Fix Tips

What caused your flat tire?

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

First, be sure not to miss this important news about Energy Wasting Day.
Noah posted his ten quick tips for bike commuters on Monday. Among the tips is learning basic bike maintenance. Among the more common repairs for cyclists is fixing a flat, so it’s good to know what causes flats and how to avoid them.

Pinch [...]

Grinding brakes test nerves and rims

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

I’ve been using SwissStop all-weather pads on my road bike for a while, but this morning, they started grinding.  As it turns out, the temperatures here are still below freezing, and that made the brake pads harder and harsher.  Little by little, they started to scour aluminum off of my rims.  This made a horrible [...]

DiNotte 200L - Quick Fixes

Friday, February 8th, 2008

At the beginning of November, I put together a very thorough review of the DiNotte 200L-AA-S headlight. DiNotte’s lights have been praised by commuters, tourers and randoneers alike because of their long run time, ample light output and intuitive and flexible battery solutions.
I’ve now been using the DiNotte 200L for about three and a [...]

How-To: Ensure consistent shifting all winter long

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

One word: Friction!
I just posted an article about friction shifting over on Blue Collar Mountain Biking, another Crooked Cog Network site. If you are commuting through snowy, slushy, or just plain cold weather, it might help you out.
You can check it out here.

Maintenance

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

Maintenance is key to prolonging the life of your bike and your safety.  Last night on my way home I had a close call because of my lack of maintenance.
I was riding home on kept hearing a weird rattling sound  coming from my rear wheel/drivetrain.  Not sure what was causing it and nothing really seemed [...]

Commuting 101: Flat Resistance

Monday, July 2nd, 2007

Most of use who regularly commute by bike have put up with flat tires. To avoid flats, a number of aftermarket products are available that promise to reduce or eliminate flats. They add weight to the outside of the rotating tire, but any time and energy lost while cycling is more than made up for [...]