Brake types for bikes

Brake Types for Bikes list

brake type	example	take note	retrofit needs
rim	Caliper (most modern ?) V-brake (wire across top) Cantilever (old ?)	weak in wet
disc		strong in wet hydraulic (future standard ?) or mechanical (cheaper)	hub adapter ? (remove spokes ? new wheel ?) fork adapter (fork adapter or new fork with disc fixings ?)
drum/roller/hub	roller is shimano version	niche. needs special hub ? heats too easy ? good in wet ?	need hub on new wheel or remove spokes ? need compatible fork ?

update : none yet

Caliper bike brakes

Above is a table I am using to make sense of brake types for bikes. It could be incorrect. Currently I have 'caliper' rim brakes but thinking of switching the front to either a disc brake or hub brake for more safety. The front brakes seem the most important as I use them about 95% of the time.

Reason for table :
Trying to gather my thoughts as hard to find choices in quick view method. My understanding is 2/10. Will update table when more is known. 

My current brakes : Caliper rim brakes
Thinking of : replacing front with hub or disc.
Brake lever type on my bike : flatbar (MTB brake levers)

Reason for changing :
Rim brakes lose a lot of power in the wet. Disc and roller brakes are not affected by wet. For commuters I think at least the front brakes should be disc (or less likely ... roller).

Decathlon B-Twin brand : 1st place I look for bike components

Decathlon (UK) is a shop I now look at first for bike components. The usual choices for brake and drivetrain components etc are Shimano and Sram and seem to have a decades long duopoly.

Recently I noticed Decathlon have bike components using their B-Twin branding. I trust this shop and they have a casual returns policy, and they also tend to offer quality products as their own brand at much cheaper prices than alternatives.

So currently they are my first point of reference when looking for anything to do with cycling including clothes

There are only a few stores in the UK. They have the same type of store presence as IKEA.

Decathlon UK Cycling dept

Items I have bought

7/8 speed 11-34 tooth rear derailleur : £7.99
to replace Shimano

V-brake pads 

Commuter Waterproof Overshoes : my list

My search for an ideal commuter bike waterproof overshoe is ongoing
Here I will keep a list of my consumer journey

Table : list of waterproof overshoes I have tried or interested in
Purpose : To help me buy or recommend a set of overshoes for my size 11 trainers/shoes in wet weather 

Waterproof Overshoes List

Velotoze	Bought sept 2015 Like the concept (Sleek, light, easy to carry ) but ripped when removing  after 3 goes Too easy to rip ? Struggled to put on (without talc) Maybe not for ordinary footwear and maybe my size 11 trainers were too big for the size (large)   verdict : not for consumer cycling ?
Boardman overshoes (Halfords) £14.99	Bought Nov 2015 update zip is poor quality. broke. protection wasn't so good in the bin

Rear Derailleur High Low Limit screws : which way to turn ? and indexing tension

H Hi High

 smallest

 hardest

 gear (furthest from wheel)

L Lo Low 

biggest

easiest

 gear (nearest the wheel)

H screw (furthest from wheel)

clockwise : moves the derailleur IN towards the wheel

anti clockwise : moves the derailleur OUT

L screw (nearest wheel)

clockwise : moves the derailleur OUT

anti clockwise : moves the derailleur IN

H - clock - in

H - anti - out

L clock - out

L - anti - in

Derailleur hanger / dropout replacement : A checklist

Example of a hanger

Bicycle Derailleur Hanger replacement
Replacing a hanger can be a nightmare.
What are the 'rules' when replacing one ?

Here is my 'naive' list for when having to replace your hanger.
My knowledge : 3/10

Is there a universal/generic hanger ?	No. Your hanger will likely be specific to your frame
do the bike makers make spare hangers ?	It seems most don't. CNC machine companies sell copies on Ebay/Amazon etc.
How do I identify my hanger ?	If you know the bike make and model and year. But in the end it seems theVISUAL comparison is the most important bit. It has to look very like a copy on a CNC list of hangers
Are the generic hangers in shops any use ?	Probably only as a 'get me home' hanger, if that. It probably will fit badlyif at all
How many hanger types are there ?	100+ ?
Where should I buy ?	Probably Ebay from a CNC comapny. Check their photo list or send them an email. You could send them a photo of your hanger to help
Try the bike maker ?	You could try
Hanger bolt	If you still have your old hanger bolt you can use that. If not, you'd be best buying the bolt too. This will be an option by Ebay sellers
Price	Expect maybe around £7/$15 without bolt ? Add another £1/$1 for bolt

Shimano Rear Derailleur cage sizes SS GS SGS

Shimano rear derailleur cage sizes (reference)

Short - SS

Medium - GS

Long - SGS

My (naive) understanding.

