take care most of the speed maintaining work.  For big tailwind I can usually see leaves rolling on along my general direction. Lately, I think if wind noise is more quite, I might be in tailwind?  So how can you tell if you've got tailwind or wind direction in general? (without flag anywhere nearby)

How to know you have tailwind?

S0: You can check wind direction from bending of vegetation, it stays bent to the wind for longer periods than it springs backwards in eddies, attach a white cotton/wool thread to the handlebars and check it's movement every time the bike slows, feel the wind in left ear, right ear, forwards and back, and check a weather graph with wind direction and speed expected for every hour of the day, and go out when it's max tailwind and come back when it's calmed on the return. The most accurate way to do it would be with a pitot tube to measure wind velocity and then to contrast that against speed-over-ground from your GPS or wheel speed sensors.  If you travel through an entire country you can get a map of the prevailing winds for every season and for every region. The daily weather forecast will tell you about wind direction.

You could use a device to measure wind speed or check the local weather reports showing wind sped and direction, then take advantage of the expected tailwinds when planning your route. Flags, vegetation and the feeling of the wind on your body can be a good indication of wind speed and direction.


To make suspension effective, it must decouple light-weight moving parts from heavy stable parts.

For this reason it is most effective to suspend the wheels - they will move fast up and down, while the frame and the rider will not move vertically.

A suspension stem is not very effective because it does not carry much vertical load.

A suspension seat post is better but will never work as well as wheel suspension.

You can observe the same principle in cars: light-weight aluminium rims are better for suspension than heavier steel rims.

In sort: suspension stems are ineffective for suspension, add weight and complexity, and potentially dangerous failure modes.

Former Alsop Suspension Stem rider here... as much as I respect everyone's answers above

I can say that Alsop suspension stem advocates would disagree with some of the assertions.

Alsop's motto was "suspend the rider not the bike".

So as far as having to decouple light-weight moving parts from heavy stable parts for suspension to work...

That is exactly what an Alsop does, decouples the rider from the frequency vibration of the bike.

Alsop stems, at least the later models, were spring loaded not polymer loaded.

They traveled as a parallelogram giving about an inch to an inch and a half of travel.

The parallelogram motion of the Alsop is what set them apart from competing suspension stems.

Other suspension stems (Girvin Flex Stem) used a swing/pivot point which limited the overall travel and rotated the handlebars along an arc during compression.

Limited travel and rotating controls led to the demise of the competition long before Alsop succumbed to the suspension fork.

At the time I loved my Alsop Frankenstem... the problem and what eventually caused me to walk away from the product was they tended to wear out fast.

Bushings constantly needed to be serviced.

Additionally, they were susceptible to catastrophic failure.

Over the course of 3 years I had 2 stems fail...

horrible crashes and stitches were the result

so I spent the better part of the next 20 years riding rigid bikes.

I see suspension stems making a comeback.

If you do some searching you can find lots of examples .

However, they aren't usually found on mountain bikes because they provide nowhere close to the amount of of travel that today's mountain bikers demand.

Most of them provide under 20mm of travel, while mountain bike forks usually provide at a minimum 80mm of travel.

However, the suspension stems are getting somewhat popular with the gravel grinding trend that is gaining popularity, or even in places where the quality of asphalt leaves something to be desired.

I was thinking back to the 1990s when I was looking at these suspension stems and remembered why I didn't get them then : 1) Price.

I was a starving student and couldn't afford them.

Many were as expensive as my bike itself.

2) Brakes.

Like many mountain bikes at the time, I had cantilever brakes.

These required a fixed position above the brakes for the brakes to pull against -- for the front brakes, it was the handlebar stem.

So if I switched to a suspension stem, I'd have to get a brake bridge or go to another type of brake.

That would add to the cost.

Those were the reasons I didn't get them at the time.

Now, mtbs have switched to disc brakes or V-brakes, so the brakes aren't a reason to get them.

They work more like a damping of the shock rather than absorbing it.

Shocks might weight more but are good for down hill.

I had a Girvin for my road bike and it was down to weight.

It worked well on poor bumpy road conditions and gave better control through damping.

Question: I remember in the early 1990s contemplating getting a suspension stem for my 1989 non-suspended Rockhopper MTB.    I'm surprised that suspension stems appear to have essentially disappeared. Why? They seemed a cheap and easy solution to give a bike front suspension. They could also be made lighter than suspension forks. What were the negatives?

Why have suspension stems disappeared?

