rats ate the electrical harness on my wifes volvo...in the garage. The rabbit was of no value in chasing the rats off a cat would be better

[MENTION=175208]gaucho777[/MENTION], mice and rats eat the strangest things. Keeping food away from them requires us to be as smart as they are, and that's not easy.

How are you gonna chase rats away from a Volvo using a VW?


When I lived on a ground-floor apartment in Italy, I made sure to be very friendly with all the local street cats. Never once had a rodent issue.

well played

I confess, I posted this pic in another thread too. Maybe we should stop doing wheelies on the tandem.

You mean skids?

I was finally able to commute by bike yesterday, only the third time in the last month or so due to weather. I rode the Grandis. As I prep'ed for the ride home I discovered the rear tire flat sitting in my office. Bummer. A tiny tiny tiny shard of something, probably glass, that didn't even show in the tread but did inside the tire. Patched it up in five minutes, okay maybe it was ten, then rode home.

I know I'm a month late, but that's a beautiful pic. Haven't gotten one of my Paselas to that state yet.

This could be a whole thread of worn tread.

He! Well, Scotts, eventually we would wear out the thread about worn threads. Perhaps we should tread lightly (and carry a big pump).

Tandems do go through rear tires. I think this is the third we've worn out. Truth be told, I should have been checking it more often. But I coulda' sworn it wasn't so worn the last time I checked it, and that wasn't so long ago.

On Saturday, out for a 200k randonnee, my rear tire started getting squishy early in the ride. I pumped it up at maybe mile 25 and again at maybe 75, then at mile 100 or so I gave in and changed the tube.

At home I determined the tube had a puncture right in the tread area, which I patched; and I checked all the old patches. One of them seemed flaky, so I peeled it off (much too easy!) and replaced it. Makes me doubt the patches and glue I've been using lately....

Bummed the 45 year old near N.O.S. Pirelli Gran Premio tubular, mounted and glued just last weekend - big bang - and flatted today. I had high hopes these garden hose tubulars to at least make a half century.

[IMG]DSC_2524 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

Yep-
Shopping right now for the Santana and 27" x 1 1/4". Want to stay vinti w/ skinwall. Just not having the luck with Pasela's. What do you recommend these days?

Oh no! Did you get any "after" pictures?

We've had good luck with Paselas, been going maybe three to four thousand miles on them. Our Peugeot tandem runs 700cx32mm, with the4 puncture protection of course. I've had little reason to look for 27" tires lately. Only my UO-8 and Gran Sport have 27" wheels but since I cycle through the bikes as occasion dictates they don't wear out tires very fast.

Oddly a front. Of course age would play into this but wondering if the cold temps and then bringing the bike in to the warmth, back outside - causing variance in pressure could have been the real cause. I was running them a 80 psi. Not further a mile of home when it 'kaboomed'. Was carrying a spare but I walked anyways.

[IMG]DSC_2647 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]DSC_2646 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]DSC_2644 by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

My last flat I was about 2 miles from home. Sometimes it's was just easier than changing it on the side of the road.

You're a courageous man, [MENTION=350383]crank_addict[/MENTION], using those old tires that would scare the rest of us.

^Chuckle but most are less dramatic, flats on tubulars are usually safe and give fair warning. Can ride them out easier than clincher rails, though cornering is another matter.

High speed circus act with no audience-
This particular one 'kaboomed' even after having filled with sealant. Spooked, I was in a fast descent and scrubbing off speed, perhaps heat from the brakes made it volatile. I also recall that year at the Dare event was very hot and humid.

[IMG]DSC_0205_samp by carrera247, on Flickr[/IMG]

No kaboom to report. Just going down to the basement and seeing the front tire on the Bianchi, my primary commuter, flat. It was fine when I parked a few days ago. Oh boy, another task but at least it is bicycle-related.

On our tandem ride yesterday we were eating lunch at Fern's, spoke briefly with a few other cyclists there, very gregarious. They walked around the porch out of sight as another bike rode up. A few minutes later we heard the gregarious guy say "You are about to have a blowout there", followed by something equivalent to "Yikes!" The newcomer had taken a cut to the sidewall of his rear tire, hadn't noticed it. He seemed to have it under control a few minutes later, putting a filler in the tire.

Went for the first ride of the year, its been cold. Joind several others for a 26.8 mile ride around Quantico. I chose the Colnago since the Pinarello is not ridable at the moment. Been a long time since I took it out. It has the YJ 3/$50 tubulars on it. I found the third one and folded it up in the small back pack along with some other tools. When I got home, I mounted it on a spare rim and applied air. It blew right out. Then I remember that it was flat and I haven't repaired it yet. Yikes! Last time I did this ride I got a flat on the Pinarello. Don't remember the flat on the YJ tube! Close one!

I did a 300 km randonnee on my Squarebuilt custom, the one with 26x2.3" compass tires. It was really hot. I didn't get a flat.

So now I'm sitting on the sofa, bike sitting in the hallway fifteen feet from me. It's really cold today. I hear this hissing sound... First thought, had it started to rain? Look out window... no rain. Is the heat coming on? Walk to radiator... no, that's not where the sound is coming from. Walk to bike... yes, it's the rear tire going flat.

I can and have to live with a flat tire, now and again. Stupidity, not so much...

With four days left in Jamaica, this year, I sprung a slow leak, requiring pumping up every second day. I had no spare inner tubes(this is part of the stupid) and was forced to patch my damaged inner tube.

Pulled the tire and inner tube. Checked for leaks in the tube, finding only one. Checked the entire assembly for possible caused and noticed that my plastic rim liner(a used one that I installed, thanks to being cheap and, once again, stupid).

Well, that tire liner had hardened and cracked in many places, and many of those places did further damage to the inner tube, when I put the bike back on the road. Had to carry the Bianchi about seven kilometers, in Jamaica's April sunshine, to get home. Pooey-stinko!

But really glad I found it this year, so that I can fix the problem when I go back to the islands next October.

Towards the end of, and coming home from, a ride with a local club Friday, I felt myself really slowing down. As temps here had jumped from the 50's to the 80's in just a couple of days, I was wondering if I was giving in to the heat and couldn't handle it anymore, which worried me. Got to the house and went to pick up the bike and bring it in the house... aah, the rear tire down to 5 to 10PSI instead of the 145PSI of a few hours earlier. Cool -- tires I can fix, failing health would be more problematic. Almost cheerful about getting a flat.

I had to walk two miles after a flat this morning on my Super Sport. It’s the only bike that doesn’t have a pump. I suppose I’ll get that pump bracket ordered now.