General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[patrick_b]

Holy **** didn't think a stem would make a difference but man, is my ride more comfortable. I don't feel like I'm overextending my reach and it's just so comfy.

That's great to hear and amazing how little things can have such a significant impact. My MTB is old school, stretched out XC geometry. When I added riser handlebars (.75") and a shorter stem, it made a world of difference.

 

[flipstah]

Thanks, @patrick_b

Was also able to grab some Giant SLR wheelset for cheap so I am upgrading everything on this vintage racer! Mmm 11 speed friction shift lol

 

[flipstah]

Mmmmm aero

 

[Piobaire]

Still waiting on the Conti GP5000 S TR hookless compatible tires. LBS guy was right way back in March, if anybody is giving out delivery estimates, they are full of ****. I fell for biketiredirect's claims of an April/May delivery.

My rear is desperately worn but I am certain that the minute buy a new set, these GP5K's will ship. I think I'll replace the rear with the same Schwalbe and run the old front for another month or two. Fingers crossed that the boat from China gets here soon!

Just got them off Amazon. They arrived today and I'll put them on next weekend. So happy to be back on my beloved Contis.

 

[HRoi]

I flatted my pzeros two rides in a row. the rear tire first, then the front in the very next ride

 

[sugarbutch]

I rode sweeper on a big group ride today. One of the riders caught her rear derailleur in the spokes of her wheel. We found the hanger bent and derailleur fractured. We removed it, tied off the cable, and I used the chainbreaker on my multitool (from Crank Brothers, and unlike some other tools, it doesn't require a hex key to operate) to shorten the chain so she could ride single-speed. Fortunately, there was still pizza left at the end point when we finally got there.

 

[otc]

Been a lot of rain here lately. Time to give the fleet a wash, wax, and relube

Need some sort of better degreaser product though, couple of those drivetrains were dirrrrty

 

[patrick_b]

Just got them off Amazon. They arrived today and I'll put them on next weekend. So happy to be back on my beloved Contis.

Thanks for the heads up.

Funny the black sidewall in 28mm is a reasonable $82. The transparent/tan sidewall in 28mm is $125. Bastards preying on my vanity! Ordered a pair of the black sidewalls. When my 28mm tan's from biketiresdirect ever gets here, I'll have an extra set for next year.

 

[otc]

Speaking of tires...I've been using the Roubaix Pro that I think @sugarbutch recommended and they have felt great.

But they will not stay inflated/seated.

I fully expect tubeless setups to lose pressure over time, but these tires seem to deflate to the point where they shrink and fall off the rim. My other tubeless setups lose pressure, but they stay seated in the rims....the pressure drops but the bead stays in place (IIRC, even my gravel tires on these exact rims stay in place on pressure loss). These tires don't stick--they completely separate themselves from the rim at which point they just go to zero pressure.

They reseat with a floor pump and a few rapid pumps, but it is still pretty annoying.

Anyone else experience this? Is this odd behavior or is it just a end result of running tubeless with smaller diameter/higher pressure tires?

 

[sugarbutch]

Speaking of tires...I've been using the Roubaix Pro that I think @sugarbutch recommended and they have felt great.

But they will not stay inflated/seated.

I fully expect tubeless setups to lose pressure over time, but these tires seem to deflate to the point where they shrink and fall off the rim. My other tubeless setups lose pressure, but they stay seated in the rims....the pressure drops but the bead stays in place (IIRC, even my gravel tires on these exact rims stay in place on pressure loss). These tires don't stick--they completely separate themselves from the rim at which point they just go to zero pressure.

They reseat with a floor pump and a few rapid pumps, but it is still pretty annoying.

Anyone else experience this? Is this odd behavior or is it just a end result of running tubeless with smaller diameter/higher pressure tires?

Is it a hooked or hookless rim? Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the bead is slightly larger than spec on the tire. I am not really happy with Specialized's tire QC. I had to take one of the Roubaix's back because it was leaking air through the sidewalls, and of the two on my bike, one will hold pressure for a week or so, but the other only for about a day. I've dunk tested it, and there are no visible leaks through the valve or rim, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯? The Trigger I have on my gravel bike also loses pressure much more quickly than the Pirelli on the other axle. Will not be buying more Specialized tires for tubeless use...

 

[otc]

So what you're saying is this is all your fault?!

If anything, I'd guess that the bead diameter is slightly smaller than spec so it pulls away from the rim (hooked) when there is no longer any tire pressure stretching it out.

It isn't a huge deal as I've always been able to reseat with a pump, but I do worry that cracking the bead open is going to lead to dry sealant. I've tried inflating between rides to keep the pressure up with the hopes that the sealant will glue the bead to the rim, but that hasn't worked (admittedly, I was not good at remembering to run out and add air every other day). Maybe next time I have them off I will try wiping the beads with excess fresh sealant and seeing if that's enough to get it to stick...put the bike in my office or something so I remember to pump it/spin the tires every day for a week.

 

[sugarbutch]

Unless the tire width is inappropriately narrow for the rim, I can't see how the forces involved could pull a properly seated bead back to the valley. A too small bead would be really hard to seat, and once seated, the friction would be immense. Whatever is causing it, it's weird.

 

[patrick_b]

One of the most significant claims of the new GP5K's is that they are easier to mount. Their previous tubeless version was mercilessly criticized for being impossible to mount. I ran tubed versions of the old 5K so I can't comment. The Shawalbe Pro One TLE went on relatively easily. One tire gave me a bit of grief but also they inflate just fine with a 20 year old floor pump.

I picked up one of the very first Joe Blow pumps at the REI tent sale in the early 2000's. It had a broken clip where the hose attaches for storage. It's never missed a beat with MTB and road tubeless setups.

 

[flipstah]

Anyone tried Schwalbe tyres? They have Billy Bonkers that would work on my MTB to turn it to a gravel bike.

Also had a proper bike fitting today using RETUL and had to invest in a new gebioMized Area saddle. That was a pricey session.

Hopefully 2022 is my first century ride with no nagging injuries. Cross fingers!

Technology rules.

 

[Althis]

In my experience tubeless tires generally lose 5-10 PSI overnight. I ride 28mm Conti GP5000 S TR though with them being harder to get I run a 30mm Vittoria Rubino Pro G2.0 tubeless in the rear and have been very happy. Panaracer Gravelkings are another good budget alternative