What did you use to clean the friction surfaces? It seems that most people use denatured alcohol which is okay but doesn't clean as well as acetone. I've known some people who've misguidedly used stuff like laquer thinner or turpentine which is a huge mistake. Thinner and turps actually contaminate brakes so badly it's as if they were wiped down with oil.

It has been so long I don't remember cleaning it.

Hi,

FWIW I fitted the Schwalbe Tracer tyre to the rear
of my budget folder today, and I'm very impressed.

Its not that light, or that high pressure (up to 50psi),
but boy does it roll better and feel buttery smooth
through the pedals compared to the stock rear tyre.
Its definitely faster, say by about 15%, and more
comfortable so it can be run at higher pressures.

Comparing the two tyres the Tracer has very much
thinner sidewalls, and a raised centre slick section
that both should be good, and are for the rolling.

Its noticeably larger in diameter than my tyres,
though they are both supposedly 20"x1.75".

They are clearly very differently built tyres.

I'm very happy, but its the feel through the pedals
that surprised me the most. Consequently I just
had to get another Schwalbe for the front to see
what effect it has on the handling.

So I've ordered a Schwalbe Road Cruiser for the front.
(I think the Tracer is a better tyre for the rear only.)

(FWIW both types have "level 4" puncture protection.)

rgds, sreten.

I just bought a set of Anerityre 20x1.95 non-pneumatic tires to try out. They feel much more like "normal" tires than I expected. I will post an update when I get some miles on them.

This is interesting. Such tyres have been discussed before, especially for peopel who commute trough glass and stuff a lot and also for peopel who just can not deal with a puncture. Funny thing is that mentioning such tyres can bring peopel to serious anger and demanding to know how we can recomend peopel to spend theyr "hard earned money" (what is is with americans and this "hard earned money" thing?) on something like that. I am sure such tyres are made better and better and for some peopel they are a great solution to a serious problem. Report back!

^
I rode a solid tyre fixie for a couple of years back in the day (in fact it was my first two wheeler). Fast little bike. :)

Interesting to hear how you get on with the Amerityres. They must make things simpler if nothing else.

Easy to think of many applications where they'd be useful (hired bikes for a start).

Would be a good choice for an older classic folder too (whitewall available!).

Hi,

Well the Schwalble Road Cruiser arrived today, slapped it on the front
and went out on a 1.5 hour ride, it works well, rolls a lot better, is a
lot quieter at speed and is more comfortable at higher pressures.

Its more like a normal tyre than the rear Schwalbe Tracer. If the RC
has thin side walls then the Tracer has extremely thin side walls.

The Tracer you can "popout" the side walls so the beads are about
2" apart *, there is no sideways tension in the thin sheet side walls
at all, for the RC that is impossible, due to added rubber it seems.

Even though both are the same nominal size the Tracer is bigger
and more "baloony" than the RC, looking more like BA's I've seen
on other bikes, whilst the RC doesn't resemble BA's in any way.

I like the idea of a more normal tyre on the front (for grip)
and a very low rolling thin sidewall slick on the back, the
Tracer isn't quite a slick, but pretty near, and with that
raised slick centre section, should last a very long time.

rgds, sreten.

* No idea if this is to allow fitment to extremely wide 406
rims or a simple consequence of the tyres construction.