Which direction should your tyres be installed?

 Which direction should your tyres be installed?  Look at the direction of the knobs in the middle part of your tyres. 

The square-edge side offer resistance under braking while the angled edge maximize rolling speed. The square edges provide the "bite" for traction. When the square edge of the knobs of the rear tyre faces backward, they provide maximum grip for acceleration. When the square edge of the knobs on the front tyre faces forward they provide maximum grip when braking.

This is why some manufacturers provide different directional arrows for tyres that are installed on the front or rear wheels. If the tread on your tyres are symmetrical, like in most slick tyres, it does not matter if you do not follow the rotational arrows marked on them.

They are other factors that affect pedaling power and braking. You should go for tyres with deeper tread and wide spacing for better traction. The wide spacing between knobs helps shed mud and debris, which prevents the tread from packing up with dirt and losing traction As they provide better grip and prevent slippage, they also provide better braking power. However, you will experience greater rolling resistance which means that you will require more energy to maintain your speed.

Avoid choosing tyres with closer and smaller knobs in the centre as it will reduce the traction when you ride on soft or loose terrain like mud, snow, or loose gravel. However, it will be easier for you to pedal, especially, when you are cycling over hard-packed or paved surfaces.

Do you have to make a lot of turns where you often ride? If you need better traction when you make turns, go for tyres with big side knobs. They will provide reliable grip and control when you lean your bicycle into corners on uneven terrain.

Bicycle tyres manufacturer perform research and development (R&D) to enhance the performance of their product. So, shouldn’t we be following their instructions on installation? The question should be what is more important for you when you ride your bicycle. Do you prefer better pedaling power or higher braking power? Test by changing the rotation of your tyres to see what is best for you. There is no right or wrong answer as you can see in this video.

What makes a fixie with a rear freewheel different from other types of fixed-gear bikes?

I have noted the difference between a freewheel and a fixed gear cog in the following table.

A cyclist on a single speed bike with freewheel installed should not have any problem coasting on flat surfaces and cycling uphill.

Without the freewheel mechanism on the fixed gear cog, the cyclist may have to stand on his pedals and strain to pedal uphill. To stop the bicycle from rolling backwards down the slope, the cyclist will have to apply a braking force with his legs and bodyweight to resist the rotation of the cranks.

If your rear wheel is installed with a double-sided or a flip-flop hub, you do not have to remove the freewheel in order to install the fixed gear cog, or vice versa. In fact, some fixies with flip-flop hub on their rear wheels are supplied installed with both the freewheel and fixed gear cog. Cyclists can decide on which of these gears they want their chains to run on. 

You can see what I mean by double-sided hub when you look at the wheel in the following video. From it, you can also learn how a fixed gear cog is installed.

Just send your fixie to the bike shop if you do not have the tools required, to install a fixed gear cog.

Watch this video to see how, when you are cycling on fixed gear cog, you can switch over to cycle on your freewheel or vice versa.

How do cyclists adjust their saddles to the correct height and fore or aft position?

The height, fore and aft adjustment for saddle is the same for all bicycles. You will find very clear instruction with photos from “Raleigh Bike Manuals & Quick Start Guide”.

From there, you can click on link to Raleigh bike Owners Manual. If the links I shared are broken, you can refer to the following question I answered earlier for other links and learn how to find your own bicycle owner's manual.

What are the best tips to maintain a bike in the proper way?

I extracted the following information from an older manual from Raleigh that I have:

“To adjust the saddle height, loosen the clamp bolt using an Allen key, spanner or the quick release lever and adjust the seat post to the required height. Adjust the height of the saddle so that when cycling along, your leg will be slightly bent with the pedal at its lowest point.

Important: When altering the height of the saddle, you must not pull the seat post out further than the limit mark (17). This must not be visible.”

Some clamps on seatposts are different but they are fitted to slide along the rails of the saddles in the same manner. These are the type of seat clamps that are often seen on alloy seatposts.

This is how the clamps with titanium bolts on a Prolite seatpost looks like.

This is how the saddle is attached to this lightweight seatpost from GUB. 

There are alloy and steel seatposts without clamps on them to attach to the saddles. Instead, the clamps are already attached under the saddles. As these clamps are heavier, you will not see them installed on road bikes. They are usually seen on saddles for cruisers or lower end bikes. For such, you loosen the nuts at both sides of the seat clamp to move the saddle forward or backward along the rails.

