FORGOT TO PUT GREMLIN BELLS ON OUR E-BIKES..

[cowpuc]

[circa1968]

Nothing like an untimely flat to ruin a great ride.  On my skinny tire road bike, I picked up a paper staple once that flatted me.  It doesn't take much.

Are those tires/wheels by any chance tubeless compatible?   With those large tires, a tubeless setup will actually reduce your likely hood of a flat - ironically.   I run a tubeless setup on my mtn bike and love it. 

Also, just curious what pressure are you running those tires at.  Tire pressure on a bicycle is different that what we know in cars/motorcycles.  I run ~20psi on my mtn bike as it makes the tire more compliant and they act as mini shock absorbers when running over rocks, etc.  This makes them less prone to punctures. 

 

 

[Condor]

From the size of that nail it looks like someone shot it with a nail gun...??

 

[cowpuc]

1 hour ago, circa1968 said:

Nothing like an untimely flat to ruin a great ride.  On my skinny tire road bike, I picked up a paper staple once that flatted me.  It doesn't take much.

Are those tires/wheels by any chance tubeless compatible?   With those large tires, a tubeless setup will actually reduce your likely hood of a flat - ironically.   I run a tubeless setup on my mtn bike and love it. 

Also, just curious what pressure are you running those tires at.  Tire pressure on a bicycle is different that what we know in cars/motorcycles.  I run ~20psi on my mtn bike as it makes the tire more compliant and they act as mini shock absorbers when running over rocks, etc.  This makes them less prone to punctures. 

 

 

The 20" x 4 inch wide tires on these Ebikes are rated at 20 pounds but I run em hard at 30 pounds cause our riding is on asphalt..  Running them that way gives them about a 2 inch ride patch and far less resistance when rolling. My next move as the center of these "nobbies" wear off will be to street tires.  I do totally agree with you on the whole puncture resistance though BUT,,, watching for nails on the bicycle paths also works pretty good too LOL..

[cowpuc]

1 hour ago, Condor said:

From the size of that nail it looks like someone shot it with a nail gun...??

 

LOL @Condor,,, sooooo perfectly stated!!! Look at this HONKER that I pulled out when I fixed the tube!!

[Squidley]

DOH!

[circa1968]

2 hours ago, cowpuc said:

Running them that way gives them about a 2 inch ride patch and far less resistance when rolling.

Yep, all about trade offs.  Higher pressure will allow you to go faster/further with the same pedaling effort (or battery power).  The downsides are easier flats and a harsher ride, which may cause more overall fatigue for the rider.  I always lean towards lowest psi possible on my bicycles for the fatigue issue.   If not running out of battery (electric or human) on your rides and now worried about breaking any land speed records, you may have fewer flats.

There are some hard-core cyclist, physics types (geeks) out there doing studies on contact patch, size, shape, orientation etc all evolving around tire pressure and tire width and how it impacts performance.  All of it totally irrelevant to 99.9% of cyclists but still fascinating.  For racers, getting a 1% boost in performance can be the difference between 1st & 2nd place, so I get the desire to drill down to the minutest detail on this stuff. 

For the rest of us, ehh, just go ride, have fun and be prepared to fix a flat now and then! 😉

 

 

 

 

[Pasta Burner]

57 minutes ago, circa1968 said:

Yep, all about trade offs.  Higher pressure will allow you to go faster/further with the same pedaling effort (or battery power).  The downsides are easier flats and a harsher ride, which may cause more overall fatigue for the rider.  I always lean towards lowest psi possible on my bicycles for the fatigue issue.   If not running out of battery (electric or human) on your rides and now worried about breaking any land speed records, you may have fewer flats.

There are some hard-core cyclist, physics types (geeks) out there doing studies on contact patch, size, shape, orientation etc all evolving around tire pressure and tire width and how it impacts performance.  All of it totally irrelevant to 99.9% of cyclists but still fascinating.  For racers, getting a 1% boost in performance can be the difference between 1st & 2nd place, so I get the desire to drill down to the minutest detail on this stuff. 