S2: A suspension stem is not very effective because it does not carry much vertical load. suspension stems are ineffective for suspension, add weight and complexity, and potentially dangerous failure modes. On mountain bikes suspension stems provide less travel than a mountain bike fork. However, suspension stems appear to be making something of a comeback.

Fork suspensions are more effective because they decouple the moving wheel from the heavier and more stable frame and provide much more travel than stem suspension, which usually only provides slight damping. In addition to the lower effectiveness, suspension stems can have dangerous failure modes and require more frequent maintenance than fork suspension. Despite this, suspension stems are becoming more popular with gravel bikes designed for uneven road surfaces rather than off-road use.

Suspension stems are becoming more popular with gravel bikes designed for uneven road surfaces rather than off-road use.


There are a number of commercial products available to move bottle cages up or down from the existing braze-ons.

They're marketed as a Bottle Cage Relocator or Bottle Cage Adapter , but essentially they're all a flat piece of metal with holes drilled into it that may have some finishing work to make it look nicer.

Given they're in the $10 range

it's probably a better use of your time to buy one than DIY.

There are numerous Water Bottle Cage Mount adapters.

I use "Topeak Handlebar Water Bottle Cage Mount" to mount an extra water bottle cage on the fork of my MTB for long rides.

(Nowhere else to put it).

There are two parts: a metal band with holes and a plastic box with a screw to attach and adjust it - there is a screw passing through a metal plate in the plastic box adjusting the height of the plate which effectively makes the adjustment range continuous.

an attachment that goes on a 0 deg or 90 deg and contains the holes for the cage Also Max diameter onto which it can mount is ~38 mm

The offset from mounting surface to cage holes is ~36.5 mm.

Because it attaches with a metal band it is not suitable for a carbon frame.

cost 7 to 9 dollars

I had the same problem of too-low bottle bosses (since I prefer to use short bottles), and could not simply use a clamp-on bracket because the down tube is not round but "streamlined" (yeah, right).

What I did is get a strip of aluminum bar (from a hardware store).

Without going out to the garage to look at it, I'm thinking it's about 1" wide and 1/4" thick, or maybe a little smaller than that.

I cut off a piece of the bar that was twice the distance between the bosses, plus about 2".

I then drilled three holes in the bar, spaced as far apart as the bosses.

(This places the first hole about 1" from one end of the bar, the second in the middle, and the third 1" from the other end.)

To mount, first use a screw through the bottom hole in the bar and into the bottom boss.

Next take your cage and run a screw (you may need to get a longer one) through the bottom hole of the cage, the middle hole of the bar, and into the top boss.

Finally use a screw and nut to secure the top of the cage to the bar, through the top hole.

I've found this to be quite stable --

no problem with rattling, etc (though I suppose it might be a bit rattly for mountain bikers), and it has never bent or come loose.

You could use one or two of these SKS bottle cage anywhere adapters to move your bottle cage location.

If you used just one, you'd use one of your existing cage bosses.

With two, you have total flexibility in positioning

If you can't find anything specifically made for this.

Maybe just get a metal bracket or other similar piece of metal.

Hopeful, you can find something with fewer holes than pictured.

Drill some holes in it to customize and place it exactly where you want it.

Question: Are there adapters available for moving a bottle cage up/down in the frame? I am trying to move my seat tube's bottle cage down 4-5 centimeters and I prefer using the braze-ons.  Note: the question is about options using the frame's braze-ons, not external adapters.

Adapter for moving bottle cage up/down while using frame's bottle cage braze-ons

There are a number of commercial products available to move bottle cages up or down from the existing braze-ons. They're marketed as a  Bottle Cage Relocator  or  Bottle Cage Adapter , but essentially they're all a flat piece of metal with holes drilled into it that may have some finishing work to make it look nicer. A  metal bracket  or other similar piece of metal would do the same job. As they are metal, they are not suitable for a carbon frame.

Several commercial bottle cage adaptors are available, which can be used with one of the existing bolts or continuously along the frame. These use metal straps and are therefore unsuitable for carbon frames.


I have a helmet mount very similar, and yes its totally possible to dazzle and annoy any other road user, from pedestrians to other cyclists to motorised vehicle drivers.

Benefits to a helmet light

Its high up above the ground and higher than handlebar lights, so other road users can see it over cars.

The beam follows your head, so you can light up the thing you want to see.

Retro-reflectors everywhere!

Since the light source is near your eyeballs, retro-reflectors work really well and from a very long way away.

A sweep across a dark road will illuminate all those car bumpers and street signs and mailboxes and jogger's jackets and sports shoes.

