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Your chain wheel might be bent, or a tooth or teeth on it.

Mark the point on the chain wheel when the top of the chain starts developing a slack.

And rotate the crank and see if it happens at the same point every time.

Check the teeth at both the top and bottom where the chain is meeting the wheel.

If they look fine, get the chain wheel off and put it on a flat surface and see if it is bent.

Cheers, Doc

Anyone using Zwift and seeing crashes in the app/PC? After the major update of the app a few days ago my entire PC crashes beyond recovery (with BSOD). As of today I have lost around 80kms because the PC crashed and Zwift does not record history of workouts or at least I haven't been able to find it.

I am pretty sure its Zwift that's causing the death because it only happens when Zwift app is running - otherwise that PC keeps running 24/7. Plan was to complete a century on Zwift but now I am apprehensive to try it. Don't want it to crash at 90km mark. Or may be I could run Zwift app on phone but its a painful experience. The first time it happened I had done only about 12~kms, the second time was 47km or so and yesterday it crashed at 20~ kms. Surprised that the app does not store the rides that end abruptly even though it is connected to internet all the time.

Seems to be working fine for me. I use it on my Macbook or IPhone. Have you posted in zwiftforums? Losing mileage is no fun. My Wahoo Elemnt used to crash in the middle of an outdoor ride and if I did not stop immediately, I would lose the miles covered while it rebooted and recovered ongoing ride. But in your case, the entire ride is lost which is even more aggravating.

There is enough available memory on your pc?

I'll try the z forums. Didn't know that was a thing. I did a general Google search but outside of app crashing on phones I didn't find anything matching my symptoms. The PC is Ryzen 7 3rd gen which was overclocked. The first time app crashed, my first hunch was the overclocking, so I turned a notch down and ultimately reset to default voltage and clock speed but no dice. PC BSOD'ed twice after that. It's also incredibly random. Additionally I tried not having even a single app running in the background (I used to run YT Music) but that didn't make any difference. PC is running 32gb RAM, 2 sticks of 16. Haven't monitored memory usage when Zwift app is running but I'll be damned if it's overshooting 32 gigs. I'm completely lost at this. May be I'll run the app on iPad and not risk miles :Frustrati

In related news, decided it was an overkill to run Ultegra on Indoor trainer bike. So took apart the bike and replaced 11s Ultegra with 11s Sensah bits.
Apart from a slightly warped chainring from factory, things are great, functionally. Shifting is spot on including the FD trim. Overall quality and finishing is lackluster. Ironically though, it's about a 100 grams lighter so some weight savings to be had not that it matters on trainer but yeah. lol:

I reckon motorsports fans here will appreciate this :). Cannondale had this colorway for a short run and haven't seen other one like it.




Little rough around the edges and dusty but workable. Pretty old now but the frame itself is in near mint condition. Came with heavy componentry on it and worn out bits. Vast upgrade potential!




Stripped to the bone, upgrade time!

Flat spotted my rear tyre when a stray dog crossed my path on a downhill. Any safety concerns?
Tyre is 30 mm Vittoria corsa Next, run about 8000 kms.

I'll be a little worried about it. Not only that bald patch but that tire otherwise looks like it's done too.
8000 kms on Vittoria N.ext is a good mileage. I found it's softer compound as compared to GP5000s.

Thanks, same suggestion I got from some knowledgeable person. Unfortunately N.ext are quite expensive here at 12k for a set. I really liked them.
So I'm settling for Vittoria zaffiro pro @ 6k, which I feel is VFM.

Expensive and one of the hardest if not the hardest tires to seat. Took me 4 tries before the front one sat properly. But performance wise as good if not better than GP5k.

Look at Rubino pro too at slightly more cost.

Wow, I had a really tough time getting the Zaffiros on the rim. Compared to these the Corsa Next were easy. And so much more supple too. No wonder they cost almost double.
Oh they weigh in at 324 g while the Next is 229 G.

Was going to post in my "junkyard builds" thread, but 1) seems lately I've been accumulating junk more than building, and 2) this find just brought up such an interesting technical history that I thought it better to share in the broader community.