Cyclists of Canyon bikes, can even read about how they can adjust their saddle position and angle at the following link of their site. 

Bike Fitting for Road Bikes

If you prefer to see how the saddle height is adjusted, you can watch this video from Canyon Bikes.

The way the saddle from this Canyon Bike is attached to its seatpost is also different. You can see how the tilt is adjusted. 

How to get on and off a bike?

 This was how I was taught to mount a bicycle:

-stand on the left side of your bicycle
-place your left leg on the pedal
-push the ground with your right leg to move your bicycle forward
-as the wheels build up momentum, lift up your right leg over to the right pedal
-start pedaling

You can watch this technique being taught 58 seconds into the video. Seth of Berm Peak called it the “step and swing” method. He also shared many other methods which you can check out.

This is how I was taught to dismount:

-lift up your right leg over to the left side of your bicycle

-as you brake to slow down, put your right leg on the ground to help slow it down further

-your right leg should be firmly on the ground once your bicycle slow down to a stop

-you can now step off the left pedal

You can watch this method 1 minutes into this video. It is called the “high style” by the instructor, Guillaume Guerard.

How can I stop my hydraulic disc brakes from squeaking?

Is your bicycle new?  I usually share this video with customers who recently bought their bicycles with disc brakes. It shows the bed-in process to stop the squeaking noise on braking.

However, if you do not have a problem with your disc brake before, it is likely that the rotors and disc pads have been contaminated. It happens when you accidentally sprayed lubricant on the rotors or you may have ridden over puddles of water that may have oily residue in them. Watch this video to learn what other issues you maybe facing and how you can eradicate them.

Watch this if you really need to remove the disc pads and clean up the area where they are inserted.

Gyro brake system for BMX

This BMX is installed with a gyro brake system.



It allows the cyclist to do a 360 degrees turn of the handlebar during high jumps. You can see how a gyro brake system looks like up close in this video.

Why do kids like cycling more than jogging?

Check out the tricks a kid can perform on his BMX and you will understand why they prefer cycling it over jogging. 


There is nothing to brag about jogging but on a BMX the kids can show off skills that they have picked up.

They can’t jog to school or run errands when they have stuff to carry. With a BMX they can ride out to meet their friends and get to their destination sooner without too much sweat.

They can also enjoy modifying their BMX and learn to maintain it.

How do you commute on a bicycle in Dubai?

The best way to find the answer to your question is to find cycling clubs or cycling community near you. I googled "cyclist in dubai" and found this club:

Rides and Clubs - Dubai Cyclist

If you can tolerate the summer temperature of 40-50 Celcius, I am sure that club members who are already cycling in Dubai should be able to give you some tips of what you should and should not do while cycling in Dubai.

If you don’t like the idea of joining a club, you can read about “Cycle laws and safety in Dubai and UAE” at Cycling in Dubai. That is where I discovered that cycling is not allowed on major highways and motorways and there are no bike lanes. So, if you are concern that cycling on roads in Dubai is not safe, consider cycling in the desert. That should be a great way to work out for fitness.

If you are thinking of cycling in the desert, a fatbike is what you should consider cycling on because it can handle sandy, muddy, grassy and rough terrain well.

Here is what it is like cycling on sandy places like the desert.
https://youtu.be/grZ-LL6NOgI

What's the best way to teach my little sister to ride her bike?

Most balance bikes can take weight load of up to 20kg. Another option to balance bike for a child who is older and heavier is the Scoot and Ride which can take a weight load of 50kg.



The best part about Scoot and Ride is that you can also use it as a scooter.

For a child 6 years and above, you can also consider getting a 12", 16" or 20″ alloy folding bike for her to practice on. An alloy folding bike being lighter than a steel bike will be easier for her to handle.


The toptube of a folding bike is low so she will not be hurt if she falls as both her legs will be touching the floor. Lower the seatpost so that she can walk while sitting on the bike.

Bring her to a park with grassy slopes and let her slide down on the foldie. As the bike builds up its momentum as it rolls down the slope, it will be easier for her to learn to balance herself before she starts pedaling.

This video shows how adults are taught to ride on a folding bike which will give you a better idea of how it can be done.

What is a chain guide for mountain bike?

The chain guide is only required if your chain keeps falling off the cranks.

MRP, one of the manufacturers of chain guide provides a very good explanation about the different guide systems and what is best for your drivetrain and style of cycling.

