Rails-to-trails , LAB and others are all great groups who do a lot of good, but not necessarily in your area.

Like the saying goes, "Think globally, act locally".

The best form of advocacy is to ride as much as you can.

In the developed world we tend to look at cycling as recreation or a hobby.

As such, many participants drive their bike to the place where they ride their bikes.

The more visible you are to your friends, neighbors and co-workers as a cyclist, the better.

The more you ride for transportation, or utility the more 'credibility' you have with those around you.

Begin in your local community.

If you ride to the store, restaurant, or library and there is not a convenient place to lock your bike, talk to the manager.

On a couple of occasions I have mentioned to a manager that I and other cyclists like a particular restaurant

but we don't visit as often because there is nowhere to lock our bikes other than a chain link fence, or a tree.

Two 'strip malls' now have bike racks.

Finally, your town or county may have an advocacy group already - join - be active.

Showing example is a great way for cycling advocacy.

People around me take usage of car for granted.

But when they see me riding my bike everyday for working, for shopping or just for the pleasure of cycling, they start to question their behaviour.

There is still a long way before they are converted but the seed has been injected in their mind.

There are lots of cycling clubs that are associated with IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) .

These clubs often run events and maintain trails.

By joining an IMBA club, you'll help support efforts on a regional and national level.

Buying from your local bike store that does advocacy, instead of ordering online or buying from Walmart.

One of the aspects of Cycling Advocacy is to make cycling more popular.

My usual approach to this is to get work colleagues to volunteer to take part in a charity bike

ride a few months from now

(we usually do the Manchester to Blackpool Bike Ride in aid of The Christie which is about 60 miles long).

Out of the various people who volunteer and do the bike ride each year, a number carry on cycling (if they hadn't already been keen cyclists), this was what got me back into cycling a few years ago, now.

So my suggestion would be to try and get friends or colleagues to do something cycling related with a few months to prepare for it, and hope that as a result they will rediscover cycling and become once more converted to the Way of the Bike.

Slightly silly but... public transport strikes.

Preferably in sunny weather!

Here is a great link from Bikes Belong on effective methods of bicycling advocacy by individuals!

To summarize:

Ride your bike and represent bicycling Connect with local advocacy Connect/network with government and community leaders

Get involved at the national level

Adventure Cycling Association is a great group.

Their nonprofit mission: "to inspire people of all ages to travel by bicycle for fitness, fun, and self-discovery."

Although there are great local groups, some things are best addressed by nationwide efforts.

The vote in the US Senate over transportation funding - MAP-21 - was publicized and lobbied over by groups like the League of American Cyclists - and I think that was instrumental in getting things changed for the better.

This question has answers which include organizations all around the world.

Question: Are all the best efforts truly local, or are there good regional/national causes (for example, the  Rails-to-Trails Conservancy ) that are worth supporting?

What are the most effective methods of bicycling advocacy?

The best way to advocate cycling is to ride a bike as much as possible. Some places have local cycling advocacy groups and it is also possible to become involved in these at national level. Encouraging friends and relatives to do something bicycle related is another good way of advocating cycling.

One of the best forms of advocacy is to set an example and ride as much as you can, with the aim to normalize cycling and familiarize your local community with it. Another good idea would be to get organized on a regional or national level. To this end, you could join relevant groups or clubs, participate in transport strikes and get in touch with state representatives. You might also want to organize cycling activities for your friends, family and colleagues to make cycling popular with a broader audience. Finally, you could try supporting smaller regional stores against big chains.

A good idea would be to get organized on a regional or national level. To this end, you could join relevant groups or clubs, participate in transport strikes and get in touch with state representatives.

You could try supporting smaller regional stores against big chains.

You might want to organize cycling activities for your friends, family and colleagues to make cycling popular with a broader audience.


Wow!

That looks like a horrid crash.

There are some newer ideas on road rash healing.

My doctor recommended that I NOT use Neosporin type ointments.

The reason being that it only has an affect on the superficial layers of the wound and that infection, if it occurs, will be in the deeper layers; and also that topicals are shown to interfere with wound healing.

He also told me not to use hydrogen peroxide as it damages tissue.

The keys to healing and preventing scarring are to keep the wounds clean and moist.

The advice I got from my physician (who is a cyclist) is pretty much the same as the advice here on freewheel.com .

According to the article and my doc: After a proper cleaning it's recommended to apply an application of a hydrocolloid or semiocclusive hydrogel dressing.

"A moist healing environment is provided by the dressing...

Two basic options fulfill this requirement.

" Semipermeable film dressings , such as Bioclusive (Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, New Jersey) andTegaderm (3M Company, St Paul), in combination with semiocclusive hydrogels such as Spenco 2nd

Skin (Spenco Medical Corp, Waco, Texas).

These dressings are impermeable to water and bacteria but allow the exudate to evaporate." Hydrocolloidal dressings .

Examples of hydrocolloidal dressings are Duoderm (ConvaTec, SkiUman, New Jersey) and Cutinova hydro (Beiersdorf, Inc, Norwalk, Connecticut).

One suggestion: Neosporin.

Every time you change a bandage, wash it out and slather that stuff on.

The main idea is to keep scabs from forming.

Scabbing retards the healing process greatly, and will increase scarring.

The Neosporin that was suggested above and other generic antibiotic ointments help with this; this is an economical solution.

You can get gauze that is already impregnated with Neosporin-like things, or you can apply the ointment to the wound and then put regular gauze on top.

For large areas, it can be hard to keep the bandage on the wound which is why I recommend other products like Tegaderm .

Tegaderm and similar products that are designed for burn victims work great.

The nice thing about tegaderm is that you can stick it on the rash (once it's clean) and then leave it on there.

It stays on the wound without needing tape or other adhesives, but it doesn't pull or damage the healing skin when/if you pull it off.

It forms a protective "skin-like" layer while the skin underneath grows back.

You can leave it on for a long time without changing, and it speeds the healing immensely.

First is getting the hair and dirt out of the wound, which it sounds like the ER has done for you.

In the first 24-48 hours, I've found the gel bandages to vastly improve the time it takes road rash to heal.

They seem to wick away a lot of the fluids which build up on a fresh wound.

I get something similar from playing goalkeeper on occasion.

I'm unsure of the exact science involved, but as the bandages never seem to be able to get 100% coverage, it is easy to see exactly which areas have the bandages and which don't.

The area under the bandage heals considerable faster and the scabbing comes out much smoother and flush with the skin.

I have followed both @Jack

M. and @LanceH's advice before and both worked well.

I also followed that up with anti-scar cream for a nice face wound I had.

I think it helped, but I'm not that interested in doing a personal comparison study.

Search on amazon or head to your local drug store/chemist and ask someone there for a recommendation.

You use the anti-scar cream after the scab is off if I remember right.

And don't pick off the scab!

Bactine is an antibacterial with a pain relief formula of some sort in it.

I'll swear by it, as i got some rash longboarding a few weeks ago and after using it once or twice a day for a few days i don't even feel it anymore and it healing faster than normal.

So many different way to heal, I'm noticing when I cover n

let nature take its course

I'm watching my facial burn heal more each day.

It is irritating having to tape up my face tho so I am off in search of duoderm or something that will allow my face to be free of sticky tape while avoiding scarring.

Definitely keep your wound covered.

My sister who is a dr without the degree swears I'm going to get infection by the bandages, but she is being proven wrong.

I have photographed the wound each day and see a noticeably different wound each day that passes.

I cannot wait til it's gone tho, but realize time is of the essence.

What I've found, after the first 24 hours or so when the wound is oozing, is that leaving it uncovered but coating it with ointment works best.

(Preferably use an antibiotic ointment, but plain old petrolatum is OK.)

If the wound is in a place where it might get bumped, or you consider it terribly unsightly (though how can a biking wound be other than a badge to wear proudly?)

then you can lightly cover with gauze.

The ointment holds in the moisture, which is what you need most to promote healing.

And antibiotic ointments have been shown to increase the speed of healing over non-antibiotic.

Not really an answer in the long term, but excluding air from the wound helps.

So as a get-home fix you can use something like clean gladwrap / sarin wrap to cover the wound after washing out all the dirt.

Also stops the wound from stinging as you get home.

Using this method I have a 3" line on my forearm where there are now no freckles, but you can't feel it, and hair grows normally.

Plus you can see through the plastic and observe if you've missed any lumps of road.

Question: Crashes are an inevitability in cycling. This weekend, I hit a 4" stick on my bike. It flipped over, stuck in the spokes of my front wheel and did this to it:   It stopped my bike really quickly and I wound up flying over the handlebars, and earned a trip to the local ER where they spent an hour scrubbing the road out of my face, arms and shoulder.  So what tips and tricks do you folks have for recovering quickly (and without scarring) from road rash?

What do you do to cure road rash more quickly after a crash?

After a crash, keep the wound, clean, moist and covered. A product such a Neosporin or other antibiotic cream can be used. Do not pick scabs. Tegaderm is an option for large areas that are hard to bandage.

There are conflicting views on the suitability of Neosporin type antibiotic ointments for road rashes, despite its popularity and widespread use. Treatment with hydrogen peroxide is also challenged. The use of bandages is also a point of debate, as some argue that large areas or fresh, oozing wounds should better be left uncovered and treated with ointments and dressings, preferably antibiotic. Others, advise using bandages and gel bandages in particular. At any rate, keeping wounds clean and moist is critical to avoid scarring, next to applying hydrocolloid or semi occlusive hydrogel dressings, using anti-scar cream and avoiding scabbing. Before treating the wound, it is important to clean it and remove any dirt or hair. You could use gladwrap or sarin wrap as a temporary solution. You could advise a health professional or find more information online.

