[RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
I didn't know off the top of my head the kilogram to pounds so looked it up and knew he was in trouble on the weight difference guess immediately b4 I read Leah's reply. Yeah, decades ago I learned that lesson (guessing lady's weight) the hard way. If a tire shows inflation range from say 50 to 80 psi, I just split the difference (65psi) in that caseand start there to see how it feels riding and adjust accordingly. Being 5 pounds heavier than Steve's weight I particularly need a few more psi's on supple tires on the rear tire or it feels too squirmy. I dont mind pumping air in tires so I play around with psi's until I get it right for me. I agree, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding threads are a fun read. Paul in Dallas -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/701E938F3417AD78.4277377a-5dd0-445f-b98c-72e97db6f80f%40mail.outlook.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
In Steve's defense (as amusing as this has been), I'm thinking his only real error was in mixing his measures. Perhaps, Steve, you meant to say '50kg heavier' as you offered your post-breakfast weight as 100kg. Perhaps it is time for my neighbors south of the 49th to revisit a full conversion to the metric system (except for carpentry!) But, perhaps this suggestion falls squarely under the topic of Leah's thread. What I should have known. On Monday, May 4, 2020 at 7:29:43 PM UTC-7, Steve Palincsar wrote: > > > On 5/4/20 9:41 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote: > > I nearly talked myself out of this thread because I’m about to make > myself look really stupid, but it was so funny that I’m doing it anyway. > > > > I’ve been somewhat of a mess my whole Biking Life. I adored bikes, > always, but I never had a proper bike education or a nice bike until 2012. > I was born to the least mechanically-inclined parents on earth, and my mom > was more proficient than my dad. I grew up riding the worst bike you can > imagine, always with nearly-flat tires. Maybe once a year, usually in > spring, Dad would haul my bike to the gas station and fill the tires with > air. It was like riding on clouds. But eventually, my tires would lose air > again and I’d have to wait until next year. Not that I’d notice anything > was amiss - I was too busy riding barefoot all over small town North > Dakota, falling out of trees, eating penny candy from the bowling alley and > building forts. Tires, what tires. > > > > I grew up, went to college, met and married my husband, who grew up on a > farm. We moved across the country with almost nothing and started our life > and careers. My farmer father-in-law came to visit and outfitted our garage > with tools he thought mandatory, including an air compressor. I think it > was my 27th birthday that my husband told me he wanted to get me a bike. I > knew just the one, it was *really* expensive at $125, but it was my > birthday and I would get the best: A blue Schwinn Sidewinder from the local > Walmart. > > > > While he was visiting, my FIL (again, a farmer and not a bike rider) > noticed my bike tires were pathetically low. Of course I hadn’t noticed; > flat tires were de rigueur for me! He filled them with the air compressor, > pushed on the tire and declared it good. And from then on, that was how I > did it. > > > > I’ve heard you all talk about your supple tires and not wanting them > rock hard, and I knew *I* had supple tires because when I squeezed them, > there was a tiny but perceptible give to the rubber. I mean, that’s what > you all meant, right? So I made sure I never filled my tires very fully > because supple tires were the ticket. > > > > I ended up with a floor pump last year. It has a gauge that tells you > “how much pressure you runnin’”. I have started using it lately and began > to pay attention to what my tire pressure was. 20-25. Huh. I remember folks > discussing tire pressure and I didn’t recall theirs being so low. So, I > asked Joe, who seems to answer most of the questions on the List and > doesn’t seem to resent it. He (through fits of laughter at his keyboard, > I’m sure) said that yes, I actually should be pumping up my tires to a > certain number and that yes, they would feel rock hard, and no, squeezing > them is not a good test, and indeed I would not explode my Big Bens (with > max psi of 70) if I filled them to 55 psi. > > > OK, let's deconstruct this a bit. I looked them up: according to > Schwalbe's web site a Big Ben no matter the diameter is either a 50mm or > a 55mm wide tire. As you know, pressure is related to load: the > heavier the load, the more pressure you need. No different here from > your car or truck. I figure I'm probably 50 lb heavier than you (100 kg > after breakfast today) and I run my 38mm 650B tires at 4 atmospheres, > around 60 psi. So if you at 75% of my weight are running a tire that's > maybe 15mm wider than mine and 5 psi less than I am, I'd say chances are > pretty good that you're inflating those tires to a much higher pressure > than you need to. Chances are, if you reduce your pressure to perhaps > 40 or maybe even a few psi less than that, you'd get a better ride. > You'd probably have less rebound after hitting a pothole, too. That's > another -- quite dangerous -- downside to overinflating a wide tire: it > can rebound like a basketball, pulling the handlebars right out of your > hands. I've got a jagged lump in my collar bone because of that. > > > > > > I was today years old when I learned that your tires are *supposed* to > feel rock hard and be filled to an actual number. > > > Not a big wide tire like that. Now sure, a 23mm tire at 100 psi is > definitely going to feel rock hard. I can feel the (ultra supple EL > casing) sidewalls on my Herse Loup Loup Pass tires give when I squeeze > them. > > > > I was today years old when I learn
