Universal standards we are grateful for in cycling.

Pedal threads – Theres only 2 types as far as i know, 1/2″ and 9/16″
Chain pitch – distance between links
cable widths – are there just 2? gear and brake cables?
Oh and wheel size – i never hear anyone talk about different sized wheels so there must just be one size.

Does all Single Speeders having beards count as a universal standard?!

cable widths – are there just 2? gear and brake cables?

nope, nothing like it. Mavic and Campag were/are a different nipple size, then some gear cables are different thicknesses.

Round wheels

Careful now, if anyone from Giant is reading this they’ll be on to the new egg-shaped wheel standard in a shot. Of course, you’ll need new forks/frame/pedals/saddle for it.

round wheels

Common, but not universal
.

midlifecrashes – Member

Air. All my tyres take air.

Presta or Schrader valve?

Think there was a dura ace pedal that was a much bigger thread, the bearing was at the end of the axle or something

I’m not so sure about bottle cage bolts being standard.
Didn’t they used to be 2BA on British bikes and probably 3/16 UNF on USA bikes before we all went metric.

Air. All my tyres take air.

Nope: http://www.greentyre.co.uk/

Chain pitch – distance between links

Nope: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-Dura-Ace-10mm-Pitch-Chainset-Chain-Sprocket-NOS-1980-81-Never-Used-/300863208185

Does all Single Speeders having beards count as a universal standard?!

Got a single speed. Couldn’t grow a beard even if I wanted to.

Even now I have nightmares about Cotter pins, they are the single most worst piece of cycling related engineering ever.

Looking for a new commuter now and toying with discs but the the advantages will be out weighed by the having three bikes on 10 speed rim brakes.

Standard acceleration due to free-fall, aka gravity on Earth.

Rear wheel drive

I used to enjoy hammering out cotter pins 😐

MidlandTrailquestsGraham – Member

I’m not so sure about bottle cage bolts being standard.

My Voodoo took M6 cage bolts. Er, I think anyway, might possibly have been one of the other bikes.

Rear wheel drive

Nope: http://www.christinibicycles.com/

(this thread is proving a good exercise in cycling trivia 😉 )

mech bolt thread sizes (onto the hanger).
nope, new syntace/shimano standard.

Eh? Not on my Syntace and Shimano set up – is there a newer one?

wordnumb – Member
Standard acceleration due to free-fall, aka gravity on Earth.

sorry……..

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24180-strength-of-gravity-shifts–and-this-time-its-serious.html

Suntour X-press shifters used a different nipple to the common one still used to this day in Shimano shifters. And Suntour thumbies.

so the only legit standard so far is the diameter of handlebars at the grip/shifter/brake end?

Ooh – saddle rail diameters?

Non-I-beam, of course…bugger. Ninja edit too slow!

teethgrinder – Member
Ooh – saddle rail diameters?

i-beam scuppers that

Check thread title – I spend most of my riding time on something similar to this:

When you get back on something with two wheels, can you manual for days over almost any terrain?

so the only legit standard so far is the diameter of handlebars at the grip/shifter/brake end?

Nope, road bikes, and there was a very niche ladies/thin size as well.

Eh? Not on my Syntace and Shimano set up – is there a newer one?

The new standard dispenses with the top part of the mech so the knuckle bit bolts straight to the hanger.

Ooh – saddle rail diameters?

nope, a very big nope, there’s threads on weightweenies listing which saddles/posts are compatible, some are even oval shaped!

>The new standard dispenses with the top part of the mech so the knuckle bit bolts straight to the hanger.<

Cheers – seen it now. I hate the original Shadow mech anyway and the Syntace mech hanger tab / break away bolt design which is good in theory is flawed in execution. The tab can rotate by several mil even when its nipped up to over-tight and you are more likely to trash the mech before the bolt breaks. Happened twice to me…

Putting aside the Hope head doctor and the like, the size of the bolt that goes into a star nut?

Zip-Ties.

They work on every bike I own without fail.

Brake and Gear outer?

EDIT: Rohloff confuses it by using Brake outer with Gear inner.

Brake and Gear outer?

no, 4mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, all used by different people and probably some others. I can remember oversized brake inner cables being common 15-20 years ago.

kimbers – Member

so the only legit standard so far is the diameter of handlebars at the grip/shifter/brake end?

nope, marin have grips on some womens bikes that are 19.1mm rather than 22.2mm

Air. All my tyres take air.

I believe CO2 inflators exist if you fancy something a little more pure…

When you get back on something with two wheels, can you manual for days over almost any terrain?

If only that was the case – unfortunately my wheelie (rather than manual, as you’re always pedalling on a uni) skills don’t seem to have improved, though I suspect I just need to put in a bit of proper practice to get the skills to transfer. Even doing a wheelie on a swing bike with direct drive isn’t easy!

So, have we actually found any universal standards?

So, have we actually found any universal standards?

The air inside the frame tubes

and the nut that holds the handlebars

Naah, somewhere someone use an Imperial one of them….

and the nut that holds the handlebars

Of my 7 bikes only 4 have this.
The others have


and one on y TT bike which does have a nut, albeit a funny size

Not gear inner cable diameter cos SRAM is slightly different..

What about brake cable inner diameter
?

Oh wow…

I have no idea!

So if the thread or the size of water bottle cage bolts can vary, how about the distance between the bolts? Does it ever vary or is it just one, standard size?

The air inside the frame tubes

Nope 🙂 :

I actually saw one of those in the flesh in the FoD a couple of weeks ago and still kicking myself that I didn’t ask the owner for a closer look.