The daily "I cycled to work" thread

[Zigster]

M3John said:

Was interesting when this let go tonight rather suddenly on the way home from work as I was doing about 25+ mph at the time ! Had to nurse it home the last 7 miles or so.
Just been on line to order a new tyre.

Coincidentally, my ride home was curtailed last night by similar.

Around about 30km in to the journey, a massive bang as my rear tyre suffered a sudden, unanticipated deflation. The pedestrian I was cycling past jumped out of her skin - just south of Croydon so probably sounded like a gunshot, I guess!

Massive gash out of the side of the tyre - not much I could do to repair it on the hoof (and it'll just go in the bin now).

Annoyingly, they are brand new tyres. I did probably 15,000 miles on my last two pairs of Gatorskins with two (related) punctures that whole time. Thought I'd have a change and bought Schwalbe Ones on Thursday - this was their first ride out and they lasted just 55 miles before exploding. I'm sure it is just bad luck but I'm not impressed so far - they can shove their "Snakeskin sidewall protection" up their arses.

[timnoyce]

Well, this morning was infinitely nicer than last night. Fully unprepared following a long weekend away I did the ride home in the rain in short jersey and bibs and glasses rather than contact lenses. Visibility was poor and I arrived home saturated.... made a pleasant change from being similarly damp with sweat though.

This morning, lovely. Looked grey ahead but was dry. Then a birthday in the office has resulted in a Krispy Kreme breakfast. Win.

[MC Bodge]

Zigster said:

I did probably 15,000 miles on my last two pairs of Gatorskins with two (related) punctures that whole time. Thought I'd have a change and bought Schwalbe Ones on Thursday - this was their first ride out and they lasted just 55 miles before exploding.

I managed to get a big gash in the side of a Conti GP4000 a few months ago. Hardly used...

I'm going to buy a pair of 28mm Gatorskins for my unlit lanes winter commuting duties. I had a pair a few years ago and they were excellent.

[S10GTA]

MC Bodge said:

I managed to get a big gash in the side of a Conti GP4000 a few months ago. Hardly used...

I'm going to buy a pair of 28mm Gatorskins for my unlit lanes winter commuting duties. I had a pair a few years ago and they were excellent.

Duranos are much better

[v15ben]

Was following a bloke on an MTB today who had Steps - Tragedy blasting out of a speaker on the back of his bike.

[E65Ross]

I just fitted 25mm Michelin pro4 service course v2 tyres to my bike and noticed 1 problem..... I regularly have to remove the wheels to get in/out of car and getting tyre past the caliper was a right sod. To widen the space between the blocks is it a case of loosening the cable clamp bolt on the caliper? Once on they're fine!

Oh.... Those durano tyres; I've fitted one but can't for the life of me fit the other. They're a right sod to fit. It does seem like 1 of them is harder to fit than the other though. Well.... It is fitted to the rim but the tube won't blow up! So guessing it's been pinched. Going to leave it a few days and hope the tyre gets moulded a little so it's easier to put back on later!

Day off the bike today.... Between Sunday 12th and Sunday just gone I did 261 miles. Yesterday's 20 miles in felt a bit tired, though still at a 17.5 average.
Cheers

[ewenm]

E65Ross said:

I just fitted 25mm Michelin pro4 service course v2 tyres to my bike and noticed 1 problem..... I regularly have to remove the wheels to get in/out of car and getting tyre past the caliper was a right sod. To widen the space between the blocks is it a case of loosening the cable clamp bolt on the caliper? Once on they're fine!

Oh.... Those durano tyres; I've fitted one but can't for the life of me fit the other. They're a right sod to fit. It does seem like 1 of them is harder to fit than the other though. Well.... It is fitted to the rim but the tube won't blow up! So guessing it's been pinched. Going to leave it a few days and hope the tyre gets moulded a little so it's easier to put back on later!

Day off the bike today.... Between Sunday 12th and Sunday just gone I did 261 miles. Yesterday's 20 miles in felt a bit tired, though still at a 17.5 average.
Cheers

My calipers have a little cam on them you can turn to loosen them off a little to take the wheel off. See the "Quick release lever" here:

[E65Ross]

ewenm said:

My calipers have a little cam on them you can turn to loosen them off a little to take the wheel off. See the "Quick release lever" here:

Yes, I mean I struggle to get the tyre past with that open as well! I can do it but you've really got to push rather than just slotting it in. I'd rather not have to for fear of causing any damage. Cheers.