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
On 5/5/20 12:37 AM, Leah Peterson wrote: I just got back from 14 miles of fun. You all have never LIVED until you’ve had air in your tires. I soared up the hills. I shook my teeth loose bombing down the hills! Did you all ride horses growing up? I rode my bucking Clem all over these trails and I did not fall off, not even once. Fine, Steve and DP, you guys are a little right - I could let some air out. That bike really rattled on the way down Killer Hill, and I could feel the grips jumping around trying to shake loose of my hands. But come on, it was FUN. Have *you* ever ridden your bucking Clem around *your* neighborhood? No, you haven’t, because you insist on sensible tire pressures and supple tires and miss out on all the fun. So must be at least 10 years ago now, standing on the dinner line at Bike Virginia, and there's this group just ahead of me, people from Virginia Beach, talking about tire pressure. This one guy - huge - a Deuce and a Half for sure, built like a football player, and he's saying how much he loves his 19mm tires blown up to as close to 200 psi as he dares. There's only one "hill" in the area, a bridge, and he's saying how much he loves coming down that bridge at top speed, the entire bike vibrating, his teeth rattling, because it feels so/fast.../ Ian - hilarious and so relatable. I’m laughing with you, not at you. Also, you are the only one who’s offered an Admission of A Thing You Ought To Have Known. Gold star! Andrew - thank you; that’s so nice. ☺️ You can stay. Joe - YOU THINK I WAS BORN IN THE 70S?!? There was no 70s station wagon - there was a sweet 90s GMC Safari van with the inexplicable maroon striping down the sides that I called “our racing stripes.” It had cup holders. It was slick. Also, Joe is right about the roads here - they’re nice. Steve was today years old when he learned not to guess at a woman’s weight. Right day, wrong lesson: today he learned to be more mindful of what he writes while floating on Tramadol, and not to leave out the "at least". -- Steve Palincsar Alexandria, Virginia USA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/b4dac616-8b40-4908-4878-2d46bda56ebb%40his.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
The van stripes make sense if you’re an A Team fan! At 175 pounds, I would run those tires about 40 psi, and fill them up when I notice too much squirm in corners. Eric On Tuesday, May 5, 2020, Joe Bernard wrote: > A Thing I'm Not Sure I Ought To Have Known and Definitely Still Don't: > > Why a lot of those '90s vans came with those graphics. Someone said, > "Whelp, there's sure a lot of space there. A racing stripe makes sense." * > > *it did not make sense > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ > msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/66040570-826c-43e8-b11c- > f4b8934e715d%40googlegroups.com. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAHFNW5AR8S72jZ%2BsQd4oqyKSucnbsoUOMUY87na1Abg1%2BRJOEw%40mail.gmail.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
Evan, I did a couple decades of gooped chains. Maybe not Phil Oil gooped, but when a person becomes A Serious Cyclist the first two things they learn are their saddle is too low and their chain is squeaky. What's next? Saddle goes way up there to where they're wobbling to reach the pedals, and the chain gets a couple gallons of the finest wet lube money can buy. Congratulations, you're A Serious Cyclist now! 👏👏👏 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/3ed26735-8923-44ee-a0e6-37d9c32cb7f4%40googlegroups.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
A Thing I'm Not Sure I Ought To Have Known and Definitely Still Don't: Why a lot of those '90s vans came with those graphics. Someone said, "Whelp, there's sure a lot of space there. A racing stripe makes sense." * *it did not make sense -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/66040570-826c-43e8-b11c-f4b8934e715d%40googlegroups.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
When I got my first bike, as a grownup, after not riding at all since childhood, I oiled my chain with Phil Tenacious Oil. Because that’s the only oil I had. And then I left the oil on the chain. Because that’s what you do, right? So why, one week later, was there goo and grit all over my chain and rear derailleur pulleys? -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/f8d93c20-1210-4353-88b8-5675739b37a2%40googlegroups.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
