Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Reviews of the products I used yesterday afternoon.

The Bad:

Continental Ultra Sport 1000s.
These tires ****ing suck; they're flat magnets, and the real reason that I wanted to write this post. NEVER BUY THESE TIRES! (Or, if you insist, I've got a set I'll sell you, cheap). As of yesterday, I had them on both of my bikes, and I was flatting every time I went out (http://www.flickr.com/photos/absenter/82566648/) . So, in yesterday's gorgeous weather, I got a flat within the first ten minutes, and as I was fixing it, I resolved to screw around no longer, and get to Performance for some decent tires. I went with a set of the Michelin Eriliums (http://two-wheels.michelin.com/2w/front/affich.jsp?codeRubrique=2092004115340&codePage=2092004115340_10092004150254&lang=EN). The price was right ($25/each), and I recalled one that came on my first fixed wheel, and didn't recall any problems with flats. Half an hour later, the front Conti flats AGAIN, so I pulled off the Lakeshore path and mounted the Michelin. And I made it home! I know people like the Gatorskins (and my father swears by the Armadillos), but I didn't feel like giving Continental any more money. (700c x 23 Gatorskins are $25/each at Performance right now, if anyone's interested.)

Park HCW-5 Lockring Tool.
Yeah, I knew it was crap when I bought it, but this was the only three-pronged tool that the LBS I was at had. It sucks. It's way too easy to get jammed between a Phil lockring (with the lip) and the cog. Too painful to tighten without wrapping it in something. Don't buy it, pistaboy/irokid.

The Good:

Giro Pneumo helmet.
I finally decided to stop cheating death and get a helmet that I wouldn't mind wearing. I went with this because it seemed like it fit a bit lower on my head; the goofiness of vertical height was what killed the last one for me. Plus: grr, so AERO!
http://www.kerjean.com/Helmet/GiroPneumo4-B.jpg
I've only worn it for about an hour, but it feels very comfortable, and the ventilation is a massive improvement over anything I've worn before. Not cheap, but I can't feel very guilty about buying a helmet.

Crank Bros. Power Pump.
I had a lot of fun with this yesterday, thanks to the two flats. I'm sure the larger Crank Bros. pumps are even better, but this thing is really great. It's tiny, and although it takes a while, I able to get some pretty decent pressure out of it after a few minutes. I'm not sure I felt much difference between the "High Volume/High Pressure" settings, but whatever, it worked.

So, if it's not obvious, the moral of yesterday is that I wish I hadn't tried to save a few bucks buying cheap stuff. I've now got three pumps (four with the floor pump), two of which aren't worth anything, which together would have easily covered even the most expensive Crank Bros. I've got a bunch of Continental Ultra Sports that are garbage. So, if anyone's debating between a cheaper version of something and the luxe one and feel like they need a little encouragement, you are hereby encouraged to scrape together whatever more it takes to skip over mediocrity.

For what it's worth... the only way that Conti 1000's work is on the front wheel with an extra-thick tube. I picked one up a long time ago in New Mexico (ever heard of 'goatheads'?), and it kept me inflated when I ran a Conti 1000 for a few weeks.

Otherwise they're complete and total crap.

I emailed Brent from PW to ask which lockring tool they advised for the Phil lockring because I had some trouble with the ones at my community shop...
he advised the park HCW-5

I'm not sure I understand what problem it is that you were having...wrap it in something????

also...thumbs up on MIchelins over here too

my turn!

Reviews of the products I used yesterday afternoon:

15mil cheapie hardware store wrench - it does the job.
Pedro's "Leche" Tire Levers - dood. they do the job.
Specialized Pre-talc'd Pro Tube - pretalc baby. so you get yer hands all white.
Cute Boy's Pump - thank you Cute Boy. i needed that.
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Ale - i might have the name wrong because it was so good i couldn't stop myself. This is a quality product. It's a strong ale that's delicious. It avoids that evil temptation to add spices or some other unnecessary flavor **** to a beer just because it's a 'holiday' beer. A fitting thank-you for a Cute Boy.
Sam Adam's Boston Lager - some say it tastes the most like a british ale of any beer in the US. I say it's just schmancy pants beer. But it does an ok job of rounding out a night.

what i learned:
mmm. beer.

