Random Thought Thread, aka The RTT (**possible spoilers**)
05-01-14, 11:58 PM
RacingBear
see above...
x2.
it's not rocket science. these days, most shops don't really know how to do a good job that is both fast and safe. tubulars have become much more of a speciality. therefore, after watching a few videos about it and doing it once or twice you are reasonably likely to be able to do as good of a job as your shop and you are 100% likely to care far, far more about the quality of the glue job than whatever minimum-wage shop guy happened to get tasked with gluing your tires.
sometimes being new at a thing means one will do it with far more care. i wouldn't want to build a rocket and then test myself in it, but gluing a tubular is essentially an arts & crafts project. it's glue. you screw it up by going too fast with it, whereas most newbies take their time.
of course, there are still some shops that employ tubular gurus and you might live in one of those locales, but it is rare. i've seen far too many glue jobs from shops that are half-assed.
it's not rocket science. these days, most shops don't really know how to do a good job that is both fast and safe. tubulars have become much more of a speciality. therefore, after watching a few videos about it and doing it once or twice you are reasonably likely to be able to do as good of a job as your shop and you are 100% likely to care far, far more about the quality of the glue job than whatever minimum-wage shop guy happened to get tasked with gluing your tires.
sometimes being new at a thing means one will do it with far more care. i wouldn't want to build a rocket and then test myself in it, but gluing a tubular is essentially an arts & crafts project. it's glue. you screw it up by going too fast with it, whereas most newbies take their time.
of course, there are still some shops that employ tubular gurus and you might live in one of those locales, but it is rare. i've seen far too many glue jobs from shops that are half-assed.
05-02-14, 02:03 AM
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05-02-14, 04:08 AM
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05-02-14, 04:12 AM
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UD, you missed the point. Your average bike shop doesn't have the time to clean and glue a tubular properly for $30 each. They can't charge you more than that, and it's not enough to be motivated to do it right. So unless you find a nice hole in the wall shop that has a guy who cares and isn't under pressure to pump out more $69.95 20 minute spring tuneups, you have to do it yourself.
05-02-14, 07:07 AM
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my shop has a guy who does it for me and puts a ton of time and effort into it. Costs me nothing (sponsorship woot woot)
05-02-14, 07:10 AM
out walking the earth
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yeah, my sponsoring shop does it for free. the shop I prefer to use for it charges (me) $20 a wheel. I've never glued a tubular. I have no intentions of ever doing it. I can barely get some clinchers on or off. No shot of me ever going tubeless. I'd flat and need a ride cause I couldn't get the ****ing tire on or off.
05-02-14, 07:24 AM
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yeah, my sponsoring shop does it for free. the shop I prefer to use for it charges (me) $20 a wheel. I've never glued a tubular. I have no intentions of ever doing it. I can barely get some clinchers on or off. No shot of me ever going tubeless. I'd flat and need a ride cause I couldn't get the ****ing tire on or off.
05-02-14, 08:10 AM
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$20-$30 to glue a tire on seems about right to me.
As for cleaning and removing all the glue, I would charge at least $150 for two hours of work. Then there would be an additional $75 charge for every hour over that.
I just removed all the glue from three tubular wheels - One I had to do because the base tape tore off the tire and stayed on the rim, and the other two I did just because I figured, "What the hell, I bought these used with tires already glued on them, I might as well clean them and start fresh." It was a nightmare. Even using a solvent to remove the glue, it is a ton of work. And it's extremely messy.
The worst wheel - the one with the base tape, probably took me five hours to get completely clean. I thought I would stop once I got down to a smooth layer of glue, but at that point, it was just a sticky mess due to the solvent I used.
The other two took 1-2 hours as they had much less glue on them and were easier to clean. I also got better at it as I did it more.
My lbs even asked if I'd be interested in cleaning other people's tubulars as neededn - for a fee - I just laughed.
And really, I don't think gluing tubulars is that big of a deal. To glue all three wheels, it took me about 30 minute each night for four nights.
As for cleaning and removing all the glue, I would charge at least $150 for two hours of work. Then there would be an additional $75 charge for every hour over that.
I just removed all the glue from three tubular wheels - One I had to do because the base tape tore off the tire and stayed on the rim, and the other two I did just because I figured, "What the hell, I bought these used with tires already glued on them, I might as well clean them and start fresh." It was a nightmare. Even using a solvent to remove the glue, it is a ton of work. And it's extremely messy.
The worst wheel - the one with the base tape, probably took me five hours to get completely clean. I thought I would stop once I got down to a smooth layer of glue, but at that point, it was just a sticky mess due to the solvent I used.