For the rest of us, ehh, just go ride, have fun and be prepared to fix a flat now and then! 😉

 

 

 

 

Ugh those “racers” shutting down roads and backing up traffic.  Riding 3-4 abreast on two lane blacktop while “practicing” or “training”.  “Share the road” they say but you don’t see them sharing the cost, no insurance, no registration.  Go rent a track like any other “racer”.  When is the last time in the US where public streets are shut down for a motor sports race?  But for pedal bikers it’s a right of some sort.  I know I offended somebody so sorry in advance 🚴

[circa1968]

40 minutes ago, Pasta Burner said:

Ugh those “racers” shutting down roads and backing up traffic.  Riding 3-4 abreast on two lane blacktop while “practicing” or “training”.  “Share the road” they say but you don’t see them sharing the cost, no insurance, no registration.  Go rent a track like any other “racer”.  When is the last time in the US where public streets are shut down for a motor sports race?  But for pedal bikers it’s a right of some sort.  I know I offended somebody so sorry in advance 🚴

Not offended, but please don't judge all riders by the actions of a few.  You are correct that under normal circumstances, cyclists should not be riding 3-4 abreast.  Its common sense, common courtesy and unsafe.

I ride a road bike on 2-lane blacktops with my buddies and we ride single file, as close to the edge as possible.  The single most terrifying thing is someone in a car hellbent on being a jerk coming up from behind at 60+ MPH.  Cycling out in the country on two lane roads is a very healthy and enjoyable activity. 

I can't speak to shutting down roads for races, as I'm not a racer, but I assume the race sponsors must pay a pretty penny to the local municipalities for that, or perhaps they are counting on some other financial benefit to the local economy & coffers from hosting a race (short-term increase in hotel taxes, sales taxes, busier restaurants, promoting tourism, etc.).

I'm pretty sure there is no general tax exemption for cyclists....I know I've paid more than my fair share.   However, I'm quite sure there are a large # of car drivers on the road who pay little, to no, taxes though...

I will leave you with this thought to contemplate next time you encounter a cyclist on the road:  My heart is pounding at 150+bpm, my legs are screaming, my lungs are burning and its all worth it to me if it keeps me healthy enough to live just one more day with my family on God's beautiful green earth... please pass with care.  Thank you.

 

[Pasta Burner]

@circa1968 I know it’s not everybody, and everyone is entitled to their form of entertainment.  Trust me I give as much room as possible, clipping a cyclist isn’t on my bucket list.  As motorcyclist we know the vulnerabilities.  For years I’ve gone to the corestates race in Philly and now the Tour of Utah passes directly by my house, and we stand on the corner ringing cowbells cheering the riders on.  My street is shut down anyway so may as well enjoy it.

[Flyinfool]

Where I live there is an annual bike race that is MANY laps around a rectangular track. the track encloses about half the population of the city, around 10,000 people. NO ONE is allowed to cross the track in or out during the race. The race is always on a weekday and does not end till around 6 to 7PM. Nothing worse than to be tired and hungry from a 12 - 14 hour workday and being told you can not go home because once every 15 minutes some bikes will come by, They will not even let me walk across the road to go home eat dinner and go to bed and I can see my house just 75 yards away.

It is those same racers that while "practicing" or "training" feel they are just in using up TWO full traffic lanes on a 4 lane state highway causing a major road block and then when they do get to a controlled intersection they get very POed at those that do not stop for them when they run the red lights and ignore stop signs.

 

Sorry, rant over...... 

[Pasta Burner]

1 hour ago, Flyinfool said:

Where I live there is an annual bike race that is MANY laps around a rectangular track. the track encloses about half the population of the city, around 10,000 people. NO ONE is allowed to cross the track in or out during the race. The race is always on a weekday and does not end till around 6 to 7PM. Nothing worse than to be tired and hungry from a 12 - 14 hour workday and being told you can not go home because once every 15 minutes some bikes will come by, They will not even let me walk across the road to go home eat dinner and go to bed and I can see my house just 75 yards away.

It is those same racers that while "practicing" or "training" feel they are just in using up TWO full traffic lanes on a 4 lane state highway causing a major road block and then when they do get to a controlled intersection they get very POed at those that do not stop for them when they run the red lights and ignore stop signs.

 

Sorry, rant over...... 

those are the ones I’m talking about!  This is me assuming they are practicing or training, but I highly doubt “just friends” all wear matching outfits.  And it’s almost never the ones that don’t match causing problems.

[circa1968]

I'm definitely of the non-matching variety!  We have a name for the variety you're talking about, but i can't repeat it in polite company.😀  

@Flyinfool why on earth wouldn't the city or the race sponsors build a walkway over the road for the residents?  Surely someone must get an earful about that every year.

[Pasta Burner]

45 minutes ago, circa1968 said:

'm definitely of the non-matching variety!  We have a name for the variety you're talking about, but i can't repeat it in polite company.😀

I’ve never been accused of being polite 🤪