So (another) Manali cycle shop closed down a couple days ago... and I managed to pick up an oldie from them that I'd seen sitting in a corner there with others the past year or two:



Back in college in the late 80's, one of our more mysterious (and mysteriously moneyed) dorm-mates, apart from a (real) Rolex and an example of one of the first cellular phones (considering the shoulder-strap used to support its bulk, I hesitate to say "mobile" though strictly speaking it was), but anyway - Apart from these he also had bought a Cannondale bicycle, the first time I'd heard of the brand. It cost him $700 back then, I can't recall whether new or secondhand, but considering we were buying well-running old American V8 musclecars back then for that money, it was pretty shocking (any upcoming associated pun will not be intended)...

I don't ever recall seeing him ride it, come to think of it, and at that stage in my life didn't know enough about bicycles to appreciate the tech it (and my new purchase this morning) enjoyed.

Which among other things would be one of these...

For anyone not aware of what a "Headshok" was (I figure me till an hour ago, and 99% of the rest of us here), no, it was not associated with psychiatric practice, though some utilizing the tech may have tried to do some "insane" things with it. Please be enlightened:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x6wJQw...Fkc2hvaw%3D%3D

It seems a lot of these forks ultimately came as air-adjustable, but anyway they were proper hydraulic-damped units and rather than using nylon sliders on stanchions, all these suspensions rolled up & down on needle bearings and finely machined flats - they say the ride quality on small bumps was superbly plush compared to other options.

This particular bicycle is almost complete, with paint (powdercoating?) in great shape though in my least fav color. Has old model Deore XT gearchangers, Dutch Rigida rims (with spoke eyelets), matching bottle-mount, a Bontrager out back, and some unusually smooth-looking frame joints all over.

Interestingly, the rear was made to accommodate a disc brake, but not the front fork. I kinda think that's fine.

Anyway didn't pay much for this, and being that it's a Large and definitely the lightest-weight mtb w/ front suspension that I own, might end up actually using it personally... should make a great trail-rider, amd if I can find or fabricate one of the original-type derailleur hangers, not much else but a good CLA will be required. People will complain about the horrible steering geometry vs new stuff, but these are light and strong, and at this stage of life am not trying to win races or push limits too far anyway.

Would love to know the stories of some of these old specially-imported rides, this is my fourth alongside the (Dutch) Gazelle, (French) vtg. Decathlon Riverside, and the (more recent manufacture) Korean folding cycle. These 1980's/90's units would have seen a lot that on account of all the frenzied expansion, so-called development and road-making in this region the past couple decades, we really can't now.

-Eric

Can you still find the rubber boot to cover that stanchion? Or needle bearings for that matter. The video is a good watch (berm-peak has many such novel videos) but maintenance/finding parts looks hard.

A Rant on Repairing a Bicycle

I love cycling and carry very fond memories of running a Hero Ranger into the ground when I was a teenager, riding it everywhere I could. No gears, no money in my pocket, just the burning desire to conquer every road, field, and hill. :)

But every time I took it for repairs (mostly punctures, but also creaks, tire wobbles, and whatnot), I came back unsatisfied. I wanted perfection — true rotation, absolutely no bearing noise, perfectly centered brakes that would not touch the rim, and so on — but the local cycle mechanics that I could afford just wanted to be done with the work.

That is how I started repairing my cycle myself. I got the minimal set of tools that I could afford (two tire levers, a set of Allen keys, a box of grease, a bottle of oil), and borrowed as much as I could from my dad's little toolset (thereby ensuring that he could never find what he was looking for), and set to work, trying to achieve the perfection that I wanted. After many failed attempts to keep a mudguard with a failed clamp from rubbing on the tire, I embraced minimalism and hung both mudguards on the lower branches of a mango tree (which provided the canopy for my budding garage), where they remained for years. I cannot claim to have done any better than the mechanic I sought to replace, even after spending hours dismantling every part I could and putting them back together, but I did learn a thing or two about how bicycles worked.

Fast forward a decade, after discarding the cycle and growing into jobs, motorcycles, marriage, and my own money, I wanted to rediscover cycling and fulfilled one of my biggest teenage dreams — a bicycle with gears, a BSA Mach X (forgot the model number). I mostly rode from home to the office on good roads once or twice a week, and the cycle stayed with me for 4-5 years, during which it did not give me much trouble. I also found decent repair shops that did not disappoint me (they charged much more than what I paid as a teenager, of course).

A few major life events later, I was running my own firm, and there was no time for anything other than work. The cycle started rusting and was donated after my dad's constant admonitions about how I was letting resources go to waste while there were many in need.

