Bicycle Parts

Why are modern steel bicycle parts painted rather than chromed?

Sep 10, 2008 by Liam | Posted in Cycling

I always thought that chrome was very attractive on a bicycle, yet most of the time when modern bicycles do use steel parts they are painted instead. Why is this? Even little details like the headset cups are now painted.

Well, cost has something to do with it, but it isn't the whole reason.

Unlike you and I, many people consider chroming as cheap looking and gaudy... the general move away from chrome is due to the preference of the buying public. Just look

Will all aluminium bicycle parts eventually break?

Sep 06, 2008 by Liam | Posted in Cycling

I have heard that all aluminium bicycle frames eventually break. However, do all parts made from aluminium eventually break, or is it just frames due to the stress of riding? All of my bicycles have steel frames, but I don't like the idea that one day

Theoretically, yes. In practice, sometimes.

It just depends on the part and how it's made, as well as -- and this is a huge factor -- the type of usage it is subjected to.

In simple metallurgical terms, aluminum will

How do you upgrade bicycle parts?

Jul 19, 2006 by leufiger | Posted in Cycling

I'm a new rider who has bought a Marin San Rafael and wanted to upgrade (not replace) some parts on the bike. How do I know what parts are compatible and what aren't? Whether it's worth it or not on the bicycle? This is a commuter bike so I'm not sure

So you haven't explained why you want to upgrade the parts on your bike. But regardless, upgrading will certainly mean that you will be replacing or buying new stuff on your bike.

That said, what are you thinking of upgrading? Unless

Where can I buy used bicycle parts in bulk?

Aug 30, 2008 by Vampire Cow | Posted in Cycling

Does anyone know where Ebay sellers get bicycle parts? There are sellers that sell up to 30 used high-end bike parts on Ebay every day for thousands of dollars. Where do they manage to get so much of such good hardware? Do bike shops offload it on

Does your town have a miscellaneous junk yard? I'd go scour the yard for bike and car parts, as well as anything else you could foresee yourself fixing up or taking apart, and see how much you can get for it. Also, try freecycle.org where people will

Obtaining bicycle parts at trade price for mobile repairman?

Jan 21, 2008 by tamika C | Posted in Cycling

I have a friend starting his own mobile bicycle repair business.
I've been told my Shimano that to open an account you need You must have a retail shop front in a retail zoned area
You must stock at least one new line of bicycles from

Every manufacturer has their own set of requirements for distributors and resale. This is not unique to the bike business.

The reason for this is to make the brand attractive to successful retailers, and to maintain quality standards

Bicycle Parts: Chains, Gears & Ball Bearings : Potential Problem: Parts on ...

Learn about the potential problems for bicycle parts in this free bicycle video. Expert: Charles McMahon Contact: www.merionmedia.com Bio: Charles ...

Vintage Raleigh Bicycles Parts | Team Tamarack Mountain Bike ...

by Biker guy

This mournful but pleasing collection features many of the best photographs of bicycles locked to poles ever taken. Shot using an old-fashioned 35mm Nikon, the photos here follow in the tradition of John James Audubon, Bernd and Hilla Becher, the Peterson Field Guides, and The Observer’s Book of Steam Locomotives. Bicycles Locked to Poles began in early 2001, when a magenta arrow – spray-painted on the sidewalk by a representative of the electrical utility — pointed directly to the sadly bent, Dali-esque wheel of a bicycle on the photographer’s street. Glassie passed by every day for months, until one day it was gone. He has been documenting bicycles locked to poles, bent, broken and otherwise, in and around his East Village neighborhood of New York ever since.This volume presents a careful selection from Glassie’s collection of over a thousand color photographs, as well as a graphical guide to present, damaged, and missing bicycle parts, and a quote from...

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