Disadvantages of and risks due to a helmet light Drivers might get dazzled.

I've had a bus driver yell at me from his rolling bus because of my head light.

Admittedly he was more annoyed by the flashing, so after some research I decided to leave it on solid.

Retro-reflectors can be dazzlingly bright when lit up at close range, destroying your own night-sight.

Snaggage risk - your torch/flashlight is a fairly respectable-sized hook and can catch on low hanging branches.

I've caught mine on a washing line at low speed and basically "clotheslined" myself with the chinstrap.

Helmet Function may be compromised by the holder.

Michael Schumacher's skiing accident was exacerbated by the gopro camera mount that focused impact forces on one point rather than spreading them over the head like a helmet is supposed to.

If you were crashing, then the mount should snap off.

What if it didn't snap, or if you impacted vertically onto it?

Weight - torch batteries are dense and the added weight can be noticeable.

Comments

I have mine mounted fairly far back on the helmet, so the torch front barely clears the top.

This reduces snag risk.

The mount is held on by a minimum of velcro, and there's a separate hand strap used as a second line to stop it getting lost.

As mentioned, I use it on solid mode now, however the focus is set fairly tight.

At night my normal posture puts the lights on the road surface around 4-5 metres in front of my wheel.

I tend to look up with my eyeballs rather than my neck.

However, if a car presents in a manner that crosses my path and may require them to give way (to yeild) then I will point the beam below the driver's door.

If I'm passing a parked car that has a person moving in the drivers seat I might light up their wing mirror.

I'd rather annoy someone than get doored by their inattention .

While I won't deliberately dazzle anyone or anything, my priority is everyone using the road arrives home safe.

EDIT

Here's a pic showing what I do, for clarity.

Not necessarily blind, but annoy and distract.

For oncoming traffic, the best lights are ones mounted below eye level and that limit the upper beam.

The easiest way to check for this online is to see if a light is sold by a German mail order store and whether it passes StVZO regulations.

Have a friend wear your helmet with the light mounted on it like you planned.

Then go to a small residential street at twilight and see for yourself whether it is too bright.

Bring a car and try passing each other a few times, both in the twilight and when it gets completely dark.

If it blinds you, see if dimming the light or aiming it down helps.

If not, find a different light.

Problem with most flashlights is that they have a circular and symmetrical beam, ie they throw as much light up as down.

This is good for MTB as you want to see branches flying into your face.

For a bicycle, this is not what you want.

You need special optics, which the Germans normalized (google StVZO bike light).

Result is something like this (as an example):

Notice the beam's sharp cutoff, very little light is sent upwards, to the eyes of incoming people.

This is what you need.

Now, you should find a light of this type, small and light enough to mount on your helmet.

Just about any light can blind/startle an oncoming driver.

I'd suggest using it dimmed, that way it might last a little longer and you're less likely to cause an accident.

As long as you avoid shining it directly at a driver, it shouldn't be a problem.

I began to rather dislike helmet mounted lights on oncoming cyclists.

Fortunately I don't see them very often riding in a city.

Yet from the dozen or so I met last Spring and the Autumn before two brought me in uncomfortable situations.

In both cases I was descending on a bi-directional multi use path (1% slope) at moderate speed (25 to 35 km/h).

In the first case a cyclist quite a bit down the way was looking at me and shining their light directly into my eyes.

Opposite traffic was moderately dense cyclists were overtaking.

Being dazzled I could not tell how much room I had to the left, and went as far to the right hand edge.

However, I had difficulty identifying the edge of tarmac as well.

I went a bit too far, onto wet fallen leaves and rough ground, yet could stay stable.

In the second case a slow rider with a head mounted light cycled that path up.

A rider behind with weak or no light was preparing to overtake.

I mistook the high mounted light of the first rider for the light of the second rider and did not notice that they were already overtaking

and I had to move to the edge of the way.

This led to a very close, fast path with the second cyclist.

Much more often I am dazzled by badly adjusted, very bright, fixed bike lights.

This is especially a problem early in the Autumn when the weather is still fair but the sun sets early.

Lots of people are still riding but are inexperienced with their lights.

As soon as it gets cold, only experienced riders are left (or at least they were yelled at often enough to fix their lights.)

Question: I'm planning on buying this  LED Torch  with this  helmet mount .  Could I blind oncoming drivers?

Using an LED torch as a helmet light, will I blind oncoming drivers?

