The Biking Thread

[Tig]

Another useful item for tubeless is a tire hole plug kit. I like the one with a combination CO2 so you can add lost air after plugging the hole.
http://www.dynaplug.com/bicycles.html

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I still have some residual effects in the one ear, though it seems to be diminishing. Kind of a low ring, and a sproingy effect/noise if I rub the entrance to my ear. I am thinking it will go away.

It really does look like I had the tire change done properly, and in fact, the bead looked seated evenly around the rim, so if I had understood the proper pressure to use, I would have stopped there and been just fine.

Spudman, who I rode with in my other post above, and who has worked in bike shops a lot over the years, said this has happened to him and others in the shops, with higher pressure tires, and to accept the mistake and get over it. It could have been worse and I could have had the tire and wheel between my legs, or held in my hand, or something could have hit my face or eyes.

And to be clear, I LOVE my carbon rims and tubeless set up with a 2.5 Minion (DHF) in the front and have loved the 2.4 Ardent which is being replaced by the Minion DHR in the rear, and the lower pressures I can run as a result. That, and the dropper post and newer geometry of my Kona has really helped me improve confidence on both flat and banked corners on our sometimes dry and loose earth. Not saying I am fast, and that is not really my goal at this point. Confident, in control and flowy is more the goal for me. The tubeless has helped.

I don't plan on worrying about tubeless for my road bikes. Tubes work fine, and I don't pinch or flat there much anyway. In that world, if it ain't broken, I am not going to fix it. If I buy a new Kona gravel at some point, and it comes tubeless, I will run what it comes with on that bike. But I have some other financial priorities before I can get to that purchase.

 

[nuke_diver]

As far as I have been able to tell only the Giant bikes come with Tubeless as a standard for their gravel bikes. Most gravel bikes come tubeless ready but not tubeless. When looking over the bikes available it would have seemed to me that the Giant bikes were offering more than others at the same price point. For example the Toughroad SLR GX2 is $1210 MSRP, and comes with hydraulic brakes, tubeless tires, carbon fork on a AL frame with a Sora Groupset. The Trek Checkpoint AL3 is the same but has mech brakes and tubeless ready rims. The Kona Rove DL is $100 cheaper but has an Al fork and mech brakes. Just some examples. Of course I haven't ridden any of these so they might not be that equivalent. I've been doing this research because I want to get a bike pretty quick the next time I'm up north so I don't have to go a month of no riding and then have to get back in riding shape when I get back. It's harder to get back in shape every year so I'd rather not get out of it :P If I can narrow down the choices I should be able to get one faster. I had hoped to be under a grand but it doesn't look like the options there are extensive or that good. A budget of 2K would give me most anything I would need but I don't want to spend that much

 

[sunvalleylaw]

As far as I have been able to tell only the Giant bikes come with Tubeless as a standard for their gravel bikes. Most gravel bikes come tubeless ready but not tubeless. When looking over the bikes available it would have seemed to me that the Giant bikes were offering more than others at the same price point. For example the Toughroad SLR GX2 is $1210 MSRP, and comes with hydraulic brakes, tubeless tires, carbon fork on a AL frame with a Sora Groupset. The Trek Checkpoint AL3 is the same but has mech brakes and tubeless ready rims. The Kona Rove DL is $100 cheaper but has an Al fork and mech brakes. Just some examples. Of course I haven't ridden any of these so they might not be that equivalent. I've been doing this research because I want to get a bike pretty quick the next time I'm up north so I don't have to go a month of no riding and then have to get back in riding shape when I get back. It's harder to get back in shape every year so I'd rather not get out of it :P If I can narrow down the choices I should be able to get one faster. I had hoped to be under a grand but it doesn't look like the options there are extensive or that good. A budget of 2K would give me most anything I would need but I don't want to spend that much

I gotta think that if you keep your eyes open, you’ll find a nice bike with the features you want used in your price range.

 

[nuke_diver]

Well I could have used tubeless tires today...a tiny nick in the tube caused by a shard of glass that would have sealed in like 1 rotation...oh well. So far this week that 1 flat and 1 broken spoke...wonder what's next :(

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Well I could have used tubeless tires today...a tiny nick in the tube caused by a shard of glass that would have sealed in like 1 rotation...oh well. So far this week that 1 flat and 1 broken spoke...wonder what's next :(

a bike ride.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

As my mountain bike is missing parts still, I took out my converted old Fisher from 1989, and hit a gravel path up to a dirt road, up through a neighborhood in a canyon. Especially because everything is all still so green, it felt a lot like New Zealand, and very Middle Earthy.

