I'm That Kind of Guy . . .

. . . . the kind of guy who reads the sidewalls of his tires. Also known as "A Loser".


But that's okay, because I find the sidewalls of bike tires interesting, especially when they say stuff like this:

Inflate to 2.0-4.5bar (29-65psi)
Safety warning: For race use on designated DH courses only
Always wear protective gear. Please prevent ass munch and
do not ride over other riders.


Got that?
Okay, good.

Enjoy the day

First Weekend of Winter

It's looking like the snow is here to stay.

And They're Off!

Sun is shining and studs are off all the way around (well, except for the cars, but that's not as important as the bikes.)

How Low Can You Go?

When I rode home this evening the temperature was 1 deg F. Pleasantly cold in my opinion, but not really a temperature where I particularly enjoy fiddling around with bike issues.

When I went out to the garage a few minutes ago I noticed my front wheel looked like this:


I have been experimenting with really low tire pressure lately (often 10-17psi) , but this was a bit much. I'm guessing I pinch flatted when I was jumping berms the snowplows so kindly left blocking the bike path. I'm just glad I didn't have to fix it mid ride.

I just bought a new patch kit at the shop on Monday, somehow I miss placed the 3 or 4 patch kits I already own. Guess I get to put it to use.

-bike wrider

Ready

I think I'm finally ready for winter. Which is good, because it has been here for a couple of weeks already. I'd done enough to deal with winter, but I wasn't all the way ready.


Today I got three sets of tires swapped out for studs. Two bikes worth and the truck.
Just in time too, apparently. When I took the studded crosscheck out for a ride I was doing some swerving and weaving to test the old studs out. I didn't bite it, but I was getting more sliping than I would like. Then I watched my neighbor slide right past the intersection to our 'hood in his diesel dualie. I put a boot down to test the road conditions, and sure enough, the little bit of freezing rain that was coming down had turned everything into glare ice. GUess I have to give the cheap old studs on the cross check more credit than I wanted to.

Got studs on Mrs.'s single speed, the cross check and the truck. Thought that was going to be the end of it. Then Cousin RyeN mentioned that he had some cheap 26" studs lying around, if I was interested. Looks like the Dummy won't be getting much time off this winter. That's fine by me.

-Bike Wrider

Need a Fix

I need a fix.

And I don't mean a fixed gear, although that wouldn't be bad either.

I haven't ridden in a couple of days. I threw the studded tires on last week and had a couple of sloppy, snowy rides before the weekend. Since then I've gotten out for a little skiing with the little dude, so I've managed enough exercise to keep myself sane, but I haven't ridden.

I'm finding myself a little extra stressed and edgy today, not usually my style. Sure there are all the usual stressors going on, and the days are getting short and dark, but I'm pretty sure that what I really need is just a few minutes on a bike and I would feel a whole lot better.

Looking forward to this afternoon's commute.

Hey There You Big Stud

Ready for a project?

If you are like me you don't have a whole lot of free time in your life, but you probably have even less free money. If the super sweet nokian studded tires are out of your price range at $180 for the pair and you've got some an old set of tires around it is worth your time to make some cheap studs.

If you're interested here's how to do it:

What you'll need:

-3/8 inch, #8 (i think) sheet metal screws, round (I've been corrected. If they're sheet metal screws it is called a pan head, not round. I apologize for any confusion), phillips head. 150-200 per tire. Buy 'em in bulk at the hardware store. $6 total when I made mine.

-appropriate phillips head bit.

-drill bit slightly smaller than your screws.

-2 old inner tubes for lining your tires.

-2 tires. large, deep, widely spaced knobs are best, but use what you got.

-Piece of scrap wood to drill into. (Better than drilling into your floor.)



Now pop in a movie and get to work. . . .

The necessary supplies

Drill bit, Phillips head bit, 3/8" #8 sheet metal screws.

Buy 'em in bulk at your local hardware store

Drill through the knobs into your piece of scrap wood.

Pre drilled holes, viewed from the inside.

Insert screws through the pre-drilled holes

Do your best to figure out a pattern and spacing that works for the

tires you are using.

.

Cut out the valve stem on some old tubes, then slice them up the middle

to line your new tubes and protect them from the screw heads.

New tube, liner tube, studded tire.

I eventually ended up filing down the points of the screws

on my tires because I kept scratching myself. Really

has no effect on traction. You can just ride them on bare

asphalt for a while and try to accomplish the same thing.

Looks pretty gnarly when it is all said and done.

Food for thought from Peter White cycles:

"To describe the stud's effectiveness, I'll use an analogy. Think about walking with rubber soled shoes on three surfaces; dry clean asphalt, glare ice, and glare ice that's been sprinkled with sand. On the dry asphalt you can run and make sharp turns without any concern about your shoes skidding. On the ice, you can only walk carefully, changing direction and speed slowly, lest you Fall Down Go Boom. On ice that someone has nicely sprinkled some sand over, you can walk easily and perhaps even run. But if you do run you won't be making any sharp turns or trying to stop quickly, as you would on dry asphalt, since you know full well that those little grains of sand aren't glued onto the ice, and can roll if pushed hard enough.
Riding on ice with studded tires is like walking on ice that's been lightly covered with sand. It's pretty safe. You're not likely to fall unless you do something stupid. You're not going to have the same traction you would have on dry pavement. But you're going to have far more than you would with regular tires on ice. Keep in mind that there's ice down there and you'll be fine. Try to be a hero, and you'll probably pay a price."

I made my first set 6 years ago now and have had some incredible adventures on them. I find myself looking forward to cold snaps, because there is nothing quite like cruising along a frozen stream or across a frozen lake on a winter evening.


Now go ride. . . .enjoy.


-bike wrider