Keeping wounds clean and moist is critical to avoid scarring, next to applying hydrocolloid or semi occlusive hydrogel dressings, using anti-scar cream and avoiding scabbing.

The use of bandages is also a point of debate, as some argue that large areas or fresh, oozing wounds should better be left uncovered and treated with ointments and dressings, preferably antibiotic. Others, argue for bandages and gel bandages in particular.


Looking at the spec of your bike it says the BB is a cartridge unit.

This probably isn't serviceable -- it's designed to be replaced when worn out, so just keep riding it until it grinds or gets excessively sloppy.

The hubs might be serviceable.

If you ride a lot in nasty conditions, or you're aggressive with the degreaser you might want to service them.

However, if they're well-sealed (like most modern hubs and in particular Shimano hubs) then they almost never need servicing.

If you're worried, learn how to service them yourself and see what they look like.

If they're still packed with grease and nice and clean inside they don't need servicing.

Servicing them isn't hard

but it's a bit fiddly

-- you'll lose a bearing under the fridge, then you won't be able to remember if there should be 9 or 10 balls, and whether they're 3/32" or 1/8" or 5/32", and so on.

Don't do it for fun.

I ride a lot.

My Campagnolo Neutrons have probably seen 10,000+ km.

In that time I've had a look at the bearings once or twice.

Still greasy, still smooth.

The rims will wear out before the hub bearings do.

This is a very subjective opinion.

A standard like "change your oil every 3000 miles" doesn't exist as far as I know, although here is a suggested one .

I ride about 3,000-4,000 miles a year and my rule of thumb is to do the hubs every 300 - 500 miles or so, and the bottom bracket twice a year.

Works out to a hub overhaul about every other month.

Both of these are more frequent than the suggested schedule.

That said, there have been a couple of times I have ridden in an area and ended up with the bottom bracket or hubs completely submerged.

When that happens I like to overhaul them at my earliest convenience; preferably within a day or two.

Another point here is - I do the maintenance myself.

Hubs are easy and you should be able to learn to do them yourself from a book and with a $10-15 investment in tools - bottom brackets are a little harder and you will probably just want to include that as part of a "shop service" unless you want to learn and invest a little more in doing your own maintenance.

At 7 miles a day on road riding , assuming you have well sealed hubs and bottom brackets I would expect you to be able to go well over a year before having to grease and repack.

A lot depends on the space you have and if you are happy to do the work your self – if you have a warm dry workshop then you may decide that doing maintenance more often is a good trade of to make your components last longer.

However if doing the maintenance is a pain to you, or you are having to pay a bike shop with all the inconvenience of taking the bike to the stop in your car, you may decide that you would rather just replace the bike/components after a few years.

Greasing and packing your hubs every time to put on a new tire on is a good option, as it is easy to remember to do it.

I would personally with your type of riding, only consider getting the bottom bracket done when the bike has to go into the shop for something else or after a few years if you have not had to visit the bikes shop in the mean time.

A friend of mine goes to the trouble of installing a grease nipple in the shell of each hub.

Then, instead of having to take the hub apart, all you need to do is pump more grease in every so often and wipe the excess that comes out around the axle away.

This has the advantage of pushing any dirt and gunk out of the bearings when you add more grease.

As far as I know, most modern hubs and bottom brackets are designed not to need service.

Bottom brackets in particular are often constructed in a way that they cannot be disassembled.

My experience:

My bike (good quality, but not top-of-the-line) is about 7 years old, and I ride around 2,000 km per year.

I have never serviced the hubs or bottom bracket, so far without any problems.

I don't do extreme off-road riding, but I do cycle in winter and in the rain, plus the bike is sometimes parked in the rain.

So if you are not using your bike under extreme conditions, you may not need to worry about maintaining the bearings at all.

Water (and its cousin mud)

more than anything affect grease bearings.

The more rain, and or mud that you ride in the more often you will need to repack your grease bearings.

When they are freshly packed pay attention to how easily the wheels spin when you hold them off the road or the bike is upside down.

Then do this every so often and if they seem to be getting even the least bit slower then it is time to pack.

You will get a feel for their condition over time.

I do mine every 1000 to 2000 miles

and I ride mine through everything.

Question: I am commuting 7 miles a day (round trip) in all weather in New England (temperate, moderately wet climate, cold winters). Overall I am putting about 1000 miles per year on my commuter bike, a  2009 Giant Transend DX  with lower-end Shimano components (Alivio and whatnot).  I lube my chain and check brakes and tire pressure weekly, but how often do I need to get the hubs and bottom-bracket taken apart and lubed?

How often should I grease and repack my hubs and bottom bracket?

Hubs and bottom brackets do not necessarily need maintenance. They need replacing when worn out. However, this depends on the type of bike use. For heavier use, greasing and repacking may be required. Some people recommend greasing every time the wheel is changed

There seems that the bottom bracket might not be serviceable, as it cannot be disassembled. Rather, it should be replaced when necessary. Regarding the hubs, you can decide whether to service them judging by their state and your usual cycling conditions. It is recommended that you do maintenance about once year, provided that you keep your hubs and bottom brackets in good condition. If you have the facilities, you could grease and repack more frequently to increase the parts' product life. Alternatively, you could so every time you change tires. Adverse weather conditions may increase the need for maintenance. A good idea would be to check the wheel spin without traction and compare it with the wheel spin while driving to check if you need servicing.

You can decide whether to service the hubs judging by their state and your usual cycling conditions.


As noted above, part of the ranking of a climb depends on its placement within a stage: usually, the ending climb of a stage gets "bumped up" by a category.

You can see that in the plots below, which show climbs as categorized by the organizers of the Tour de France itself for the 2012, 2007, 2005, and 2004 editions of the Tour, and plotted by the length of the climb and its average gradient.

If given the length of the climb and gradient, you can calculate the total elevation change for that climb, and the dotted contour lines in each plot show that.

Cat 2, 1, and HC climbs are named.

For example, in 2004 the Vilard de Lans climb was classified at a Cat 2 climb rather than (evidently) a Cat 3 because it was the end of the stage.

Similarly, in 2005 the climb to Pla d'Adet ended the stage, and it appears that its category was also increased from (arguably) Cat 1 to HC.

As an aside, the Madeleine was climbed in both 2004 and 2005 but, as you can see, the length and gradient of the climbs were different in those years.

In 2004, the Madeleine was climbed from the southern side; in 2005 and 2012, the approach to the Madeleine was from the north.

As has been mentioned, the actual categories are fairly subjective.

Things such as the fame of a climb as well as how the organizers feel about giving out King of the Mountain points on a given stage will affect rankings.

That said, there are some general rules of thumb if you want to get an idea of how your local climb rates up to a given ranked climb in the tour though.

There are always exceptions to climb rankings, but this should give you a basic list to start with.

Category 42km or so @

6%4km or so @

< 4%Category

32-3km @ 8% (or less on average, but with very steep pitches)2-4km @ 6%4-6km @ 4%Category 25-10km @ 5-7%10+km @ 3-5%Category 15-10km @ >8%10-15km @ 6%HCOften Category 1 climbs as the last climb of the day15+km @ 8%+

(Alpe D'huez, etc.)20+km @

anything uphill.

(Galibier is ~=4% over 40km if I recall correctly)

As I mentioned though, you can find exceptions for any of these.

Some examples would include: 2006, the TdF included the Cauberg, a key climb of the Amstel Gold race.

It covers about 1.5km with an average of about 5%, it was ranked Category 3.

There are a couple hundred meters @ 11% on it and placed just before the finish, it shattered the peloton.

2010, stage 12 finished just after the Col de la Croix Neuve.

This was ranked as a Category 2, despite being only 3.1km long.

It averaged 10% though, so hardly easy.

Many of the category 4 climbs in the early flat stages would be unranked on a hillier stage.

They exist so there is excitement in the king of the mountains classification early.

For Strava climbs there is an objective categorization that is length in meters times grade in percent, with this categories: score = length(m)

* grade(%) Cat 3 : score > 16000 Cat 2 :

score > 32000 Cat 1 :

score > 64000 Cat HC :

score > 80000

For example

Alpe d'Huez has a length of 13800m and average gradient of 8.1% (according to Wikipedia), giving a score of 111780, which would place it as a HC climb since its score is way above 80000.

The tour organizers rank them subjectively based on their steepness, length, and also where they occur in the stage (climbs near the finish garner a higher ranking).

Another criterion which seldom makes a big difference is road condition.

Some people feel that the ratings have been inconsistent over the years, or have been inflated in recent years.

In short, there is no scientific way of rating the climbs, it's just a judgement call from the race organizers.

Note, others have indeed tried to quantitatively rank the climbs.

You could apply their methodology to climbs near where you live to figure out how a local climb might be ranked at the end of a tour stage.

I prefer the cycling lore that it was decided by which gear of a Citroen 2CV you needed to be in to drive up the hill/mountain.

For HC climbs you had to go up them in reverse.

Scientific?

Not so much.

Perceived Gallic?

Mais oui!

Another important criteria is where the climb is placed.

If you put an otherwise cat 1 climb at the end of a mountain stage with an uphill finish, it becomes an HC climb.

I was told by Doug Dailey (a club cycling colleague and long ago British champion, British Cycling legend), that the categories were historical, and based on early Citroen capabilities (1920’s ?).