Regarding the parts for my mountain bike, in all the excitement, one of the ratchet pieces that connect my DT Swiss hub to my SRAM XD driver went missing. It was a stock 18tooth one. And it was starting to get a little worn. Now I have to decide whether to upgrade to the 36 or top of line 54 tooth one for much better engagement rate. Stepping up to the 36-54 t range is an upgrade of about 50 bucks, but the difference between 36 and 54 is only 15 bucks so if I make the jump, I may as well go all the way. Not that huge a cost, and the quicker engagement would be nice I guess. Hmm.


BTW, the engagement on the XT hubs on this old fisher feels like a third of a pedal stroke. LOL!

 

[Lerxst]

I pulled a bonehead move and tried to cross over the sunken street car rails in the street downtown with out approaching them perpendicularly...paid the price for my foolishness, hooked the front tire and ate pavement. Completely knocked the wind out of my lungs but I managed to get up sucking for air and get myself and the bike out of the street. Pedaled the rest of the way home and I’m nursing my wounds and rash with plenty of Advil, ice and a splash of bourbon.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I pulled a bonehead move and tried to cross over the sunken street car rails in the street downtown with out approaching them perpendicularly...paid the price for my foolishness, hooked the front tire and ate pavement. Completely knocked the wind out of my lungs but I managed to get up sucking for air and get myself and the bike out of the street. Pedaled the rest of the way home and I’m nursing my wounds and rash with plenty of Advil, ice and a splash of bourbon.

Ouch! I did that once and hit my right hip really hard. Total strawberry but also impact. The rails were at a big angle. Ice??

 

[Lerxst]

Icepacks.

I like my bourbon neat

 

[Tig]

I pulled a bonehead move and tried to cross over the sunken street car rails in the street downtown with out approaching them perpendicularly...paid the price for my foolishness, hooked the front tire and ate pavement. Completely knocked the wind out of my lungs but I managed to get up sucking for air and get myself and the bike out of the street. Pedaled the rest of the way home and I’m nursing my wounds and rash with plenty of Advil, ice and a splash of bourbon.

I've seen RR tracks break bones.
I'm glad it was only a flesh wound.

 

[rickenvox]

I still have some residual effects in the one ear, though it seems to be diminishing. Kind of a low ring, and a sproingy effect/noise if I rub the entrance to my ear. I am thinking it will go away.

It really does look like I had the tire change done properly, and in fact, the bead looked seated evenly around the rim, so if I had understood the proper pressure to use, I would have stopped there and been just fine.

Spudman, who I rode with in my other post above, and who has worked in bike shops a lot over the years, said this has happened to him and others in the shops, with higher pressure tires, and to accept the mistake and get over it. It could have been worse and I could have had the tire and wheel between my legs, or held in my hand, or something could have hit my face or eyes.

And to be clear, I LOVE my carbon rims and tubeless set up with a 2.5 Minion (DHF) in the front and have loved the 2.4 Ardent which is being replaced by the Minion DHR in the rear, and the lower pressures I can run as a result. That, and the dropper post and newer geometry of my Kona has really helped me improve confidence on both flat and banked corners on our sometimes dry and loose earth. Not saying I am fast, and that is not really my goal at this point. Confident, in control and flowy is more the goal for me. The tubeless has helped.

I don't plan on worrying about tubeless for my road bikes. Tubes work fine, and I don't pinch or flat there much anyway. In that world, if it ain't broken, I am not going to fix it. If I buy a new Kona gravel at some point, and it comes tubeless, I will run what it comes with on that bike. But I have some other financial priorities before I can get to that purchase.

I now have a tube in one of my tubeless tires on Stan's tubeless rims. Bike shop couldn't get rid of the leak so I said fuck the tubeless, I'm putting a tube in it. Also my mountain bike will hang in the garage for several months at a time if I'm really training on my road bike. So resealing the tires after they lose air is not really practical for me. I will eventually just buy some regular rims for my Santa Cruz and forget about tubeless forever.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Lerxst]

I've seen RR tracks break bones.
I'm glad it was only a flesh wound.

Managed to tear up my left knee, rash on left shoulder & left elbow. Have a bruised right palm, left rib cage and left hip.
Think I might have gave myself a slipped rib this morning with an awkward sneeze of all things.