Chainguide Overview

You will get a better idea of how installing one can help hold your chain in place after watching this video.

 

How do I bike on city roads during rainy seasons?

If you plan to cycle everyday through the monsoon season, dress your bicycle for it first. 

Lubricate metal parts of your bicycle to prevent rust and corrosion.


Also use wet lubes on your chains as they are water resistant. This will reduce friction for smoother rides as it runs through the components of your drivetrain.

Have you installed a full set of fenders on your bicycle? If you have not you will definitely be splattered with mud and dirt cycling through puddles.

Also install a waterproof bag or one that has a rain cover provided on your bicycle. How big it is going to be depends on whether you need to shower and change your attire and shoes at your final destination. If you would like to keep yourself warm, also pack a flask of your favourite hot drink or liquor.

A small handlebar bag will do if you only need a towel to dry up or if you prefer wet wipes for a cleanup.

If you need to carry more than one bag or panniers as shown here, you will have to install a rear carrier on your bicycle too.

For better protection against splatters choose fenders that can be fitted closer to the wheels. Rear carrier like this can usually take weight load of 25kg if a bigger size bag or panniers are required.

Be seen while you are cycling on the road in the rain. Install front and rear lights on your bicycle and ensure that the rear lights are blinking very brightly. If you need more information about lights, you can read an article I wrote earlier.

Now we can talk about trying to keep yourself warm and dry as you ride by watching this video. It also provides many tips on how to keep yourself safe while cycling under the rain on the road

What is the best way to lock up your bicycle?

Are you frustrated that the bicycle you kept locked in your house still gets stolen?  Even so, we shouldn't make it easy for someone to take away what we paid for and own!

The first thing that a thief will do when they steal a bike is to make changes to the bicycle so that it is not easily recognized by the owner or his friends. Changing the colour of the body is the easiest way.

So, make it difficult for the thief to make changes to your bicycle should it get stolen. Add stickers that are difficult to remove or make markings on part of the bicycle that is obvious for all to see even if painted over. A thief will be deterred from stealing your bicycle if there is too much work involved because of the lock installed or if it will be a hassle changing its look.

So, if you plan to park your bicycle, especially without a lock installed, make sure that it is within your sight. Make it stands out so that it can be seen from a distance away. You can do that by adding decorations on your bicycle that makes it uniquely yours. Eg, adding strips of self-adhesive reflective tapes in different colours to the rim. That way, if your bicycle is park with many others in a row, you can recognise it right away.

Go to YouTube and do a search for “How To Lock Your Bike” and you will find many videos showing mistakes that one can make when they use locks on their bicycle. Here is one I found that can rectify those mistakes.

At Jom Johan you can find many different types of lock ranging from RM5.00 to RM38.00.  You may not even have to pay for the lock because of the gift voucher you will be getting when you purchase a bicycle from us.

Here is another way to deter thieves from targeting your bicycle. Put this note on your bicycle where it can be seen by any thief; “Reporting Once Stolen at Bike registry”. So saying, make sure that you take down the serial numbers on your bicycle and take enough photo of the bicycle and proceed to register online if it gets stolen.

How can I assemble the pegs on a Mongoose BMX bicycle?

If you are using Mongoose pegs, watch this video to know how to have them installed on your BMX.



If you are using regular pegs like this one, 



you can just screw it on the front and rear axle of your BMX or any other bicycle. 

It should interest you to know that some motorcyclists insert such pegs 
on their bikes too so that pillion passengers can rest their feet.



You do not have to screw the bolts you have removed back on but if you want to, just follow the steps shown in the video.

Why would anyone want a bike with noisy hub?

Only bicycles with higher specifications are installed with hubs that clicks when they turn. I read that the noise comes from the freewheel’s spring-loaded pawls on the hub moving over the ratchet teeth. So, the more pawls a hub has the more engagement points there are, the louder it will sound.

Some of my customers who prefer riding on bicycles with such hubs installed, said that the sound acts like a warning sound to pedestrians and fellow riders on the road. For others, it is the sound of a good hub.

If you check out the technology and design involved in making hubs with more pawls you will understand why they are more expensive.

Heard of fatbike?

Have you heard of bicycles with fat tyres?

These are your regular 26er expect that it runs on 26x4" tyres.  The idea of fat bikes started in USA as it is great for snow laden roads.  So, no more tying cable ties on the tyres for better traction with fat bikes on the scene.

