Technical FAQ - Velo

Flats and tubeless woes are in the spotlight this week.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Pinch flats, non-tubeless road tires set up tubeless, wires in tires on Velo.

How many spare links is too many?Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Master link chain repairs, lower Campy gearing, Campy-Shimano freehub switch, wires in tires on Velo.

Different speed chains require different installation methods.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Chain assembly, substitution of chainrings and cassettes into Campagnolo drivetrains on Velo.

Keeping your bike on the trainer all the time doesn't make it maintenance free.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Indoor training sweat corrosion, stem raiser safety, lower gears with Campagnolo CT 11-speed on Velo.

How long will your disc brake pads last? There are a lot of factors at play.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Durability of disc brake pads on Velo.

Helmet and bike safety are on readers' minds this week.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Mips vs. loose helmet strap, bike weight, hydraulic brakes at altitude, Di2 mix/match on Velo.

Lennard Zinn answers more groupset compatibility questions and a couple readers provide some helpful updates to previous questions.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: 12-speed Di2 hydraulic levers with 11-speed derailleurs, Campy Chorus chainring swap, DVT, Gates belt portability on Velo.

In this week's Technical FAQ, Lennard Zinn discusses riding while on anticoagulants.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Anticoagulants, 12s Campagnolo cranks on 11s drivetrain on VeloNews.com.

How inter-compatible are different generations of Campagnolo components?Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Mixing Campagnolo 11- and 12-speed components, road tubeless safety, back surgery on VeloNews.com.

Zinn comments on WiFli RD capacity, shiftmates front and rear, Shimano hydraulic MTB/Road caliper compatibility, wire flats, and more.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Back surgery and road cycling, shiftmates, hydraulic caliper compatibility on VeloNews.com.

Zinn comments on adaptations — like converting a hardtail to a gravel bike or using a "city" e-bike off-road.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Compatibility of GRX shifters with SRAM MTB derailleurs, carbon belts, e-bikes on VeloNews.com.

Some tips and tricks for choosing an e-bike and getting the most out of it.Read the full article at Tech FAQ: E-Bikes for rehab while riding with fast friends on VeloNews.com.

Tips for extending the life of tubulars tires in their second year of use.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Sealing CX tubulars, through axle loosening, wire flats, Road Link on VeloNews.com.

Can Shimano and SRAM's latest generation parts be interchanged?Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Compatibility of 12-speed components on VeloNews.com.

Zinn dives into SRAM electronic groupset inter-compatibility and tries to get to the bottom of one of the most frustrating sources of flats.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: AXS chain roller size explained, AXS/11-speed compatibility, wires in tires on VeloNews.com.

Zinn weighs in on some quotidian questions — like, can constantly removing and replacing a thru-axle damage the threads?Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Steel wires in tires, thru-axles, 10/11-speed upgrade, cleat fore-aft on VeloNews.com.

Counterfeit carbon frames not only are shaped, painted, and decaled to look like the brand-name frames they are mimicking, but they are often also built to weigh the same as those brand-name frames.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Sitting on a carbon top tube at speed, especially a counterfeit one on VeloNews.com.

'Don’t sweat trying different tire sizes on your gravel bike,' says Lennard Zinn.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Narrow tires on gravel bikes, through axles, rotor tub, clamping carbon, leg length with age on VeloNews.com.

Lennard says you can 'rung what you brung' in terms of chains and mineral oil and talks about his exploits on the legendary Morgul-Bismarck course in BoulderRead the full article at Technical FAQ: 12-speed chain with 11-speed Derailleur, brake mineral oil compatibility, bike shaking in the wind on VeloNews.com.

Shorter legs = lower saddle, lighter cranks = less energy spentRead the full article at Technical FAQ: Shorter legs with age, lighter cranks, 10s/11s crank compatibility, and decreasing drivetrain wear with chain waxing on VeloNews.com.

In this week's Technical FAQ, Lennard Zinn answers questions on tire pressure and chain optimization.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Chain optimization for recreational riders; pressurizing tires; denatured alcohol in California on VeloNews.com.

Lennard asks the experts at Zero Friction Cycling, Ceramic Speed, Silca, and Molten Speed Wax about the order of operations.Read the full article at Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn: Cleaning solvents prior to chain waxing on VeloNews.com.

