For general questions, I recommend asking on bikeforums.net – the best cycling-related forum in the world. There I actively participate under the “Bike Gremlin” username. Also, many other experts offer help and advice there, so You benefit from getting 2nd opinions. You are also most likely to get a timely response (within a day or two), at least from other knowledgeable members, even if I don’t manage.
If you have any questions regarding a particular article, you can use the comment section below the article. With a suggestion to first try a website search – your question may have already been answered:
If you wish to hear an answer/advice from me, directly, you can ask a question in the BikeGremlin.net forum (even anonymously – by entering any name you wish).
Rules for posting questions and comments.
What is a forum, and how and why did I build the BikeGremlin forum?
In separate articles I explained:
I generally reply to questions within a few weeks or so, in order: first asked, first answered.
Tutorial: how can I add an image to a comment?
How to best phrase/ask the bicycle/mechanics/cycling related questions:
Time spent answering questions on the BikeGremlin websites and YouTube channel (i.e. BikeGremlin forum, since October 2023), according to Clockify:
Month | hours : minutes |
---|---|
2021 | |
June | 7:14 |
July | 7:06 |
August | 4:56 |
September | 8:21 |
October | 4:08 |
November | 6:55 |
December | 4:56 |
2022 | |
January | 7:59 |
February | 4:50 |
March | 7:39 |
April | 4:34 |
May | 7:43 |
June | 6:31 |
July | 4:25 |
August | 4:58 |
September | 7:20 |
October | 4:07 |
November | 5:38 |
December | 7:48 |
2023 | |
January | 6:50 |
February | 6:39 |
March | 5:48 |
April | 7:08 |
May | 7:30 |
June | 7:21 |
July | 4:33 |
August | 7:43 |
September | 3:43 |
October | 5:23 |
November (BikeGremlin forum started working) | 7:19 |
December | 3:50 |
With the December 2023, I’ve decided to stop tracking statistics on this. |
I’ve gathered enough data to get a rough estimate of the net-time needed to answer all the readers’ questions. From now, instead of using the Clockify timer, I’ll be able to get a rough estimate by looking at my BikeGremlin forum post count.
That is, near the end of October 2023, I created the BikeGremlin forum: www.bikegremlin.net.
What is a forum and why did I make one?
Fewer than 1% of people who ask questions on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook etc. bother to create a forum account and post their questions there. On the other hand, the forum allows me to write better replies (I can add photos and sketches, headings and similar). So, the result seems to be higher quality, with lower quantity – which I personally prefer. 🙂
The existing comments (questions and answers) posted here, have been moved to this BikeGremlin forum thread:
https://www.bikegremlin.net/threads/questions-answers-page-comments.106/
Hey guys new to riding again. Just bought a small ebike offline from China. Its has seatpost clamp measures 34.9 but there are no measurements on actual seatpost. Original shipped to me bent and now its too hard to adjust seat height when riding and putting in my car and needs to be replaced.
I have no idea what size post I need to buy and which one is strong and tall enough to fit my frame of 6’4 and 370lbs.
I was looking at Thompson Elite, Thudbuster Lt, Ritchey, and Syntace. But I don’t know which to go with to hold my weight and is tall enough for comfortable ride.
Also, need to extend factory handlebars because they are too short as well. Need new stock bars for low-end HD Tea electric bike I found on ebay.
Thanks for any help and advice you can offer a newbie
Char
Hi Char,
As I like to say: “One good measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions.” For more details, see:
Seatpost diameter standards and how to measure them
After you are certain which size (diameter) you need, measure which length you need. For that you should consider:
Minimum seatpost insertion length
I.e. add that to the amount of the seatpost sticking out of the frame.
Once you have those important measurements, you can start looking for a matching seatpost that is strong enough.
Ritchey generally makes decent quality stuff – but avoid their “WCS” (World Championship Series) components since they are built to be as light as possible, at the expense of any “needless” extra weight (and strength).
Generic, cheap, Chinese-made steel seatposts can be heavy but very strong (though not always, unfortunately).
What I often do is go to a local bicycle shop I trust and plainly ask “what’s the cheapest that’s any good.” They usually know which models are least often returned.
That’s especially effective nowadays when most manufacturers change models each year, making them sometimes better, sometimes worse. Bike shops that sell a lot of parts get feedback relatively quickly.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Relja
hi,
I have a doubt regarding the shape of bicycle forks. In general they have hollow tube shape. why cant they be made into I sections so that they can have a high bending strength when compared to hollow tube shapes. and also why hollow tubes are mostly preferred over other shapes
Don’t mind if it sounds silly. Thank you
Hi Rock,
Hope this helps – for a start:
Bicycle frame design explained
Relja
the way they make steel bicycle forks now is the best design ever,proven design over many years,if you made them in sections that would be expensive and also would be heavier and possibly weaker at the joins,the way old chromemoly bikes were made is the safest,strongest most durable frame ever made,you will hardly ever find an old frame that got bent or cracked,unless it got a serious beating,forks only bend or break if bike is not used properly
weight is also an issue on any bike which is why bicycle tubing is hollow and that rounded tubing also adds to the bicycle strength,you cant find a better material than traditional steel bicycle tubing,its ultra tough.i doubt if they will ever find a better material than cromemoly to build bicycles from,steel bicycles still running from the 1970s and 80s says it all,bicycle tubing is lightweight,tough and very very durable and quiet easy to work with compared with other modern materials.you can silver solder it,weld it or braze it.
take a look at some old gaint mountain bikes from the 1990s those bikes were over engineered and you could not bend any part of those bike if you tried,even those forks you could not break them,oversized steel tubing they had and the early ones had no suspension at all but those bikes rode on the roughest of trails and nothing bent or cracked,the early bmx bikes were just as tough.