My wife keeps texting me to remind me to stay off the bike or motorcycle today

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Managed to tear up my left knee, rash on left shoulder & left elbow. Have a bruised right palm, left rib cage and left hip.
Think I might have gave myself a slipped rib this morning with an awkward sneeze of all things.

My wife keeps texting me to remind me to stay off the bike or motorcycle today

Well, could be worse! No head injury, stitches, broken bones, etc. Funny about your wife! Better go take out your skateboard and hit the skatepark instead!




I like how Jeff nearly misses his throw of his board here.

 

[Lerxst]

Well, could be worse! No head injury, stitches, broken bones, etc. Funny about your wife! Better go take out your skateboard and hit the skatepark instead!




I like how Jeff nearly misses his throw of his board here.

For sure.

 

[nuke_diver]

I pulled a bonehead move and tried to cross over the sunken street car rails in the street downtown with out approaching them perpendicularly...paid the price for my foolishness, hooked the front tire and ate pavement. Completely knocked the wind out of my lungs but I managed to get up sucking for air and get myself and the bike out of the street. Pedaled the rest of the way home and I’m nursing my wounds and rash with plenty of Advil, ice and a splash of bourbon.

Mojo. Everyone goes down at some point usually when you least expected it. So long as you have nothing serious. I had a bad one when a construction project caused fine mud to go on the road. I came around a corner and the bike when right out from under me. Lots of road rash and a separated shoulder. Riding back after a crash is no fun and you get all kinds of funny looks from folks since you are bleeding all over the place . Like Tig says only a flesh wound!

I now have a tube in one of my tubeless tires on Stan's tubeless rims. Bike shop couldn't get rid of the leak so I said fuck the tubeless, I'm putting a tube in it. Also my mountain bike will hang in the garage for several months at a time if I'm really training on my road bike. So resealing the tires after they lose air is not really practical for me. I will eventually just buy some regular rims for my Santa Cruz and forget about tubeless forever.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was wondering about how long those tubeless will last. Since my next bike is a "vacation home" bike there will be potentially months, especially in the winter since we drive up to the place, where it would sit. Sounds like tubeless might well be something to just say no to

 

[rickenvox]

Mojo. Everyone goes down at some point usually when you least expected it. So long as you have nothing serious. I had a bad one when a construction project caused fine mud to go on the road. I came around a corner and the bike when right out from under me. Lots of road rash and a separated shoulder. Riding back after a crash is no fun and you get all kinds of funny looks from folks since you are bleeding all over the place . Like Tig says only a flesh wound!



I was wondering about how long those tubeless will last. Since my next bike is a "vacation home" bike there will be potentially months, especially in the winter since we drive up to the place, where it would sit. Sounds like tubeless might well be something to just say no to

Yes, if you leave tubeless tires for months the seal will dry up, they will go flat, and will need to be resealed before they will hold air again. Big pain in the ass. When you ride them, most people take an extra tube anyway if they're going to be out in the wild. And then if you do flat and need to use a tube, the tire is filler with the sealant which you have to drain out before putting the tube in. Just say no.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Things you see when bicycling around Gig Harbor.


Classic old boat built here in the harbor until about 20 years ago.

Rainier over Point Defiance.

Typical sun through heavy forest canopy dappled light.

Loamy earth even in the gravel on the side of the road.

The big guy looms over all. (PS, this was a very steep, very long downhill I had to climb back up. But it was fun.)

Yeah, here, as opposed to Idaho, moisture rather than lack thereof is what destroys wooden structures.

Weird PNW stump carving art.

Glass art is big around here. This guy is not Chihuly, but did go to the Pilchuck glass school.

A nice audio store in town, where I stopped in for a listen and a beer.

This sounded really good.

AND, I came home with these.

Then dinner in the old school seafood place next to Mom's condo.

Yeah, that was a nice ride, and a nice day!

Oh yeah! I had one of these too. The beer is a fine example of british pale. But I like the Def Leppard paint better than I like british as opposed to American pale, I decided.

 

[nuke_diver]

Elysian is good stuff

Enjoy the PNW trip!

 

[Lerxst]

Finally back on the bike this weekend for a short ride out for lunch.
Rash is healed up fine but my hip is still a little sore and my ribs are still causing some issues. Hopefully it'll all be behind me in a week or two.

Picked up a new bike for my wife and she's totally into riding for once so it should help get me back into the swing of things.