What's new at sheldonbrown.com
As of 2018, fatbikes and disk brakes have led to several new axle-length standards. The problem of disk brakes’ pulling the hub out of the front dropouts has been addressed with thru axles, which insert into a fork with a hole rather than a slot at the end of each blade. Our chainline page and cribsheet as well as our frame spacing page and cribsheet are now updated to cover these developments.
We have a major update to our page on upgrading older bicycles to index shifting. This can be done at a lower cost than you may expect, because there is usually no need to replace the rear wheel! Shifter choices, parts compatibility issues.
Our article about cassettes has been updated to include information on 11-speed systems. Interesting — all major brands of 11-speed casettes now have the same sprocket spacing. Most rear derailers and shifters are not compatible, though. We can tell you which ones are.
Major update of the 10-speed cassette page — covers new models and an additional brand.
These levers no longer index properly when the grease inside gums up — and the internals are very complicated. John Allen has posted an article describing several approaches to repair of these levers, and with a link to an expert in rebuilding them.
Minor edits, a tag line and a photo added to Tom Shaddox’s article about the Schwinn Varsity.