Using a helmet mounted with LED flashlight its totally possible to dazzle and annoy any other road user, from pedestrians to other cyclists to motorised vehicle drivers. For oncoming traffic, the best lights are ones mounted below eye level and that limit the upper beam. Special optics, which the Germans normalized (google StVZO bike light) are what is really needed.

Unlike torches with a symmetrical beam, bike lights direct the beam downward toward the road. Dimming the light will help, but care should be taken to avoid shining directly at others. Handlebar-mounted lights help to limit the beam and can also prevent you from being dazzled by retroreflectors. To test the brightness, have a friend wear your helmet and torch.


My mind also wanders on too-familar routes, so here are a few things that I consider helpful or have been told about.

Having some (even minor) alternative routes may help; you may want a system for choosing which one to take based on which roads are busy.

Taking this to extremes you can map out your city (thanks Criggie; also see if openstreetmap can use the data, or play with veloviewer tiles)

Some goals to compete with yourself might also help -- they help you to concentrate on the riding even if not the traffic.

I tend to slow down as I lose concentration, so thinking about being quick helps.

The sheer physical effort of some of these helps to leave the thoughts behind.

Some goals could be: Total time Time between 2 points

(Strava segments, for example) Maximum speed on a particular stretch Getting up the big hill without stopping/in a particular gear.

Trying to keep your cadence (pedalling rate)

up is a good one - choose a lower gear than you might by instinct.

A particularly good goal if your roads are rough is to minimise the number of potholes you hit.

This requires you to know whether it's safe to swerve thus to know what's coming up behind.

Combined with this, you can practice bunny-hopping over damaged bits of road, or lifting the front wheel over even the tiniest cracks.

Alternatively you might try keeping count of how many bikes overtake you vs. how many you overtake.

This isn't one for me but making words/phrases out of the letters of the numberplates of cars that overtake you can help keep your eyes on the cars themselves.

I found my handlebar mirror helps -- once I got used to having one, glancing in it became a habit (and in fact with it I can see cars coming up behind out of the corner of my eye).

In turn, knowing that someone is approaching makes me keep up my awareness.

I assume you don't have headphones on (that would be a bad idea).

Practice using your rearview ears -- try to work out what's going to pass you next and how wide/fast from sound alone.

Some people like bone conduction headphones which at least don't cover your ears.

Count +1 for each car you pass and -1 for each car that passes you and you win when you get to +10.

-10 means pay more attention to the road (thanks Criggie)

I've had a few close calls (mostly with other cyclists and curbs) when I got too used to a route.

Here is what I do to keep my focus on the road: counting cyclists (and their female/male ratio - to determine if it is Spring enough :)) practicing bunny hops on small cracks exploring new routes or trying to choose the one with green wave practicing wheelies on climbs if there are no cars around (I would have commented these to Chris's answer if I had had enough reputation.

Sorry for the separate answer.)

TL;DR - Do intervals .

Although I have a few different routes I regularly take to work, 75% of the time

it's just one route.

I find doing intervals very useful to keep the route interesting.

If you know the route, including hills, flats and descents well, you can really aim to go full bore a particular section of it and then switch the bits you go hard on.

Doing this also makes the slower rides on the same route more enjoyable and less painful!

I like to do efforts on a few of the hills I have on my commute, and though I ride them on a fixed gear, you could add another element by limiting yourself to certain gears for certain bits of the commute as an extra challenge.

Good luck!

Loss of focus during safety relevant routine tasks is a very common problem in occupational research.

An example of drivers whose route cannot be altered to make it more exciting are train drivers.

The method of finger pointing and calling (FPC) had been in use in Japan for decades.

The train operator points at all relevant objects, for instance signals, and says what they see (eg "proceed signal").

A paper by Bhuiyan et al

* also explores imaginary FPC.

Imaginary FPC is compared to actual FPC with optical tomography of test subjects in a driving simulator.

The paper suggests there may be some benefit.

Imaginary FPC is particularly useful to cyclists since we rather not take a hand from the bars in situations where attention is required due to an inherent risk.

It is conceivable a combination of actual FPC and imaginary FPC increases your awareness of safety relevant objects and agents whilst cycling.

*Published in IEEE Pulse, May 2016, a peer reviewed journal.

Not a bad thing, Nzall.

I believe you have enteted a mental state people called "flow".

At this state you are most peaceful and creative, yet your attention is never drift off from the road.

This is a healthy and most sought after state of mind.

I experience this every time I am riding on my own on a familiar route.

Any issues I have in mind will come to light without consciously thinking about them.

