Woofie

This is a really good idea to fix up the rubber on the outside, opposed to glue etc. But just remember that the rubber is not holding the tyre together. It is the fibre and cloth that gives it its strength. If you simply "weld" the rubber together with a big cut in the fibre underneath you will just create a big bubble and blow out at that spot as soon as it is under big pressure.

Hi. Yep I did a repairs to the tyre the other night. I havent ridden it yet as I am going to keep that set for racing only. It is not as hardy as my gatorskins and they are lighter so I am rather going to keep those for racing only. The slit in my tire was not that big, so the repair method will differ it is is a big cut. What I did, is I cleaned and ruffed up the inside of the tyre where the slit was. I then covered the area with tube patch glue and let it get dry. I then used thread tape and I criss crossed across the cut. The tape will stick really well onto the glue and it is super strong. Let it dry up. I then put tube patch glue over the whole area across the tape, etc. Let that dry and then I put a tube patch over that. I then glued up all the nicks and cuts with super glue. Sticking my hands to the tyre a few times in the process. However, if I had to do it again, I would rather clean up the tire. Coat the area with contact glue (much bigger than the cut). I would then heavily coat a piece of tough cloth with contact as well, even dip it in there. Let both get tacky and then stick together. Once dry put something over there to protect it a bit from the tube. Then glue up the slit on the outside with super glue to prevent stones from getting lodged in there. I have got no reason to see why this wouldnt work. Just make sure that the cloth you use has no give or stretch in it otherwise you could bulge out of the cut again. Woven Kevlar cloth would actually work the best, you can get it from places that sell carbon cloth, but apparantly you cant cut it. You need to buy these super special scissors. They normally sell them as well. If you are in cape town I know of a place that sells the stuff.

I have also noticed that as I decend into the belville / brakenfell area the roads have far less glass than the others. I dont think that there is much more maintance on these roads as there is still sand, leaves etc. But I think it says alot about the people that stay in the area. (They obviously are decent enough to not chuck things out the window)

Sorry, I also forgot to add. Is there any plans to build a cycling lane on koeberg road next to the refinery at all? This is a very dangerous section of road and I often have to cycle between the cars as a motor bike does as there is no shoulder on the side of the road. This road is also used extensively by people from Dunoon. It is even more dangerous for them to be in the road than me as they normally dont even have brakes (of course they dont have helmets or lights either). There is a large section of grass between the road and the refinery that can be used for a cycle lane in that area.

Thanks so much Christopher for taking action my note to you. I commute to work on my bicycle most of the time. This is purely by choice as I do have a motor vehicle but I am trying to make a difference so I do it as often as I can now. More bicycles on the road means less traffic, less carbon emissions, no damage to the roads and infrastructure. I don?t need to highlight the numerous benefits that I am getting out doing it either. As mentioned above, there is loads of broken glass in the road which is not only hazardous to me also damages car tyres. The roads which I am currently struggling the most with glass is : Upper Gie Road (close to Parklands main road) Plattekloof road, there is bad patches all the way from across the N7 bridge till across the N1. It is normally especially bad opposite the hospital and I often have to ride in the road there even though there is a massive yellow lane. Hendrik Verwoerd drive (runs parallel to the N1) at the top of the hill where they have those "parking bays". A bit of assistance in removing some of the glass off the road will go a long way to make it a safer place to be. But until people stop discarding their empty bottles out of car windows I think we will always be in this same situation. Ultimately we need something bigger to happen such as a hefty deposit on any beverage sold in a bottle. Sure, it will have people up in arms that they have to fork out a extra R30 for a six pack but at least that would ensure that the empty bottles would find its way back to a shop. This would also go a long way to help recycling projects as well. Ever since the government started making us pay for plastic bags I have barely seen any on the streets (compared to how it used to be) But now we are sadly still left with plastic bottles and tins. Any assistance to making the roads a safer place will be greatly appreciated! WarrenWoofie2010-01-19 06:58:12

So there is still racing this week, just not next wednesday?