When buying a rear derailleur (Shimano code RD)
Also keep in mind the cage length
In general short cage (SS) will have a short looking cage and long a long lookingcage
My understanding is that longer cages can deal with bigger teeth gears (front and/or back)

Examples :
A short cage (SS) probably won't cope with a 34 teeth big gear on a rear cassette. Maybe best for 26t rear max (?)
A long cage will likely cope with a 34 teeth rear cassette

Keep in mind to take into account the size of your front gears
It's about how much chain the rear cage can deal with from both the front and rear gear sizes. 

Road bikes often seem to have a 'smaller' 1st rear gear (e.g. 26 teeth) and SS cages are often for them (probably the point is that SS will be quicker for changing gear)
MTB's often have a 32 or 34 teeth rear 1st gear (big looking) and will probably need a GS or SGS (can deal with bigger teeth on rear or front)

My current status on this subject : pretty unsure but I have a 34t rear cassette so going for SGS to be safe. Awaiting more wisdom.

Shimano FD-R443 front derailleur : a quick look

Shimano DR-R443 front derailleur for triple front rings
For road bikes with a flatbar
This one is compatible with 7-8 speeds. I think the newer version also fits 9 speed.
For double front rings you would choose the FD-R440

This is the front derailleur on my commuter bike. It seems to be specifically for road bikes with a flatbar. I guess intended to be used for a road-bike chainset with mountain bike shifters. Maybe the indexing is specifically set.

Good quality. I have seen some shops list it as a Tiagra component, but my research does not confirm this. Looks more like a component from no group.

Weight : mine is 105g

Shimano bike websites

Official Shimano Bike Websites
Shimano USA Shimano EU (english)

In my opinion comparing Shimano bike components is unnecessarily difficult including on the official Shimano sites. It's a pity for the general cyclist. Here are the official USA and EU (english) sites anyhow.

Shimano groupset list

My knowledge of subject : 3/10

I have compiled this list for my own use to try and make sense of the Shimano groupsets. The lists are from wikipedia (abbreviated). My understanding is that the groupset tend to mean the 'mechanical' parts of the bike. This would usually be the drivetrain and shifters and brake levers. (?)

Shimano Road groupsets (2013)	Shimano MTB groupsets (2011)
For 2013, Shimano road bicycle groupsets include: Dura-Ace  Ultegra [6800] (11 speed) Ultegra [6700] (10 speed) 105 [5800] (11 speed) 105 [5700] (10 speed) Tiagra [4600] (10 speed) Sora [3500] (9 speed) Claris [2400] (8 speed)	XTR (10) Saint (9) Deore XT (9/10) SLX (9/10) Zee (10) Hone (9) Deore LX (8/9) Deore (9/10) Alivio (8/9) Acera (8) Altus (8) Tourney (8)

Link to wikipedia page
RCUK article : buyer's guide to road bike groupsets

List of cycling wind noise blockers

Cycling ear protectors (from wind noise etc)

I am compiling a list of 'ear protectors' that are designed to protect the ears from wind noise when cycling. This is an ongoing project

List of wind blockers tried : my opinion

Airstreamz (formerly Cat Ears) Tried. Didn't notice any difference. Fit to your helmet so can't be worn without. Too expensive

Windfree : Tried. Felt these worked at low speeds but not above that. Say under 15km (speed + windspeed) Once you get to around 15km speed (or wind is that high) the protection dips, though I guess it still helps a bit. You wear on ears so no helmet needed. Can be sweaty when hot, or wet when raining. Doesnt't block non-wind noise. I would design it to dampen all noise a bit (say at the front). Very awkward to buy (2014 ... from Swedish website. Amazon would be nice). Too expensive.

Finger test : if you put a finger in front of your ear when air is passing you at speed you can see how good ear protection could be. The 2 I have tried came nowhere near this.

Verdict : Still would choose to design my own but for now I use windfree

List of known wind-blockers (2015)

AirStreamz 

cat-ears pro 2014

Former name : Cat ears

Price : around $12 - $22
Buy at : Their website. Based in Denver Colorado
http://www.cat-ears.com/

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Slipstreamz

Price : Around $22 ?
Buy at : their website. South African company ?
http://www.slipstreamz.com/

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Wind-blox

Price : £15/$15 ? 
http://wind-blox.com/

Blog Discounts (courtesy of Windblox) :
10% discount on Wind-blox website : use code gocommuterbike (see this comment)
15% off Wind-blox pro on their site : use code gocommuterbikePRO (see this comment)

Available on Amazon

Amazon USA : Wind-blox 

Amazon UK : Wind-blox

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Windfree

Price : 31 Euros ?
Based : Sweden
http://www.windfree.se/en/home

update jul21 :

Been using this for years. Works like a mic muff. Diffuses low wind noise.

It works for me, until around 14kph  (then I guess still dampens real noise).

A bit warm in hot weather but def worthwhile for me <14kph (maybe <15mph. I can't recall). 

 

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Windrush headband

A thick headband with ear protection
price : £25 plus shipping ?
Windrush website (Sweden) : link