I emailed Brent from PW to ask which lockring tool they advised for the Phil lockring because I had some trouble with the ones at my community shop...
he advised the park HCW-5

I'm not sure I understand what problem it is that you were having...wrap it in something????

also...thumbs up on MIchelins over here too

The HCW-5 has three prongs that line up nicely with the Phil lockring.

http://harriscyclery.net/merchant/370/images/large/TL7345-hcw-5.jpg

Other than that, I can't see anything to recommend about it. It's just a flat piece of metal (laser-etched, supposedly, not stamped, but), with no guides or anything to keep it in the lockring notches (like some BB spanners do, so you can kind of rest against the cog to keep the tool on straight). So, you're simultaneously trying to exert massive torque and balance 10mm or so of metal within another 10 mm of metal. Super easy to slip out.

The "wrap it in something" refers to how bad a piece of metal digging into the ball of your hand feels. This isn't a huge deal...just use a rag or something...but it's another infamous feature of this tool.

i think most of us swear by the Hozan lockring wrench. It's just two pronged, but I use it on the phil lockrings too. But it's still flat metal and not at all ergonomic.

I used my bike yesterday. It was good.

Lockring tool. If you want something really worthy and in keeping up with the "quality" aspect, go for the Keirin professional tool (http://www.businesscycles.com/trtool_makino.htm) (Marcus even has one for sale):

http://www.businesscycles.com/graphics/protoolsuper.jpg

The Pneumo is nice. I had mine for a week before it cracked and split in a little motorist running stop sign endo accident (thereby causing my mis-aligned collarbone separation). It was a nice helmet for the week that I had it. I like the Monza a lot though because it's a little beefier in that regard. The Pneumo I felt, was set up to be easily cracked -- the skeleton is pretty damn thin in areas. I prefer a more robust helmet for everyday use (i.e. dropping on the floor, bashing against doors when it's atached to my bag, etc). This is separate from an actual crash situation.

what i learned:
mmm. beer.

Well, yeah. To expand into yesterday evening:

Allagash White Ale. (http://www.allagash.com/)
Mmm. And on tap at the Map Room.

Also: Hitachino Nest White Ale and others have been very tasty. they also feature my favourite ever ale labels.

http://kodawari.cc/engpage/kodawari/html/hitachino.htm

and

http://kodawari.cc/engpage/kodawari/html/product_beer/white_ale.htm

Available at Smallbar.

Let us not overlook the $85 Paul Lockring Wrench:

http://www.paulcomp.com/wrenches1.jpg

So many options!

For the record, I'll probably be using that Park until it breaks, I lose it, or I die. Flats daily are one thing...some hand discomfort once a month is tolerable for me. I just felt like reviewing it.

Swobo wool longsleeve jersey.

Worked good yester day on a long ride, 3 large rear pockets are nice, long front zipper works well for excellent ventilation. Works great for the $8 I paid for it. Only complaint is my 15 mili wrench slipped slideways in one of the pockets and the pointy ends poked a hole in my jersey. :/

I picked one up a long time ago in New Mexico (ever heard of 'goatheads'?), and it kept me inflated when I ran a Conti 1000 for a few weeks.

The only thing I've found that stands up to goatheads are Specialized Armadillos and Mr Tuffy tire liners. Maybe some of that Slime goop in your tube, but that will only get you back to your start point before the tire is flat. Truely an evil thorn.

8 bucks?!

8 bucks?!
old swobo. Thrift store. pwn.

Oh i have the ultra sport 1000's. They suck. New tires is on my list of things to buy when I have a little more money.