The fat bike looks bulky and you will think that it will slow you down till you try it.  And if you also think that you could not possibly ride it over rough surfaces, then you have to check this video out.



Fat bikes is also good on sandy places, such as, the beaches along the coast and sand dunes in the desert.  You can definitely ride it on rough surfaces, muddy or grassy patches.  Don't worry that it does not have a suspension fork installed.  Let the air out some and you will feel that you are ridding on a 2 wheeler monster truck.

If you are always complaining that the tyres on your regular bike frequently run flat on you, you obviously have weight issues.  Till you loose some load, you will have to consider ridding a fat bike to avoid the hassle of pumping air into your tyres everytime you are on it.

You can also consider using a fat bike for touring.  The broader base of the tyres makes it easier for you to handle your bike as the load of your panniers are not evenly spread out and can cause your bike to skid on you.

So, what are you waiting for?  Go get a fat bike!

There are also models running on 20x4" tyres.

Where to this weekend?

If you can't decide where to cycle to this weekend, check out this list of top 10 places for cycling in Malaysia reported by The Star Online in 2015:

1. Shah Alam Cycling Lanes 
2. Kepong Metropolitan Park
3. Putrajaya Core Island
4. KL Car Free Morning
5. FRIM
6. Putrajaya Botanical Garden
7. Titiwangsa Lake Garden
8. Taman Saujana Hijau
9. National Botanical Garden Shah Alam
10. Desa Parkcity Central Park



If you are more ambitious, you can read, "Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die: Biking Experts Share the World's Greatest Destinations" to discover more places you can cycle in worldwide.


Have a good weekend.

Bicycle chains? Here's how to put it on?

Learn how to put the chain back on your bicycle so that you can ask for labour discount when you buy new chain from Jom Johan.

   

Change handlebar tape? Learn to DIY.

If it is time to change your handlebar tape, learn to do it yourself by watching this video.



At Jom Johan you get a rebate of RM4 off SPL-WORKS RACING TAPE if you decide to tape it yourself.

Clattering sound when cycling?

If you hear a clattering sound when you are cycling but don't see anything stuck on your chainrings, that could cause the noise when you checked, it is likely the sound of your chain rubbing against your derailleur.

To verify if that is the cause, check where your gears are at when the noise starts.  Is your chain sitting on the larger chainring while the other end is sitting on the largest ring of your cassette?  If it is, look at your rear derailleur.  You will notice that it is stretched way forward.

If your chain is sitting on the smallest chainring while the other is sitting on the smallest ring of your cassette you will noticed that the rear derailleur is stretched way backward.  That means that you are cycling on extreme gear combinations and the grinding noise you hear is the chain rubbing against your rear derailleur.

This cross chaining process puts the chain at too much of an angle which adds tension and can cause your chain fall off the bike and wears it out faster than it should.

So now you know that you should avoid the following combinations:
Front gear is at 1 while back is at top gear
Front is at 3 while back is on lowest gears

Watch this video and you will have an idea of what I am talking about.

DO IT YOURSELF FOR REBATES

Watch this video and learn how to change your own bicycle tyre or tube.

 

Why? If you fix your puncture personally, you will get a RM4 rebate off any tyre or tube you purchase at:

Jom Johan Trading and Services
No 43A, Jalan Prima Saujana
1/1A Taman Prima Saujana Sek 1 43000
Kajang, Selangor
Malaysia

Some points to note:

1) Before removing your current tube, pump in some air to see if it can be inflated.
2) Before you install the new tube, inflate it a little to check the surface for any defects.
3) Check your rim to see if there are any protruding spoke that could puncture your tube again. Ask the staff at Jom Johan to show you how to create a rim tape if it is required.
4) Check the outer and inner casing of your tyre to remove any embedded sharp object, such as, glass or nails.
5) Before you finish up by inflating the tube, make sure that it is fully inserted into the tyre and not sticking out of the rim.
6) Do not over inflate the tube as it can burst up like a balloon. Good for shop owner but not for your pocket.

Use the proper tools to remove and install tyres and tubes to prevent scratching or damaging the rims of the wheel or even puncturing the new inner tube you are installing.

This is one of the bicycle tool kits you can consider using as it comes with metal tyre levers.

If you would like to borrow tools available at the shop, be nice to the owner by telling how much you

Jom Johan

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