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Archives for March 2010

There’s a Flat In Every Tire

03.11.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 18 Comments

Last year, fed up after what seemed like an endless number of flat tires, I decided to pay real money and get some durable tires.

I paid a ridiculous retail price at a local bike shop for a Continental Gatorskin, because I had heard so many good things about them — mainly, that they resisted flats.

I liked the Gatorskin so much, that I bought a second one for the front — ordering online at a much lower price this time. As a full Gatorskin bike owner, I was now set.

I gotta say, they’ve been great. A big difference between the Gatorskins and previous brands I’ve owned — Specialized, Vittoria, Hutchinson — is that they seemed to resist the normal cuts and gashes tires get in normal everyday riding conditions. Let’s face it — it’s a jungle out there, with broken glass, radial tire wire, and microscopic metal shavings all waiting to take your tire down.

The knock against these tires is that they’re heavy, and slower than comparable tires. But if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you know I’m no speed demon, so that doesn’t matter to me.

Just the other day, I was inspecting the tires for cuts, and there just weren’t any to speak of. Oh, a couple of really tiny ones — but you’d expect more than that after 1200 miles.

Today, my luck ran out. I was on one of our most popular local routes — the Mopac Expressway — when I heard a “pop — whissssh.” The best tire I’d ever owned fell in combat against a glass-littered shoulder.

I felt around the inside of the tire, but couldn’t locate the cause of the flat. The new tube went in easily, and I used my trusty Topeak Road Morph pump to inflate it to 105 pounds. Then I saw it.

The first big gash I’ve ever seen on my Gatorskin.

I must have hit a dandy shard of glass, because the gash across the tire stood out like a boil on a baby’s butt. When I ran my finger over it, I could feel it protrude up from the surface of the tire. There was a space between the cut tire edges. If I’d noticed it before I did the repair, I could have added a boot to the tire — I keep strips cut from ride numbers in my seat bag just for that purpose — but the last thing I wanted to do was pull the tire off and put it back on all over again. I got on the bike and pedaled gingerly for the remaining four miles home.

Later tonight — or maybe tomorrow morning, depending on my mood — I’ll take off the cut tire, boot it, and put it on the front. I’ll rotate the front tire to the rear.

Then, just to be on the safe side, I’ll go online and order another tire. It’ll be a Gatorskin.

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Categories // tires Tags // flat tire, Gatorskins, tires

How Many Water Bottles Do You Need?

03.09.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 16 Comments

Spring has come to Central Texas! It was 78°F (25.5°C) and sunny today, a great day for a bike ride. I saw two members of my club head out on theirs just as I was leaving for yet another trip to the doctor. Oh, well.

The other day when I was cleaning my bike, I took two half-filled water bottles out of their cages and put them aside for the dishwasher. I’m not really good about hydrating on cool weather rides, but when it warms up, I tend to sweat easily, which reminds me to keep drinking. I try to take a swig every 10 to 15 minutes.

Even so, it seems to me that we don’t need a lot of water bottles. Two will do nicely, if I remember to wash them after every ride. Okay, four, if I decide to skip a day of washing.

But these days, water bottles are easy to come by. Lots of organized rides include a souvenir bottle in their goodie bags. When you rent a bike, the bike shop will throw in a bottle or two that you can keep. Ride sponsors have given me bottles for volunteering to work rides. We’ve got a cabinet reserved just for our bike ride water bottles, and I thought I’d empty it to see just what we have.

There are nine in the picture. We have two more I can’t account for at the moment. They take up a lot of space in that cabinet.

Some aren’t really very good as bike ride water bottles. That aluminum thing in the back right is awful. It has a screw top, so unless you’re stopped for a rest, you can’t take a drink while pedaling. The Monster.com bottle has a leaky top. I guess I’ll dump it. My wife, Pat, has a nice-looking Camelbak bottle with a sort of built-in straw. It looks high-tech, but doesn’t work very well. It’s missing from the picture, because she took it with her to a seminar today.

I didn’t even count the Camelbak hydration pack she owns, but never uses anymore.

Pat tends to favor large bottles, even though she rides shorter distances than I do. The Hill Country Ride for AIDS bottle is hers, as is the TCU Horned Frogs bottle — a souvenir for attending a conference at Texas Christian University.

Other bottles actually have some sentimental value. No kidding. The Outlaw Trail bottle in front is from my first century ride. The MS 150 bottle is from my ride there last year, and the clear bottle on the left is from a terrific vacation we took in Michigan two summers ago.

And yet, with all these bottles cluttering our cabinet, I’ll bet we’re pikers when it comes to collecting them. How many water bottles do you have? How many do you need?

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Categories // Accessories Tags // Accessories, water

Chain Lube – Wet or Dry?

03.07.2010 by Ray Niekamp // 9 Comments

While recovering from my knee problem, I have been cycling vicariously by reading others’ ride reports. But I had to do something biking-related, so I got out today and did a little bike maintenance.

The day was overcast and misty, so I kept the bike in the garage. It needed a good wipedown from the dirty conditions it had been subjected to recently, so I put it on its stand, pulled off the wheels, and went at it.

Then, I figured I’d lube the chains on both my and my wife’s bikes.

As I was wiping the grime off my chain, I recalled a question that had been sent by email a while ago. It asked, “What kind of chain lube should I use? Wet or dry? Is one better than the other?

That’s a question I’d never given any thought.

I use the lube I use because about a year ago, my wife was at the bike shop, and asked about it. The mechanic recommended a brand called Tri-Flow. It’s a light viscosity wet lube.

A wet lube goes on wet and stays wet. It’s recommended that it be applied link by link (mine comes with a little plastic straw that makes it easy to do). Then, let it soak in for a few minutes, and wipe off the excess.

If you’re going to ride in wet conditions — spring in most places — wet lube is good at keeping water from getting into the chain and causing rust. It’s disadvantage is that if the riding is dry, it can attract dirt. It’s always wise to wipe off the outside of the chain before a dry weather ride to minimize the buildup of grit and grime on the chain.

Dry lubes also go on wet. But as the name implies, they penetrate the chain, then dry out. That makes dry lube a good choice for riding in dry conditions — even if the road goes through some dusty areas. The dry lube will not attract dirt, and will not quickly gunk up. That could mean a longer-lasting chain, because the grit in the dirt won’t be grinding against the links. But dry lubes don’t last long in wet conditions.

And don’t forget wax lubes. These also go on wet, but dries to a hard waxy substance. Dirt won’t stick to the wax, and even if it does, the wax naturally flakes off, taking the dirt with it. You don’t have to clean your chain if you use a wax lube. But you do have to apply the lube frequently, maybe as frequently as every 50 miles. and they’re not good in wet conditions.

So I guess what lube you use depends on your local riding conditions. I’ve had good luck with the wet lube year-round. I apply it every two weeks or so, whether the weather is wet or dry. I’ve got a smooth-shifting chain. What more could I want?

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Categories // Maintenance Tags // lube, Maintenance

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