If there are no issues some ideas about life will emerge.

I think people experience "flow" in other activitied too, EG, when cooking and joggng alone, and when they are skillful in it.

But flow is more easily felt in cycling.

Three conditions to enter flow; you enjoy doing the skill

you are familiar with the skill

you are on your own Next time

do nothing special.; just keep riding.

Your internal state will cleverly decide when you will enter the flow state again.

Interedtingly, if you watch out when you will enter flow, it won't.

Happy riding!

Question: I've found that when I'm used to a certain route while on foot or on the bike, I tend to have my thoughts drifting away and becoming less attentive, usually leading to dangerous situations and sometimes even accidents involving other road users. It's dangerous and I'd like to avoid it when I start to take the bike to my current job.  What methods can I use to stay attentive and not get distracted by my own thoughts while riding?

How do I avoid becoming complacent during my commute after riding the same route for a couple of weeks?

Cyclists have a number of strategies to prevent complacency when riding a route regularly. These include counting various things  - for example male/female cyclist or number of cars that ovetake you -, doing bunny hops over cracks or damaged road, timing yourself over various sections of the route, try to work out what is behind you from the noise, among others.

You could vary your route to work to prevent boredom. Use challenges to maintain awareness of your environment and notice other road users or obstacles along the way. Practice using your ears and mirrors to be aware of the road behind you. Try interval training or practice different skills like bunny hopping over potholes and cracks.


Are you sure those hex bolts are cracked?

They could instead just have peeling chrome.

Hex bolts tend to accumulate water and grime and thus corrosion.

It could just be surface peeling of the chrome.

I'd poke at them with a sharp ice pick and see if it's just surface peeling of chrome or if the bolts are actually cracked.

If it's the former you can ignore.

If it's the latter, follow @criggie's suggestion.

The good news is those bolts aren't load bearing parts directly.

The bad news is those are holding the load-bearing parts in place, so a failure of the bolt will allow the pivots to fail very quickly.

I'd strongly recommend taking them out and getting replacements from the maker of your frame.

Have a look at the answers to this question about shearing rotor bolts notice how little beef there is between the head and the shaft?

Damage

to bolt heads needs to be fixed.

Take them out and check if they are hollow, it might be that those are only the burrs from machining the hex.

That's left over material from the broaching of the hex head in the bolt.

broaching is a machining process in which material is removed.

In this case the inside of the hex is formed with a broaching tool

Those are artifacts or chips resulting from broaching the hex into the bolt head.

Should be nothing to worry about but ask a mechanic if you want to be sure.

Broaching in this reference: Hammering a hex shaped tool into the round hole in the bolt (maybe done when the bolt is red hot) to produce the hex profile for the allen wrench.

Pushes the material from the sides of the hole down and leaves the strange looking ragged chips you see when the tool is pulled out.

The aluminum surrounding such a hi-tensile bolt would probably fail long before the bolt fails.

Question: Is this normal? I just noticed it when I was cleaning my bike after a long day downhill mtb. Are those screws? Thanks for any replies.

Inside of my full suspension bike pivots is cracked!

Poking the bolts with a sharp ice pick and will show if it's just surface peeling of chrome or if the bolts are actually cracked. Taking them out and checking if they are hollow is another way, it might be that what can be seen is only the burrs from machining the hex. This issue should be nothing to worry about but it is always worth checking with a mechanic to be sure. The good news is those bolts aren't load bearing parts directly.  It would be better to take them out and get replacements from the frame manufacturer.

This could be peeling of the surface coating, but is probably just chips left over from machining the hex. These bolts are not load bearing and are stronger than the surrounding metal, so they are unlikely to fail but can be replaced by the maker of the frame.

These are not load bearing and are stronger than the surrounding metal, so they are unlikely to fail but can be replaced by the maker of the frame.


You don't need to take the cassette (cogs) off to clean it.

Use a citrus degreaser fluid.

Clean the chain and chainrings at the same time.

You can use a rag pulled taut to get between the cogs, or there are a number of specialized cassette and chain cleaning tools available.

There are many instructional videos out there with tips on cassette and chain cleaning also.

If you've got the tools (chain whip, lockring tool, wrench), it is easier and more thorough to remove the cassette and soak it in a degreaser than it is to clean it in situ.

I remove the chain and cassette, drop them in a wide-mouthed jar, cover with Simple Green (a non-toxic cleaner, possibly not available where you are), and let it sit for a few hours, agitating occasionally.

Then rinse, let dry, and re-lube the chain.