If said car could only go up a hill in 1st gear, it was defined as category 1.

If it could do it in second, category 2, etc.

Sounds plausible and very French.

J

Question: In cycle racing, there are five grades or categories for climbs - Category 4, 3, 2, 1 & Hors (Above Category or HC). How do they decide what is category 1 and what makes it so hard it is a HC?

How are the categories for climbs decided?

Tour organizers rank climbs subjectively based on their steepness, length, and also where they occur in the stage (climbs near the finish garner a higher ranking). Road condition is also taken into consideration. However, cycling lore states that it was decided by which gear of a Citroen 2CV you needed to be in to drive up the hill/mountain.

Most people agree that ranking is subjective. It depends on a number of arbitrary factors, such as a climb's fame or the organizers' disposition, as well as on some more realistic parameters, like steepness, length and road condition. Most notably, the rank of the climb may depend on its place in the stage, namely climbs near the end are placed in higher ranks. Strava climbs, on the other hand, employ a more scientific ranking, specifically length times grade in percent. Alternatively, cycling tradition has it that ranking is actually inspired by Citroen 2CV gear position when driving up a mountain.

The rank of the climb may depend on its place in the stage, namely climbs near the end are placed in higher ranks.

Most people agree that ranking is subjective. It depends on a number of arbitrary factors, such as a climb's fame or the organizers' disposition, as well as on some more realistic parameters, like steepness, length, road condition and the climb's position in the stage.

Strava climbs employ a more scientific ranking, specifically length times grade in percent.

Cycling tradition has it that ranking is actually inspired by Citroen 2CV gear position when driving up a mountain.


I know you asked for a single part answers but since the parts work together and one choice influences another, I don't really see how that can be accomplished in a useful manner.

So I'm going to outline it all.

I'll start with the items that you need for any build.

Frame and fork.

Preferably one with horizontal dropouts - more on that later.

Headset to attach the frame and fork.

Stem - note:

the fork, stem, and the headset work together.

They can be threaded or threadless.

They must match.

Handlebars Seatpost.

The seatpost must fit snugly in the seat tube.

Seatpost clamp (Maybe.

This is built into some frames.)

Seat Front wheel.

No specific requirements other than it fit into your fork without the tire rubbing.

If you're using a front brake (and you should), you'll want the size for which the fork was intended.

There are ways to make the brakes work on a wrong-sized wheel, but it's more hassle than it's worth.

Crankset Bottom bracket.

The crankset and bottom bracket must be the compatible with one another.

The bottom bracket also be the same size and have the same thread type as the bottom bracket shell on your frame.

Pedals.

As others have mentioned, you want your feet attached to the pedals.

Whether you use toe clips or clipless is totally up to your personal preference.

Chain Tires Rear Wheel.

This is where we start to get fixie specific.

The rear wheel must have a hub that is designed to accommodate a fixed gear cog and a lock ring.

Fixed gear cog Lock ring.

You need to make sure of two things: your chain line must be ramrod straight and you must have some way of making sure that there's tension on the chain.

Let's talk about tensioning the chain first.

There are three basic ways to tension a chain on a fixie.

You can use an eccentric hub, an eccentric bottom bracket, or horizontal dropouts.

Horizontal dropouts are by far the cheapest, easiest and most common.

An eccentric bottom bracket requires a frame that is designed for one and thus, is less common and more expensive.

An eccentric hub works just fine if you have to use a frame with vertical dropouts, but it's easy enough (and significantly cheaper) to find an older frame with horizontal semi-horizontal dropouts.

Now, for making sure that chainline is stright.

The only way I know of to do it is trial and error.

Build the bike up, and then sight along the chainline.

You'll be able to see whether or not it's straight much the same way you can sight along a pool cue and see a curve in it.

If it's not, you can sometimes move the front chain ring from the inside to the outside of the spider.

Spacers on the rear hub may get you somewhere too, but you can't go too far with those.

If none of that works, you'll have to try a bottom bracket with a different spindle length.

Optionally: a front brake is highly recommended.

In some places, at least one brake is required by law.

If you have rear facing dropouts, a bmx style chain tensioner is really nice to have.

I know that some will disagree , but I would advocate using cleats .

One of the major reasons for riding a fixed is to feel your connection to the effort required to move you - and introducing a disconnect in your foot/pedal takes away from that.

Additionally, braking with your legs is easier if you're not worrying about your foot coming away.

A nice old road frame (80s-vintage w/ horizontal dropout) will get you going in fine bike messenger style.

The same as a normal bike, minus gear derailleurs (brakes can be handy, although not completely necessary).

Get a flipflop hub, it enables you to freewheel by switching the wheel around.

Btw, you expect people to come here and list every single part for a bicycle, tis a bit weird if you ask me ...

A frame with horizontal dropouts is preferable.

If you do end up with a frame that has Vertical Dropouts you might need to add a Chain Tensioner.

For anyone not sure what dropouts are see this pic: http://www.howtobuildafixie.com/lesson-1-dropouts/

The most fixie-specific bits are the hub, cog, and lock ring.

I know it's supposed to be one part per post, but these really go together.

You can't use a regular-old free-wheel hub for your fixie (at least without some modifications ).

You'll need a fixed-specific hub which has threads for a lock ring, and a cog to match.

The lock ring is what keeps the cog from loosening when you use the drive train to stop.

Surly offers each of these parts .

A rear wheel is a good start for a fixie: the front is the same as any other bike, but the rear needs to be built especially for fixed-gear riding.

It will have space for only one cog on each side, typically one for a freewheel cog and one for a fixed-gear cog.

The free side will only have one set of threads, while the fixed side will have two sets of threads.

One of those is for the cog itself, and one is for the lockring used to secure the cog.

The cog needs to be secured because when you pedal backward you loosen the cog, but the lockring is threaded in reverse and will tighten, keeping the cog on.

Lots of fixie riders consider the building of the rear wheel to be part of the process of building a fixed gear.

It's the easiest wheel to build, but they are available for purchase, and usually for less money than buying the components to build your own wheel.

Your hub choice depends on whether your frame has vertical or horizontal dropouts.

I converted my old mountain bike (with vertical dropouts) into a single speed building a wheel I built myself using an eccentric Eno hub.

I happen to have the wheel flipped such that it's a free wheel, but I could flip it and use it as a fixie.

Question: I've always wanted to build my own bike and I figured that a fixie has the least number of parts.  Please post one part per answer. Please explain what I should be looking for in the part. Also please recommend a make/model and give approximate cost.

What are the parts needed to build your own fixie?

To build a fixie you needd the same parts as for a normal bike, minus gear derailleurs (brakes can be handy, although not completely necessary). More detailed suggestions include an old road frame and a rear wheel built specially for fixed-gear riding.  The most fixie-specific parts are the hub, cog and lock ring.

Νecessary parts to build a fixie include a frame and fork, a headset to attach the former, a seat front wheel, a crankset bottom bracket, pedals, chain tires, a rear wheel, a fixed gear cog and a lock ring. Some people suggest adding a front break, and using cleats and a flipflop hub. You might also consider selecting an old road frame, which is a stylistic choice, and a frame with horizontal dropouts. In general, gear derailleurs are the only extra item included in regular bicycle parts. You could differentiate a fixie further by adding a rear wheel, using horizontal dropouts, or selecting other eccentric parts.

You might consider selecting an old road frame, which is a stylistic choice, and a frame with horizontal dropouts.


Weight distribution is critical, and it is a bit of a fine balance, much like doing a track stand.

I find that it is easiest to do this by staying seated and crouching towards the front of the bike.

Standing on the pedals will tend to put your weight too far forward and make it difficult to achieve smooth power transfer to the wheels.

Smooth Power Transfer is another important aspect.

Remember that your rear wheel only has a small amount of friction keeping it from slipping.

What you are trying to do is keep the pressure on the pedals strong enough to keep you going up the hill, but not so strong as to make the wheel spin.

Things that can help with this are: Staying in a seated position Concentrating on pedalling in smooth circles, rather than a in separate pushes from each foot Using as high a gear as you can manage while still maintaining a reasonable cadence.

If you are using your lowest granny gear, it is much easier for your legs to overpower the friction between the tyre and the ground.

Balance , working on your low speed balance by practicing track stands and the like will mean that you are less likely to need to put a foot down, and more likely to be able to recover from a brief "halt" in your progress.

The back wheel is spinning because there's not enough weight towards the back of the bike because you are not sitting on the seat.

A technique that works well for me is to hold the handle bars in such a way that your elbows are pointed down towards the ground.

This makes sure you stay low and puts pressure on the back wheel.

Also, don't forget to KEEP PEDALING!

If you trust in yourself and don't stop pedaling, you can sometimes recover from a back wheel spin or even a dead stop.

This is about fore and aft weight distribution.

Also means you generally won't be sitting.

When your rear wheel spins, you have too much weight distributed forward.

And when your front wheel lifts, too much in the rear.

What to do?

Find a hill and practice distributing your weight until you find the sweet spot where you are neither spinning the rear or lifting the front.

Then there's always the cyclo-cross technique where you pick up your bike and run up the hill.

From my experience on slippery roots with hard MTB, it is critical to: lift your weight from the wheel hitting the obstacle

(that's what full suspension does for you), like you (should) do when hitting the curb, have appropriate tires (not just tire pressure), ...except for already mentioned: smooth pedaling, weight distribution (low center weight), balance (sideways).