An interesting back-and-forth discussion of rolling resistance data.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Deeply diving into graphs of rolling-resistance data on VeloNews.com.

Examining hill gradients, Campagnolo components, and the IT band.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Hill gradients, Campagnolo derailleur capacity, IT bands on VeloNews.com.

Examining the effects of crank length on saddle position, and changes to gearing.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Crank length and bike fit on VeloNews.com.

Tips, tricks, and hacks to alleviate leg and knee pain.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: How to address and resolve IT band pain on VeloNews.com.

Are tubeless tires for road — and pavé — a trend or are they here to stay?Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Tubeless tires dominating Paris-Roubaix, and other road tubeless questions on VeloNews.com.

Hacks to get the fit you need on your road bike.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: More bike fitting tips for masters cyclists on VeloNews.com.

A refresher in Isaac Newton's laws of physics as they pertain to materials used in bicycle fabrication.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Thermodynamics of recycling aluminum and carbon fiber structures on VeloNews.com.

A look at some of the concerns surrounding new and repurposed carbon fiber materials in the production of bikes and bike parts.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Micro-carbon pollution on VeloNews.com.

How to service Phil Wood Hubs, clean disc brake calipers pistons, and praise for Di2 ‘triples.’Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Road tubeless tires on rim-brake carbon rims, Ultegra drivetrain compatibility, and more on VeloNews.com.

Is the pro peloton finally catching up to Lennard Zinn's predictions about dropper posts? More disc brake maintenance tips.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Dropper posts on road bikes, brake bleed after pad change, road bike low gearing on VeloNews.com.

The final word for optimizing your chain for low friction and longevity from industry experts.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Should you leave the factory lube on a new chain? on VeloNews.com.

To remove—or not—the lube that ships with chains, and more options for ‘climbing’ gears.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Factory chain lube, elliptical subcompact chainrings on VeloNews.com.

Manufacturer guidelines and recommendations for tubeless tire inflation upper and lower limits.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Manufacturers weigh in on tubeless tire pressures on VeloNews.com.

How to choose and apply chain lube, mixing double and triple chainring groups, what Campy parts work with each other.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Chain lube application tips, double and triple chainring setups, Campy compatibility on VeloNews.com.

Mix and match accessory hydro levers, stripped Camp crank bolts, and Campy front derailleurs.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Cyclocross top Levers, stripped Campy crank bolt, braze-on Campy front derailleurs on VeloNews.com.

Differences between chain lines of Campagnolo, Shimano, and SRAM disc brake setups.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Chain lines on road disc brake bikes on VeloNews.com.

Space for disc brake rotors, gearing combinations, and chain line considerations for Shimano and SRAM drivetrains.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Cross-chaining relief on VeloNews.com.

Swapping stems, handlebars, and spacers for more comfort on your bike.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: More options for adjusting bike fit dimensions on VeloNews.com.

Considerations for adapting stack and reach when loss of flexibility becomes a consideration.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Adapting bike fit as you age on VeloNews.com.

Do weights of tires factor into the amount of energy required to turn them, and discussions of what causes front-end shimmy.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Factoring tire weight into modeling energy consumption, and understanding the physics of front-end shimmy on VeloNews.com.

Cycling wheel and tire experts offer opinions about and insights into tire testing.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Tire rolling-resistance testing methodology and verification on VeloNews.com.

VeloNews technical expert examines brand cross-compatibility of brakes and drivetrain components.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: SRAM AXS Flattop chain compatibility, hub bearing adjustments, and hydraulic brakes on VeloNews.com.

A real-world example of how rolling resistance impacts effort, and duration, over a 200-mile gravel ride.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Significance of rolling resistance, tire patching on VeloNews.com.

A discussion of tire rolling resistance testing methods and protocols.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Tire rolling resistance testing methodology on VeloNews.com.

More tips for mounting tubeless tires on tubeless wheels.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Tire mounting tips on VeloNews.com.

How to mix and match braking components across brands, and why Shimano does not offer a 10-tooth cog for new groups.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Shimano-Magura, Campagnolo-Shimano, and other mash-ups on VeloNews.com.

How to size tires to rims and more discussion about tire hysteresis and aerodynamic drag.Read the full article at Technical FAQ: Tire size and rolling resistance on VeloNews.com.