Then, another decade went by, and I was back on a job, and by this time, cycling had become a glamorous adult hobby and a fitness tool. My itch reared its head again, and I decided to splurge on a nice modern bicycle. I realized that these bicycles were very different from what I was used to. Super-smooth gear shifts, aluminum frames and rims, sealed bearings, and a huge range of expensive accessories. I also heard of new concepts like posture adjustments and riding techniques — which were ages beyond what I learned from the "get on the cycle and push the pedal hard" school. I fell in love with a Schwinn Searcher 2 the first time I tried it and brought it home.

The Schwinn is now 9 years old and has remained almost perfect mechanically. I had to change the tube and brake pads once — this was in Bangalore — and it was fairly easy to get things done. The repair cost was much higher than what I had seen before, and I was a little suspicious about the quality of replacement parts, but things just went fine.

Then, I relocated to Cochin.

By this time, Cochin had also seen a big boom in cycling communities and specialized stores with integrated repair shops. Decathlon was doing very well in this space too. But my Schwinn did not give me a chance to try even a single repair shop (though my usage was also not very high either) — just fill it (air), forget it, and ride it. Cycling also developed as a nice shared hobby for me and my 9-year-old daughter — we would wait for weekends to mount our bikes on the car (yay, I got a bicycle mount now!) and go around hunting for the many nice routes in and around Cochin.

Everything went great until Covid. We lost our cycling habit for a couple of years, and it was early 2022 when we thought we would start again. After just 2-3 trips, Schwinn started to lose air from the rear tire. It was like a slow puncture, with the tube going empty overnight. I was not surprised, given how little the cycle was used over the Covid time. In fact, I was surprised that the original Schwinn tire was still looking pretty good.

I took the cycle to one of the specialized repair shops, which was also known to conduct cycling programs, etc. Only the best for my Schwinn! They said they would service the cycle and replace the tube given its age. I said fine. After a couple of days, I got the cycle back, rode it 3km back home, and in the morning, no air in the rear tire!

I took the cycle back to the shop. They checked the tube, found a small puncture on the seam of the tube, and fixed it. There was no damage to the tire, so they also checked inside the tire very carefully and ensured that there were no burrs or sand that could cause punctures. I rode back, took the cycle on a few short trips over the next week, and then, the puncture came back again. Back to the store again, and this time, the puncture was in another place on the seam. I asked them about the quality of the tube — they looked offended, said they only use the best parts, and offered to change the tube at no cost. I was a little embarrassed at suspecting them.

Two days later, the cycle was ready with the new tube. This time, they showed me the tube before filling up air — it was a Panaracer, and they assured me that it was an excellent product used by the best in the field of cycling. I googled on the sly and was satisfied. They also told me that they were not charging me anything for this fabulous upgrade — anything for great customer service!

I rode back home on my new Panaracer tube. Three days later, the puncture appeared again. I was furious and took it back to the shop. This time, they looked genuinely puzzled. They said it was probably the rim tape. The rim tape of the Schwinn rim was looking silky smooth, and I tried to argue with them. But they are professionals and could not be argued with — apparently, they had seen similar failures in the past. They replaced the rim tape — the new tape and the way it was fixed did not look anywhere as good as the original tape. They also fixed the puncture on the tube. My only consolation was that I took the old tape back home as a souvenir.

One more week, a few short rides, and the puncture came back like clockwork. By this time, I was fed up. I was spending more time dropping the cycle at the store and waiting than on riding it. And the quality of rides had gone — I was always worried that I was going to get a puncture in the middle of a ride. I called up the store, and this time, finally, they gave up — it felt like they had spent too much time on this, and there was only a casual mention that they could fix the puncture if I brought the cycle to them.

As a last try, I went to Decathlon and pleaded with them to take a look at the wheel as a goodwill gesture, given everything else (including my daughter's bicycle) that I had purchased from them. But they were very clear that they would not offer repair services to bicycles that were not purchased from them. Why would they? Reliable service is their differentiator compared to these other stores.

Then, life intervened again, and I got busy with other things. Repairing the Schwinn became an item buried somewhere deep in a long task list. A year went by, then two. The cycle was sitting on my porch, and every time I looked at it, it seemed to look back at me with doleful eyes (or so it seemed). I would still fill air and rotate the wheels once in a while, but that was it.

