Llamero

Here's an article on another car-free enthusiast in rural Maine; once again proving you don't need mass transit or perfect weather to live car free: https://www.sunjournal.com/node/797558

AdamDZ

He's a BF member so he's just another nut like the rest of us...

Adam

Roody

He has a real laid-back attitude about his cycling that I find appealing. I like that he's more woried aout hitting an animal than hitting a car.

Smallwheels

I thought I carried too much stuff. This guy brings a ton of things along for his rides. I suppose one or two of those bags hold the batteries for his hub motor.

This winter I stopped carrying my tire repair kit because the bicycle now has Bell flat proof inner tubes. They are like heavy duty sponges in a tube shape. They ride hard and are heavy. That is better than having to attempt to repair a flat in below freezing weather. I haven't decided if I want to use them in the spring and summer months.

Roody

Do those tires slow you down much, or make you work harder to get from A to B?

AdamDZ

I've read somewhere, can't find it now where it was, that those solid tubes aren't good for your rims. That's because solid material, no matter how spongy doesn't absorb and distribute shock as well as compressed air does. So every impact is carried to smaller area of the rim, therefore stressing the rim more, as opposed to air that distributes the shock over larger area of the rim and the walls of the tire. It kind of makes sense to me but I have no idea how that really impacts the life of the rime in real life.

Adam

gerv 

Forget the rims. Imagine what it would do to your butt.

Smallwheels

It does take a bit more effort to pedal the bike but that is probably more due to the weight than the lack of cushioning.

These Bell inner tubes do conform very closely to the rim. They do not have a circular cross section. They have a slight V shape that fits into the channel on the rim. The studded tires are 26 X 1.75 and that is the smallest size recommended for the inner tube.

Since there is very little tire deformation while rolling, one would think that this setup would have less rolling resistance. Railroad trains are so efficient because they use those super stiff steel wheels that roll on steel rails. Racing bicycle tires are very hard too. Maybe the super hard tubes contribute to better rolling resistance that compensates for the extra weight of the tubes. Still, the studded tires are much heavier than pneumatic tires.

No matter how I look at it, not getting flats in below freezing temperatures is well worth the bumpier ride.

wahoonc

Rolling resistance is only partially explained by tire pressure, a harder tire will not necessarily have a lower rolling resistance than a softer one, nor will a narrower one over a wider one. There is an excellent article floating around about it as it pertains to bicycle tires. (I will have to look for the link)

Aaron