The biking thread

[boiltheocean]

Wait, what?

Wouldn't pumping the tube up increase the hole size that is already there? And then make the air rush out? Which would then deflate it down until the hole then get closed by the tube itself?

The hole made was only small when the tube was fully inflated anyway so pumping it back up only lead to a very small air leak that took a few weeks to go down.

What I didn't mention in that story is that my useless bike pump hooked around the valve and ripped it right out when I removed the pump. So I've got a new tube in now anyway

 

[W3H5]

I can't remember the last time I had a puncture, and good God do I ride through a lot of debris on the roads. I put it down to the tubes being so pressurised that the tyres are like a form of exoskeleton.

 

[Neal]

Awesome Neal! Hope Jack enjoys the bike as much as you do!

Also I'm jelly of your sons bike Neal.

Cheers 👍 I'm jealous of it! The frame is properly light and much better made than my own plus all the bearings are in cages rather than loose which makes servicing them a doodle. I'll post some pics of it when it's back in one piece and has been bijazzled.

Also I can't remember the last time I had a puncture although that's probably tempted fate.

Also also it's chuffin freezing riding at night now and it's only just below 10°C, I'm going to have to get some better riding gear or seriously MTFU!

 

[ExigeEvan]

I went 3300km without a puncture

 

[Submerged]

Is punctures related to how you ride the bike or what pressure you've put in the tyres?

So far I've not had any punctures on my road bikes and its been pretty solid, so far. Although I do ride a lot more in the Spring and Summer than the winter (I'm a wimp...).

 

[ExigeEvan]

Is punctures related to how you ride the bike or what pressure you've put in the tyres?

So far I've not had any punctures on my road bikes and its been pretty solid, so far. Although I do ride a lot more in the Spring and Summer than the winter (I'm a wimp...).

Mostly just where and the properties of the tyre compound. From my own experience slick tyres, on road or hybrids, are particularly puncture proof because they're not trying to using soft grippy blocks for grip, instead they have quite hard compounds or good puncture protection.

Add that most well travelled roads, in my area atleast, are relatively clear of puncture causing material.

 

[Submerged]

Likewise here, often the roads are far cleaner than pavements or "cycle lanes". There is a village that has traffic slowing measures that forces the driver to do a zig-zag. On several zig-zags, it has a small, green path for cyclists to go through. I've never been through it because:

1) Its dirty and looks like it has glass/rubbish/sharp stuff there
2) quite narrow when you're reaching 20-25mph to go through safety
3) less grip (bizarrely)

I guess if you have the road tyres and high pressurised tubes, it should be ok most of the time. You could spend a lot and get Kelvar material tyres, but whether they're actually any good or not, remains to be seen....

 

[ExigeEvan]

Yeah I get the same issue on roundabouts, a lot of the time gravel, dirt and debris is thrown to the outside lanes which only the leaner drivers ever seem to drive over.

 

[ExigeEvan]

I take it Ricco isn't too popular?

 

[Submerged]

Yeah I get the same issue on roundabouts, a lot of the time gravel, dirt and debris is thrown to the outside lanes which only the leaner drivers ever seem to drive over.

When I do drive and I arrive at a roundabout, I make a point of using the outside lane when I am about to exit the roundabout. It kinda stops people from crawling into the roundabout I guess. Additionally, its annoying for me to see a piece of road that isn't actually being used that well.

On a bike, I just often have to cane my way through it (if it is a big one) and hope that the gravel isn't the slippery kind for me to drop it like a stone!

 

[Boffin]

Seeing as I have the BigHit, I decided my GT Avalance should be less of a XC MTB and more or an urban hybrid, so I fitted some Continental Sport Contact road tyres on it. I was originally looking at keeping the same sort of tyre profile just with no tread (say 26 X ~ 2.1) but chose the slim 1.3 inch variant. Only managed to ride it round the streets as there has been some weather recently but really happy with the way it goes. Definately picks up more of the road surface feel like a road bike does. Its basically now a rather heavy road bike I can take off curbs without being to scared of damaging the rim, frame or fork(something that always prevented me from getting a road bike was it's not really acceptable to ride it on the footpath, unlike a mountainbike).

Now I am toying with the idea of painting the frame matte black....

 

[W3H5]

Since riding with these bad boys I've never feared riding through dirty bits of road.
I don't run them full pressure at the moment because it's damp a bit but they are awesomely hard mofos.

 

[Submerged]

With words like "Detonator"... It'll obviously blaze a path through ANYTHING!

I hated damp pieces of roads. Presumably its better to increase contact patch by reducing the pressure slighty and hoping for the best? And making sure you got treads on the tyres, of course

 

[W3H5]

The Detonators are explosive!

Best tyres I've ever bought to be honest. I did consider switching back to the old MTB tyres for winter but they're nowhere near as good rubber. With the Detonators deflated a bit they provide more grip than a tyre twice as wide but with worse quality rubber. After a fast ride in the summer they're like putty!