Same as the others - I leave it on the bike to clean.

I use a combination of an old screwdriver to break up and pick off any compacted dirt from between cogs.

Too much of that and the chain doesn't sit right.

Then I use a cassette cleaning brush tool to brush off the loose and powdery dirt.

Last is a wipe with an old rag to restore some shine to the sides of the cassette, but I don't degrease it.

The chain I clean in a similar way

- I pick off larger blobs of dirt that live on the outside of the inner plates.

Then I use a chain cleaning machine with degreaser in it, either turps or proper fluid.

Petrol tends to upset the tool's plastic.

Then I let that dry, and apply a wet or dry lube after an hour or so.

I've found out that those cotton strings or ropes from paper shopping bags are a rather practical tool for cleaning cassettes.

Remove the wheel, sit down and put it against your shins, cassette facing away.

Then engage one of these strings between two cogs and move

it left

The freewheel helps and for increased efficiency the string can be soaked with detergent or solvent.

It may be washed and re-used quite a number of times.

You don't need to take the cassette off the bike.

Spray/squirt a concentrated degreaser and use cloth strips

(I recommend 1 inch wide and 3 inch long) to get in between the cogs, clean them nicely and free the surface of all the tough muck.

Better yet, if you've got a specialized cassette cleaning claw, give it a go: they work pretty well.

Hope this helps you.

Depends on what is meant by "best".

The most thorough approach would be to remove the cassette from the wheel and clean it in an ultrasonic cleaner.

Probably excessive.

Second best it to remove the cassette and use a mild solvent (e.g. WD40) and a rag to clean the sprockets.

This is a good time to examine sprockets for cog wear (the smaller ones in particular).

It is also possible to clean in situ with a wipe, a rag or some kind of floss.

Whatever you do, do not flood a mounted cassette with solvent.

You might inadvertently remove lubricant from the freehub and/or wheel hub.

I personally remove, clean and examine my cassette once a year.

If your chain is well maintained you are unlikely to have to clean your cassette more frequently.

I personally do a full bike overhaul every six months, though I absolutely torture my road bike doing off-roading on places I wouldn't even put a mountain bike

My chain is cleaned thoroughly after every ride, and then stored in a small vat of chain oil to keep it from rusting.

(Bad practice, I know, but I'm lazy and like to make sure the chain is ready for every ride.

Pull it out, attach it, run it through the cogs a couple of times and then wipe off the excess oil from the chain and cogs and derailleur before the ride.)

I'd first remove the wheel, get my cassette lock-ring removal tool and a chain whip and remove the cassette, taking a note of all the positions of the rings.

Then, on my cassette, there are little holes that were probably put in for weight reduction; I'd nail each cog onto a big board of ply-board, soak in a strong degreaser and agitate with a brass wire brush, then pressure-washing off everything, then repeat on the other side.

(As I said, this bike is tortured, and as such, everything needs a very heavy cleaning...)

The free-hub itself

I would also replace, too.

Every year or so, I replace my chain, chain-rings and cassette, bottom bracket, headset and hub axles/bearings.

I personally disagree with using a degreaser on the cassette whilst it's still on the wheel as the degreaser can get into the wheel hub, and much worse, into the free-hub mechanism itself.

A more basic way would be to just remove the cassette, degrease it in a plastic tub and leave it to soak for a couple of minutes then brush off with a plastic brush, rinse off and then re-assemble.

Place your (I'm assuming) freshly-cleaned chain back on, lubricate the chain and then ride on!

If possible, avoid getting oil on the chainrings; only the insides of the chain need lubrication.

There is no extreme heat happening on the chain and cassette, so lubrication is not a requirement, and if anything, would hinder the efficiency of your chain by something hilarious like 0.0005 percent because of the layer of oil there.

A pathetic number, but another good reason is it'll turn any road dust and brake dust into a grinding paste for your chain.

Question: Would it be best to take it off first then soak it in soap, or should I use petrol to get the grease off first?

How do I best clean the cog wheels?

If you've got the tools (chain whip, lockring tool, wrench), it is easier and more thorough to remove the cassette and soak it in a degreaser than it is to clean it in situ.   It is, however, also possible to clean in situ with a wipe, a rag or some kind of floss. There are also a number of specialized cassette cleaning tools available.  The important thing is not to flood a mounted cassette with solvent.

Removing a cassette allows more thorough examination and cleaning by soaking in cleaner, but the cassette can be cleaned in situ together with the chain. Specialised cassette and chain cleaning tools can be used to remove dirt, while a rag soaked in degreaser can clean the sides of the cogs. Care should be taken that no degreaser enters the wheel hub or freewheel mechanism when cleaning in situ.