What tires are you guys talking about?

No tires exist by the name of ultra sport 1000. Conti makes an ultra sport tire, and a sport 1000 tire, both vastly different.

ultra sport:
http://e-shop.screambikes.tobulgaria.info/images/conti_ultrasport.jpg

sport 1000:
http://www.nexternal.com/icycles/images/sport1000.jpg


So which was it?

I'm talking about the Ultra Sport; I've seen it as the "Ultra 1000" as well.

I think it replaced the Sport 1000 in Conti's line, if I'm not mistaken.

Im talking about the one on top.

the only conti worth buying is the gatorskins. I love those things and I think they actually ride better than my rubinos. The conti 23 are definately skinnier than the rubino 23s.

Here's my product review... Performance tights are super awsome. I have the unpadded ones that are waterproof in the front. they keep me warm and dry so now I wear those and shorts to work. not bad for 50 clams.

As noted, the Ultra Sport was formerly the 1000's. Basically the bottom of the line Conti.

Also: Hitachino Nest White Ale and others have been very tasty. they also feature my favourite ever ale labels.

http://kodawari.cc/engpage/kodawari/html/hitachino.htm

and

http://kodawari.cc/engpage/kodawari/html/product_beer/white_ale.htm

Available at Smallbar.


Hitachino is one of my favorite lines... I can, oddly enough, only find it at home in LOuisville. One place has it at IU, but it is $4.99 for a 12oz bottle. Down south its $2.99 for a 24oz for any of the brews. My vote is for the red rice ale.


I have the hozan locring thing and it does the job, but slips once in awhile to the demise of your knuckles. That kerin pro tool would be a sweet purchase, but since i don't run 13/14t cogs, it doesn't really make it worth it.

I use the Conti Ultrasports and they work fine for me. My only complaint is that they are probably the hardest tire on the planet to mount/unmount. A serious PITA. Holy moley. I was getting flats fairly regularly when I first put them on, but I doubled up my rim tape and it's been smooth sailing for the past few months of brakeless (ie, skipping, skidding, etc) city riding (ie, glass, crunk, crap, etc). I honestly can't remember the last time I had a flat. They're $13 at MEC. I think everyone I know rides them.

m.

I HAVE THE CONTI 3000'S cant say how good,bad they are since i only road twice on them

you had way more ****ing fun than me

1999 Lemond Chambery, full Ultegra, Time carbon fork, Rolf Vector Comp wheels, Selle Italia Flite Titanium saddle:

Yesterday was my first time out on a long ride with this bike. 50 miles. I am loving it. It's very stiff and responsive. I nice change from my 01 Pista, which I find to feel kinda mushy on climbs and over bumpy roads. The fork dampens road vibrations brilliantly. Aside from being dangerous in strong crosswinds (deep rims) the wheels feel very smooth and zippy once you get moving. Accelerating feels a little slow if you start out in a beefy gear, but only for the first few rotations of the cranks. The saddle is a dream.

...simultaneously trying to exert massive torque and balance 10mm or so of metal within another 10 mm of metal. Super easy to slip out.
Robot sex.

Ok. Since I am an idiot and sold my fixed beater with real fenders while my one remaining nice fixed bike taunts me with its niceness and its rain-unfriendly 700x23 tires and fenderlessness while it has been raining daily for nearly a month I'm going to review my commuting gear instead. Clip-on fenders suck , so I have been commuting on a geared bike with fenders. Can you tell I'm getting sick of it? :rolleyes:

Ortleib waterproof backpack
It's big. It's ugly. It's hard to see around when you head check. It's huge. It's really waterproof.

Bellweather Goretex tights
Look stupid and even have little dumb stirrups. The fleece lining is awesome and they shed water like a mutha. Best $8 I ever spent at a thrift store.

