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Come on people, it's a tire change, not open heart surgery
Last Post 01/03/2018 08:26 AM by Orange Crush. 19 Replies.
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/20/2017 07:53 AM |
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There are some things you should be able to do quickly, efficiently, and be self sufficient with on any ride.
It appears that isn't universally adhered to in my circle.
A month ago went with a group of about 30 on a 60 mile northern Arkansas road ride-- super hilly, lots of fun, nice group enforcing the fat old man rule of regrouping every 15 miles or so.
One of the guys was on tubulars and flatted (who uses those other than racing these days?). He stripped the tire, slapped on his spare, lost the valve extender, pulled the one from the other wheel to use, wasted a couple CO2's, mooched mine and another guys. Finally after ten minutes or more we were back on the road.
Yesterday rode 55 miles mostly gravel with a group of nine. One guy flatted on a chunk rock-strewn downhill section. New carbon clincher wheels, tight tires, took three tire levers to pry the thing off the rim. New tube and more swearing to get the tire back on. Then a valve extender had to be located since the new tubes valve stem was too short, two more wasted CO2's, a bent valve stem, a mini pump. I tried three time to had them my full sized frame pump that could have inflated the thing in 20 strokes but no, gotta use the mini pump which took 250 strokes before it finally tore the valve off. Tire comes off, new tube was mooched (this one with a long enough valve stem to get the job done without an extender) one more CO2 and after 30 minutes (yes, 30 minutes, I have the Garmin file to prove it) we're back on the road.
If I take more than a couple of minutes changing a tube I'm ticked off at myself.
I'm sort of surprised people aren't better prepared for what is an eventuality. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 12/20/2017 08:48 AM |
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Did a group ride earlier this year....my regular Tues / Thurs group but I joined them for their Saturday ride (which I normally did not do). Fairly early into the ride, I flatted (an ultra-rare occurrence). Fook.
Well, I was riding my tubulars...double fook. But I immediately told them to just keep riding and leave me to my own fate. No way I was gonna ruin (or at least delay) their ride because I chose to ride tubulars.
The other thing that kills me is the number of people it takes to change a tube....one guy is taking the tire off, another guy is getting a tune out, another guy is using the pump, etc. FFS...just let one guy do the work and it will probably be faster!! |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 12/20/2017 11:08 AM |
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I went on a serious gravel ride last summer. We were warned to have big tires. I went 38 in front, 35 in back. Perfect. No issues at all. Others went smaller. Every tire 32 or smaller flatted. 6 flats for one guy. Lent my HPX to someone to pump his tire and got it back with the spring lock broken so I had to tie it to the bike. At a later flat I went on ahead. Stopped and waited a few miles later. No one showed. I started worrying about myself. They all had GPS, etc. I didn't. There was only so much day left and I really didn't want to spend the night at altitude in the coast range. So, in survival mode, I pushed on. Came to a trail head that could match our minimal map so I followed it with my eyes open to navigation clues. (Going to the coast. Better be downhill on average and very upwind.)
Got to the brewery we were to meet at. Nobody. It was a full hour before the next few riders. They had several more flats.
Yes, the road conditions were bad. Grades past 18%. "Gravel" of 1 1/2" diameter and bigger. But no excuse for not having several tubes, means to inflate them each several times and the biggest tires that will fit that frame. (And if you have the choice, the right bike.)
Dale: what pump do you have that does it in 20 strokes? That's my floor pump. The HPX takes me roughly 90 strokes. The older HPs were 5-10% more strokes.
Ben |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/20/2017 06:17 PM |
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"Dale: what pump do you have that does it in 20 strokes? That's my floor pump. The HPX takes me roughly 90 strokes. The older HPs were 5-10% more strokes. "
Bit of an exaggeration-- I've got the full sized Topeka Master Blaster. |
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zootracer
Posts:833
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| 12/21/2017 10:12 AM |
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It might be overkill but I ride with a co2 inflator (the kind that screws onto your valve) 3 or 4 16g cartridges of co2, 2 tubes, a mini pump, a glueless patch kit and a Park tire boot. I have encountered cyclists that are unprepared, no spare tube, no patch kit, maybe a mini pump at best. Some don't carry anything. I don't time myself, but I'm guessing 7-10 minutes for a flat repair, depends on it if is front or rear tire. Also time of year, cold weather slows things down.
I use a Topeak Joe Blow Sport at home and can get up to 100psi in around 25-30 strokes. |
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jookey
Posts:197
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| 12/22/2017 10:58 AM |
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I always carry a glueless patch kit "just in case". Also have an extra CO2 cartridge. For longer rides, I'll take an extra tube. I might grab my mini pump depending on who I am riding with.
I typically take 4 minutes to change the tire. All this talk about "getting it off", "number of strokes"... Bike Porn... |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 12/22/2017 11:05 AM |
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Side note - all this stuff serves as a great example of why tubeless technology on the road, or even just carbin clinchers, are dumb. WAY too much effort on the side of the road to change a tube.
Just use latex tubes and alloy rims. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/22/2017 02:09 PM |
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Yesterday we did a Winter Solstice night ride-- 8 miles to and from the 30 mile group ride so 46 miles total for me. Six riders, five bikes-- a tandem and four singles. We were out in the middle of nowhere and one of the guys flatted. We pulled off the road onto a driveway of a farm house and the guy starts the flat repair.