One winter tire is better than none if you're going to be riding in snowy conditions, so go ahead and throw it on.

If you do end up running only one tire, you'll probably want it on the front wheel

so you don't lose traction while cornering and so that you can maximize braking performance.

I have found studs on the front and a regular tire on the back gets the best trade-off of speed and stability.

Two studded tires is just way too slow.

With a studded front, stability to avoid wiping out is there, especially in those obnoxious snowy ruts.

Sometimes rear traction isn't great and your rear slips and sldes, but not often and when it does, you rarely wipe out.

Studded tires are of the greatest value on ice, and if you are riding on ice you want as good as traction as possible, especially on the front wheel.

In patchy ice you can coast through at speed with no traction and not crash as long as you are not trying to steer, brake or accelerate.

With a studded front that changes to lightly steering may not result in a crash.

I also like studded tires on mixed ice and snow, but for heavy snow I like mudders.

A good knobby tire handles better in deep snow than studded does.

My general purpose tire choice is a tire with a smooth center ridge and big knobs that contact as I turn or sink.

I use such tires in every thing from 8" snow to rain and mud or dry roads.

They are not the best choice for ice but the local climate is not known for ice (beyond the occasional patch).

As I currently have exactly one schwalbe winter at home

I've been thinking about this myself.

I've come to the conclusion

it's a bad idea for me.

I'm mostly concerned about patches of sheet ice, and on those I want the front wheel to hold a line, but wouldn't trust it for much braking.

I wouldn't brake hard and would brake more than normal at the back, less at the front.

So I would want grip from the back tyre - it might fishtail if I get it wrong but it would still slow me down.

I purchased my first set of Schwalbe Marathon Winter tyres after I destroyed the 28" back wheel of my Kalkhoff bike.

I hadn't realised that the temperature had been below zero (°C)

overnight (it's rare enough in the west of Ireland).

As I leaned into a left turn I felt the rear wheel start to slide on ice.

It then hit a dry patch and I managed to right the bike and save myself but badly buckled the wheel.

I had to have the wheel rebuilt as it has an 8-speed Shimano hub.

I purchased the tyres for the next winter.

I found them quite reassuring but a bit noisy - like riding on fine gravel all the time.

The second set I purchased didn't seem to last very long.

The studs wore through the tyre and punctured the tube several times.

I felt as though there had been some deterioration in quality.

I would not recommend front tyre only.

Question: Does anyone have any thoughts on use of winter (studded) tires, such as the Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires, on only the front or rear wheel (and with a standard tire on the other wheel)?

Use of winter (studded) tires on only one wheel?

One winter tire is better than none if you're going to be riding in snowy conditions. If you are running only one tire, you'll probably want it on the front wheel. Studs on the front and a regular tire on the back is rcommended as the best trade-off of speed and stability. Studded tires are of the greatest value on ice, and if you are riding on ice you want as good as traction as possible, especially on the front wheel. However, some people consider that a good knobby tire handles better in deep snow than a studded one does.

One winter tyre is better than none, and a winter tyre on the front will help stability without sacrificing too much speed. Studded tyres work well on ice and mixed ice and snow, especially to prevent accidents when steering.


I find that using my primary hand (my writing hand) is better than the other one.

Keep eyes on the road, you should not have to look to find your bottle.

I use my teeth to open the sippy valve, breathe in and then take a small drink and hold it for a sec before swallowing.

Sometimes I hold the bottle over the bars for 5-10 seconds to let the first mouthful have an effect, and then take a second drink.

When done I use my chest or my index finger to close the valve, and then put the bottle back in an empty cage (yes once I tried to push a bottle in where the other already was)

You should be able to put the bottle down into the cage without looking, although sometimes I take a quick glance if it doesn't go straight in.

Drinking on a climb is okay as long as its not too steep.

Straight and consistent is best.

If you're riding in a group, don't drink on the front cos

you'll slow down and that will cause the whole bunch to loose momentum.

Wait till you rotate off the front before drinking.

Right at the back is ideal.

Never drink on a downhill or anywhere the road surface is a bit sketchy.

With a bottle in hand your control is lower, and gravel or sudden potholes need a lot of attention.

Improve by practising - same as most things in cycling.

Quiet ride make sure there are no cars around and nothing coming up that may be an obstacle, and have a sip.