As mentioned the balance (front/back) is key, but there are a few other things that help:

Full suspension - the rear suspension limits wheel bounce when going over obstacles, this helps to prevent the rear wheel spinning out Reduced tyre pressure - same concept as above Bigger wheels - I have found climbing rocky stuff easier on my 29er than on my 26er Practice...

Question: When mountain biking with my friends, we sometimes end up tackling a severe up hill over rocky ground.  I usually find I end up putting a foot down first. I'm not sure what's going wrong. Sometimes my back wheel spins and I lose power and stop, or my front wheel lifts up and I somehow lose balance and end up going off to one side.  What techniques can I use to get further up hill before I lose it?  Thanks.

How do I cycle up steep rocky ground?

When cycling up steep hills, weight distribution  is critical, and it is a bit of a fine balance, much like doing a track stand. It is important to keep enough pressure on the pedals to keep moving forward without causing the rear wheel to spin. You should stay sitting down and keep peddling. Practicing track stands can help with getting the right weight distribution.

One of the main aspects of cycling up steep rocky ground is finding balance through weight distribution. You can follow a number of techniques towards this end, such as standing on the pedals, staying seated, pedalling circularly, using high gears and practising track stands. You should also practice transferring power evenly and continue pedalling regardless of the circumstances. Moreover, some user advise putting pressure on the back wheel by changing  the handle bar hold, so that elbows are looking to the ground. From a technical standpoint, you should use a bike with full suspension, low tire pressure and bigger wheels for better performance.

You should practice transferring power evenly.

You could try putting pressure on the back wheel by changing  the handle bar hold, so that elbows are looking to the ground.

It is important to continue pedalling regardless of the circumstances.


You should also have a survival bag, mobile phone, whistle, torch and small first aid kit as well as a map and compass.

Remember it may be you that is broken not your bike!

I recommend carrying also a patch kit - something that will help you fix that second flat, or the tube you replaced badly.

Always carry lights, you never know when you'll take longer than you expect and be stuck in the dark.

Have a friend with a car and a bike rack, for the really extreme issues :)

Zipties!

Zipties!

Zipties!

Shoe splits - ziptie

it Centre pull brakes cable breaks - ziptie

it Saddle post emergency - ziptie

it Front chainring pops - ziptie

it Replacement lights - ziptie

it Broken bone - ziptie plus sticks Split tyre - stuff with grass, ziptie it if needed :) " When a man has a hammer

, everything in the world looks like a nail "

I always carry a bit of electricians tape or duct tape.

I have done several impromptu repairs using the tape.

The best one was a time where I ripped open the sidewall of the tire about 6" long.

I wrapped the replacement tube with tape going from about 4" before the ruined sidewall to about 4" after the rip.

Was able to pump up the tire enough to roll 5 miles home.

When everything else fails: Hybrid MTB/hike shoes

Multi tool w/

a replaceable derailleur hanger as part of it.

Or just a universal derailleur hanger.

Pretty nice.

Mind you, if you are touring you might as well carry your proper hanger as a 'just in case'.

Having a phillips head screw driver can save you.

I have snapped the head of the front shifter cable mid way through a 160km point to point ride ...

I just dialed in the limit screws and blocked the gear in.

Same can be done for the rear derailleur to get you home.

A quicklink or power link is exceptionally useful to have on a ride.

You can fix a broken chain enough to simply get home or if it was just a tweaked link, replace it, and have a fully functioning geared bike to ride home (or continue on your ride).

For mountain biking a spoke key can be essential.

Break a spoke?

Over tension

the two opposing spokes to even it out.

You can wrap the broken spoke around its nearest or, if you have tape, tape it to the other spoke.

A friend has stuffed a tyre full of grass (seriously) enough to ride the trails home.

It did ferment a bit inside and was fairly odiferous after but it worked really well.

Carry a banknote for when you have a tear in the tire casing.

Wrap the note around the tube

(that you just had to fix twice until you realized what was going on) and gently inflate the tire.

The banknote will contain the pressure until you get home.

Unfortunately, your burger budget is now trapped in your bike!

The best 'repair'

I saw that got our group home was when a guy snapped off his headtube.

We grabbed some sticks and jammed them down the tubes and got to the car (1 hour away)

so carry big sticks?

About to years ago, I had a brand-new Trail Rat battery die on me in the middle of a ride.

Luckily, I had a maglite on me as a backup, and I rigged this up: ( photo credit )

That's twine and zipties holding it onto the bar.

A few miles later, the maglite died.

I rode in the taillight of the guy I was riding with.

Then it started hailing.

We had no experience riding on slush so we called for help.

(I've since ridden on ice, but I was young and not yet stubborn enough to tough it out.)

These days, when I'm on tour, I bring along those lamps you put on your head on a strap.

I use them as reading lights in my tent, but they also serve as backup headlights.

You can straighten a bent wheel by hitting the lawn (or something soft -- not to damage the braking surface).

You need to take it in hands on 8:00-4:00 with the bulge pointing downwards and hit appropriately hard.

Repeat few times correcting for the bulge position and direction until you can ride.

I did that twice and both wheels are still in use.

One of those is so true (after some spoke tweaking), that you would never say that it was bend to the point it wouldn't go through the fork.

The brake pads leave less than 1mm space on both sides.

A spare link of chain and tool - or an entire chain if you are really far past where your legs can carry you if the route is remote.

This isn't a "need" so much as a "nice-to-have," but I certainly appreciated having handy-wipes (alcohol-soaked individually-packed wipes) along after fixing a flat on my trail ride last Friday.

Also useful if whatever you're looking at is so grimy/dusty

you can't see or handle it properly.

If weight/bulk is not at a premium, in the States it's possible to buy a can or square of diaper wipes.

Same idea, different branding, works just as well.

You may find that your first-aid kit has these already; in that case, just keep 'em stocked!

I know this is an old question, but it was recently bumped up.

Here are a few more suggestions: FiberFix Kevlar emergency replacement spoke.

Grease Monkey Wipes for clean-up after a greasy repair.

A tire boot to put between the tube & the tire if the tire casing gets cut.

In a pinch, a candy wrapper, gu packet, or paper money will also work.

Don't rely only on CO2 cartridges, carry a pump as well.

+1 on the zip ties and power link recommendations.

I once saw a photo of an emergency field repair to a broken chainstay using only Popsicle sticks and zip ties.

Question: I do some mountain biking in remote parts of wales. I usually carry a minimal tool kit: pump, spare inner tube, and multi tool.  I'm wondering if you have any temporary 'get me home' repair tips I might need one day for when something breaks?

What tips do you have for making temporary "get me home" repairs?

A "get me home kit" shouldinclude a survival bag, mobile phone, whistle, torch and small first aid kit as well as a map and compass.  A patch kit is also recommended so you can mend a puncture. A phillips head screw driver can be a life-saver. Othe recommended items include lights, replacement spoke, chain, spoke key and zip ties.

It would be a good idea to carry a small bag with essentials, like a phone, a first aid kit and navigation equipment. You could also try setting up a repair kit to fix your vehicle. Depending on your needs, route and carrying capacity, this could include zip ties, electricians tape or duct tape, phillips head screws, a quicklink or power link, a spare link of chain and tool, a replacement spoke, a tire boot, a pump, even a banknote for tore casings. Moreover, it is useful to carry lights in case you delay. Finally, you might want to bring along handy-wipes to clean yourself and your vehicle after a repair.

You could try setting up a repair kit to fix your vehicle. Depending on your needs, route and carrying capacity, this could include zip ties, electricians tape or duct tape, phillips head screws, a quicklink or power link, a spare link of chain and tool, a replacement spoke, a tire boot, a pump, even a banknote for tore casings.

It is useful to carry lights in case you delay.

You might want to bring along handy-wipes to clean yourself and your vehicle after a repair.


Use your phone to take a photo of your bike location, being sure to get some easy to find landmarks in the photo as well.

E.g. if you had just taken the photo above and your bike is the front centre one, those two trees should be fairly easy to find again when you come back.

If it still takes a while to find (or the search area is very big) and your phone has GPS, you can probably tag the photo with the location as well.

Aside from the fact that your bike is the only one you'll be able to unlock, the best thing for you to do is park in the same location every day.

That can be an invitation to have your bike stolen, however.

You can either: Make your bike easily distinguishable from the crowd.

Putting something brightly-colored on the bars might help, attaching a safety flag to the rear rack would be even better.

Either of these calls attention to your bike, again this is something inviting bike theft.

You could jot down a note to yourself for later -- "bike 3 arches down from the big ugly tree", for example.

What I would do is find three or four medium-traffic parking locations and rotate among them .

That way I'd only have a few places to search, but I wouldn't be using the same spot over and over.

In these kind of situations I use the tips that a guru taught me when I was learning the ways of triathlon.

In the transition area, where you leave your bike to collect at the end of the swim, you are quite often assigned a spot for your number (otherwise everyone clamours for the ends of rows).

So it's about landmarks,

"3rd row, lake-side, half way down, past the second tree", and memorable things, so the the flag (or strategically placed towel) is a good idea too.

Don't make the mistake of using temporary, movable landmarks.

That nice Cervelo might well have come out of the water (or work) before you :)

The key takeawayss here are to make them instantly and accurately memorable.

If you're in the same area day after day you don't want to to get too confused about whether you're remembering yesterday's or today's position, so @neilfein's rotation of possible locations is a good feint.

In triathlon you're trying to keep it simple (because your mind is inherently fuzzy when you're out of the water and trying to peel off a wetsuit), and at the end of a long day you probably haven't given much thought to your bike since about 2 minutes after you left it.