Some guy in Carhart overalls came out, asked what's going on, we told him, a minute later he walked out with a floor pump and tells us to stick it in the bed of his pick-up when we're done and if we need anything else just come pound on the door. Completely cracked us up.
In other news, the last 6 days I logged the highest milage of any week this year (160)... in the middle of freaking December! |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 12/22/2017 02:28 PM |
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Posted By Dale Dale on 12/22/2017 02:09 PM
In other news, the last 6 days I logged the highest milage of any week this year (160)... in the middle of freaking December!
Sounds like my rest week.....  |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/22/2017 03:53 PM |
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| LOL! I'm almost embarrassed to call myself a cyclist with the low miles I logged the last couple of years. I saw the Strava reports from a couple of buddies-- 13,000 mile, 11,000, and 10,500 My 3,000 is pretty weak. |
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SideBySide
Posts:444
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| 12/23/2017 12:19 AM |
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My lowest year in a couple at 3000, but I blame it on getting older.
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zootracer
Posts:833
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| 12/23/2017 09:29 AM |
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| Kinda off topic, those guys who put in 13,000, 11,000, and 10,000...do they have day jobs? |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 12/23/2017 11:00 PM |
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Zoot, I rode 10,500, 9500 then 8500 miles as a bike racer working first in a warehouse, then a bike shop. Second and third years would have been like the first had it not been for my head injury. Now, I won't contest it if you were to argue I didn't have a life. Going out at night? Are you kidding?
Ben |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 12/24/2017 06:41 AM |
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| The 11,000 mile guy works... legal assistant and commutes to work, does a bunch of ultra gravels rides/ races and jumps in every possible after work ride. The 10,000 mile guy is retired and the 13,000 mile guy just rides a ton, not sure what his work/ retirement status is but he's late 50's/ early 60's and doesn't have kids at home. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 12/24/2017 11:04 AM |
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| By the numbers it was just an average year but we rode into hell and managed to ride back out. |
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Nick A
Posts:625
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| 12/27/2017 02:18 PM |
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I don't ride tubulars any more, but they were actually much easier to change on the road. I use the HPX too. I've gotten sick of pumping, and just stopped a little early, and then put in a little more at the next pee break. Now that's sad, breaking up pumping into "intervals". LOL.
I think when cycling was more of niche sport (in the US), you had no choice, but to know how to do everything, because there weren't as many people around to help, or to even pay (when it comes to repairs, etc.)
Nick |
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Red Tornado
Posts:159
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| 01/02/2018 10:24 AM |
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Posted By Dale Dale on 12/24/2017 06:41 AM
The 11,000 mile guy works... legal assistant and commutes to work, does a bunch of ultra gravels rides/ races and jumps in every possible after work ride. The 10,000 mile guy is retired and the 13,000 mile guy just rides a ton, not sure what his work/ retirement status is but he's late 50's/ early 60's and doesn't have kids at home.
" doesn't have kids at home" That's a big one right there. Putting in those kind of miles requires cycling to almost be a lifestyle, and not a hobby IMHO.
When I was single and un-attached, I found plenty of time to put in the mega-miles even with some decent OT at my job. Throw in a wife and kids, no way. If I would have tried to get 10K miles plus after I got married & with three kids either the job, family or sleep would have to suffer (maybe even two of the three at times). All of those things trumped cycling for me. So I've been content with my average 2.5K miles a year.
Now when the kids are gone & I'm retired, that's two of the three out of the way and I can see myself bumping back up to maybe the 7500/year range or thereabouts. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 01/02/2018 01:20 PM |
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Speaking of tire changes- I use old worn out tires on the trainer. Who cares if they get thread worn? Saturday I did nice hard hour and fifteen on the trainer and was in the cooling down stage watching the clock tick down 10.. 9.. 8.. 7.. BLAM!! The freaking rear tire blew! Sounded like a gun shot and scared the daylights out of me.
Guess I got my moneys worth out of that tire... and then some |
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SideBySide
Posts:444
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| 01/02/2018 07:48 PM |
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| It scared the crap out of me last time I had a blowout like that. Damaged the rim too. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 01/03/2018 08:26 AM |
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Posted By Stefan Eckardt on 01/02/2018 10:24 AM
Posted By Dale Dale on 12/24/2017 06:41 AM
The 11,000 mile guy works... legal assistant and commutes to work, does a bunch of ultra gravels rides/ races and jumps in every possible after work ride. The 10,000 mile guy is retired and the 13,000 mile guy just rides a ton, not sure what his work/ retirement status is but he's late 50's/ early 60's and doesn't have kids at home.
" doesn't have kids at home" That's a big one right there. Putting in those kind of miles requires cycling to almost be a lifestyle, and not a hobby IMHO.
When I was single and un-attached, I found plenty of time to put in the mega-miles even with some decent OT at my job. Throw in a wife and kids, no way. If I would have tried to get 10K miles plus after I got married & with three kids either the job, family or sleep would have to suffer (maybe even two of the three at times). All of those things trumped cycling for me. So I've been content with my average 2.5K miles a year.
Now when the kids are gone & I'm retired, that's two of the three out of the way and I can see myself bumping back up to maybe the 7500/year range or thereabouts.
That's why I took a 10% pay cut and went to 36hr workweek right after kids were born. Four dedicated training hours every week where neither employer or family is expecting me. Expensive training rides but well worth it. They have been a big factor in cycling adventures of past years.
I don't really need the setup anymore now that kids are teens but the 4 sanity hours are nice to keep around. |
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