I think the smallest you can go on the middle ring is 30 teeth. I think that’s what they’re using for the 1 x 11 drive trains these days. 

Barcons are the best solution when you switch to moustache bars. :D

Most of the guys I rode with rarely used the granny. It was a bailout gear for steep hills, usually implemented when the mid-ring/large-cog combo was still too tall. Just ease up a bit, drop it to granny, then keep climbing up stuff that was never meant to be climbed.

The length of the cage determines how much “extra” chain the derailleur can hold when in the smallest cog. The length of the derailleur mount determines the maximum size of the largest cog. If it isn’t long enough, the top jockey wheel will not have enough room to move the chain onto the largest cog. As I said in the…

Basic troubleshooting: First make sure the front derailleur can swing freely. If it’s binding at all, it won’t shift consistently. Second, make sure the shifter cable is not binding somewhere. Again, if it’s binding at all, then the derailleur won’t shift consistently. If you find no binding in either of those…

If you are talking about the classic 10-speed road bike, be sure to buy mini v-brakes for short pull (road) levers. Road levers don’t have enough pull to operate MTB v-brakes correctly. Mini v-brakes may not have enough height to clear large tires and fenders. If you decide to go with MTB v-brakes, you will have to…

I’m pretty sure you responded to the wrong guy. 

Wow. Some of us actually enjoy the process. You know, life is about the journey, not the destination. If you want to spend your hard-earned cash and buy a “decent” bike, then go do it. There’s no reason to get all bent because someone else wants to take another path.

This is very true, especially if you’re trying to upgrade them to modern gear. 

There are many old bikes running around that are still functional and meet the needs of most riders. You may not know that this was a good bike when it was new. Most of the problems I see with it are due to a rider who didn’t know how to maintain it properly.

The biggest problem with the 650B conversion on this particular bike is the cantilever brakes. While you can buy a set of long-reach calipers or use a drop bolt on most road bikes, the mounting points for cantis will require grinding off the old brake bosses and brazing on new ones. 

Unfortunately, you’ll have to pull things apart to verify what you have before looking for new parts. Most older bottom bracket bearings are sold as a set of bearings in a cage. You can use more bearings without the cage, but the risk is having bearings rolling around everywhere. More modern bearings come in a sealed…

Most modern road bikes can’t handle bigger tires. The biggest I could put on my Cannondale was 700x28. I moved to a cyclocross frame so I could mount 700x34 and still have space for fenders.

Moustache all the things!

There are some obvious problems that you need to address. Start with a new chain. That old one is filthy and very likely corroded inside even though it’s slathered with lots of filthy lube. When chains get that filthy, they tend to stick to the chain rings and cause chain “suck,” which is when the chain gets caught…

Wasps have taken up residence in the driver’s side mirror of my WRX. I drove it to the store the other day and at least a couple of wasps went along for the ride. When I got back to the house, there was a wasp flying around, wondering where the car went. As soon as I parked, it landed on the mirror and crawled inside.…

The point of white rooftops is to lower the albedo, reducing the heat gain within the structure and reducing the overall heat island effect caused by dark rooftops absorbing visible light and re-emitting that light as heat. Shading provided by solar panels would further reduce the heat gain within the structure, but…

The trademark is on the name “Eleanor,” not the vehicle. The vehicle is irrelevant - it could be a bus or a truck or even a Yugo and they still would have had a claim because he was using the name “Eleanor.”

It really wasn’t a lot of work. A simple google search, then cut and paste. That’s part of the point. If Meega Nalla Kweesta had made even the smallest of effort, he/she would have found it. 

Which businesses? Here’s a list for you.