5 Reasons Why Bottom Bracket Upgrades Are Often Pointless
Despite all the noise and hype, the reality is that bottom-bracket upgrades are a bit overrated, to put it mildly. Below are 5 reasons why it's not worth investing in…
How To Install Claris Shifters On an MTB (practical tips)
A while back I asked myself - what would be the cheapest way to add brake-shifters (the type of shifters found on road bikes) to an MTB? My instinctive reaction…
Combining an Ultegra Chain and a Tiagra Cassette (hidden knowledge)
The compatibility between a chain and a cassette depends primarily on the number of speeds that each of them is designed for. Since chains and cassettes are considered consumables (in…
Shimano Altus Parts On a Road Bike? A Good Combination or Maybe Not So Much?
This derailleur has served me well. Shimano Altus is an underrated group set. I have it on my hardtail, and it has operated just fine for 10-15000 kilometers. The only…
Matching Shimano Sora Shifters with Tiagra Derailleurs
Sora shifters can be used with a Tiagra derailleur from the 4500 and 4600 series because 9 and 10-speed Shimano rear road derailleurs have the same rear shift ratio (1.7:1).The…
Everything You Need To Know About Moustache Handlebars (one epic bike guide)
What Are Moustache Handlebars? Mustache handlebars get their name from their shape resembling a curved "retro" mustache. To the untrained eye, they might appear identical to comfort handlebars, but this…
Mounting a Rear Rack Via The Quick-Release Skewer – Safe or Not?
Condensed Answer: It's fine to install a rear rack via the quick-release skewers when the following conditions are met: The rack isn't overloaded (less than 17kg/37.4lbs) The support struts of…
Everything You Need To Know About Sliding Dropouts (let’s go)
Below you will find the main properties of sliding dropouts as well as the issues associated with this style of frame engineering. Definitions Dropouts. The parts of the frame/fork to…
Everything You Need To Know About Carbon Dropouts (let’s go)
This post reveals the properties of carbon dropouts and the issues that they create. What are carbon dropouts? The dropouts are the parts of the frame and fork to which…
Reach vs. Effective Top Tube (my detailed comparison)
This post compares and explains the differences between the terms reach and effective top tube. Definitions Reach - the horizontal distance from the center of the bottom bracket to the…