New article, all about inner tubes: tire fit, the three kinds of valves, pump compatibility, tips and tricks.
Inner tubes
Author: John
Leather saddle repair
A rail on your Brooks leather saddle broke? Our new page lists repair sites around the world. Your repaired saddle will be better than new, because it is broken in. Photo: Simon Firth, of Transport cycles, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, authorized Brooks repair site. Do-it-yourself repair is also sometimes possible and we tell how.
Shimano Rollerbrake page updated
Revisions to the Shimano Rollerbrake page: links to Shimano’s (finally) well-organized compilation of Rollerbrake documentation; information on installing front Rollerbrakes.
Additions to the Shimano 8-speed IG hub page
Sheldonbrown.com reader Bruce Dance has contributed some helpful information on compatibility — or the lack of it — among different models. Read it on the 8-speed internal-gear hub page
.
Choosing a bicycle headlight
Just in time for standard-time winter commutes — an article about choosing a headlight for your bicycle!
Spoking for large hubs, improved
The article on special spoking patterns for use with extra-large hubs (for example, electric bicycle hub motors) has been improved with patterns which avoid twisting the hub shell for two of the hub and rim combinations. The article includes all the information needed to use Damon Rinard’s Spocalc (also on the site) to calculate spoke lengths for these patterns.
Bicycle frame fatigue-resistance testing
The groundbreaking article about fatigue-resistance testing of bicycle frames — the results surprised even the people doing the test — now in a much-improved new translation from the original German.
Framebuilder information from Damon Rinard
Another Rinard article updated: his page of links to information, sources of materials and software for amateur frame builders.
Damon’s do-it-yourself carbon-fiber bicycle frame
Damon Rinard built a carbon-fiber bicycle frame in his garage! And we have just updated his pages describing how he did it, including sources for materials and tools. He points out that it’s actually much easier to build a carbon fiber frame than a steel frame.
Check spoke tension by ear when building a wheel
Check the level of spoke tension by ear — unless you are tone deaf, a musical pitch reference (pitch pipe, tuning fork, smartphone app etc.) is all you need to tell whether you have brought spokes up to the appropriate level of tension when building a wheel. It’s faster than using a tensiometer!
