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Bicycling/Questions Answered by Expert Graeme Henderson
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Training for 2 day bike ride | 5/11/2011 |
| Q: We are considering doing the 2 day bike ride for MS. Problem is,the ride is in October and we would ... A: Erica, Absolutely. One of the nice things about a multi-day event is that although each day has ... | |
| Shimano Altus ST-CT90 | 1/2/2011 |
| Q: I was given a Huffy 21spd. Sledge Hammer bike. Everything functions except the handle bar switches ... A: Don, Believe it or not, I am answering this from Afghanistan, so it took me a little more time to ... | |
| cycling in the wind | 8/22/2010 |
| Q: I am 6' 2" tall and weigh 245 lbs. I ride more than 150 miles a week on a Giant Advance SL ... A: Jim, I totally understand what you're going through. I am 6'2" and 185 and have a huge frontal ... | |
| Hard shifting to large chainring(High) | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: I am currently working on two bikes with the same problem,both have a 7spd cassette and a triple ... A: Vincent, Just in case you haven't already found the answer to this, it sounds like it might be one ... | |
| gears won't switch | 5/11/2010 |
| Q: In my mtn. bike, the front gear the big 3 front gear won't witch to either of the other 2, and it ... A: Gabe, I have been thinking about this one for awhile. It's hard to tell from your description what ... | |
| Ultegra triple adjustment | 4/30/2010 |
| Q: I have a Giant OCR carbon bike with an Ultegra triple set up. On the rack, I can adjust it so that ... A: Darryl, Okay, just got back to the computer after a triathlon and taking kids to soccer games. ... | |
| cleaning rust from bike rims | 4/27/2010 |
| Q: : I have some really rusty rims on an old Schwinn. I was wondering if there was an easy way of ... A: Norm, On steel rims, I don't know of a better way than steel wool. You will have to gently rub the ... | |
| tire psi | 4/4/2010 |
| Q: A: Steven, Not a waste of time at all. However, I there aren't too many tricks you can apply here to ... | |
| bike repair/maintenance | 3/23/2010 |
| Q: I brought my Giant Yukon SE mountain bike to a bicycle shop this past weekend for a tune-up. It had ... A: Mark, It depends greatly on the amount of hard riding and dirt that gets in the chain. If you are ... | |
| bike repair/maintenance | 3/22/2010 |
| Q: I brought my Giant Yukon SE mountain bike to a bicycle shop this past weekend for a tune-up. It had ... A: Mark, This may not be the answer you want to hear, but, yes, if you leave a chain on for a very long ... | |
| Triatlon | 10/8/2009 |
| Q: I want to start participating in triathlon races, I've been a MTB cyclist for a while and also ... A: Alfonso, Great call. I switched over from MTB racing, too, a number of years ago. Just like you, ... | |
| Gear fault | 8/31/2009 |
| Q: When i first get on the bike to pedal the pedals free wheel as if it is not selecting gears it ... A: Ron, I haven't heard of an Appolo bike, but chances are good it has a Shimano drivetrain. Assuming ... | |
| bike trainer | 8/28/2009 |
| Q: i am triathlete and i want to know about bike trainer. i have at home tacx trainer on which i ride ... A: Goran, The main difference between trainer riding and outdoor riding is the variability of the ... | |
| Hill Training | 7/21/2009 |
| Q: Can you recommend any special training to prepare for a hilly race if we are hours from any ... A: Robert, This is a tough one. It is not impossible to overcome, however, if you can get access to a ... | |
| Mountain Bike Chain??? | 7/15/2009 |
| Q: Description of problem: I will ride up hill and it feels as if my chain is slipping...I will ride on ... A: John, There could be a multitude of things going on here. I will try to list them out so you can ... | |
| what to eat before, during and after a ride | 7/13/2009 |
| Q: There is an upcoming group ride that I would like to participate in this weekend on a rail trail in ... A: I am glad you kept it within your limits on that ride, but don't be afraid to push yourself. ... | |
| what to eat before, during and after a ride | 7/7/2009 |
| Q: There is an upcoming group ride that I would like to participate in this weekend on a rail trail in ... A: So how did the ride go? My apologies for not getting back to you sooner, but I am currently between ... | |
| Ride Preparation | 6/8/2009 |
| Q: It is June 8th and yesterday I decided to do a 66 mile ride for the American Cancer Society on July ... A: John, I salute you for embarking on a nice long ride over a half-century. Working up to it ... | |
| bike saddle | 5/14/2009 |
| Q: Greetings, Graeme, 8 days ago I purchased a hybrid bike with a 20 inch aluminum frame. I had had ... A: Yuzo, Interesting question. It it not normal for you to slide forward on the saddle. However, in ... | |
| Rear derailuer | 4/24/2009 |
| Q: I have a 21 speed bike and the chain jumps on the rear sprocket in a hihger gear. I would say when ... A: Dan, I think there are a couple of things this could be, but it is really hard to diagnose without ... | |
| shifting problem | 4/12/2009 |
| Q: I just bought a new Giant Sedona. When shifting from large chainring to middle chainring, the L ... A: Mark, I am going to give you the best estimation of what's going on that I can, even though this is ... | |