My bike is in a secure area in an underground car park, so I leave my helmet on the saddle which is generally still there, un-knocked-off, at the end of the day.

Buy an electronic key finder.

Attach the keyring part to your bike, when you want to find your bike you press the button on the remote and the keyring beeps and flashes.

Range is 40 meters which should easily be enough.

Decorate your bike so that it stands out a bit.

I usually paint the rear mudguard a bright colour and attach something colourfull to my handlebars.

And I try to park my bicycle in the same row each day.

I painted my mudguards bright red to aid visibility, but it doesn't actually help that much.

The thing that worked best for me was attaching a small pink teddy to the back of the pannier rack (like truckers do to their radiators).

It's eye-catching even in a crowd.

It's less good at Cambridge station, which is an extreme case, but works well in a long row of racks because it sticks out the back where it's visible as you approach the row.

I only don't do that any more because I bought a rear light that mounts there.

If you're coming back to your bike after dark, you're better off with unusually placed retroreflectives.

Most car accessory shops sell rolls of retro-reflective tape in various colours, and you can get sheets of stickers which you can cut to shape.

I always put a white triangle on my steerer tube where it's visible from the front, and a red stripe down my rear mudguard.

Since you're probably carrying your bike lights anyway, just turn on the front one and play the beam along the row.

Your own bike will wink back at you.

Question: I have more than once had to spend time looking for my bike at the station, what’s your method to remember the rack you put it in?  Do any town have a system of numbering or labelling the bike racks so it is easy to find your bike?

How do you remember which rack you have left your bike in?

A number od ways are recommended for finding your bike in a bike rack. Use your phone to take a photo of your bike location, being sure to get some easy to find landmarks in the photo as well.  You could invest in an electronic key finder. Another idea is to attach something noticeable to the back of the bike or the handlebars or decorate the bike in a noticeable way.  Perhaps you could park in the same location every day. Finally, you could write a note to yourself describing the location.

A good idea would be to note your parking spot with a picture, a GPS tag or a short description to yourself. You could also park at the same area, or alternate between a small number of locations to avoid theft. Alternatively, try giving your bike a distinct look to set it aside from the others. To this end, you could decorate it, paint it an usual colour, attach an object to it, or even place retroflectives around your parking spot. Finally, you might want to buy an electronic key finder.

You could park at the same area, or alternate between a small number of locations to avoid theft.

Try giving your bike a distinct look to set it aside from the others. To this end, you could decorate it, paint it an usual colour, attach an object to it, or even place retroflectives around your parking spot.

You might want to buy an electronic key finder.


Because the items are going to have to remain in close proximity, it's unlikely that there is anything that will completely solve your problem, but there are a couple of things you can try.

If the lights are wired, it is possible that the wire is working as an antenna, and you can use a Ferrite Choke or two on the wire.

Tape one near where the wire leaves the battery, and another to where the wire lead plugs into the light.

The can be found at stores like RadioShack for a few bucks.

If the lights are wireless, aluminum and tin foil is an excellent reflector for this kind of Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI).

The first step would be to see if foil will help.

Try wrapping the outside of the lights with foil and repeating the tests you did before.

I doubt you can add foil to the computer because this will interfere with it picking up the wireless signal from the sensors.

If that reduces the interference you can tape the foil to the lights, carefully cutting away the foil around mounting brackets and buttons and see if the EMI is still reduced.

If the lights can be easily disassembled you can try taking them apart and lining the interior with foil as well; take care not to short out the internal electronics.

Good Luck.

The problem is the current controller built into the LED bulb has no or ineffective EMC suppression.

This is extremely common in cheap equipment from unbrand named suppliers, who save costs by not going though the rigourous CE or FCC testing requirements.

They also cut costs by not placing components (usually a small cap is all thats needed), and lay out the board poorly so it radiates noise.

I have heard of people successfully soldering a small tantalum cap onto the LED board.

Best palce is as close to the control IC as possible, across the power input wires.

If that does not work, another across the LED itself would help.

(Careful, they are polarised)

Alternately wrap it in a conductor

(Tin foil is good), and tie it to ground to create a Faraday cage.

Problem is with it tied to ground, its hard to ride far, and you need a hole to let the light out, but that lets out the RF noise.

A better option is to buy a light that meets CE or FCC EMC standards, but they tend to be more expensive.

I too had major interference problems between my 700lumen Smartlight (no, not the Garmin one, just a brand called Smart) and VDO M6 wireless computer with all 3 sensors (speed, cadence, HRM) stopping when light was on.

I tried wrapping the light in normal, household aluminium foil

and hey, it works!

Not too pretty but no need to spend time making a bracket to mount the light away from the computer.

By the way, it also started working, without the foil hack, when I held the light more than 12cm from the computer.

When wrapping your light with tin foil, remember high power means maximum ventilation is required.

They can chuck out some heat.

On the computer side, when was the last time you changed the battery in the sender unit attached to the fork?

Does the problem only occur when your light is on flash or pulse?

If so try switching to a steady light instead.

For me, foil allowed the computer to operate only if I covered the entire light, cord, and battery with foil, including the lens.

So, I got a new computer that uses signals from GPS satellites rather than pulses from a magnet on the wheel to measure speed and distance.

This solved the problem.

My light is a Nite Rider MiNewt.

It has a cord: it is not the wireless version.

My old computer was a Specialized Sport.

My new computer is a Garmin Edge 25.

I had used the MiNewt with other wireless computers without problems.

Another thought is to disassemble the light, and paint the inside of it with electrically-conductive paint.

Downsides are that the light is more capable of shorting should anything go wrong with the internal wiring, and you might damage the light by disassembling.

You could also paint the outside of the light, but it would suffer from wear.

Note the paint used MUST be electrically conductive,

not just silver-coloured.

These paints are expensive, probably more expensive than a new light.

Question: My LED lights seem to be causing my wireless cycling computer to not pickup the signal (suggested by the manufacturer and verified through tests at home).  What strategies/options are there for reducing the interference outside of repositioning the computer (since I've tried all available positions)?

Stopping interference between LED lights and wireless cycling computer

To stop lights interfering with the computer follow these steps. If the lights are wired, it is possible that the wire is working as an antenna, and you can use a Ferrite Choke or two on the wire.  If the lights are wireless, aluminum and tin foil is an excellent reflector for this kind of Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI).  The first step would be to see if foil will help.   I tried wrapping the light in normal, household aluminium foil. If that reduces the interference you can tape the foil to the lights, carefully cutting away the foil around mounting brackets and buttons and see if the EMI is still reduced.  However, a better option is to buy a light that meets CE or FCC EMC standards, but they tend to be more expensive.

There seem to be several options. In case the lights are wired, you could try taping a couple of ferrite chokes in the battery wire output and in the light input. In case the lights are wireless, on the other hand, try wrapping foil around the outside of the lights, except for the area around brackets and buttons. You could also try covering the lights' inside with foil. Fastening a small tantalum capacitor close to the control IC of the LED board, or adding a capacitor right across the board, might also solve the problem. Finally, you might consider using a computer operating with GPS satellite signal, or painting the lights' inside with electrically-conductive paint.

In case the lights are wireless, a good solution would be to wrap foil around the outside of the lights, except for the area around brackets and buttons. You could also try covering the lights' inside with foil.

Fastening a small tantalum capacitor close to the control IC of the LED board, or adding a capacitor right across the board, might solve the problem.

A possible, if more expensive, solution would be to only buy lights that meet CE or FCC EMC requirements.

You might consider using a computer operating with GPS satellite signal, rather than magnet pulses from the wheel to avoid this issue.

Painting the lights' inside with electrically-conductive paint might overcome this problem.


Only cross if you are walking and pushing your bike.

If you are riding, you are a vehicle and generally you are required to obey all traffic control devices in the same way any other vehicle operator is.

There are exceptions, like the Idaho Yield laws, but generally you have to behave like a car.

The other thing to think about is that the more you behave like a vehicle, the more predictable you are, and the more predictable the behavior of other vehicle operators will be.

I'm pretty sure it's illegal.

Of course, different areas might have different laws on the matter, but the guideline is "if you're riding your bike, you're a vehicle and should obey all the same rules".

I suppose if you wanted to cross on the crosswalk, you could dismount, and walk your bike across, but I doubt that's worth the effort.

I don't pay attention to walk signals, but if I know the way a particular light's cycle works, I will indeed go through when it's red.

In California we have a lot of protected left turns, where the folks turning left get a green arrow and the opposing straight-through traffic still has a red light.

Protected lefts generally happen with two opposing left turn lanes simultaneously getting the arrow.

Often, the turn lanes will empty before the green arrow goes away.

If the turn lane across the intersection from you still has an arrow, but the lane itself is devoid of cars, then you can safely cross the intersection.

In order to reduce the ire from automobile drivers, I refrain from blatantly crossing red intersections, but instead use the above knowledge to get a head start on cars before the light changes so that I can be through the intersection before they start moving.

It is, as usual, advisable to learn your local regulations.

For example, Washington state law explicitly allows cyclists to ride on sidewalks and in crosswalks, as long as they yield to pedestrians while doing so.

In your given scenario, use due caution, motorists noticing a red light on the cross street may not expect someone in the crosswalk in front of them.

You are not walking, you are riding a bicycle, which is considered a vehicle.

Act accordingly unless its early Sunday or no one is on the road.

I think that technically you're supposed to walk across

but I make a decision on how busy the intersection is.

If there are plenty of pedestrians, I get off.

That's pretty rare where I live in western Massachusetts.

Most of the time, I ride through.

