The Velotard Thread.

[Tredman]

It’s usually the worst stories which get the most attention, but searching for Evans Cycles on twitter shows plenty of people who have had a much worse situation.

I got my bike through the cycle 2 work scheme at Evans a few years ago, I will not use them for the next now Ashley is in charge.

 

[Wombat del combate]

Thoughts on repair or replacement? Fitted (eventually, the devil's own job to get the last bit on the rim) some Continental GP5000s a few weeks ago and have loved them. Although apparently puncture resistant, had picked up a few but no matter. However, on Sunday the rear got noticeably soft about 15km from home. Got back OK but found a 5/6mm-wide cut that's gone through the entire tyre - when you pump it up to 100+ psi you can hear and feel the air coming straight back out. Considering that I think binning it is the only option?

 

[machin05]

Sounds like one for the bin.

Are you running tubeless? I'm presuming that's why you moved away from the Vittorias?

 

[Wombat del combate]

No, tubed (still) - I've read the horror stories about picking up a puncture with tubeless and ending up stranded. The Vittorias were puncturing all the time at the slightest invitation to do so.

I've ordered a new tyre, this was more a final check to see if there was a workaround. The cut is across the width of the tyre and my feeling was that if it's clearly gone through the tyre to the point where you can hear and feel the air coming out as I mentioned, there's obviously the potential for something to go in while travelling at speed, and I don't want to be making me-sized holes in hedgerows.

 

[machin05]

Only had the one puncture on the Vittorias, and that was a massive stone in the road that I managed to avoid with the front wheel but hear it clunk against the rear. Been fine since then, so it's odd to hear yours puncturing all the time. What PSI are/were you running?

You can still pop a tube in a tubeless tyre in an emergency, but the whole idea is that small nicks that would usually cuse a puncture get sealed up by the sealant as you ride. You can also get little "worms" to fill in any bigger cuts.

I've not gone tubeless yet. I can't justify replacing the Vittorias, tbh. A few in the group I'm in are tubeless and swear by it. Faster and more comfortable, apparently.

 

[machin05]

You could try using superglue to fill seal the cut, although it won't stretch with the tyre as you inflate it so probably won't work brilliantly. Maybe keep it as a spare though!

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/repairing-tyres-with-superglue/

 

[Wombat del combate]

TBF, the roads in West Sussex are awful which may account for the regularity of puncturing; one time I got a flat with the Vittorias was due to a small animal claw or tooth which was about then I decided for some better rubber!

I run roughly 95/105 front/rear, same as I had on the Defy which had far fewer instances of flats over the years. I've tried superglue before but as the cut is clearly quite deep I'm not sure if I would feel confident riding downhill hard; also it would be a real paalver as the tyre would need to come off be glued, allow to sure, back on etc.

 

[Tredman]

Anyone used Ribble Cycles? Quite like their CGR bikes - https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-cgr-al-blue-shimano-tiagra/build/#Bike in my very slow moving quest to get a gravel bike.

 

[Pablowolf]

Bit of a lump to take to South Africa?

 

[Tredman]

I'm not thinking about that!

But it's a light bike and we get a container to take stuff over.

 

[lemonjelly]

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/aug/10/two-thirds-adults-england-cycling-dangerous-safer

 

[Tredman]

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/aug/10/two-thirds-adults-england-cycling-dangerous-safer

There's no easy answer, the new cycling roundabout in Cambridge we helped design has generated a shed load of people complaining. Think they'd prefer cyclists just died periodically

 

[Doctor Doog]

There's no easy answer, the new cycling roundabout in Cambridge we helped design has generated a shed load of people complaining. Think they'd prefer cyclists just died periodically

So you're to blame then. Actually, I drove through it yesterday for the first time, it's fine. The only problem is that it's new, so I didn't know what to expect. Next time I'll know exactly what to do. Probably won't cycle through it, as it's not really on my way anywhere. It's the usual Cambridge cyclists vs motorists thing, with those of us who do both getting pissed off by both sides.

 

[Tredman]

So you're to blame then. Actually, I drove through it yesterday for the first time, it's fine. The only problem is that it's new, so I didn't know what to expect. Next time I'll know exactly what to do. Probably won't cycle through it, as it's not really on my way anywhere. It's the usual Cambridge cyclists vs motorists thing, with those of us who do both getting pissed off by both sides.

Only partly! It's supposed to be dutch style, but the signage and road painting is different. Cycling round roundabouts is always confusing..

 

[Sniffer]

There's no easy answer, the new cycling roundabout in Cambridge we helped design has generated a shed load of people complaining. Think they'd prefer cyclists just died periodically

So you're to blame then. Actually, I drove through it yesterday for the first time, it's fine. The only problem is that it's new, so I didn't know what to expect. Next time I'll know exactly what to do. Probably won't cycle through it, as it's not really on my way anywhere. It's the usual Cambridge cyclists vs motorists thing, with those of us who do both getting pissed off by both sides.

Closed for 3 days isn't it due to an accident?

 

[Tredman]

Closed for 3 days isn't it due to an accident?

Nah, been reading the mail? Someone banged into one of the Belishas before it opened, being fixed overnight with occasional closures. That doesn't sell newspapers to the rabid right wing though.

 

[Sniffer]

Nah, been reading the mail? Someone banged into one of the Belishas before it opened, being fixed overnight with occasional closures. That doesn't sell newspapers to the rabid right wing though.

No it has just been on LBC news.

 

[Tredman]

No it has just been on LBC news.

 

[Doctor Doog]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-53736468

BBC slightly more accurate, but the picture with the bollards is misleading. Presumably they are associated with the repairs, as they weren't there on Sunday. I'd cycle over and check, but I think I'm doing something tonight.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

Anyone got any recommendations for places to buy cycle clothing at anything like a reasonable price? Had some joy before with Wiggle/CRC through the eBay account they use to sell off returns/seconds but always find their sales on the main website to be underwhelming, half the stuff isn't even in stock when you look through.