[Other Sport] Cycling geeks

[Motogull]

You know I am in the room

Yup, but any chance to moan about 'guards and I'm in like Flint.

 

[banjo]

Yup, but any chance to moan about 'guards and I'm in like Flint.

Ha ha. Sorry can't help, I don't use them.

 

[1066familyman]

You know I am in the room

I was 5th overall after stage 1


If you're repeatedly getting the odd puncture on the same brand, I'd seriously look to changing the brand.
New tyres each winter should be able to cope with general road debris.
Sure you're going to get the odd arrowhead or rough edged crater, but all else shouldn't cause a problem..

But I'm not repeatedly getting punctures, just 3 this winter but none in previous winters.(on that brand of tyre) The pothole was just bad luck and wet roads account for the others. I'm very happy with the Vredesteins.

 

[kip]

Two puncture related questions:

1) Do mudguards cause more punctures? - It's a crazy theory as surely a puncture occurs at the bottom of the tyre where it meets the road, so surely mudguards have bugger all to do with it. However, this winter with far far less miles than last winter, I've now had three punctures compared to none the previous two winters. Same tyres, in fact tonight's puncture is on a new tyre I put on about 100 miles ago. Only difference to this winter and the previous ones is that I now have close fitting clip on mudguards. have I juts been unlucky or are the mudguards to blame by somehow not allowing debris to flick clear of the tyre so to speak?

2) What does a pinch puncture look like? - Is it something like this ___ ? Rather than this . ?

Hit a pothole on the club run tonight and got a puncture as result. Had a good feel all through the tyre and couldn't find anything sharp in there at all. This is the first time I've not found an offending article in the tyre and inspection of the tube once I got home shows a split as illustrated above rather than a hole. It's near the shoulder of the tube too. I did check carefully for pinches as always the last time I changed that tube. Also odd how it was rear wheel puncture and not front as both wheels hit the pothole.

Anyone got an ideas?

I'm guessing going tubeless isn't an option on a road bike? 2 guys I ride with have gone tubeless on the mountain bikes and have not had a puncture since. I'm going to do the same, apparently you can run a lot less pressure which can be an advantage in these conditions, although not on the road.

 

[1066familyman]

I'm guessing going tubeless isn't an option on a road bike? 2 guys I ride with have gone tubeless on the mountain bikes and have not had a puncture since. I'm going to do the same, apparently you can run a lot less pressure which can be an advantage in these conditions, although not on the road.

Tubeless seems like a dart art to me with all that glue and stuff. Also heard that if you do get a flat with those then there's no quick fix by the side of the road, bar a support vehicle and a spare wheel.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

I'm guessing going tubeless isn't an option on a road bike? 2 guys I ride with have gone tubeless on the mountain bikes and have not had a puncture since. I'm going to do the same, apparently you can run a lot less pressure which can be an advantage in these conditions, although not on the road.

It's definitely an option but needs specific wheels.

Tubeless seems like a dart art to me with all that glue and stuff. Also heard that if you do get a flat with those then there's no quick fix by the side of the road, bar a support vehicle and a spare wheel.

You can just put an inner tube in it but they have to be really tight on the rim to get the seal, so getting the tyre on and off is a nightmare. However, some people using them have said they don't even bother with spares as you never puncture (the sealant is the main reason for this).

 

[kip]

It's definitely an option but needs specific wheels.

You can just put an inner tube in it but they have to be really tight on the rim to get the seal, so getting the tyre on and off is a nightmare. However, some people using them have said they don't even bother with spares as you never puncture (the sealant is the main reason for this).

Do you definitely have to have specific wheels? I know on the mtb you can buy conversion kits for normal wheels which work really well.

 

[Motogull]

No more seat height adjusting for me for a while.

Hope my LBS has got a good axle grinder.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Do you definitely have to have specific wheels? I know on the mtb you can buy conversion kits for normal wheels which work really well.

There are conversion kits, I believe but I'm not sure if they're any good. The road tyres run at much higher pressures so the seal needs to be much tighter than MTB.

 

[Stat Brother]

I have no idea if this is new, but quite a lot of new wheels being made are able to take both types.

My long term plan has been a wheel upgrade for the summer.
The ones I have my eye on will take both, but I'm 100% with 1066 on this.
Tubeless is a dark art I don't think I can cope with.

 

[1066familyman]

Closer inspection of last night's punctured tube ready for repair reveals it was 100% pinch flat as a result of the pothole. I've got what is apparently the tell tale sign of an impact pinch flat - snake bite splits.

Lessons learnt:

1) Be more attentive for potholes.

2) Get tyre inflation right. I normally run at 130 psi but ran at about 90 last night due to wet roads and two very steep pitch black descents with bends.

 

[Stat Brother]

130 seems a bit much at the best of times.
Mine are usually around 100-110.

 

[kip]

130 seems a bit much at the best of times.
Mine are usually around 100-110.

Wow, that's crazy pressure, on my mtb, I run max 30psi in these conditions. Some guys running tubeless are on as little as 20psi. Even in the summer I run a maximum of 40 psi.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Wow, that's crazy pressure, on my mtb, I run max 30psi in these conditions. Some guys running tubeless are on as little as 20psi. Even in the summer I run a maximum of 40 psi.

I inflate my MTB tyres to 40, and my road tyres run at 120. Is is as it is.

 

[Motogull]

130 seems a bit much at the best of times.
Mine are usually around 100-110.

That's my rear, with the front at 90-100.

 

[1066familyman]

130 seems a bit much at the best of times.
Mine are usually around 100-110.

I realise that's higher than a lot of people run, but 130 works very well for me and those particular tyres. I'll sometimes go a bit lower for winter and damp roads but not much. The roads were wet last night though and the two descents are scary enough at the best of times, so what with recent ice making me twitchy as well (none at all last night of course as it was very mild) I decided I wouldn't go anywhere near 130. I bet if I had 130 in I wouldn't have got that pinch flat from that pothole.

 

[Stat Brother]

6 riders in the top 13 [MENTION=10856]1066familyman[/MENTION]

#gaunletthrown!

 

[1066familyman]

6 riders in the top 13 [MENTION=10856]1066familyman[/MENTION]

#gaunletthrown!

With a team full of sprinters you'd be disappointed with anything less, surely?

Going to be a very close call. Dennis going pop on Willunga Hill has probably cost me the race. C'est la vie and all that.

 

[Stat Brother]

With a team full of sprinters you'd be disappointed with anything less, surely?

Going to be a very close call. Dennis going pop on Willunga Hill has probably cost me the race. C'est la vie and all that.

No you've got too big a lead, he says without any actual idea of the scoring!!

I'm more interested in how many of us beat [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION] by over 1000 points

 

[1066familyman]

No you've got too big a lead, he says without any actual idea of the scoring!!

I'm more interested in how many of us beat [MENTION=225]Hamilton[/MENTION] by over 1000 points

Don't go knocking Hamilton now!

His two youngters rode a great Willunga Hill!

I haven't taken time to work out the scores but a cursory look suggests it could come down to (insert Irish accent here) "bonifications" for the victory.

I've really enjoyed this race again. Coverage has been superb once more with McEwen's excellent summing up making P&P bearable. The racing has been exciting over familiar parcours, even if one of my least favorite riders won GC, again.