Question: I frequently come to stop lights in which there is an all-way stop and a pedestrian signal. I always stop at such lights, but I'm wondering if I should then bike slowly across after determining that it is safe and I will not be interfering with any pedestrians who are crossing, or if I should wait until the light turns green just as I would were I driving a car.

If I'm riding on the road, and there is a red light but a walk signal in my direction, should I go?

S1: If you are riding, you are a vehicle and generally you are required to obey all traffic control devices in the same way any other vehicle operator is. Of course, different areas might have different laws on the matter, but the guideline is "if you're riding your bike, you're a vehicle and should obey all the same rules".  It is, as usual, advisable to learn your local regulations.

While you are cycling, you should adhere to the same rules as other vehicles, therefore you should wait for the light to turn green. You should only cross a red light if you have dismounted from you bike and are walking it on foot. Regardless, it may be a good idea to get informed on your local regulations on the subject. There is also the chance you might see a green arrow for the pedestrians and no cars in a protected left turn. It is safe to cross, but you should only use that information to get a head start.

It may be a good idea to get informed on your local regulations on the subject.

If you see a green arrow for the pedestrians and no cars in a protected left turn, it is safe to cross, but you should only use that information to get a head start.


It really depends on your budget, but you should check this out (or anything similar), from Gore bike wear : 179.99 USD MSRP http://www.gorebikewear.com/remote/Satellite/PROD_TULTRO?landingid=1208436873480O

They aren't the tightest pants out there, but "real" tight pants are very rarely (trying not to say never) waterproof because of the type of fabric used to make them.

An alternative idea would be a nylon pant (waterproof, windproof, but absulutely not warm)

that's relatively tight with a warm baselayer.

I have a pair of Sugoi long tights for commuting in the winter.

I add or subtract a base layer depending on conditions.

I don't really care if it's Sugoi or not; other companies make bike-tights compatible with base layers.

Maybe I choose a different brand next year?

Depends on what's on sale...

Foxwear makes great rain pants and jackets.

They're a little baggy, but they close at the ankle --

no ankle clip required.

They're also good layered over tights for winter riding.

I have two pair, and will use them until they fall apart (which may take some time).

The trick to staying warm for your winter rides is layers.

Keep in mind your overpants aren't there to keep you warn, per se, just to keep you dry.

You can wear under them pants, long johns, long warm spandex, whatever floats your boat.

That's part of why they would be baggy too.

When I used to commute in Boston through the winter, I wore thick long spandex pants under my snow pants, and that, combined with the heat generated by riding, was enough to keep me warm through -5F blizzards :)

REI has a Novara brand rain pant that isn't too expensive.

I use mine all year round, rain or snow.

I don't wear them when it is warm, as they tend to keep moisture in as well as out, which leads to soaked clothing.

However, I believe that is a problem with most rain gear.

I got my pants on sale for around $30 a few years ago.

When I go to the website now, I see that the men's version is around $100 in the catalog.

I'm not sure why the price difference. www.rei.com

I have a pair of Polartec tights from Col d'Lizard that are the cat's pajamas (or some such metaphor).

Definitely not baggy (when you see them you'll understand -- "I'm going to fit into THOSE???"), and plenty warm down to maybe 5-10F, but they breathe well -- never get clammy.

I no longer do winter cycling, but I often use the tights when I run the snow blower.

The snow doesn't stick to them and they keep me warm in the wind without overheating.

I wear my Craft Storm Tights for my winter commuting and even some recreational longer rides (I get too hot when I wear them for an interval type of workout). http://shop.craftsports.us/sports/bike/mens-pxc-storm-tights.html

They have a thermal liner and keep me nice and warm.

I also like them for the ease of use, I just slip them over my underwear and off

I go.

Not skin tight but not loose around the lower legs.

I got the MEC Roubaix Tights this year

and I have found them surprisingly warm, despite that they are quite thin.

I wore them down to -15 Celsius and had no problems with my legs getting cold.

Depending on where you live, and what you consider "winter" something like this might be just fine.

Question: Winter is soon upon us here, and I'm gearing up for the season.  I currently have a pair of rain over-pants which I use during the other 3 seasons, but honestly I really dislike them.  They're baggy, requiring the use of an ankle band, and not entirely warm.  They do a decent job of keeping out water, but I don't know how they will perform with snow.  Can someone recommend a type of pants which are more form-fitting and will do well in both rain and snow?

Finding good pants for winter biking

The trick to staying warm for winter rides is layers. You should keep in mind your overpants aren't there to keep you warn, per se, just to keep you dry, so nylon is good - light and waterproof but not warm. Under the rainpants, tights are good and there are many brands available on the market. Obviously what you buy depends on your budget.

There is a number of specialized products for winter biking, varying from pants to tights. The recommended brands include Gore bike wear, Sugoi, Foxwear, REI, Col d'Lizard, Craft Storm and MEC Roubaix. A good idea would be to use water- and windproof nylon pants, which however should be paired with additional clothes, as they are not warm. More to the point, You might want to consider waring layers, instead of specialized bike wear, given that overpants are only intended to keep you dry.


Endomondo !!!!

Free your endorphins : )

I love this app!!!

I have used it to track over 1,000 miles of cycling this year.

The android app is just a small part of the entire service.

With endomondo you get challenges with your friends live updating of your route global challenges personal bests summary teams more With their great android app

you get the ability to track duration with option of auto pause distance speed avg.

speed calories heart rate average heart rate listen/control music view current position and track on map view previous workouts set goal and get mile by mile updates on progress

I personally really enjoy being able to use my bluetooth heart rate monitor with this android app. http://www.zephyr-technology.com/9600.0112.html

All my workout info is then updated live to the endomondo website where I can later inspect my workout in detail.

If you are looking for a service/app to track your rides/workouts you have got to give this one a go.

My Tracks is an app by Google that will record a path you rode with stats.

You can upload your path to Google Maps and stats to Google Docs, or create a gpx/kml file for uploading to other biking, running, or fitness / mapping apps.

A few folks I work with use Strava ( http://www.strava.com ).

There are android and iphone apps, and you can also upload files from Garmin devices.

Aside from the standard gps, route tracking stuff, the web site has a social focus.

You can follow other riders if you wish.

The site also allows you to define road segments and will show leaderboards, king of the mountain badges, and personal bests.

I've used Sports Tracker a lot on Symbian phones and they now have an Android version coming out (as well as an iPhone version).

It can beep on auto-laps for example every kilometre.

You can review your workouts on the phone, something I don't think Endomondo can do.

You can use it with a Bluetooth Polar heart rate monitor.

You can see things like this on both the phone and website: route plotted on a scrollable, zoomable map with lap markers (using Open Street Map), duration, distance, average and max speed, energy use, charts of altitude vs. distance, heart rate distribution (light, moderate, hard), heart rate vs. time, speed vs. time and lap timings.

You can upload to their site (which is a bit Flash heavy for my liking) with various permissions (private, visible to friends, visible to everyone), Twitter, Facebook.

Also if you take photos during the workout, it can upload those to the site too, and shows them on the map.

You can also edit and export workout routes, and replay them.

CardioTrainer is an app that also works with the GPS functionality to track your workouts, and can create tracks and virtual training partners if you do the same routes.

I use RunKeeper Pro ; from January it's free for Android; here is the description in Android Market.

It's not only for cycling, but you can choose the activity type to be tracked by GPS, define custom routes and use audio coaching to know your distance, speed, time; then you can see online, in your personal account, a detailed report and a map with your path; if you want, you can also share those details with friends, and create or attend races.

You can also monitor your heart rate, if using along with

Polar WearLink®+ transmitter with Bluetooth

® for the Android,

but I didn't try it.

SportsTrackLive is another app listed as supporting the Zephyr heart rate monitor.

I haven't tried it; anyone who has, feel free to comment or edit this answer with more information.

iMapMyRide is great.

It records and uploads all your route data to the iMapMyRide web site.

Once uploaded you can view the route on a Google map, see the total distance travelled, see a chart of the elevation plus the total gain, add notes, log the workout and share the route with others.

I really can't recommend it enough

My app IpBike Is designed for a phone mouted on the bike, the emphesis on giving you all the information in a clear and consistant way on one basic screen while riding.

Has full support for ANT+ sensors HR, speed, Cadence Speed and Cadance and Power sensors on compatible phones.

Pressure based altitude of compatible phones.

Direct upload for Stava, Runkeeper and Attackpoint.

Can export rides as .gpx, .tcx, .csv, .fit

VeloComputer appears to be an attempt at turning a phone into a complete cycling computer.

Version 7, which is available for Android, uses GPS for measuring position and speed, and the accelerometer to measure cadence.

They also sell Bluetooth enabled wheel and pedal sensors, for more accurate speed and cadence, though those seem to only be supported on Blackberry at the moment.

I have not tried this; it looks interesting, though some of the reviews indicate that it's a bit flaky.

Does anyone else have experience with it?

Run.

GPS is mentioned in the list of apps supporting the Zephyr heart rate monitor.

I haven't tried it; anyone who has, feel free to comment or edit this answer with more information.

Not the most convenient way of measuring your heart rate while cycling, but Instant Heart Rate is a neat program which might be useful when you to take a break.

You use your phone's camera and LED flash (if it has one, otherwise any bright light source) to measure your heart rate by pressing the camera and flash against your finger, and it detects fluctuations in the oxygen content of your blood by detecting changes in color.

Try this free app for measuring your heart rate: Sports Heart Rate Monitorsee: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.js.hr you do not need any external hardware and it measures your heart rate quickly.

