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Old dish sponge is what I’ll use from now on, it’ll catch and fill the tyre.
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May 13, 2021 14:44
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I checked my tire on the way down, it's not fully deflated but it has gone down since yesterday, so whatever the hole is it's not a big one, but big enough. The last time this happened to me, I was able to keep the bike pumped for about a day or two at a time, which I needed as I didn't have the chance to get the repair materials or go to the shop, due to the pandemic and all that. I'll fix it on Saturday. Thankfully we have a long bank weekend. For those wondering, the brand of the tire seems to be Cheng Shin and it was also written Spectra Regular Quartz. Also yeah the bike paths and the side of the road around here, especially in the city proper aren't great. They're the, already careless citizens, waste baskets and broken glass is not uncommon. The path by the woods I take is in not great condition, though clean-ish from lack of comparative foot traffic. It's incredibly bumpy and patchy at times but I don't think that's necessarily a problem. I will be investing in a tougher tire once class ends (so in 2-3 weeks) to be better prepared for next year. I'm open to suggestions.
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May 13, 2021 19:53
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100YrsofAttitude posted:I'm open to suggestions.
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May 13, 2021 20:24
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That’s the brand I was complaining about before on Minicurve’s bike (sold as CST here), was stock tyre from Halfords on a jr sized bike, and no joke at this point I think the tyre itself is causing a flat on the front. On the MTB version you got the knobbles and then the bits in between are almost see through they are that bad. Seconding Marathon plus, although anything with K guard would be an improvement.
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May 13, 2021 22:06
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learnincurve posted:That’s the brand I was complaining about before on Minicurve’s bike (sold as CST here)
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May 13, 2021 23:28
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Oddly enough here $20 will get you marathon plus, crap tyres like on mini’s bike can be bought for $7.
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May 14, 2021 07:08
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learnincurve posted:Oddly enough here $20 will get you marathon plus, crap tyres like on mini’s bike can be bought for $7. I think basically everything cycling is cheaper in europe than the US isn't it?
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May 14, 2021 09:12
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learnincurve posted:Oddly enough here $20 will get you marathon plus, crap tyres like on mini’s bike can be bought for $7. This is not just because I doubt you, also us distributors have poo poo for tires in stock and I'm tempted to do grey market import. CopperHound fucked around with this message at 14:51 on May 14, 2021 |
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May 14, 2021 14:47
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You got to shop around in the UK each and every time because there isn’t one place that’s the cheapest and what is cheapest today may change on Monday. I did the full round of searches on Monday and there are currently tyre sales at: wiggle, tredz, chain reaction, and fawkes cycles. Tredz has a £5 off orders over £30 when you go to the site as well. Then you got Halfords, Evans, Je James, decathlon but they are all having stock problems right now. Ended up going with fawkes and a dude on eBay who had what I wanted new in his shed.
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May 14, 2021 15:29
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Best I could find a few years back was £50 a pair. Worth it though.
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May 14, 2021 15:47
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Seems to be £52 a pair rn, but you got to bounce around finding the right size. Looks like Halfords entire stock list is still on the ever given and that’s triggered pricing problems. 2 years ago I was getting continental contacts for £9 each in sales and you can’t find them for less than £30 a pair at the moment.
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May 14, 2021 16:00
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a few years back about 6 months after i first got into cycling, i started getting a ton of flats one right after the other. no matter what i did, the flats would not stop. i changed the tires, i changed the tubes multiple times, swept my fingats through every nook and cranny on the rim a hundred times and found nothing. kept getting flats. then a friend mentioned i should probably check my rim tape. this was something i did not know even existed, but crucially rim tape prevents your inflated innertube from penetrating down into the spoke holes and causing a puncture. my bike had come stock with cheap rim tape that was beginning to fail and several of the spoke holes were very deeply recessed through the tape. after i switched to cloth tape it was never a problem i had again
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May 15, 2021 15:29
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Well, it took us about an hour to do the whole wheel (back tire), but we got it. We're still very new at this but I'm sure it'll get easier with time. What're your pit records? I did find the culprit. A pyramidal shaped pebble buried itself into the tire. I managed to get it out but lost it on retrieval. It left a tiny gash in the tire and a little hole in the inside. So I put a small patch but I'm tossing those tires as soon as I can. I don't know if it's kosher to order my own parts and then ask my technician to put them on, so I'll go to the shop on Tuesday and see if they can't order them and do the whole thing one of these days. My partner did it herself, but it took us a bit of finagling to get it right, because the new tires, the ones you've all suggested, were a touch large for her wheel well.
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May 15, 2021 17:30
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Yeh the better beaded tyres are absolute pig to get on (the wire is made from concentrated hate), but once they are on you shouldn’t have to take them off for a very long time, and then you get to find out that they are a pig to get off again.
