GlennR

And that is to examine the tires after a ride yesterday.

Today i rode 15 miles to a central meeting place for group rides. As i went to put my front tire on I noticed a piece of glass in it. After removing I found a 5mm cut. So instead of risking a flat or blowout I went home and replaced the tire.

It was too late to get back for the group ride so i went solo from my house.

I got lazy and paid the price.



What do you do after a ride and before you ride the next day?

h2oxtc

Sorry, I'm a little slow. I had to read your post several times before I understood it. The reason is that i has never occured to me to EVER check my tires after a ride. I've always just assumed that if it ain't flat, it's good. Hmmmm. I'll have to consider implementing your rule.

Looks like a GP4000S tire tread - sad, and expensive, to have to replace the tire. Or is that a Gatorskin?

GlennR

It's a GP4000SII 25mm with only 300 miles.

At the suggestion of my son, I inflated it to 120psi and bounded it a few times on the pavement. On the 4th bounce it split open a 1/2" and the tube bulged out.

With all the debris on the road it's a good idea to check your tires. Better to find a problem before getting a flat 30+ miles from home.

The biggest cause of flats on Long Island are thorns, but there's plenty of glass and bits of metal on the roads.

6500 miles and i've not had a flat. But this is the 3rd tire i've replaced due to cuts.

I purchased a pair on ebay for under $100 which is much better than the $70 the LBS gets. Luckily I have a spare set of 23mm so I can still ride until the new tire arrives.

bruce19

I don't usually check tires after a ride but it's clearly a good idea.

peterws

Have to say, the biggest cause of punctures is over inflation.. . . . and your ride is hard! 90psi is more than enough IMO. I don't think my pump or hands take kindly to more. . . .

CliffordK

So much for your other thread. 120PSI sounds pretty high, although apparently that is within the max specs of the tire. The center cut looks suspicious as if it could have been a defect. But, torn cords and high pressure would also be bad.

I don't think I've ever had a cut "expand". Did it tear along the seam? Sounds like it could be a warranty issue.

I don't do an extensive pre-ride check. However, I was kind of driven over a glass minefield Friday, so I should probably do a close inspection.

GlennR

120psi is high since I ride 100/110 with the 25mm, but it is within spec. The idea was to simulate some of the abuse it would see in real life.

It's not a defect since I did find a piece of glass in there.

79pmooney

Go to a sailmaker and ask for some scrap Dacron sailcloth (for say a jib for a 12' racing dinghy; any sailmaker will know what you are talking about) and some good contractor quality contact cement. Make a nice big patch, say almost bead to bead and 3 inches long. Glue in the Dacron. That tire will be just fine until it dies of no tread. And you won't feel the patch at all riding. (I rode Cycle Oregon one year on a Vittoria Open Pave with a much bigger cut. The tire was just fine after except the looks.)

That GP4000SII is, what, a $60 tire that is 20% through it's life. 80% X $60 = $48 you are tossing out. The contact cement will cost you $6. The sailmaker will just give you the scrap (and probably enough to do a bunch more repairs!) You will come out a few bucks ahead!

Ben

Latif

I'm only getting a black picture with no way to open a photo with your pic attachments oldnslow. Is any one else experiencing this? I've been able to open most everyone else's photos

GlennR

https://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r172/oldnslow/Mobile Uploads/IMG_20150419_112346991_HDR.jpg

Latif

Thanks for the quick response. I tried your link got to photo bucket but got an error message saying the requested page doesn't exist. I wonder if I'm missing something in my system. I just followed your post on garage workshops and it's the same, your pics are black/no content and ll the others came through. Any hints from the community would be appreciated.

GlennR

What browser are you using?

I host most pictures on my webserver but use Photobucket for misc stuff i don't care about.

Does this picture work for you?

https://www.glenn-ring.com/emonda/Emonda_SLR.jpg

Latif

No, neither the pic on the page or using the link which just gives me a big black page. I'm using Safari 7.1.5 on mavericks. Maybe I'll try on firefox. Thanks for trying to help

Gerryattrick

I don't check my tyres after every ride, even though it is a good idea that only takes seconds. I do it frequently however, and occasionally have to take out small shards of glass or sharp bits of grit or metal.

If I know the upcoming ride has some fast downhill sections I always check beforehand as a front tyre blow-out is not worth the risk.

Latif

Tried firefox and your pics work. Not much of a techie , but have some sleuthing to do for safari

trekmogul 

Thats a sexy looking bike i must say.. I have one just like it in red..

peterws

Oh my! Just LOOK at that seat! It hurts to think about that and hard tyres. . .

GlennR

Glad it was just the browser... can't help you with apple products. Last week my wife asked me to set her original ipad. After doing so none of her apps will install, so now it's a door stop.

GlennR

The saddle is very firm and very comfortable. So fat the longest ride was 64 miles and not problems. Tires are 25mm vs 23mm which allows me to run slightly lower pressure. The Emonda has very similar geometry as my previous Madone on which I put 6500 miles.

MikeWMass

[QUOTE=oldnslow2;17733044
I purchased a pair on ebay for under $100 which is much better than the $70 the LBS gets. Luckily I have a spare set of 23mm so I can still ride until the new tire arrives.[/QUOTE]

Ribble and Wiggle frequently have them for about $70/pair. If you spend enough, shipping is free.

bruce19

Same here.

h2oxtc

So after today's ride, I put the bike on the stand to check over the tires ... and what do I discover? I have bare thread poking thru in numerous spots. So, THANK YOU for the encouragement & reminder that we need to check our tires if not after every ride, at least once in a while. Obviously it's been a while in my case.

My go to tire was going to be the GP4000SII, however may reconsider now.

BlazingPedals

To those of you who are trying to follow the URL, the space in it is messing up the hyperlink. Try this:
https://tinyurl.com/mclzokp

BlazingPedals

I don't have any problems with Conti GP4000s, but when the price skyrocketed and I couldn't find them for less than $65 apiece, I found Schwalbe Duranos for $35 each. If there's a difference in performance, I sure can't tell; and they're wearing every bit as long as the Contis.

Latif

Thanks, that worked. Haven't had time to see why safari won't link automatically while firefox does.