| sprocket repair | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: I have a Mongoose Scorch mountain bike and I bent the sprocket. I don't think the crank is bent and ... A: Rob, Whether you can repair it yourself depends on how badly bent it is. Oh, and by "sprocket" I ... | |
| giant sedona | 3/23/2009 |
| Q: hi I have a simple (i hope) question I have a chance to buy a used 2006 guessing the age by the ... A: Rocky, Sorry for the delay, I am away from home house-hunting. However, I think I can help you ... | |
| road bike componets | 3/13/2009 |
| Q: looking to upgrade componets on 2006 giant ocr2 has tiagra flight deck shifters tiagra front ... A: Scot That'll be a nice upgrade. Since the front and rear derailleurs by Shimano all have the same ... | |
| indoorttrainers | 1/30/2009 |
| Q: I bought my first raod bike in sept (Trek madone) and did my first century in oct. I live where we ... A: Laura, Timely question! This winter, I have been advising some of the members of my tri team on ... | |
| gears | 10/21/2008 |
| Q: My front derailer wont shift the chain down on to the smallest sprocket (i.e. lowest gears), could ... A: Chris, Just got back to my computer after being away for a couple of days. However, this ought to ... | |
| cooler-like panniers | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: Grame, do you know if there is such thing as a pannier that acts like a cooler? I always pack my ... A: Alex, I have not yet seen any such panniers. If you want to give it a go, it is a heck of an idea ... | |
| Frame size | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: I'm about to buy a hybrid bike, and my normal frame size would be 15". However, I just found a ... A: Andrew, Ahh, the bike size question. I used to be more flexible on this, but I am not so flexible ... | |
| Shifters | 10/10/2008 |
| Q: My right shifter seems to have reversed itself. Is there a flip switch or something I may have hit? ... A: Chuck, You're welcome. I keep puzzling about this, because I know that with the old Rapidfire, the ... | |
| bike skips and i slam my knee | 10/9/2008 |
| Q: I have a Next 26" 18 speed bicycle that shifts fine but when i am crossing a street from a stop or ... A: Keith, Getting rid of this problem depends on how well you can tune your bike. It sounds like the ... | |
| Shifters | 10/8/2008 |
| Q: My right shifter seems to have reversed itself. Is there a flip switch or something I may have hit? ... A: Chuck, I am not sure about this. I know there isn't a switch that allows you to change the ... | |
| Clicking on crank side downstroke | 10/6/2008 |
| Q: Greetings! I have been riding an old Motobecane Super Mirage for years now and have recently been ... A: Wolf, I have been thinking about this one. You have hit the usual culprits, which are the pedal ... | |
| Vintage gears on bike | 9/29/2008 |
| Q: I have an old Free Spirit three-speed bike. The gears have always had trouble as one gear does not ... A: Corinne, I looked up some Free Spirit 3-speeds. They are internally-geared, which means the ... | |
| Mountain bike repair:Disk Brakes- PLEASE HELP | 9/16/2008 |
| Q: I am new to mountain biking so don't know how to fix everything yet. I just got my bike shipped from ... A: Becky, First you have to determine whether the brakes (disk, right?), are hydraulic or cable. If ... | |
| Becoming Pro | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: Hey I am trying to figure out how I need to go about possibly becoming a pro mountain bike rider. I ... A: Justin, Obviously, becoming a pro takes a serious commitment. You should start with a lot of ... | |
| fixed gear bike problem | 9/10/2008 |
| Q: I ride a fixed gear bike. Before each ride I usually make sure the chain is taught and the back ... A: Mike, Hmmm, no back brake, so that can't be the problem. How tight do you make the back wheel? ... | |
| Becoming a pro cyclist | 9/6/2008 |
| Q: Would it be possible to become a pro cyclist starting out at the age of 21 with no prior experience ... A: Matt, It is entirely possible. However, becoming a pro takes a lot of dedication to training very ... | |
| how | 8/23/2008 |
| Q: I am a 14 year old cycler who cycles about 10 miles a day i was wondering if that's enough to keep ... A: Zack, Regular road races for amateurs are as many as 100 miles long. For pros they are generally ... | |
| Bike Tour Speed | 8/23/2008 |
| Q: I was planning on participating in the NY city Bike Tour next year. I've been training all summer. ... A: Jeph, The speed of a tour depends very much on the people and the course. If it is crowded or ... | |
| Bike transportation | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: I want to purchase a bike that can basically be my main form of transportation. I don't want to do ... A: Andrew, For basically getting around, you probably want a city bike (sometimes described as a ... | |
| Shimano Altus ST-CT 90 Derailers | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: I have an old mountain bike I bought years ago. I brought it out of the garage today to find neither ... A: Charley, As far as I can tell from the symptoms, the problem may be a little at home adjustment and ... | |
| how | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: I am a 14 year old cycler who cycles about 10 miles a day i was wondering if that's enough to keep ... A: Zack, The question I have is: What are you keeping in shape for? Many kids' events are between 5 ... | |
