Ask Brightspoke
Ask Brightspoke
answers reader questions about bikes and cycling.
Email us at or tweet "Ask @Brightspoke".
What are butterfly handlebars?
Posted Monday September 20, 2010
Butterfly or Trekking handlebars are popular with touring cyclists, and offer a number of hand positions while riding in an upright posture.
How to change a flat tire
Posted Friday July 30, 2010
Changing a flat bicycle tire can be easy. These videos show you how.
What is a down tube?
Posted Tuesday July 20, 2010
The down tube connects a bike frame's head tube to the bottom bracket.
What can flat bars do for me and what can drop bars do for me?
Posted Monday July 5, 2010
Comparing flat and low rise handlebars with drop or road bars.
What are flip-flop hubs?
Posted Thursday May 27, 2010
A flip-flop hub has a cog or freewheel on each side and can be flipped over in order to change the gearing ratio on a bike.
What is a direct mount stem?
Posted Tuesday May 18, 2010
A direct mount stem is a very short stem that mounts directly on to the top of the fork.
What are North Road handlebars?
Posted Monday May 10, 2010
North road handlebars are a kind of upright handlebar commonly found on cruiser and comfort bikes.
How do I inflate a tube with a Presta valve?
Posted Thursday May 6, 2010
Presta valves are simple to use but can be a little confusing if you've never encountered one before. We'll show you what to do.
What does alloy mean?
Posted Wednesday May 5, 2010
A reader asks what bike frame and component manufacturers mean by alloy.
What is a butted frame?
Posted Tuesday May 4, 2010
A butted tube takes advantage of this by using thinner walls (less material) along the middle section of the tube and thicker walls (more material) at the ends where the tubes join together and stress forces are highest.
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