You just need to press it softly against your chest and it will readout your beats per minute.

You didn't say what you want your app to do.

However, I use OruxMaps for navigating and tracking.

I like it because you can create a local copy of online maps to use where 3G internet connection is not available

Question: I have an Android smartphone, with GPS, accelerometer, 3G internet connection, and other features that seem useful for bicycling. Are there any good bicycling apps on Android?  One app per answer please; feel free to answer multiple times.

Bicycling apps for Android

Endomondo, My Tracks by Google, CardioTrainer, RunKeeperPro, SportsTrackLive, iMapMyRide, IpBike and Velocomputer are just some of the Apps available for Android. Sports Tracker on Symbian is now bringing out an Android and iPhone version.

There is a number of available bicycling apps for Android, which involve navigating and tracking, documenting your health statistics, managing your training and finding virtual training partners. These include Endomondo, Strava, My Tracks, Sports Tracker, CardioTrainer, RunKeeper Pro, SportsTrackLive, iMapMyRide, IpBike, VeloComputer, Zephyr heart rate monitor, Instant Heart Rate, Sports Heart Rate Monitorsee and OruxMaps.


Cycling gloves come in different varieties (like full-fingered or half-fingered).

Typically: Cycling gloves have extra padding at the palms, which for me makes a difference when riding for hours at a time.

They protect your palms in case you attempt to use them to break a fall.

Like regular gloves, they can keep your hands warm in cold weather, especially since your hands aren't moving as much as your legs.

My particular pair of cycling gloves have a "towel" built in at the base of the thumb "finger"

so I can actually wipe off water/sweat by running my fist over it.

Cycling gloves do a few basic things: reduce friction between your hands and handlebars, which could otherwise cause blisters dampen vibrations which might cause hand/finger numbness reduce pressure on your ulnar nerve, which also causes numbness Of course, if none of these are problems for you, it's fine to ride without them.

Other types of gloves should offer similar benefits too (wool gloves with "grippy" palms are nice in cold, wet weather).

I try to ride without cycling gloves for rides up to an hour to toughen my palms and reduce the bizarre tan lines the gloves create.

But for longer rides (especially randonneuring, which is 200km+)

I can't ride without them.

What else can you use them for?

Basically anything where a padded palm would help.

They make great workout gloves, and I've occasionally used a pair for paddling, doing yard work or helping someone move.

Cycling gloves dampen the vibrations coming into your hands from your handlebars.

I find that if I cycle for more than one or two hours without gloves I slowly loose feeling in the tips of my fingers

and I get a tingling feeling in the pinky side of my palms near my wrist.

This slowly spreads to essentially make both my hands feel numb.

It goes away quickly when I get off the bike at first, but during cycling holidays where riding a bike is a daily activity I ended up with numb hands essentially all the time.

Simple cycling gloves have solved this for me.

Note that front suspension would probably address at least part of the same problem.

For bmx, the greatest benefit is grip.

If your hands are sweaty, you'll have to apply a lot of extra force to prevent throttle grip.

Gloves eliminate all that.

Also, the padded palms work nice to prevent meat paw

, terry cloth thumb is good for wiping sweat away, and there is usually some tacky material on the fingers for good brake lever grip.

Gloves do help with hand numbness/discomfort, but the primary benefit to me is safety.

If you fall and take a handlebar spill, your hands won't be torn up if you instinctively put your hands out to protect you.

Padding and warmth are covered in other answers, but in the winter I have a third use.

In the warmer weather my fingers swell slightly, which doesn't happen so much in the winter, so my wedding ring has a tendency to be looser in colder weather.

Long fingered gloves stop me from worrying so much about it slipping off when on bumpier rides.

When you fall off a bike your natural reactions will lead to putting your hands out to stop your fall.

Your hands are quite likely to hit the ground first so gloves provide some protection against that.

Comfort is another factor - damping vibration and providing protection from the elements.

Depending upon your climate you may want different gloves for different seasons.

I wear motorcycle gloves on my bicycle in the winter.

To answer the second question.

Gloves like that are great for working on cars...

The padded palm keeps you from tearing up your hands on old rusty parts.

The top of the hand is covered for when you slip and bang into sharp rusty parts.

The fingers are exposed so you can still easily grip small parts.

I find they work much better than traditional "full finger" mechanics gloves...

aside from the warmth and padding, I also wear them to protect my hands in case of wipeout.

grinding gravel into my palms doesn't sound like a fun thing to do.

One thing that I use my gloves for on nearly every ride is putting my palm down on the tops of my tires after going through a section of stone dust or cinders.

In fact, just today I was forced to ride through a section where some fresh blacktop spillage stuck to my tires.

A quick drag on each wheel and the tires were completely clean again.

One other purpose for gloves is that if you have rubber grips, for example grip shifters on a hybrid or mountain bike, gloves will protect them from deterioration due to sweaty palms.

I ride two bikes with rubber grips, one always with gloves and one without.

After a few years, the grip shifters on my hybrid are ruined and the rubber can't be replaced without replacing the whole shifter.

The other bike's grips still look great after 8 years.

Trying not to mention what has already been said but:

Gloves that wick well will also help to keep you cooler (and cut offs are not a significant disadvantage in this sense, due to surface area to volume ratios and blood flow.)

The main reasons for choosing cut off gloves as opposed to more protective full finger gloves (given that both can keep you more or less equally cool if made out of the right materials) is partially personal preference, but often relates to better feel when dealing with zips, packed food/energy, gear adjustment and not having to take them off when working on the bike, some also claim a superior feel for the brakes.

What other activities are they useful for: potentially anything where you grip anything but don't need your finger tips covered or are willing to take the risk of finger tip injury, also for typing in the cold.

I use gym gloves for cycling, better value, fit AND durability (in my case) than cycling equivalents at twice the price.

I only use actual cycling gloves when it comes to full-finger + extra protection, or waterproof + breathable (since those are expensive in any sport, so I may as well have something with more attention to cycling relevant details).

Question: I haven't cycled for many years already and long ago when I was cycling I didn't pay much attention to equipment. Now I see that many cyclists wear a certain kind of gloves - that only cover the palm and leave the fingers uncovered.  What's the purpose of wearing such gloves (and not usual gloves for example)? In what non-cycling activities can such gloves be useful?

What's the purpose of cycling gloves?

Cycling gloves do a few basic things:   reduce friction between your hands and handlebars, which could otherwise cause blisters  dampen vibrations which might cause hand/finger numbness  reduce pressure on your ulnar nerve, which also causes numbness   Of course, if none of these are problems for you, it's fine to ride without them.

One of the main benefits of cycling gloves is padding, which tends to reduce friction, numbness and vibrations, and makes for a more comfortable riding experience overall. Moreover, cycling gloves are a means of protecting your hands in the event of a fall or a crash, and keep them warm or cool, depending on the weather. Finally, cycling gloves provide better grip for the rider, and protect rubber from sweat.

Cycling gloves are a means of protecting your hands in the event of a fall or a crash.

You can use cycling gloves to keep your hands warm or cool depending on the weather.

Cycling gloves provide better grip for the rider, and protect rubber from sweat.


Well, it depends a lot on the specific model of bike, and likely even on the exact frame size.

You can probably eyeball it to get a good idea.

Remember that larger tires are both wider and stick out more from the wheel.

On a road bike, odds are high that you can put a slightly larger (say, go from 25mm to 30mm) tire but not a hugely larger tire.

If you want to make a big jump you probably also want to get wheels with a wider rim.

Note that for off-road tires, the knobs aren't usually counted in the mm size but definitely do affect whether or not the tires fit on your bike.

Look for: Front and rear:

Brake clearance — can a larger tire fit in the brakes?

If this is the only issue, you can get different brakes

Rear:

Stay width — will a wider tire rub on any of the stays (rear)?

Rear:

Stay bridge clearance* —

will a larger tire hit the bridge between seat stays or chain stays?

Rear: Seat tube clearance —

many bikes have a geometry where too large of a wheel/tire will hit the seat tube above the cranks Front: Fork clearance — how much room is there under the fork crown?

(height and width)

Front:

Down tube clearance — how much extra room before the front tire hits the downtube?

Road frames come in a wide variety of styles, so it's impossible to give an exact answer without knowing more about your bike.

Also keep in mind that wider tires also have a larger diameter, so your bike has to have enough clearance for both.

A typical modern road bike with caliper brakes is going to have very tight tolerances: many will max out at a 28mm tire, some at only 25mm.

When mine was built, I had the frame customized and used long reach brakes just to allow 28mm tires plus fenders --

even then it's a tight fit.

Another problem with calipers and wide tires is that you may not have enough brake cable slack to remove the wheel easily (I have to deflate mine slightly to get the tire past the brake shoes).

Touring and cyclocross frames tend to be built with much more generous proportions and have room for bigger tires.

Using cantilever brakes also helps give much more tire clearance vs. calipers.

My last touring frame used 32mm tires and could have easily gone up to at least 35mm, if not bigger.

If you're putting on much larger tires, you should also consider larger rims (see Sheldon Brown's tire/rim sizing chart ).

Using a big tire on too small a rim is a recipe for trouble.

Plus a wider rim adds more strength.

So you may need a wheel rebuild to make this happen.

If your bike has 700C wheels, you could convert to 650B.

The wheel radius is only 25mm less, so most things work the same, but you have that much more room for tires and fenders.

You'll probably need to replace your brakes with long-reach brakes.

In the eight years since this question was written, road-style bikes with fatter, grippier tyres for off-road use have become pretty common.