In Sport Illuminite windbreaker
Possibly the ugliest jacket I have ever owned. It's purple and green. Ugh. On the plus side it actually breathes and sheds water better than my "real" rain jacket. The material itself is reflective, and it rolls up small enough to fit in a jersey pocket. Not bad for $8 or so used.

Descente full zip fleece jersey
$55 or so on sale. This thing rocks. I wish I knew the exact model. It wicks really well and is great for layering under or over stuff. No big ugly logos or other stupid crap and the zipper didn't shred after a few months like a similar Pearl Izumi jersey I had. I pretty much wear this year round.

Small plastic bags
Good for keeping wind and rain offa the toes. Free with purchase or just go to the bulk foods section and grab some.

Swix lobster gloves
Awesomely warm when dry. Just ok when wet, and lately they have always been wet. No padded palm or reinforced areas on the fingers. I have been wearing regular cycling gloves under them to keep my hands from going numb.

Smartwool socks
These rule. If they were just a lil' bit cheaper I would have a zillion pairs of em.

Cheap Sidi SPD shoes (sorry, don't know the model. It's the one with 3 velcro straps)
These cost $100 just under 2 years ago. The soles aren't as stiff as they used to be and the velcro is starting to go, but otherwise they have held up well. I started getting hot spot problems about a year ago , but after throwing some Specialized Body Geometry insoles in there, problem solved. I may get some Dominators this spring, but I also might just try to find another pair of these since I doubt the Dominators would last twice as long for twice the price.

Shimano 737 SPD pedals
These are the big ol' chunky double sided black ones. They're probably 10 years old. I bought them for $5 used. They look like hell but the mechanism is totally fine and the bearings are smoooth. Shimano makes a lot of garbage, but sometimes they get it right.

Turbocat S10 lighting system
Got this new on ebay for about $90. I was tired of shattering crappy plastic blinky lights and wanted to actually see the road. My version has a cool CNCed clamp and the light can and clamp are all aluminum. The battery is a little cheesy. It's encased in a little rubber enclosure that straps around the top tube with velcro. Not very elegant but it does the job. Runtime with the battery is 3-something hours. It only has one setting and the on/off switch is a little tricky to activate when riding. It will light up a dark alley pretty well, but under streetlights it can be hard to tell it's even on. It gives you no greater visibility from the side at all (I still use a white blinky that gives me this). The best feature of this light is the clamp which allows it to be moved from bike to bike easily. It ain't bad at all for the money. It's just not as bright or feature-packed as more expensive lights.

Conti Ultra 2000
Cost me 23 dollars at the LBS and are the best tires I've ever had. They have NEVER gone flat on me and I've ridden over glass and all this other crazy ****.
I highly reccomend them.

I used my bike yesterday. It was good.

Lockring tool. If you want something really worthy and in keeping up with the "quality" aspect, go for the Keirin professional tool (http://www.businesscycles.com/trtool_makino.htm) (Marcus even has one for sale):

http://www.businesscycles.com/graphics/protoolsuper.jpg

The Pneumo is nice. I had mine for a week before it cracked and split in a little motorist running stop sign endo accident (thereby causing my mis-aligned collarbone separation). It was a nice helmet for the week that I had it. I like the Monza a lot though because it's a little beefier in that regard. The Pneumo I felt, was set up to be easily cracked -- the skeleton is pretty damn thin in areas. I prefer a more robust helmet for everyday use (i.e. dropping on the floor, bashing against doors when it's atached to my bag, etc). This is separate from an actual crash situation.


i have the giro xen it has deep coverage and i got a good deal for from a site called
wheel works that had it for 70$. most comfortable helmet ever!