The other two took 1-2 hours as they had much less glue on them and were easier to clean. I also got better at it as I did it more.
My lbs even asked if I'd be interested in cleaning other people's tubulars as neededn - for a fee - I just laughed.
And really, I don't think gluing tubulars is that big of a deal. To glue all three wheels, it took me about 30 minute each night for four nights.
05-02-14, 08:14 AM
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05-02-14, 10:19 AM
Making a kilometer blurry
Well, phone interview went really well. It was supposed to be a conversation starter for 15-20 minutes, but ended up at an hour. The chance to combine my professional experience and creativity with athletic performance could be the ideal lifestyle match for me. Until now, there was just no obvious way for me to make enough money in that business without a ton of risk.
05-02-14, 10:41 AM
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Got my fingers crossed for you rockets!
05-02-14, 10:54 AM
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New team is pretty large, but not quite as big (I think).
Well, phone interview went really well. It was supposed to be a conversation starter for 15-20 minutes, but ended up at an hour. The chance to combine my professional experience and creativity with athletic performance could be the ideal lifestyle match for me. Until now, there was just no obvious way for me to make enough money in that business without a ton of risk.
05-02-14, 10:56 AM
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I know everything is better in california, but in most other places being on a huge team usually means having more teammates to chase you down.
05-02-14, 10:59 AM
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Huge teammates usually get dropped on all but the flattest of courses, too. Ba dum tish.
But yeah having a huge amount of teammates in a race can be a nuisance unless they know what they're doing. And generally only ~40% of people on a team actually race more than 5 times a year anyway, so the problem pretty much takes care of itself.
But yeah having a huge amount of teammates in a race can be a nuisance unless they know what they're doing. And generally only ~40% of people on a team actually race more than 5 times a year anyway, so the problem pretty much takes care of itself.
05-02-14, 11:08 AM
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05-02-14, 11:45 AM
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Well, phone interview went really well. It was supposed to be a conversation starter for 15-20 minutes, but ended up at an hour. The chance to combine my professional experience and creativity with athletic performance could be the ideal lifestyle match for me. Until now, there was just no obvious way for me to make enough money in that business without a ton of risk.
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05-02-14, 11:50 AM
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Well, phone interview went really well. It was supposed to be a conversation starter for 15-20 minutes, but ended up at an hour. The chance to combine my professional experience and creativity with athletic performance could be the ideal lifestyle match for me. Until now, there was just no obvious way for me to make enough money in that business without a ton of risk.
05-02-14, 11:53 AM
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Well, phone interview went really well. It was supposed to be a conversation starter for 15-20 minutes, but ended up at an hour. The chance to combine my professional experience and creativity with athletic performance could be the ideal lifestyle match for me. Until now, there was just no obvious way for me to make enough money in that business without a ton of risk.
05-02-14, 01:13 PM
Making a kilometer blurry
Thanks all. It sounds like a 2-3 month timeline, but I'm in no hurry. The best part was when I told them of a fairly complicated idea I have to improve coach/athlete communication, there was silence on the line, and then the Ph.D. said, "Yeah, you are exactly on the right track." Strange (but encouraging) interview -- no real interview questions at all, just a discussion.
05-02-14, 01:15 PM
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Well, phone interview went really well. It was supposed to be a conversation starter for 15-20 minutes, but ended up at an hour. The chance to combine my professional experience and creativity with athletic performance could be the ideal lifestyle match for me. Until now, there was just no obvious way for me to make enough money in that business without a ton of risk.
05-02-14, 01:45 PM
Making a kilometer blurry
05-02-14, 01:46 PM
out walking the earth
Thread Starter
Le Sigh
waiting to see if tomorrow's race is canceled, or if they find a way to move the water. I hear Moses is living in Red Hook.
Getting ready to punt on weekend race plans. Plan C.
waiting to see if tomorrow's race is canceled, or if they find a way to move the water. I hear Moses is living in Red Hook.
Getting ready to punt on weekend race plans. Plan C.
05-02-14, 01:56 PM
Making a kilometer blurry
Hmm. Might have to move the last three posts to P&R.
In other news, I got my first "by line" in Austin Fit Magazine today, providing a few shots I took during some swim meets for an article on youth summer swim season. Extra bonus, I've now gotten photos of all three of my kids published in magazines
In other news, I got my first "by line" in Austin Fit Magazine today, providing a few shots I took during some swim meets for an article on youth summer swim season. Extra bonus, I've now gotten photos of all three of my kids published in magazines