Thursday, August 03, 2006
Tubeless saves the day... or rather, i saved it!
I've reverted back to my old Hutchinson Python rear tire. After experiencing TWO blow-offs today, my trust in the end-2005 batch of Pythons has just gone down the proverbial brown drain.
Tip#11: Not all tires are created equal
Some MTB tires have beads that, due to their composition or quality control, can snap or stretch. According to the Stan's Notubes website (www.notubes.com), certain brands are not recommended to be used with their tubeless system - which converts a pair of standard tires and rims into a lightweight, self-sealing system with all the benefits of a UST wheelset.
The only good these tires are good for, perhaps, is their ease of removal when doing quick tire changes on standard tubed wheelsets. Kevlar beads are usualy dependable as Stan's conversion candidates, and all wire beads work well, stiff and un-stretchable as they are.
Tip#12: Bike computer drama
Bike computers have an uncanny ability to fly off and disappear into the oblivion of trailside vegetation by themselves in the heat of a demanding trail ride or race. If this happens during a particularly gruelling bike section/race, where one is keeping a keen eye on speed, pacing, distance counting, and navigation-by-computer... you're screwed.
The best solution for this is to just tape the damn thing down. For wired units, take care when stretching the tape not to tension the housing in such a way that the metal conduits lose contact with each other.
Unlikely though it may seem, a wheel magnet disappeared off my front wheel once. The fix: my next magnet was secured with a dollop of Superglue. Alternative adhesives include silicon grouting, Aquaseal, and the ubiquitous Loctite... in a pinch (in a race situation), a tiny strip of duct tape or electrician's tape will do.
Tip#11: Not all tires are created equal
Some MTB tires have beads that, due to their composition or quality control, can snap or stretch. According to the Stan's Notubes website (www.notubes.com), certain brands are not recommended to be used with their tubeless system - which converts a pair of standard tires and rims into a lightweight, self-sealing system with all the benefits of a UST wheelset.
The only good these tires are good for, perhaps, is their ease of removal when doing quick tire changes on standard tubed wheelsets. Kevlar beads are usualy dependable as Stan's conversion candidates, and all wire beads work well, stiff and un-stretchable as they are.
Tip#12: Bike computer drama
Bike computers have an uncanny ability to fly off and disappear into the oblivion of trailside vegetation by themselves in the heat of a demanding trail ride or race. If this happens during a particularly gruelling bike section/race, where one is keeping a keen eye on speed, pacing, distance counting, and navigation-by-computer... you're screwed.
The best solution for this is to just tape the damn thing down. For wired units, take care when stretching the tape not to tension the housing in such a way that the metal conduits lose contact with each other.
Unlikely though it may seem, a wheel magnet disappeared off my front wheel once. The fix: my next magnet was secured with a dollop of Superglue. Alternative adhesives include silicon grouting, Aquaseal, and the ubiquitous Loctite... in a pinch (in a race situation), a tiny strip of duct tape or electrician's tape will do.