 

[Submerged]

Ah, nice!

Best of both worlds there then

 

[ExigeEvan]

Going running with your lycra tan lines exposed gets you some weird looks. Especially during a British winter lol

 

[Neal]

You must have been wearing some pretty skimpy running gear to show off your mankini tan lines

 

[W3H5]

Serves him right for dressing in spandex!

Ride like a man, wear cotton. (Or at least dryfit gear)

Saying that, I've still got 4 tanned fingers and a pale white hand thanks to riding gloves through summer.

I never mentioned the word 'brown' any where in this thread.

 

[Neal]

I've still got 4 brown fingers...

 

[W3H5]

Should I have said eight fingers and left out the word brown?

I fear we're diving into deeper territories here what with mention of spandex and brown fingers.......

Maybe the beer is making my mind run at twice the recommended capacity.

I'm leaving the site for the night. Best I don't make any more conclusions.....

 

[Mike Rotch]

I fear we're diving into deeper territories here ... with .....brown fingers.......

Been rainin' since monday here. Hope it clears for the weekend so I can get out a bit.

Also the batteries for my lamp arrived!

But not my lamp

 

[boiltheocean]

Rest in peace Dane, for anyone unaware check out Unit's Giants of Dirt series on Youtube. I'll post some when I get on my PC but for now I'll just say the world of BMX has lost one of the greats.

 

[Neal]

^ I hadn't heard of him before but from what I've just seen he was pretty legendary, nasty way to go!

Been rainin' since monday here. Hope it clears for the weekend so I can get out a bit.

Also the batteries for my lamp arrived!

But not my lamp

Get yourself out on some dirt trails and then you can have the fun of getting horrendously muddy

Did you get the charger with the batteries?

You might be waiting a couple more weeks for your torch from DX. I ordered the same one on 28th Oct which was shipped 2nd Nov and was last track on 10th Nov at the airport in Hong Kong (GUANGZHOU) and I still don't have it. If I don't receive it in another week or 2 then it'll be over their usual delivery times and I'll have to contact them.

In the mean time have a read of this...

Charging Lithium-ion Batteries

How to Prolong Lithium Batteries

 

[Mike Rotch]

Did you get the charger with the batteries?

Yar, but off a separate site..It's a travel charger though, which I am sure is not the optimal solution.

You might be waiting a couple more weeks for your torch from DX. I ordered the same one on 28th Oct which was shipped 2nd Nov and was last track on 10th Nov at the airport in Hong Kong (GUANGZHOU) and I still don't have it. If I don't receive it in another week or 2 then it'll be over their usual delivery times and I'll have to contact them.

Bummer, here is holding thumbs for us both. Was this a second one you bought or the original one *confused*?

Ta for the reading stuffs too 👍 I never am sure how to charge them properly in terms of draining them completely or not!

 

[Neal]

It's a second one I've ordered to look cool (and symmetrical) on the bars and well and truly blind any morons who pull out on me at night but I'll fix it to my helmet when I'm riding off road. The first one turned up in three weeks so this order feels like ages. Is the charger you've got for Li-ion cells rather than normal rechargeables?

 

[jagdrag77]

Rest in peace Dane.

Yeah R.I.P Dane, you were awesome and I learned a lot from you.

I ride bmx every arvo and it's good fun and good for my fitness. I've been thinking about getting a mountain bike, but I'm clueless about what I'm after. We have some really good trails around here, but my bmx does me for now 👍

 

[Mike Rotch]

It's a second one I've ordered to look cool (and symmetrical) on the bars and well and truly blind any morons who pull out on me at night but I'll fix it to my helmet when I'm riding off road. The first one turned up in three weeks so this order feels like ages. Is the charger you've got for Li-ion cells rather than normal rechargeables?

Well that's positive, one turned up at least.

Yep, I got the charger and batteries together, so all matched up .

 

[Mike Rotch]

Good ride today - 18km.

 

[W3H5]

Nice view there!

I'm tempted to get out for a ride today. Haven't for two weeks after being stuck at home sick. My body could really do with the exercise.

I think a short 20k around the city should do it, at a slow pace.

 

[Submerged]

You might be waiting a couple more weeks for your torch from DX. I ordered the same one on 28th Oct which was shipped 2nd Nov and was last track on 10th Nov at the airport in Hong Kong (GUANGZHOU) and I still don't have it. If I don't receive it in another week or 2 then it'll be over their usual delivery times and I'll have to contact them.

Neal, Guangzhou isn't in Hong Kong, its actually in Mainland China. Its about 200-ish kilometres away from Hong Kong or something like that. If it is in Guangzhou airport, it would be likely to be in Baiyun International Airport, Guangzhou. I suspect you meant it was sent FROM Guangzhou TO Hong Kong?