Finally, April 2024 came, and my daughter was now big enough to get a larger bicycle. She wanted to start cycling to school from June, and I had no doubt in my mind. I was not going to get any fancy imported brand from these specialty stores, despite the excellent quality of my Schwinn. I just went to Decathlon and got her a Riverside (which is a decent bicycle), all because they provide great service for their bicycles.

Now that she got the new cycle, she wanted to go on rides like we used to. "Couldn't we repair our Schwinn, after all? One more try? Or should we sell it and get another one?". That reference to selling the bicycle struck me like lightning. Why would I sell a mechanically perfect bicycle just because of an invisible agent puncturing its tubes? What were my options? And then came my next brainwave. Why can't I repair my bicycles myself? It would not be the first time.

After surviving some strange stares and giggles from my wife and daughter, I resolved to set up a garage. I need to be efficient, though, otherwise, this would not scale, given other time commitments. But I do not have to scrounge like when I was a teenager. I researched a little and found that high-quality parts can be ordered directly from vendors without going through local shops. A little bit of planning, and I got my first set of equipment:

1. A BTWIN 500 bicycle repair stand from Decathlon.
2. A plastic footstool, which I can sit on (leveraged as a footstool when I have to clean my car's roof).
3. A set of tire levers (Decathlon has decent ones).
4. A good set of Allen keys (which I already had).
5. Some good lube.
6. A degreaser.
7. A new bottle of WD-40.
8. Screwdrivers and spanners of typical sizes (which I already had).

I decided that I would get more tools if I sustained with self-repair. Now, the Schwinn's tires. The tires were still looking good, though the rubber had become harder, and a few cracks had appeared. I ordered a new pair of Vittoria Terrano Zero tires anyway. I dismantled the tires and looked at the tubes, and this was a revelation. The tubes had naturally gone bad, but upon close inspection, it was very clear that the 'Panaracer' tube the shop had put in was a fake. The quality of rubber was very bad, and even the printing on the tube looked fake — looks like they put in a bad tube first, and then replaced it with a 'better' fake one. I examined inside the tire, no burrs, examined rim tape, all good (new rim tape they put is nowhere as good as the Schwinn original). I examined around the valve, all good. Still, I did not want to take a risk. I zeroed in on a tube from Decathlon, and Schwalbe Airplus, and after a little thought, decided on the Airplus, since I thought it would be more robust given the thicker wall (just in case that additional thickness helped against the invisible puncturer).

Finally, I had everything I needed. I replaced both tubes and filled them up without changing the tires. The Schwinn original tires were looking good, so I left them on and put the Terranos in storage — will come back to them at a later date. I put the wheels back on, and I could see a tiny bit of wobble on the rear wheel. I left it like that for the time being, and over the next few days, went on a few short rides (6-10kms) with my daughter. Everything looked good, and today morning, we went on a 25-km ride. Absolutely no issues, and the tubes are holding air quite well with zero drop in pressure. I think that finally, I have solved that problem. My only regret is not having taken this step earlier instead of wasting time with the shop. I was lucky too — an older bicycle with a steel frame and rims would have rusted by now.

I should have called upon my teenage self who learned that bicycles are simple machines. A little attention and love, the right spares, some timely maintenance, and they will survive, and provide great function and joy.

Need to check that little wobble now! :)

This sounds like a good candidate for tubeless! Did you take a look at how those punctures looked like? e.g. two small holes, seam separation, crack. Apart from poor quality tubes improper inflation will also cause punctures. But sometimes its just plain bad luck too. I had one such bike which, on average, will have punctures twice a month. Changing tires, tubes nothing helped. After I sold it, I decided to go tubeless despite my apprehension about the added headache but that immediately ceased my punctures.
But again if you are going to have a puncture you WILL have a puncture.:)

You mentioned the repeat punctures were on the seam, but you never mentioned (or maybe I missed it) whether they were in the tyre side or the rim side. In my experience, rim tape can be a culprit (more so on road bikes with mych higher pressure) in weakening the tube at the dimples of the spoke holes that form over time. But the tube gets weakened (it develops thinned out bulges in exactly the same spoke hole pattern, and eventually one gives way) over quite some time. In your case it was instantaneous. That points to more an installation thing than a tube thing. In my opinion. Even cheap local tubes like Ralco and GRL and Hartex etc. never simply just give way like that. I've done over 50,000 km on the first two.

Cheers, Doc