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May 15, 2021 17:47
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Brand new good tires can be an absolute hell of a time to get on the rim, especially if you aren't practiced in the tricks and don't have good tire levers (and know how to use them). Fortunately the beads do stretch out and loosen a tiny bit over time, so a tire with a couple thousand miles on it is a lot easier to get off and on than a brand new one. It's good practice to fight a tough tire a few times because out on the roadside when you're 15 miles from home with a flat tire you're going to be glad that you know how to do it.
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May 15, 2021 17:58
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yeah on my MTB I've started using soapy water to lube the bead a bit and help onto the rim and also seat right with air pressure and massage therapy. Didn't use to be this way iirc but maybe it's the tubeless future we're living in or something. Almost like working on car tires. The upside is when they seat they're really on there.100YrsofAttitude posted:Well, it took us about an hour to do the whole wheel (back tire), but we got it. We're still very new at this but I'm sure it'll get easier with time. What're your pit records? Do it a few more times and you'll change a tire or fix a flat in 20 minutes easily without rushing it. I assume you have tire levers? They help a lot. A floor pump is much faster than a little portable pump and shave off some time too. The only time I put a clock on a tire job is by the roadside when I'm late for work, but I still don't rush it since I'm gonna be late anyways and it sucks to mess up and having to redo it. quote:So I put a small patch but I'm tossing those tires as soon as I can.
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May 15, 2021 18:14
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This video is pretty good for getting stiff tyres on (I think it was posted in the last version of this thread or one of the other bike threads.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4
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May 15, 2021 18:38
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Yeah sorry if I wasn't clear. Tube got patched and I'm just sort of hoping nothing will sliver its way in in the meantime. We've got levers, which sure helped.
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May 15, 2021 18:39
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Getting my Marathon Pluses on was a loving nightmare. On the plus side, I've never had a flat despite biking frequently around the city.
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May 15, 2021 19:10
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This morning I broke a tire lever putting a Marathon Plus back on.
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May 15, 2021 19:19
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Groda posted:This morning I broke a tire lever putting a Marathon Plus back on.  except a few weeks ago. Could have used the knowledge of that wizard in the video.
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May 15, 2021 19:22
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100YrsofAttitude posted:I don't know if it's kosher to order my own parts and then ask my technician to put them on, so I'll go to the shop on Tuesday and see if they can't order them and do the whole thing one of these days. Tires are probably fine, but offering an extra fiver would be a nice guesture
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May 15, 2021 19:41
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The only wizardry is making sure the beads is, and stays, in the "trench" of the rim.
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May 15, 2021 19:43
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evil_bunnY posted:The only wizardry is making sure the beads is, and stays, in the "trench" of the rim. I was referring to his looks more than any incomprehensible magic he did, but those straps allowing him to massage the bead slack towards the tight spot was pretty neat. I was nowhere near doing it with hands alone last time. Imma try some straps next time
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May 15, 2021 19:49
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FWIW, don't feel like you have to replace a tire just because it has a small cut in the rubber from glass/debris/whatever.
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May 15, 2021 20:10
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XIII posted:FWIW, don't feel like you have to replace a tire just because it has a small cut in the rubber from glass/debris/whatever. That is reassuring in that it'll last until I replace it, but my road conditions aren't ideal and considering how much I do use my bike, it seems like a sound investment. It was something I had been planning on doing, but having 3 flats in as many months, which may not be much but still, is pushing me to do it sooner than later.
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May 15, 2021 20:15
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I typically average around 100-150mi a week (and our roads ain't exactly great) and my tires have plenty of nicks and cuts from all the poo poo I've had to dig out of them. Not saying don't replace them, especially if you were already planning on it, but I don't want you to think there's anything "wrong" with them as-is.
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May 15, 2021 20:39
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Al2001 posted:This video is pretty good for getting stiff tyres on (I think it was posted in the last version of this thread or one of the other bike threads.) The only trick this guy is missing is turning the wheel around and pulling the tyre over the rim rather than abusing your thumbs trying to push it on. I picked that up from a nameless goon in one of these threads and it's saved me a lot of thumb pain over the years.
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May 15, 2021 22:31
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XIII posted:FWIW, don't feel like you have to replace a tire just because it has a small cut in the rubber from glass/debris/whatever. Yeah my tires always get cut up to hell with tiny nicks, gashes, and pierces, it's just what's going to happen. It's also why tubeless is so amazing because all those little cuts and punctures don't blow out your tubes. But as long as they are tiny cuts and holes, any sharp debris is removed, and the tube isn't getting exposed you'll most likely be fine. It's the big cuts and holes you have to worry about.