| Bike marathon training | 8/20/2008 |
| Q: I have a Trek hybrid bike and I haven't been riding it regularly so I'm not used to riding. This ... A: Sharon, This is very doable. I looked up the bike marathon and it really is a bike marathon (26.2 ... | |
| which should I buy | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: I am just now getting into mountain biking and have narrowed it down to a used 2005 cannondale f400 ... A: Okay, remember bike feel is a very subjective thing. You should first look to which bike feels the ... | |
| tires for my mountain bike | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: I have a 19 year old mountain bike which I use for commuting to work. I think the tires need ... A: Okay, let's figure this out. It sounds like you have an older rim that may be quite wide. Can you ... | |
| GPS navigators | 8/5/2008 |
| Q: I am looking to get a GPS navigator to use while cycling. Ideally I would like it for both ... A: Interesting combination of factors you are seeking. My familiarity is mostly with the athletic type ... | |
| my gears change automatically | 7/29/2008 |
| Q: the model is cignal ranger. my bike is always on the 7th gear and when i change it to another gear, ... A: If the bike is a 7-gear bike, it is probably somewhat older (in the past 10 years bikes have gone ... | |
| tires for my mountain bike | 7/28/2008 |
| Q: I have a 19 year old mountain bike which I use for commuting to work. I think the tires need ... A: Well, there are a number of questions wrapped up here. To answer the question about rims, you can ... | |
| shifters | 7/27/2008 |
| Q: my son was given a bike with Shimano ALTUS ST-CT90 shifters.Both shifters are broken.Ihave not been ... A: I believe Altus covered several years and rear cogset sizes. Count the number of gears in the back. ... | |
| GT avalanche - back wheel wont spin | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: i recently returned to my above mentioned bike which i have not used for a while. i sat on it, began ... A: lain sorry about the delay. I wrote one answer and sent it already and the system didn't process ... | |
| Bicycle Repair | 7/7/2008 |
| Q: I can't switch any gears on my right side (the gears the deraiileur controls) i've tried messing ... A: Jon, This is a tough one to answer without actually seeing the derailleur. For one thing the type ... | |
| Bike Trailer | 6/18/2008 |
| Q: I have three children, ages 3 1/2, 2 1/2, and 9 months. Recently (over the last 6 months), I have ... A: Tanya, Really most bikes will work, however, mountain bike frames are built more ruggedly and can ... | |
| new bike | 5/26/2008 |
| Q: I am looking into getting a new bike, and there are 2 options available, either the norco shore 3 ... A: Dave, I am not so in the know on downhill issues, but I know freeride and cross country pretty well. ... | |
| Training | 3/24/2008 |
| Q: I'm in decent enough shape on my bike; I commute about 65 miles a week at a minimum, plus whatever ... A: Mike, The initial question is: What kind of improved performance are you looking for? I will assume ... | |
| Fixed gear pedaling | 10/27/2007 |
| Q: I would like to know some tips as to pedal and ride more efficiently. I am riding a fixed gear with ... A: Christopher, Excellent question! Fixed gear riding puts a premium on smooth application of force ... | |
| What cycling is best suited for marathon cross-training? | 8/7/2007 |
| Q: I haven't cycled regularly for decades and now currently in training for my 6th marathon this fall. ... A: Ray, I am not sure what kind of shape you are in so I will assume you are in acceptable shape to be ... | |
| bicycle shorts | 7/22/2007 |
| Q: I have recently been riding a new mountain bike, mostly on flat surfaces for fitness training. It's ... A: I think two things: 1. The pants are not necessarily the ultimate solution. However, they ... | |
| Kona King Kikapu | 7/15/2007 |
| Q: I'm in the middle of purchasing a Kona King Kikapu with a questionable year to it, I think its ... A: As I recall, Kona made very solid frames through 96-97. So you shouldn't have a problem with the ... | |
Bicycling
Answers by Expert:
Graeme Henderson
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions pertaining to cycling training, mountain bike racing, bike repair (mountain, road, time trial, tandem, cyclocross), triathlon competition and training (mostly biking and running), and Spinning
Experience
Expert mountain bike racer (starting racing in 1989), raced in 5 different state series, built all my own bikes. Worked in a bike shop during summer. Currently in my fifth year of teaching Spinning at a major gym chain. Have developed and now teach a weekly triathlon class at the same gym.
Organizations
NORBA, USAT
Education/Credentials
BA, JD, LL.M
Awards and Honors
One state mountain bike series top 5 finish. Raced in several ultras: Laramie Enduro, Leadville 100, 24 Hours of Moab, 24 Hours of Snowshoe. Gold finisher in El Tour de Tucson. Top 10 finish at XTERRA East Championships. Currently, regular top 15 finisher in Ohio triathlon series (top 3 in age group).
Qualifier, USAT Olympic Distance Nationals. Qualifier, XTERRA Nationals.
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