I thought this thread was about gambling.
Posted on 10/03/2020 3:46:13 AM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
Welcome to The Bicycle Thread. A monthly PING List for bicycle enthusiasts to share experiences, information and ideas.
We wish President Trump and First Lady Melania a quick and full recovery!
That German girl is incredibly balanced on that bicycle!
Anybody notice there is a shortage of bicycle tires? And also for that matter of bicycles (are Walmart and Target still selling them?)
Is that because of reduced production in China?
So bike shop struggling....but making do with rentals.
Got a good deal, bike and helmet all at $200....listed as "miscellaneous bike parts" so no tax.
Amazing set of parts that reassembled themselves into a working bike as soon as they left the premises.
I thought this thread was about gambling.
I’ve got a 25 year-old Trek 820...Nice!...But not nearly as nice as the 1993 Honda XR250L I bought with 6K miles on it for $1,800 back in May. I forgot all about the Trek and riding the Honda still gives me a good workout and is much easier on my knees than the Trek is.
Anybody notice there is a shortage of bicycle tires?
- -
Shortages of bike tires, components, and bikes in general. Much of it due to disruptions in the supply chain due to all things COVID. I like to mod my bikes and I really have to hunt around online to find specific parts.
Yep shortages in bicycles like most other things. Here is an
article on the shortage.
https://www.dailybulletin.com/2020/09/22/bicycle-sales-and-repairs-are-skyrocketing-creating-shortages-and-waiting-lists/
Bicycle sales and repairs are skyrocketing, creating shortages and waiting lists
Scenario: A Dutch cycling journalist, Jose Been, sends a tweet; “My dear American friends, I hope this horrible presidency ends for you[.] And for us as (former?) allies too. If you follow me and support Trump, you can go. There is zero excuse to follow or vote for the vile, horrible, man.”
Trek-Segafredo team rider, Quinn Simmons (19), 2019 junior road world champion, responded to that tweet with a single word 'bye' and a black-color waving hand emoji. A follow-on twit said; "An apparent Trumper" to which Simmons responded with; “That’s right” and the US flag emoji. So this is a total of 3 words and 2 emojis, right?
The Trek-Segafredo Team has now suspended Simmons from team activities and competitions "until further notice." “Regrettably, team rider Quinn Simmons made statements online that we feel are divisive, incendiary, and detrimental to the team, professional cycling, its fans, and the positive future we hope to help create for the sport,” the statement said. “In response, he will not be racing for Trek-Segafredo until further notice.”
To her credit(?), the Dutch journalist, Ms Been, deleted her original post and said she felt “horrible about the situation and terrible for @QuinnSimmons9 to miss his beloved classics.” adding “To suspend him would never be my choice.”
Trek Bicycle Corporation is a privately owned company HQ'd in Waterloo Wisconsin and its President is John Burke. Street / mailing address is: 801 West Madison Street, Waterloo WI 53594. Telephone: 1-800-585-8735 Monday through Friday 8 am to 6 pm (CST).
Gov. Scott Walker (R) defeated John Burke's sister, Mary, in the 2014 Wisconsin Governor Election. Mary and John are two of five children of Trek co-founder, Richard Burke. Trek was founded in 1975 and is owner of the following bicycle brands; Trek, Electra Bicycle Company, Bontrager, and Diamant, Gary Fisher, LeMond Racing Cycles, Klein, and Villiger Bikes (some discontinued).
I used to be able to find a line of 48 patches for less than 1.50 with free shipping which worked very well, but then they disappeared and were replaced by a line (which look like these) that on some tubes (not all are the same) did not stick or stretch well. Thus for the last two years or so I have been using a larger 32x50mm line of patches as these, and for most punctures or pinch flats, or abrasion holes I would cut them in half. These adhere and stretch as they should w/ Slime rubber cement. However, the price increased on the larger ones (about 0.20 a pieces now) but I know what the "good" patches look like, and although images do not always correspond to the reality, I found these which are the smaller version of the larger type and are very good and used for typical smaller punctures. And at about $2.00 for 48 the cost is about 4 cents a piece. Though the season is winding down I just purchased 48 for $1.38 which have the same image, but I will have to wait about 14 days to see if they are the same.
There are 4 types of causes of air leakage (besides blow-outs). The most common in my experience is that of punctures due to running over something that punctures the tire and tube. Rim strips can help to prevent that, and for some tire around here that are bald then I have basically made my own but cutting the middle section of an old tire (using a box cutter) and putting it inside the bald tire (use Gorilla tape to join the ends).
The second type is that of "pinch flats" which are usually a result of missed "bunny hops," meaning jumping the curb. Rather than round punctures, this results in two (usually) horizontal slits close to each other, which need to be patched separately. These sometimes need a larger patch.
The third type is an abrasion hole caused by an actual hole in the tire (usually due to "drifting," meaning skidding). These are usually larger holes that need larger patch.