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May 15, 2021 23:26
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Vittoria Randonnuer tech tyres nearly gave me a nervous breakdown. They just would. not. go. on. I'm a reasonably strong guy and wound up trying to brute force it and broke 2 tyre leavers. I was in the yard screaming like Happy Gilmore at the golf ball next to the hole. "Just fit on! You were made for this!" Marathons were a cinch compared. The best hint I've heard that was most helpful is: warm the tyres first. Leave them next to a heater for about 30 minutes and they become much more malleable. Combine with a little soapy water (I use an old mustard squirt bottle) it becomes far less frustrating. I did this the second time I put on a set of Vittoria's and it was much, much easier.
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May 16, 2021 04:05
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Guinness posted:Yeah my tires always get cut up to hell with tiny nicks, gashes, and pierces, it's just what's going to happen. It's also why tubeless is so amazing because all those little cuts and punctures don't blow out your tubes. That's fair but does that mean you have check for debris every ride? Because that seems tedious, and I don't want to have to wait for a flat to appear before recognizing there is a problem. Those flats are the worst because I put my bike away and all seems good, then I come down the next morning and have to rush a change or hope I can just pump it and it'll make it, because it's flat and I need to get to work. I've got the money at the moment thankfully, since nothing's been spent due to the pandemic, so might as well invest in some peace of mind.
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May 16, 2021 10:01
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Good tyres are the number one best investment for your bike; most of my bikes have low end tourney gears because I mostly ride on the flat using 3 gears and idgaf but anything less than k guard on the tyres and they are immediately being ripped off and upgraded, and that’s before you get into rolling resistance on what surface.
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May 16, 2021 12:14
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There's a reason why marathon pluses are so popular among people who ride a lot and are willing to pay a little extra for reliability. Punctures still happen but are really rare compared to a normal tire without any protective layer at all. When I road bike and notice I've just ridden through a patch of broken glass I'll usually just reach down and wipe the wheels off with my glove. Skinny tires are more prone to go flat and on a naked road bike they are within easy reach so I figure it can't hurt. Unless there's a sliver of glass that will slice up my glove and also hand, that would hurt. Hasn't happened yet though.
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May 16, 2021 13:47
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I've got the Schwalbe Marathon E-Plus tires on my grandma bike, apparently they've got all kinds of extra reinforcement and puncture protection that you want for e-bikes, I'm pretty sure you could literally stab them with a knife and they still wouldn't puncture easily. Probably also heavier than regular tires, but  it's a 3-speed steel stepover frame bike with a giant basket in front and my fat rear end on the seat.
KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 13:51 on May 16, 2021 |
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May 16, 2021 13:47
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I’m waiting on some of those for my electric old lady bike after I saw an advert with someone pushing drawing pins into them, and then showing you how they just harmlessly stick in the protective layer without causing flats.
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May 16, 2021 13:56
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100YrsofAttitude posted:That's fair but does that mean you have check for debris every ride? Because that seems tedious, and I don't want to have to wait for a flat to appear before recognizing there is a problem. Those flats are the worst because I put my bike away and all seems good, then I come down the next morning and have to rush a change or hope I can just pump it and it'll make it, because it's flat and I need to get to work. No of course not. But when a flat does happen I make the best effort to identify what caused it and that any sharp object is removed from inside the tire. Skipping that step is like a 50/50 that you'll just get another flat. But these days, tubeless for me. But not everyone's cup of tea. If you want to stay tubed and don't mind giving up some ride quality and suppleness for puncture protection, get some Marathons or similar as suggested. Guinness fucked around with this message at 18:51 on May 16, 2021 |
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May 16, 2021 18:48
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I'll check my tires for little bits of glass or whatever maaaaaybe once a month, but it's one of those "huh, I'm bored at work, guess I'll fiddle with my bike" sorta things, not something I'd consider vital to do. And I can't say I've ever dug anything out that I thought would eventually be a problem. Usually, if something is gonna flat you out, it'll do it right away. When that happens, making sure you find the cause(s) before you put a new tube is the most important step. There's no feeling worse than seeing a fresh tube immediately go flat.
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May 16, 2021 20:57
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Groda posted:This morning I broke a tire lever putting a Marathon Plus back on. I did it by hand via. technique, a rim with sufficient 'drop' inside, and hand strength. I actually peeled a layer of skin off of one of my thumbs. Ouch.
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May 17, 2021 21:06
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May 17, 2021 21:23
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You can also stick the last bit of tire in the bench vise and use the whole wheel as leverage to pop that bead on. But you're not supposed to let the person who'll be riding the tire see you doing it.
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May 17, 2021 22:38
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