I just got back from 14 miles of fun. You all have never LIVED until you’ve had air in your tires. I soared up the hills. I shook my teeth loose bombing down the hills! Did you all ride horses growing up? I rode my bucking Clem all over these trails and I did not fall off, not even once. Fine, Steve and DP, you guys are a little right - I could let some air out. That bike really rattled on the way down Killer Hill, and I could feel the grips jumping around trying to shake loose of my hands. But come on, it was FUN. Have *you* ever ridden your bucking Clem around *your* neighborhood? No, you haven’t, because you insist on sensible tire pressures and supple tires and miss out on all the fun. Ian - hilarious and so relatable. I’m laughing with you, not at you. Also, you are the only one who’s offered an Admission of A Thing You Ought To Have Known. Gold star! Andrew - thank you; that’s so nice. ☺️ You can stay. Joe - YOU THINK I WAS BORN IN THE 70S?!? There was no 70s station wagon - there was a sweet 90s GMC Safari van with the inexplicable maroon striping down the sides that I called “our racing stripes.” It had cup holders. It was slick. Also, Joe is right about the roads here - they’re nice. Steve was today years old when he learned not to guess at a woman’s weight. Leah Sent from my iPad > On May 4, 2020, at 8:47 PM, Joe Bernard wrote: > > "You are a good writer, Leah. Thanks for the air story. I enjoyed it. > Andy" > > I love dad hauling the bikes to the gas station for their annual airing up. I > can picture the truck pulling up (actually it's a giant late-'70s station > wagon in my mind, but probably a truck), the whole scene. She's very good at > putting you in the world of the story. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google > Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this topic, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/topic/rbw-owners-bunch/FegWjxa6Qus/unsubscribe. > To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to > rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/80d8b1e1-9378-43b2-bfbf-d7d1fb4870ca%40googlegroups.com. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/4C0F9CD0-262B-4D76-8485-411F4C33286A%40gmail.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
"You are a good writer, Leah. Thanks for the air story. I enjoyed it. Andy" I love dad hauling the bikes to the gas station for their annual airing up. I can picture the truck pulling up (actually it's a giant late-'70s station wagon in my mind, but probably a truck), the whole scene. She's very good at putting you in the world of the story. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/80d8b1e1-9378-43b2-bfbf-d7d1fb4870ca%40googlegroups.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
You are a good writer, Leah. Thanks for the air story. I enjoyed it. Andy On Mon, May 4, 2020 at 6:41 PM Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! < jonasandle...@gmail.com> wrote: > I nearly talked myself out of this thread because I’m about to make myself > look really stupid, but it was so funny that I’m doing it anyway. > > I’ve been somewhat of a mess my whole Biking Life. I adored bikes, always, > but I never had a proper bike education or a nice bike until 2012. I was > born to the least mechanically-inclined parents on earth, and my mom was > more proficient than my dad. I grew up riding the worst bike you can > imagine, always with nearly-flat tires. Maybe once a year, usually in > spring, Dad would haul my bike to the gas station and fill the tires with > air. It was like riding on clouds. But eventually, my tires would lose air > again and I’d have to wait until next year. Not that I’d notice anything > was amiss - I was too busy riding barefoot all over small town North > Dakota, falling out of trees, eating penny candy from the bowling alley and > building forts. Tires, what tires. > > I grew up, went to college, met and married my husband, who grew up on a > farm. We moved across the country with almost nothing and started our life > and careers. My farmer father-in-law came to visit and outfitted our garage > with tools he thought mandatory, including an air compressor. I think it > was my 27th birthday that my husband told me he wanted to get me a bike. I > knew just the one, it was *really* expensive at $125, but it was my > birthday and I would get the best: A blue Schwinn Sidewinder from the local > Walmart. > > While he was visiting, my FIL (again, a farmer and not a bike rider) > noticed my bike tires were pathetically low. Of course I hadn’t noticed; > flat tires were de rigueur for me! He filled them with the air compressor, > pushed on the tire and declared it good. And from then on, that was how I > did it. > > I’ve heard you all talk about your supple tires and not wanting them rock > hard, and I knew *I* had supple tires because when I squeezed them, there > was a tiny but perceptible give to the rubber. I mean, that’s what you all > meant, right? So I made sure I never filled my tires very fully because > supple tires were the ticket. > > I ended up with a floor pump last year. It has a gauge that tells you “how > much pressure you runnin’”. I have started using it lately and began to pay > attention to what my tire pressure was. 20-25. Huh. I remember folks > discussing tire pressure and I didn’t recall theirs being so low. So, I > asked Joe, who seems to answer most of the questions on the List and > doesn’t seem to resent it. He (through fits of laughter at his keyboard, > I’m sure) said that yes, I actually should be pumping up my tires to a > certain number and that yes, they would feel rock hard, and no, squeezing > them is not a good test, and indeed I would not explode my Big Bens (with > max psi of 70) if I filled them to 55 psi. > > I was today years old when I learned that your tires are *supposed* to > feel rock hard and be filled to an actual number. I was today years old > when I learned that my “supple tires” were just tires that were low on air. > > Who else has managed to miss the obvious when it comes to bike stuff? > > Leah, who would like you to know she is smart at other things. Just not > bike things. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/529854c0-06b5-463b-8f12-ca7d5cb4347a%40googlegroups.com > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CAPhA659S251sPfQsPXxBHKXDvo_iKxhfmmFELqQxxt2ObYG1dA%40mail.gmail.com.
[RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
Good thread, Leah I ought to have known that I should have gone looking for some scissors instead of using a large, heavy knife to trim a zip tie. I'd modified a bell in order to zip tie it to a 1 1/8 steerer. The zip tie put up some resistance so when the knife finally made it through, it continued at some velocity into the bike's top tube. I then felt the need to sand off the paint in the affected area, examine the damage, sand the metal around the dent (or cut?) in the metal to avoid future a stress riser. Then attempted a paint touch up, which just looked terrible, until I finally just put some reflective tape on and shamefully called it a night. Sometimes I wonder about myself. The more I learn the less I find I know. Re: Steve's comment; I think he was referring to the estimated combined weight of you, your bike and the impressive loads you at times carry. Pressuring up for the heaviest scenario, so to speak. IanA Alberta Canada -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/02a0e632-fda3-43ec-8cb7-b1547d107de2%40googlegroups.com.
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
Here’s what I got from that: You weigh 220 pounds, and you think I’m only 50 lbs lighter than you? Yeah, you’re dead to me. Leah Sent from my iPhone > On May 4, 2020, at 7:29 PM, Steve Palincsar wrote: > > >> On 5/4/20 9:41 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote: >> I nearly talked myself out of this thread because I’m about to make myself >> look really stupid, but it was so funny that I’m doing it anyway. >> >> I’ve been somewhat of a mess my whole Biking Life. I adored bikes, always, >> but I never had a proper bike education or a nice bike until 2012. I was >> born to the least mechanically-inclined parents on earth, and my mom was >> more proficient than my dad. I grew up riding the worst bike you can >> imagine, always with nearly-flat tires. Maybe once a year, usually in >> spring, Dad would haul my bike to the gas station and fill the tires with >> air. It was like riding on clouds. But eventually, my tires would lose air >> again and I’d have to wait until next year. Not that I’d notice anything was >> amiss - I was too busy riding barefoot all over small town North Dakota, >> falling out of trees, eating penny candy from the bowling alley and building >> forts. Tires, what tires. >> >> I grew up, went to college, met and married my husband, who grew up on a >> farm. We moved across the country with almost nothing and started our life >> and careers. My farmer father-in-law came to visit and outfitted our garage >> with tools he thought mandatory, including an air compressor. I think it was >> my 27th birthday that my husband told me he wanted to get me a bike. I knew >> just the one, it was *really* expensive at $125, but it was my birthday and >> I would get the best: A blue Schwinn Sidewinder from the local Walmart. >> >> While he was visiting, my FIL (again, a farmer and not a bike rider) noticed >> my bike tires were pathetically low. Of course I hadn’t noticed; flat tires >> were de rigueur for me! He filled them with the air compressor, pushed on >> the tire and declared it good. And from then on, that was how I did it. >> >> I’ve heard you all talk about your supple tires and not wanting them rock >> hard, and I knew *I* had supple tires because when I squeezed them, there >> was a tiny but perceptible give to the rubber. I mean, that’s what you all >> meant, right? So I made sure I never filled my tires very fully because >> supple tires were the ticket. >> >> I ended up with a floor pump last year. It has a gauge that tells you “how >> much pressure you runnin’”. I have started using it lately and began to pay >> attention to what my tire pressure was. 20-25. Huh. I remember folks >> discussing tire pressure and I didn’t recall theirs being so low. So, I >> asked Joe, who seems to answer most of the questions on the List and doesn’t >> seem to resent it. He (through fits of laughter at his keyboard, I’m sure) >> said that yes, I actually should be pumping up my tires to a certain number >> and that yes, they would feel rock hard, and no, squeezing them is not a >> good test, and indeed I would not explode my Big Bens (with max psi of 70) >> if I filled them to 55 psi. > > > OK, let's deconstruct this a bit. I looked them up: according to Schwalbe's > web site a Big Ben no matter the diameter is either a 50mm or a 55mm wide > tire. As you know, pressure is related to load: the heavier the load, the > more pressure you need. No different here from your car or truck. I figure > I'm probably 50 lb heavier than you (100 kg