Conti Ultra 2000
Cost me 23 dollars at the LBS and are the best tires I've ever had. They have NEVER gone flat on me and I've ridden over glass and all this other crazy ****.
I highly reccomend them.

thats good to hear on the 2000's just put a set on grabbed em' off nasbar a couple weeks back...$17-10% discount coupon, wish i would of bought more. nasbar has raised their price back up to $24.

armadillos.
selle italia awesome ti saddle thingy.
patagonia lightning jacket.
rei midweight fleece.
craft wicking layer.
smartwool (awesome)
adidas sambas.
pearl izumi leggings.
carbon pneumo.
reload.

after looking at this list, im starting to feel like a brand *****. can i say that here? *****?

edit-i guess i cant say that.

old swobo. Thrift store. pwn.

My thrift store Swobo was only 5, granted it's short-sleeved. Hooray for uninformed thrift store employees!

Re: Helmets

If you want an inexpensive, yet amazing helmet, go with the Trek Anthem C. It just came out and is nearly identical to the Giro Atmos (MSRP $189.99), yet less than half the price (we actually had the Anthem on sale at the shop for $49.99 (MSRP $99.99) during the holidays which is almost 1/4 of the price). It has a rollcage design, just as much ventilation as the Atmos, and a protective band along the front underside to protect from chipping. The Anthem also has a quick release adjust in the back for even easier adjustments than with older models. Avoid paying out the ass for a brand name (Giro) for once!

Those low-end Contis are only good until the casing flexes enough to get soft, about 200 miles. Then they flat every fifty yards, as you found out. You can stretch the useful life out a bit if you use a larger width. I found that a 25 on the front and a 28 on the back worked for messenger work.

Get the 2000's or higher if you want to use Continental. The 1000's weigh a ton. Last I checked the 25mm size was 320 grams. Jeez!

Those low-end Contis are only good until the casing flexes enough to get soft, about 200 miles. Then they flat every fifty yards, as you found out. You can stretch the useful life out a bit if you use a larger width. I found that a 25 on the front and a 28 on the back worked for messenger work.

Get the 2000's or higher if you want to use Continental. The 1000's weigh a ton. Last I checked the 25mm size was 320 grams. Jeez!

Yup, I think this is it (they also get a lot easier to pull on and take off the tires, which is sort of a mixed blessing). I am EXTREMELY happy with the Michelins. They DO make an awesome zip-tie sound when you skid, and the ride is really quite nice.

I use the Conti Ultrasports and they work fine for me. My only complaint is that they are probably the hardest tire on the planet to mount/unmount. A serious PITA. Holy moley. I was getting flats fairly regularly when I first put them on, but I doubled up my rim tape and it's been smooth sailing for the past few months of brakeless (ie, skipping, skidding, etc) city riding (ie, glass, crunk, crap, etc). I honestly can't remember the last time I had a flat. They're $13 at MEC. I think everyone I know rides them.

m.

I thought I had such a hard time getting the Ultrasports on because road tires were just like that - glad I'm not just a wuss.

For the price, I can't imagine riding anything else - all the fancy folding racing tires at the stores here are on the order of 50-65 bucks apiece, and I can't see how much better they could possibly be. I bought a pair of Vittoria Tecnos from chucks bikes, and they're definitely lighter, but I still don't feel that good about ultralight tires as a clyde.

I can't imagine, without it being a really dead-feeling tire (holding Armadillos in my hand I couldn't imagine using that rubber on the road) how much tougher a tire could be anyway. I've had maybe 15 flats since April on them, and 90% of them were with a fully loaded bag riding (decending) on a gravel path.

At first I thought they weren't very grippy until I realized I was comparing a 25mm tire with a contact patch of like an inch at 115 psi with whatever it is on a 1.25-2.25" tire at lower pressure. I have lots of cuts in the rear from glass and the gravel they put on the roads here, but nothing major. Probably put 3000 kms on them, and the rear is going strong, front looks practically new.

Ymmv I guess, and I don't have anything to compare them to, but they beat the heck out the panaracer paselas in 1.25" tires on my winter bike a couple of years ago. I don't skid or skip either, except the odd time for amusement or impressing people.

I'm all about this thing. I picked it up at Trackstar a couple of months ago.

edit: Shimano TL-SR20