Following are bicycling questions sent to us by you, our bicycle riding readers, and answered by mechanics representing the fourteen RAGBRAI official bicycle shops.

To review the guidelines for asking questions, please look them up here.

We look forward to helping you, our riding readers, and sincerely hope and wish that you send us your questions concerning bicycling.

SUBJECT: CHOOSING A USED HYBRID OR MOUNTAIN BIKE FOR RAGBRAI

John from Lincoln, Nebraska, asks:
I am fairly new to biking. I am planning on purchasing a used hybrid or mountain bike this spring. What is most important to look for when purchasing a used bicycle taking into consideration I will be riding this bike on RAGBRAI?

Dave Hendrick, owner of Connecticut Yankee Pedaller in Chariton, Iowa answers:

Dear John,
One of the most important considerations when purchasing a used (or new) bicycle is the use of that bicycle. You are looking to go on RAGBRAI, and that means that most of the roads will be hard surfaced. Terrain on RAGBRAI can range from level to extremely hilly. You mention a hybrid or mountain bicycle as possible styles for purchase. A hybrid bicycle will be much faster under these conditions, and the comfort level will be quite sufficient for longer trips. In addition to type of bicycle, frame size is also very important for you to be comfortable. This includes both proper seat height as well as reach to the handlebars. I won’t go into depth in this venue to describe that fit. See the staff at a competent bicycle shop for assistance there. Lastly, if you are looking to save money by purchasing a used bicycle instead of new, make sure that the frame and all the components are free from cracks, bends, loose bolts, and so forth. I have seen many a used bicycle where claims are made that there is no problem, when in reality there are a number of problems that need to be addressed! Some of these problems can only be seen upon disassembly of the bicycle to inspect the bearings. It is also very useful to know how many miles a used bicycle has been ridden, in what conditions (such as clean or dirty), and the maintenance the previous owner(s) have completed.
Happy trails!!
Dave

SUBJECT: CHAIN CLEANING AND LUBING

Kathy Hudgens asks:

Hi! Could you please help clear up the grease/paraffin question as to what or how to lube the chain? I hate the mess grease makes, so I use the paraffin type. If I have time, I break the chain (does this weaken it?), clean it in hot Simple Green, drop it in a jar of melted paraffin, then bake it about 20 minutes in a 200 degree oven. Then I pull it out, let it cool, break the links loose and put it back on. Nice dry, clean chain. I squirt lube between cleanings. Is this okay? There is so much said about how much, how often, and what to put on. Some say leave the extra, some say wipe it off.
So, what should we do?

The answer to Kathy’s inquiry:
Thank you for your question. Chain maintenance can be as simple or complex as you wish to make it. I personally never use my bike chain. I lube it. Grease is for the bearings in your hubs, bottom bracket, and headset. The steps you described are very effective. I will assume that you have the correct chain removal tool and know how to use said tool. Paraffin is okay. It doesn’t last very long. Wax (paraffin) on; wax flies off. There are many brands of bike specific chain lubes available from your local bike dealer. I use different chain lubes in our business. I do not have one particular favorite. This evolves and changes when someone else comes out with a new chain lube. One particular brand had revolutionized the market. Can you say White Lightning? (Editor’s Note: This question is more than likely aimed at me, rather than a smart-assed comment to Kathy.) It is a wax-based lube that several other companies have similar types of lubes. The conditions that you ride in; sunny, rainy, dirt-mud, low miles, mega-miles, will dictate your chain maintenance.
The simple answer is:
Start with a clean chain. Clean by whatever method you choose. There are several chain degreasers available that don’t require chain removal. Lube your chain thoroughly and wipe off the excess. I shift the bike to the highest gear, biggest chainring on the front and smallest cog on the rear cassette sprocket. While pedaling, I apply lube to the chain at the smaller pulley on the rear derailleur. Continue pedaling after application of lube to work it in. Wait a few minutes. Then, with a clean rag, grasp the chain while pedaling to wipe off excess.
Kathy, all bike chain lubes have directions on the back of their package for the respective applications.
Thank you.
Go ride.
Greg Harper
Harper’s Cycling and Fitness
Muscatine, Iowa

SUBJECT: SUSPENSION ON HYBRID BICYCLES

We had an anonymous question that concerned the upside and the downside of using suspension forks and seatposts on hybrid bikes for RAGBRAI. The opinions here would also apply to mountain bikes.

The answer to this query:
The feedback that I have received through the years is that the use of a shock seatpost is a GOOD idea (using care not to make it tooooo mushy). However, the use of front shocks is not as good of an idea, as it robs too much energy from your pedaling and makes the ride seem even longer and slower. The new hybrid bicycles with the "road" suspension forks seem like they would work a lot better than trying to convert a front-suspension mountain bike to a "road" bike. However, in my opinion, I overall do not feel that front suspension is a good idea.