The fourth cause of air leakage is that of the valve, though that is rare. Note that a valve cap is not to keep air in but to keep dirt out. The typical common valve in the West is the Schrader valve (which can be easily removed - a remover is here), such as seen on cars, while other most common valve is that of the Presta valve. I prefer the former as least problematic for while the latter can keep dirt out better yet without a cap they often get bent. I use a dual nozzle like this ($1.50) which fits both. You can find new valve cores very cheap on Ebay (4 Presta for $2.00) or 4 Schrader for $3.00)
Presuming your bike has a tube, to find a puncture and patch, then remove all air (roll the tire with valve ope) and unless the tire is loose enough to be removed by hand (mountain bikes and single-speed bikes are easier), then beginning about a foot way to the right of the valve, squeeze the tire and use a tire "iron" - blunt lever which you can get with kits - to carefully (do not catch the tube!) wedge btwn one (1) edge/bead of the tire and pry it back and hook the other end of the tire lever to a spoke. Then use another lever a couple inches away to pry the bead away, and squeezing the tire remove the first lever and place it a few inches in front of the last lever and pry the bead away. Repeat until ione side of the tire is loose.
Next, also beginning about a foot way from the valve and facing the side you worked on, squeeze the tire and bend it back, and carefully place a tire lever all the way under the exposed tube and tire to the other side and lift that side up. You may now be able to hand-pry the tire off the rim, and if not then holding the first lever in place, place the other level a few inches away from the first one and pry the tire off the rim. Carefully remove the valve stem last.
Then preferably with clean fingers, remove the tube and inflate it to about 2-3 times its width, and disconnecting the hose, rotate the tube close to your cheek (sensitive to air) until your feel (most likely) or hear the leak(s). If you cannot find it, then dunk the tube under water to find it, and dry the area.
Then keeping an eye on then leak and if possible, with the tube still inflated, then (optionally) use a piece of chalk to mark off an area about 4 times the size of the hole, with that in the middle. Then carefully buff within that area with the scrapper/file (corrugated steel) in your kit. Then smear a light amount of Slime rubber cement (never use anything but rubber cement!) over an area about 3 times the size of the hole, with that being in the middle. Next, presuming some air has leaked out, quickly give the tube a couple more pumps. This should produce a small white speck where the leak is.
Then let the cement dry about 4 minutes (depending on temp and humidity). It should not look cloudy. While waiting, remove the foil backing from the tube but keep your fingers and anything else from touching that side. The patch and cement are chemically formulated to more or less "vulcanize" together. This is the side that you put over the hole. I myself also then remove the cellophane from the other side (pinching the edge of the patch to do so) since that does not stretch with the patch, which patch will continue to cure after you adhere it.
Next, center the patch over the hole and press it firmly all around on the patch. Then inflate the tube about twice its width and check the patch, and for more leaks. Note that in my experience, there are a minority of tubes that are slick, almost like a plastic/rubber hybrid, and on which the cement just peels off even without a patch. Alcohol cleaning does not help, and tube cleaner is expensive and toxic, but smearing a very light coating of rubber cement, and letting it thoroughly dry, then buffing it off and reapplying cement and then the patch works.
Now you can replace the tube and tire in reverse order as your removed them. Place tube in tire, then squeezing the tire, push the valve into the tire and lean the rim away from you. Then with the hole tire on your side, beginning about a couple feet away from the Left of the valve lift one side of the tire onto the rim, working toward your right until one side other tire is on the rim. Then do the same to the final side facing you, using levers carefully as needed.
Then you can inflate the tire, giving it one or two pumps first and checking all around the tire to make sure it is seated equally.
Thanks to be God for what He enables us to do, and for providing salvation which we cannot do!
I dust the tube and inside the tire with talc (baby powder) to make sure the tube expands smoothly, creating no creases.
Then inflate the tube inside the tire, deflate it, and inflate again.
At the beginning of this Covid PLANdemic all the parks, and recreational things that teenagers, young kids, adults goto were shut down and told to stay home etc. The result was there was a run on bicycles at places like Walmart, and people started fixing up their bikes etc because they basically didn't have much else to do but ride a bike around their neighborhood etc., especially those that live in the rural country. And supply chains started shutting down as they started running out of stuff as factories and warehouses were shutting down because of Covid.
Trek is a company of cowards. Look at how they treated Greg Lemond when Lance Armstrong jerked their chain. Then when Armstrong confessed to doping, they dumped him immediately. They’re run by PC fools.
Opinions on the 2020 Tour de France?
Armstrong isn’t going to win.
What’s your experience with tire liners?
I hadn’t done a dedicated mountain bike ride in five years. Recently found a good place to ride (no motorized vehicles allowed). Got a flat rear tire on my third ride due to a thorn puncture which took some of the fun out of it.
So i bought some name brand tire liners and installed them between the tires and tubes. Have done a few good rides since then and so far no more flats despite riding through quite a lot of sketchy/weedy trails.
They work but monitor them. They will develop cracking with age and that results in pinch flats unless replaced. Remember, all mechanicals and flats will follow Murphy's Laws, especially in the woods and deep canyons!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.