after breakfast today) and I run > my 38mm 650B tires at 4 atmospheres, around 60 psi. So if you at 75% of my > weight are running a tire that's maybe 15mm wider than mine and 5 psi less > than I am, I'd say chances are pretty good that you're inflating those tires > to a much higher pressure than you need to. Chances are, if you reduce your > pressure to perhaps 40 or maybe even a few psi less than that, you'd get a > better ride. You'd probably have less rebound after hitting a pothole, too. > That's another -- quite dangerous -- downside to overinflating a wide tire: > it can rebound like a basketball, pulling the handlebars right out of your > hands. I've got a jagged lump in my collar bone because of that. > > >> >> I was today years old when I learned that your tires are *supposed* to feel >> rock hard and be filled to an actual number. > > > Not a big wide tire like that. Now sure, a 23mm tire at 100 psi is > definitely going to feel rock hard. I can feel the (ultra supple EL casing) > sidewalls on my Herse Loup Loup Pass tires give when I squeeze them. > > >> I was today years old when I learned that my “supple tires” were just tires >> that were low on air. >> >> Who else has managed to miss the obvious when it comes to bike stuff? >> >> Leah, who would like you to know she is smart at other things. Just not bike >> things. >> > -- > Steve Palincsar > Alexandria, Virginia > USA >
Re: [RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
On 5/4/20 9:41 PM, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote: I nearly talked myself out of this thread because I’m about to make myself look really stupid, but it was so funny that I’m doing it anyway. I’ve been somewhat of a mess my whole Biking Life. I adored bikes, always, but I never had a proper bike education or a nice bike until 2012. I was born to the least mechanically-inclined parents on earth, and my mom was more proficient than my dad. I grew up riding the worst bike you can imagine, always with nearly-flat tires. Maybe once a year, usually in spring, Dad would haul my bike to the gas station and fill the tires with air. It was like riding on clouds. But eventually, my tires would lose air again and I’d have to wait until next year. Not that I’d notice anything was amiss - I was too busy riding barefoot all over small town North Dakota, falling out of trees, eating penny candy from the bowling alley and building forts. Tires, what tires. I grew up, went to college, met and married my husband, who grew up on a farm. We moved across the country with almost nothing and started our life and careers. My farmer father-in-law came to visit and outfitted our garage with tools he thought mandatory, including an air compressor. I think it was my 27th birthday that my husband told me he wanted to get me a bike. I knew just the one, it was *really* expensive at $125, but it was my birthday and I would get the best: A blue Schwinn Sidewinder from the local Walmart. While he was visiting, my FIL (again, a farmer and not a bike rider) noticed my bike tires were pathetically low. Of course I hadn’t noticed; flat tires were de rigueur for me! He filled them with the air compressor, pushed on the tire and declared it good. And from then on, that was how I did it. I’ve heard you all talk about your supple tires and not wanting them rock hard, and I knew *I* had supple tires because when I squeezed them, there was a tiny but perceptible give to the rubber. I mean, that’s what you all meant, right? So I made sure I never filled my tires very fully because supple tires were the ticket. I ended up with a floor pump last year. It has a gauge that tells you “how much pressure you runnin’”. I have started using it lately and began to pay attention to what my tire pressure was. 20-25. Huh. I remember folks discussing tire pressure and I didn’t recall theirs being so low. So, I asked Joe, who seems to answer most of the questions on the List and doesn’t seem to resent it. He (through fits of laughter at his keyboard, I’m sure) said that yes, I actually should be pumping up my tires to a certain number and that yes, they would feel rock hard, and no, squeezing them is not a good test, and indeed I would not explode my Big Bens (with max psi of 70) if I filled them to 55 psi. OK, let's deconstruct this a bit. I looked them up: according to Schwalbe's web site a Big Ben no matter the diameter is either a 50mm or a 55mm wide tire. As you know, pressure is related to load: the heavier the load, the more pressure you need. No different here from your car or truck. I figure I'm probably 50 lb heavier than you (100 kg after breakfast today) and I run my 38mm 650B tires