Don't guzzle water, it will be bad for your guts and there's a chance of some going down into the lungs by mistake, inducing a cough.

I find that I often phlegm-up within 5 minutes of a big drink, so drink less but more often.

Remove bottle from bottle cage and keep riding using the hand not holding the bottle Pull up the cap with teeth Squeeze bottle in the mouth (if soft bottle) or suck liquid in (if hard bottle) Swallow and repeat if necessary Push back bottle cap with mouth/teeth Place bottle back in bottle cage

Any problem with the above sequence is either due to: lack of skills with riding one hand ==

> practice it more lack of breath during mouth filling/swallowing ==

> take shorter shots, delay drink lack of skills with handling bottle (take, open, close, place back) ==

> practice it more

bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/30865/L.Dutch - Reinstate Monica

I switched to CamelBak's podium bottle, which has a lock and a self-sealing "Jet Valve" that only has water come out if you squeeze really hard.

This has made the whole process easier (and better for your teeth)!

Also, if you keep one hand on a handlebar, and use your sense of touch with the other hand, you never have to take your eyes off the road!

My process is similar: Unlock the water bottle before you start your ride Use one hand to feel for the bottle and remove the bottle from the cage Place bottle end into your mouth, squeeze the bottle, and the water comes out!

Feel for the cage with the bottom of the bottle and place back into the cage

I originally used to prefer to drink with my right (primary) hand but now prefer to use the left, with the right controlling steering and covering the brake (the front brake on my case as I'm in the UK.

Because I only drink water while actually riding, I always drink from the bottle in the downtube cage.

This is always a squeezy bottle.

This is much exist to get out than any other cage I've got.

I swap bottles or decant from a hard bottle when I'm stopped anyway, so that this is always the case.

A smooth flat road with good visibility is the best spot for a drink; the slightest of downhills works well too (less than 1%, so just sitting up

straight stops you from accelerating).

Easiest is freewheeling while getting the bottle in and out, so get a reasonable speed up before taking out the bottle,and put on a few pedal stripes before putting it away.

Glance down at the cage to get your bearings only at a sensible time.

This can be less distracting than fumbling to put a bottle away by feel, but it really does have to be a glance.

A few mouthfuls at a time is a good guide for me, and a drink before eating something, then another after is essential.

Also a drink after a gel

Also have your water bottle positioned tilted up to the side of your face.

So you're sipping from the side of your mouth.

You won't have to bend your head back as far, as apposed to sipping from the front.

Chris Froome gave me the idea when I watched the Tour de France

Adding to others answers If you are working and breathing hard, swallowing a mouthful of liquid without choking can be a challenge.

Take small mouthfuls to avoid choking.

If you do get more liquid in your mouth than you can cope with, tip your head forward

so the liquid runs to the front of your mouth, you will then be able to swallow it in parts.

Also, if something unexpected happens and you need both hands on the bars or brakes quickly, just drop or toss the bottle (but be careful of you are riding in a group, obviously).

Start with practising the act itself on a stationary bike and get used to the position of the bottle without having to look for it.

Then move on to a moving bike and repeat the action, take care to not have people around you while you work on your stability.

Eventually you'll be able to drink while cycling without thinking about the act itself.

I find it easier to drink from the side rather than straight to the front.

This makes it easier to keep you eyes on the road.

You should have smaller sips more often than large gulps more seldom.

This makes it easier to drink while breathing heavily and maintain oxygen intake.

You could mount the bike on a roller to practise before going out on the road.

Question: How do you drink while riding?  What would you tell a new rider who is having difficulty getting a drink without stopping or slowing a lot?  Assume the bike has bottle cages in the usual places, and we're not talking about hydration bladder backpacks.  Question is purely about getting liquid into the mouth, not what should be in the bottle.  Inspired by this comment   https://imgur.com/gallery/o95PAOs/comment/1167254453

How to take a drink while riding?

Cyclists should not drink on downhill sections or sketchy surfaces. A smooth flat road with good visibility is the best spot for a drink. They should make sure there are no cars around and no obstacles. It is useful to practice getting hold of the bottle on a staionary bike without having to look at it.  It is important to drink small sips to avoid choking, drink a sip before eating and another after. If something unexpected happens, throw the bottle and get both hands on the handlebar.

Practise removing and replacing the bottle in advance, and only drink when the road is clear with good visibility and no obstacles. Keep your eyes on the road rather than looking for your bottle. To prevent choking and losing sight of the road, take small sips from the side of your mouth rather than larger gulps. Drink little and often.