Russ Clark
Europa Cycle and Ski
Cedar Falls, Iowa

SUBJECT: CYCLING SHORTS

Tim Trottman of Englewood, Colorado, asks:
Mr. Wrenchhead,
What do you really get when you spend more money on cycling shorts? I am a little larger than average 48 year old that has a tough time finding shorts that are comfortable. Does cost affect fit or comfort? Thanks.

The answer:
Mr. Trottman,
You have a good question on cycling shorts. What we tell customers in our store is you want to buy as good a short as you can afford. The better shorts have a better pad in them. These better pads are made of a better quality antibacterial material and have a better cut to be more contoured to the body. We usually advise people to look for a short with eight panels, which is the number of strips of material used in making the short. The more panels allow for a better fit and more comfort in the short. Your better shorts will also have a band around the bottom to help hold them to your legs.
Tailwinds,
Tom Letsche
Letsche’s Bike Shop
Cherokee, Iowa

SUBJECT: BULLETPROOF HYBRID WHEELS FOR A 300 POUND RIDER

I, Mr. Wrenchhead, am very sorry that the original question has been misplaced somewhere here. However, I remember that the reading rider has been on at least two RAGBRAIs, and he related to my comments on wheels in last month’s edition of Tech Tips, as he is three hundred pounds and has had some wheel problems. He is tired of snapping spokes on his 32 spoke OEM wheel and would gladly spend the money to have quality wheels built for peace of mind.

The response from our mechanics is:
Todd,
Sorry to hear you’ve had problems with your wheels and with finding advice on a solution. You have a start at an answer from whoever mentioned that you consider wheels with a greater number of spokes. The rims, spoke gauge, and tires are also factors.

First- Number of Spokes
You have three options in this regard: 36, 40, or 48 spoke wheels.
36 would give you the widest selection of hubs, a good selection of rims, and would be the least expensive. However, at only four more spokes per wheel than what you’ve got now, this is also least likely to solve your problem. 40 really narrows your selection of hubs and rims. The price will be higher and finding a rear hub of the correct width to fit your bicycle may become an issue (but not an insurmountable one). At 40 spokes you have a good chance of solving your problem. 48 gives you about the same hub and rim selection issues as with 40. Price will again be somewhat higher. But, the wheels should be pretty much bombproof!

Second- Rims
In general- the wider the better when it comes to rims. A wider rim works better with a larger tire (see below) in making a more durable wheelset. As to brands of rims, MAVIC or Sun comes to mind as high quality options, but there are others. You don’t necessarily need to have the most expensive rims but you probably want to stay away from the least expensive ones.

Third- Spoke Gauge
Really only one recommendation here: stainless steel straight 14 gauge (2.0mm.) spokes.

Fourth- Tires
You are running a 700c x 32 now. Maybe go up to a 700c x 38 or larger (the upper limit is whether or not it rubs on the frame). The tire is a shock absorber and helps limit the stresses that get passed on to the wheel (and to you). You also mentioned that you opted for a suspension fork and this does help up front but not, however, on the rear. Tire pressure is kind of a mixed bag. You probably won’t find larger tires that run real high pressure and if you did, a super hard tire (like 140psi) would probably pass more stress to the wheel. And, of course, low pressure can mean bottoming out and that really puts the stress on. You are at 70psi now, and you maybe want to look for something in the 90-100psi range.
One other point- you were wondering about brands of wheels and if it mattered who built them. All wheels are put together from a variety of components derived from many different manufacturers so "brand" is a hard term to apply. The who (and how) of wheel building is a different thing and, oh yes, it does matter. The range is from machine built, untouched by human hands, "generic" wheels (which are just fine for many uses) to those built one-at-a-time by an experienced builder. No doubt here about which costs more, but also no doubt as to which is more likely to solve your problem. A reputable independent bicycle dealer with an experienced wheel builder on staff should be able to listen to your description to the problems you have been having and do the following:

1. give you a range of price quotes for wheelsets
2. obtain the components and, if necessary, modify them to be compatible with your bike
3. build your new wheelset
4. re-tension and re-true your new wheels after the break-in period (This is critical as in newly built wheels, spokes will stretch slightly and spoke heads seat to the hubs. If re-tensioning is not done, it will not matter if the very best components were used as the wheels will give you problems!)

Bill Rumme
Bike World- Merle Hay Store
Des Moines, Iowa

Mr. Wrenchhead would like to invite all of you, our riding readers, to ask questions of our esteemed assemblage of bicycle wrenching minds. And, we would like to offer a hearty "Thanks!" to those who already have done so. Let’s face it: we’re here for your use. Please make us happy and make us think. Thank you all.