jschristian44

So I installed new kool stop salmon brake pads for my road bike. I put them in via the instructions to put the arrow going in the same direction the tire rotates. When I do this, the brake gets trapped at the end between the front fork. When I turn them around, they fit perfectly. They also rub very much at the end of the pads where they hit the rim. I figured this would rub away in time. Also, I just had 2 popped tubes and put new ones in. The new tubes make my tires uneven at one spot on both tires. When I ride down the road, it feels like I am hitting a ditch each time it rotates past that. So, my questions are, can I flip teh kool stop pads the other way so they fit good? How do I fix the uneven tire tube? It seems it doesn't inflate at one spot on both tires?

Pics of kool stop pads-

https://www.amazon.com/Kool-Stop-Bicy...2773935&sr=8-1

vespoli

I'll leave the brake question to someone who knows more about them, but your tubes are likely twisted.

Take them out, put them back in (carefully) and inflate a bit (50 psi?) and let the air out. Repeat that once or twice more and then bring them up to pressure. Make sure the pressure is even across the whole wheel to double check. And if you have the wheel off the ground when you first inflate it, you'll help everything seat better (set it on your lab with the hub perpendicular to the floor).

RT

You do not need to alter the alignment of Kool Stop pads, or any pads for that matter. It appears you have V-brakes, and those are a little more difficult to adjust, only because road calipers are cake to adjust. Kool Stops have more pad at the back, and this is on purpose. You need to toe in the front a tad, and instructions to do so are on the back of the pack your pads came in. Follow these instructions and you will be golden. Don't go flipping stuff because you think it fits, engineers have been paid very well to design these parts to fit very precisely.

jschristian44

i think i might know the cause of the thumping. my valve isnt threaded, so it pushes down into the tire, which in turn makes that part of the tube completely flat when i roll by it. how do i get the valve to stay put so it doesnt dip when i hit that spot?

ddimick

Once inflated the valve will stay put. You don't really need that nut on the threaded stems. How much air are you putting in these tires before riding?

byrnemm

Welcome back. We've missed you.

jschristian44

i put about 90 psi in them. i under inflated them my first time around and went back and filled them up. now every rotation about it feels like im hitting a small ditch in the road, like on a very bumpy road, but my roads are flat. please help because i have a tri coming up and i need to get this fixed asap. it has to do something with the tube because thats all i replaced. the rim doesnt look bent or the tire look bad. when i spin the wheel with the bike upside down, both tires look very uneven at one spot. like when i rotate it i can tell one spot is lower than the rest. i tried pushing on that spot compared to the others and i think there is less air pressure on them and i can push the tire in more. please help! i checked to see if there was any rock or anything causing this and there isnt, dont know what else to do!

byrnemm

redo it.

and hows the tri training coming along? Are you doing the sprint?

jschristian44

i did redo them both like 3 times, same thing etc. training is perfect, im doing the olympic distance. i will have a lot of fun.

jschristian44

can anyone help me, i need to get it fixed before my tri!

popeye

Push the stem into the tire before you inflate. Make sure you don't have the tube under the bead.

LowCel 

There is a reason that local bike shops are around. Sometimes people need assistance. This sounds like one of those times.

jschristian44

ive taken my bike there so many times, its getting old. i have to find a way to fix it myself.

Nerull

Sometimes things require a minimum level of mechanical aptitude, which you seem to lack. If you can't figure out how to install a tube by now, I don't think we can explain it over the internet.

LowCel 

I might be wrong but it sounds like time is an issue right now. Take it to the shop.

jschristian44

well i think it has to do something with where the rock hit the tires. could this cause them not to seat correctly at that spot in perticular. i have one month before the tri so i want to try and fix it myself. if i cant i will take it to the shop. the thing is the tire, tube and rim look perfectly when i inspect them. but when i spin it, the tire dips at one spot on each wheel, thus causing the rim hitting the road every rotation. i checked to see if the rock indented the tire, thus pushing the tube down in more and not getting enough psi at that spot, but it all looks fine. could it have flattened it permanently and i have no way of fixing it rather than getting new tires. sigh.

LowCel 

The odds of it happening to both tires is very, very rare. You have something going on but I kind of doubt it is the tires at this point. Just out of curiousity, do you have wire bead tires or folding?

jschristian44

im thinking wire bead. they are continental pro.

jschristian44

the tires do look pretty worn. the guy at the shop said they have plenty of life but i beg to differ. the thread is almost completely gone in the middle and its ripping pretty bad on the sidewall on the rear tire. the front looks a lot better. could i just need new tires.

tagaproject6

How many friggin' times are you going to be told to take it to the bike shop before you actually listen? Oh wait...nevermind.

Runner 1

Dftt.

LowCel 

Do whatever you want to do. Get new tires, don't get new tires, take it to the shop, don't take it to the shop. At this point I'm pretty sure no one here can help you.

JustinHorne

Yep.


Well, if there's one thing we all know, it's that people who work at bike shops know nothing, and you're the master of bikes... Well, what with not being able to mount a tire correctly excluded, of course.

ErichM

I'm sure with the massive amount of training and huge efforts you've been putting in your tires are probably shot! A real athlete like yourself could go through a new set of tires every week!

jschristian44

after watching this, i have almost every symptom the guy explains about being wrong with your tires. i am pretty sure i just need new tires and it will be fixed. i am guessing the side rot is what is causing the tube to deflatten every rotation, causing that thump. it explains it very much so. it's almost exactly at that spot when i rotate it, and not a solid tire would cause just the tube to be exposed, thus hitting my rim, thus causing the thump.