at 4 atmospheres, around 60 psi. So if you at 75% of my weight are running a tire that's maybe 15mm wider than mine and 5 psi less than I am, I'd say chances are pretty good that you're inflating those tires to a much higher pressure than you need to. Chances are, if you reduce your pressure to perhaps 40 or maybe even a few psi less than that, you'd get a better ride. You'd probably have less rebound after hitting a pothole, too. That's another -- quite dangerous -- downside to overinflating a wide tire: it can rebound like a basketball, pulling the handlebars right out of your hands. I've got a jagged lump in my collar bone because of that. I was today years old when I learned that your tires are *supposed* to feel rock hard and be filled to an actual number. Not a big wide tire like that. Now sure, a 23mm tire at 100 psi is definitely going to feel rock hard. I can feel the (ultra supple EL casing) sidewalls on my Herse Loup Loup Pass tires give when I squeeze them. I was today years old when I learned that my “supple tires” were just tires that were low on air. Who else has managed to miss the obvious when it comes to bike stuff? Leah, who would like you to know she is smart at other things. Just not bike things. -- Steve Palincsar Alexandria, Virginia USA -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/84e1d7ae-b47e-b1d5-1705-b6c9e8b1844e%40his.com.
[RBW] Admissions of Things You Ought to Have Known But Did Not: A Thread
I nearly talked myself out of this thread because I’m about to make myself look really stupid, but it was so funny that I’m doing it anyway. I’ve been somewhat of a mess my whole Biking Life. I adored bikes, always, but I never had a proper bike education or a nice bike until 2012. I was born to the least mechanically-inclined parents on earth, and my mom was more proficient than my dad. I grew up riding the worst bike you can imagine, always with nearly-flat tires. Maybe once a year, usually in spring, Dad would haul my bike to the gas station and fill the tires with air. It was like riding on clouds. But eventually, my tires would lose air again and I’d have to wait until next year. Not that I’d notice anything was amiss - I was too busy riding barefoot all over small town North Dakota, falling out of trees, eating penny candy from the bowling alley and building forts. Tires, what tires. I grew up, went to college, met and married my husband, who grew up on a farm. We moved across the country with almost nothing and started our life and careers. My farmer father-in-law came to visit and outfitted our garage with tools he thought mandatory, including an air compressor. I think it was my 27th birthday that my husband told me he wanted to get me a bike. I knew just the one, it was *really* expensive at $125, but it was my birthday and I would get the best: A blue Schwinn Sidewinder from the local Walmart. While he was visiting, my FIL (again, a farmer and not a bike rider) noticed my bike tires were pathetically low. Of course I hadn’t noticed; flat tires were de rigueur for me! He filled them with the air compressor, pushed on the tire and declared it good. And from then on, that was how I did it. I’ve heard you all talk about your supple tires and not wanting them rock hard, and I knew *I* had supple tires because when I squeezed them, there was a tiny but perceptible give to the rubber. I mean, that’s what you all meant, right? So I made sure I never filled my tires very fully because supple tires were the ticket. I ended up with a floor pump last year. It has a gauge that tells you “how much pressure you runnin’”. I have started using it lately and began to pay attention to what my tire pressure was. 20-25. Huh. I remember folks discussing tire pressure and I didn’t recall theirs being so low. So, I asked Joe, who seems to answer most of the questions on the List and doesn’t seem to resent it. He (through fits of laughter at his keyboard, I’m sure) said that yes, I actually should be pumping up my tires to a certain number and that yes, they would feel rock hard, and no, squeezing them is not a good test, and indeed I would not explode my Big Bens (with max psi of 70) if I filled them to 55 psi. I was today years old when I learned that your tires are *supposed* to feel rock hard and be filled to an actual number. I was today years old when I learned that my “supple tires” were just tires that were low on air. Who else has managed to miss the obvious when it comes to bike stuff? Leah, who would like you to know she is smart at other things. Just not bike things. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/529854c0-06b5-463b-8f12-ca7d5cb4347a%40googlegroups.com.