[Zigster]

MC Bodge said:

Zigster said:

I did probably 15,000 miles on my last two pairs of Gatorskins with two (related) punctures that whole time. Thought I'd have a change and bought Schwalbe Ones on Thursday - this was their first ride out and they lasted just 55 miles before exploding.

I managed to get a big gash in the side of a Conti GP4000 a few months ago. Hardly used...

I'm going to buy a pair of 28mm Gatorskins for my unlit lanes winter commuting duties. I had a pair a few years ago and they were excellent.

The reason I thought I would change from the Gatorskins is that I find them hugely difficult to get on and off. I didn't want to be stranded with broken tyre levers and dislocated thumbs - I hadn't realised the alternative was even worse.

[timnoyce]

There is only one tyre worth considering for commuting, and it is the Vittoria Randonneur. I have put in the region of 6,000km on my current pair, and I think that the rubber will have worn out before they puncture. They might be heavy, but they have removed the worry of the early morning or late night puncture completely.

[Black can man]

S10GTA said:

Duranos are much better

[TheAllSeeingPie]

E65Ross said:

Yes, I mean I struggle to get the tyre past with that open as well! I can do it but you've really got to push rather than just slotting it in. I'd rather not have to for fear of causing any damage. Cheers.

Your pads may have to many washers between them and the callipers. Sometimes you get the concave/convex washers and additional ones. Take out the additional ones and re-align the pads and you should have enough space to adjust?

[TheAllSeeingPie]

Also you could try loosening off the barrel adjuster a little bit? It'll have the same effect as removing washers, just remember to do it back up

[TwistingMyMelon]

timnoyce said:

There is only one tyre worth considering for commuting, and it is the Vittoria Randonneur. I have put in the region of 6,000km on my current pair, and I think that the rubber will have worn out before they puncture. They might be heavy, but they have removed the worry of the early morning or late night puncture completely.

Indeed got some randonneur 2's on my commuter, got them reduced for about £12 each.

Blimey! I cant believe how much abuse I have chucked at them, daily they suffer 16 miles of poor quality roads ands 3 miles of gravel track/rocky bridleway with no sympathy at all shown to them and they work faultlessly. Looking a bit worn as I have done 2500 hard miles on them, but still faultless, they are more like 28s now than 32cs as they are so worn!

I did get one puncture once, a huge thorn about half an inch long, but I still rode home on the flat tyre with no issues, like a bmw run flat! The tyre kept its shape , was hard work but felt fine! Its even got to the point I see how much I can abuse them, locking up on gravel with panniers on , bouncing off pot holes, no bother at all!

[E65Ross]

I'll try loosening the barrel adjusters. Won't get home until tonight but I'll quickly check then. The pads are brand new so I suspect the calipers are already quite open. Just called my LBS who serviced it and they said try barrel adjusters and failing that take it to them soon and they'll sort it out for me.

[MC Bodge]

E65Ross said:

I'll try loosening the barrel adjusters. Won't get home until tonight but I'll quickly check then. The pads are brand new so I suspect the calipers are already quite open. Just called my LBS who serviced it and they said try barrel adjusters and failing that take it to them soon and they'll sort it out for me.

I've found that it is always worth having about a 1/4 of the barrel adjuster wound out when setting the cable length with new pads to allow for some extra tyre room and for backing-it-off in the event of a buckled wheel.

[GarryDK]

Very close near miss for me this morning.

https://youtu.be/z8ckm98uRXg

sorry about hte quality, my lens needs a clean.

[S10GTA]

GarryDK said:

Very close near miss for me this morning.

https://youtu.be/z8ckm98uRXg

sorry about hte quality, my lens needs a clean.

FFS

[E65Ross]

S10GTA said:

GarryDK said:

Very close near miss for me this morning.

https://youtu.be/z8ckm98uRXg

sorry about hte quality, my lens needs a clean.

FFS

Really pisses me off when people do that

[anonymous-user]

Leave it a few days and go back and find the car and add some Nitromors