They're usually called "gravel bikes" or "adventure bikes".

Plenty of companies are making bikes of this type: essentially, a relaxed-geometry road-ish frame with enough tyre clearance for something like 40mm tyres for use on ground that's, say, as rough as a hiking trail but not so rough that you'd need a mountain bike.

I have a Norco Search 2017 Sora and actually has 700x38C tires (B'Twin tires).

It came originally with Schwalbe Road Cruiser 700x32c K-Guard.

So, it depends what are the height and width of the fork.

For our small expedition with our bicycles in Patagonia we invested into slightly larger tires and more durable ones (we choose the Schwalbe Marathon XR in 700C, the widest our bike frame could accomodate).

It did quite a change, you hear more the tire noises, it helps better in muddy terrain and feels more confortable in gravel roads or in the fields.

However, it's not really good in sandy parts or when the gravels are too big or too loose.

Overall it was a good and needed change, it would have been much less confortable to ride down in Patagonia with out those wider tires.

If you decide to change yours, follow freiheit advice or go pay a visit to a local bicycle shop.

It's not always possible to put different tires because of the rim, brakes or frame.

Question: I am curious if anyone has put larger tires (mountainish) on their road bike.  I am thinking about doing this to do some riding on gravel roads/touring/commuting from rural areas.  I have an older steel Norco.  How rough can I ride this with bigger tires without damaging the bike?  (Purely just for curiosity.  I am not planning on doing any drops etc but if I drop off a curb now and then does that matter?)

Larger tires on a road bike

It is not always possible to put mountain bike wheels on a road bike because of the rim, brakes and frame. It depends on the bike. To find out if this change can be done, follow the advice on freiheit or pay a visit to your local bike shop.

Determining tire size, and whether you could use larger tires at all, may depend on the bike's model, as well as on specific parameters like the rim, brakes and frame. On an average road bike there is little leeway for larger tires, and the effect of a tire change is not great. If the change is performed, it is best to have it done by a professional.


Pushing down on the pedals is a natural thing.

So to improve the "roundness" of your pedal stroke, completely ignore the down-stroke, instead focus on the following: Continuing the pedal stroke "across the bottom".

This will probably feel something like trying to scrape mud off the bottom of your shoe.

On the up-stroke, focus on driving your knee upwards toward the handlebar.

At the top of the up-stroke, focus on sliding your foot over and down into the down-stroke.

Focusing on the non-instinctive 3/4 of the pedal stroke has really helped me improve form.

Using a fixed gear (or staying in a low-ish gear), find someplace where you can spin out your cadence (a slight down-hill but not too steep).

Focusing on the 3/4 of the stroke that isn't pushing straight down, pedal as fast as you can until you find yourself starting to bounce.

Keep doing this, and as you get better at the non-down-stroke, you'll find that the pedaling cadence at which you start bouncing will get higher and higher, as your pedal stroke gets more round.

One of the best reasons for having a round pedal stroke is efficiency.

If you pedal stroke is smooth and efficient, you will get more power to the wheels with less effort.

Some exercises for improving your pedal stroke; the winter is a great time for such low intensity exercises.

Pedal a very big gear up

hill (20-40 rpm) for intervals of 5-10 min x 2-5/day Pedal with one leg at a time

2-5x4-10 min x twice/week Ride rollers Ride a fixed gear combine two or more of the above.

Also note that it is not actually possible to get a perfect pedal stroke.

I learned the above exercises from one of Massimo Testa's apprentices who was coaching the UC Davis cycling team.

My pedal stroke was smoother than many professionals who had been through the lab, but as you can see (below) my dead spot (going over the top) was only 1/6 as powerful as my down stroke (at 90 degrees).

This test was done with pressure sensors on each pedal.

My right and left feet are shown by the blue and red lines respectively, at a constant power of 120W and about 90 rpm.

Pushing and pulling and rhythm: You'll certainly need clipless pedals - you won't develop a decent stroke if you're only pushing down on the pedal.

You need to be pulling as well.

I would advocate spending some time riding a fixie, too.

If you have to keep you legs moving, you will start to feel more connected to your bike and its speed.

Get yourself a cadence monitor and try to maintain an even cadence when in different gears.

When you're not on your fixed, concentrate on spinning your legs.

Perhaps try a gear or two higher than you might, purely to spin up a higher cadence.

Also maybe trying a stationary spinning bike.

First, make sure that you're properly fitted to the bike.

Very hard to get it right without the basics being in place.

If you ride on a trainer some of the time, consider getting a set of rollers.

They force you to ride smoothly at a high cadence so you don't bounce up and down, and I've seen them dramatically improve my girlfriend's pedalling technique.

They're much better for your technique than a turbo trainer.

Question: I know a part of biking endurance and speed come from having a perfect pedal stroke. What should I do to improve my pedal stroke?

How can I improve my pedal stroke?

There are a number of ways to improve pedal stroke. First, you could get a cadence monitor and try to maintain an even cadence when in different gears. Some exercises for improving your pedal stroke would help; these could be done in winter, which is a great time for such low intensity exercises. A pushing and pulling and rhythm is required and to do this clipless pedals are needed. It is hard to develop a decent stroke if you're only pushing down on the pedal. Finally, spending some time riding a fixie is another tip.

It would be a good idea to follow a specific pedal technique, aiming to round your stroke and start bouncing. You could try relevant exercises for your pedal stroke. To this end, you could get started on a stationary bike, use clipless pedals to push and pull with the same rhythm and force, or try rollers. A fixed gear bike could also be useful while you train. Moreover, you could experiment with higher gears while trying to maintain a steady cadence. It is possible to use a cadence monitor to better track your progress. At any rate, before practicing your stroke, check that you have adjusted your bike to fit your body.

You could try relevant exercises for your pedal stroke. To this end, you could get started on a stationary bike.

You might want to use clipless pedals to push and pull with the same rhythm and force.

A fixed gear bike could be useful while you train.

You could experiment with higher gears while trying to maintain a steady cadence. It is possible to use a cadence monitor to better track your progress.

Before practicing your stroke, check that you have adjusted your bike to fit your body.

You could use rollers while training to get accustomed to riding at a high cadence evenly.


The reason is historical.

Fixed gear bikes have been traditionally used for track racing, long after most other bikes had switched to using freewheels.

In the high-speed velodrome environment, it would be dangerous if the rider in front of you could brake suddenly: you would crash into them, and likely most of the group behind you would join in the fun

(this is also true in a paceline or peloton on normal roads).

So brakes have always been banned, and aren't really needed on the track anyway.

But track bikes sometimes get retired to road use.

And as fixed gear has gotten more popular, many frame makers are building similar bikes for the road.

Some of them are closer to track bikes (no brakes), others might include front brakes or both front and rear.

You surely must mean a fixed gear bike.

A freewheeling bike with no brakes is going to require you to stop via crashing, some sort of flinstones-esque maneuver, or a ted shred move.

A fixed gear bike can be ridden marginally safely because the pedals are locked to the rear wheel in both directions, so locking up your legs can slow down the rear wheel.

People do that because they believe it gives them a better connection and feel with the road, a more 'zen' riding experience, and that the bike has better looks.

Fixed gear bikes are ridden in track racing with no brakes, and so the track bike origin is part of why people ride them on the street with no brakes.

There are still many people who have brakes on fixed gear bikes.

I have a fixed gear, but I have brakes on it because I prefer to stop quickly and safely. People that ride coasting bikes with no brakes are insane.

Lastly, this excludes coaster braked bikes, which have a brake built in the hub, common on bikes for small children.

A track bike has no brakes because braking would cause a pile up.

When a fixie on the road has no brakes it is because someone is being macho.

They will insist they can stop just as quickly or they can always see the road and path ahead.

The former being easily disproven and the latter generally being optimistic.

There seems to be a fair overlap with the same crowd that shuns helmets in traffic.

I ride a fixie with two brakes (rear rarely used).

The bike store near me sells fixed gear bikes set up for both track (no brakes, swept handlebars so as not to catch) and for road (with brakes and regular handlebars).

My fixed gear bike has brakes.

And I wear a helmet when riding it.

And I don't listen to my iPod while on the bike.

I'm the new non-conformist.

Why spoil the clean look of a lumberjack shirt, rolled up jeans and espadrilles with hideous cabling, calipers and pads?

I'm not sure about that assumption, while you can ride a fixed without brakes and use solely pedal pressure, I wouldn't want to rely on it on the road.

Track bikes don't have brakes and historically fixies came from the track.

My fixed has both front and rear (although I don't use the rear much as it chews through pads) and while I can brake reasonably well with just the pedals, through in the front brake too

and I can stop on a sixpence.

Of course, in the UK to be strictly road-legal you must have at least one brake.

Question: It seems to be assumed you will not have any brakes on a fixed gear bike, why?

Why don’t fixed gear bikes have brakes?

Track bikes don't have brakes and historically fixies came from the track. They have become more and more popular and are now made for the road. Their track origin is part of the reason why people ride them on the road with no brakes. When a fixie on the road has no brakes it is because someone is being macho.

Historically, fixed gear bikes are used in track racing, where breaks are unnecessary and could in fact create a pile-up crash. Retired track bikes, or bikes inspired from this design have followed the same tradition. Regardless, fixed gear bikes are often a stylistic choice, as they arguably give a better look to the bike and driver alike, and allow for a more natural riding experience.

Fixed gear bikes are often a stylistic choice, as they arguably give a better look to the bike and driver alike, and allow for a more natural riding experience.