Posts

SB20 - Handlebar Tape Replacement

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The handlebar tape shipped with the SB20 is narrow, thin and relatively stiff .  This type of tape was chosen for one important reason: You can route the tape around the remote buttons  (a.k.a.,  sprint buttons ) without causing large gaps.  This style of wrapping works best on the curved portion of handlebars. Wrapping with New Tape In this post, I will show you how to wrap your handlebars with conventional foam tape. Difficulty Wrapping handlebars is easy. Trimming holes for the remote shifters makes things a little bit harder. I rate difficulty to be about 4 out of 10 Tools Needed What's needed: X-Acto knife  / Razor blades Wood Block (cutting surface) Scissors Fiberglass Strapping Tape Straight Edge (optional for making straight cuts) Electrical Tape (optional for finishing handlebar tape) Plus handlebar tape of your choice. Top Bar Position Wrapping tape around the remote buttons becomes challenging if you move them to the top bar.  Stages describes ...

SB20 - What's Inside (2026)?

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The Stages SB20  indoor smart bike was released in 2020. Let's take a look its electronics and drivetrain components. Updated in February 2026 🎉 An external power supply routes power to different bike components through a series of printed circuit boards (PCBs). The bike also includes two battery powered crank-based power meters.  Key internal drivetrain components include a bottom bracket and electronic flywheel brake.  Here's an overview of the basic components: USB Board - Wedged vertically under the phone tray. It powers 3 USB ports. Upper PCB - Fastened horizontally under the phone support rail. This System On a Chip (SoC) handles wireless communication and controls the bike itself. Switch Board - This wire distribution board sits inside the aluminum handlebar stem. It routes connections for the brake level controls  and under handlebar tape "blip" shifter buttons.  Lower PCB  - This mainly analog circuit board is attached to the flywheel / e...

SB20 - Flywheel Bearing Replacement

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Previous posts describe how to add grease to the large Flywheel Bearings in the SB20.  This post shows how to replace them. I used 6910ZZ bearings that cost less than $15 each.   See the FAQ below for a discussion on using name brand versus generic bearings . Video Here's the video. __________ Flywheel Bearing Removal Steps Replacing Flywheel Bearings  requires the following steps: Perform Flywheel disassembly as described in SB20 - Advanced Flywheel Servicing .   Remove Coils and Optical Sensor . Remove and replace large Flywheel Bearings . Replace Coils and Optical Sensor . Perform Flywheel re-sassembly as described in SB20 - Advanced Flywheel Servicing .   Difficulty Level Servicing the  Flywheel   bearings requires some advanced DIY skills. I rate the difficulty to be  9 out of 10 . While nothing is technically extreme, I rate this harder than similar tasks for the following reasons: Risk of damaging the Stator - particularly t...

SB20 - Simplifying Flywheel Bearing Service

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Making Your SB20 Flywheel Easier to Service When replacing or servicing the Stages SB20 Flywheel Bearings , a few questions are commonly asked: Loctite adhesive is recommended to glue bearings in place. Where should it be used?  Can you over do it?  Can you skip the Loctite? Reassembling the drive-side axle can be difficult. There is not enough room to insert a cone wrench to properly tighten the flange and lock nuts. This means the flange nut can come loose allowing the entire flywheel to potentially move.  What can you do ? Video Here's the video. This post expands on my previous  Flywheel Servicing posts and videos: SB20 - Advanced Flywheel Bearing Servicing SB20 - Flywheel Cog and Axle Bearing Service Stages SB20 - Drive Belt Adjustments (2025) _____________________ SB20 Flywheel Bearing Design The design of SB20 flywheel relies on some basic principles: The axle and flywheel bearings expect an  interference fit  on their outer rings . The means the ...