Ok cool. I now understand how it works. Shot

I had one of these on my mtb the other day (tubeless) Minutes later it was a huge ballon so I quickly deflated the tire so it wouldnt explode. The problem is, once the rubber starts pulling off the tire (the cloth bit) its only a matter of time before a bit section peels off. The bigger question is though, why does this happen? I have heard that some people moan that some seleants (ammonia based maybe) might make this happen. ?

I think this will work spot on. I dont see a reason why this wouldnt hold out till the end of the tyre life.

Road I am going to find a way. What do we have to do to get legislation passes that there needs to be deposits on bottles. It can be driven as a recycling/road safety program. Isnt CBrunsden a member of the DA or something?

I cant afford to do that. My entire journey to work and back (50km) is lined with glass. I need to find an alterative. Why cant they start charging a deposit on every single glass bottle that gets sold. Something steep like R5 a bottle. People will then have an insentive to take that 6 pack back for their 30 bucks instead of chucking the bottle out the window so they dont get seen at the next roadblock. It is not just bicycle tyres that are getting messed up. Hey maybe that is even added to our horrendous death toll on the roads from leaving vehicles with damaged tyres.

I have had my fair share of dealings with small cuts in my tyres, and one big fall after trying to be clever with silicon. This morning I noticed a deep cut on my one month old back tyre that was exposing my tube. Flllllliiiiippppppiinnnnggggg @ssh0les that throw their bottles out the car and line the roads with broken glass. So changed my tyre to another old one and set out to work. After my previous "experiments" I discovered that super glue would be a good thing to fix little cuts with, but not silicon. But what do I do with a cut right through? Is a gater strong enough? Where do I get them anyway? Cant I use threaded tape to fix the tyre from the inside? Ideas?

I recently sold my ready for anything Thomson elite seatpost and I settled for a feather lite one-bolt ritchey WCS carbon post so that it could match my other components. Now I am too scared to overtighten the thing (and I dont have a torque tool either) So after I put it on I noticed that it was slipping a little. So what I did is I cleaned up the post, and put a couple of layers of insulation tape at the point where it goes into the frame and then I ended it off towards the bottom so that there is one layer that will get clamped onto as well. I have since not had any slipage, but I am still wondering if this is the best way to have done it. Question 2 There is so much boo ha about the carbon grease etc. But I dont really understand the hype. Surely one petroleum derived lube is as good as another? I have just used grease on my seatposts and results have been good so far. What do you guys use and why?

I have often tugged at my old repair jobs and they peel straight off the tube. Maybe I have been using inferior or old glue all along then. Ok, so a summary of everything I have read here to get the best results. 1. If you are not at home and in the wet forget about trying to patch and phone for help. 2. If you are at home have a clean dry place to work with some spare time on your hands. 3. Sand down the tube so the affected area is smooth and free from the original shiny layer. 4. Generously apply glue, spread and wait until it is totally dry and no longer tacky. 5. Carefully adhere patch without contaminating it and apply cr@p loads of pressure with your bed, couch or vice. 6. Forget about riding it for a day and when you inspect your work be extra carefull not to damage the side seals of the patch. Pull of the plastic bit from the centre. Ok guys. I will go and try this procedure. If you see me or on monday you will know why.

I picked up a second hand FSA K-Light (Carbon) from my friend with the BB for R700. But that was a really good deal. You can pick up one here on the hub. Any brand will do. Look at spending between R600 and R1100 Also with the cassette, if weight is really not on your side then maybe you should start off with a 25-11 or something like that. DO you currently have a 10 speed system?

I dont have a problem eating them Although it is a good idea to open the packet before the ride.

Go for Compact But if you are used to riding a 53/39 the difference between the 50/34 is bigger. So instead of the difference being about 3 gears, it is now 5. So every time I shift to the big ring I need to also raise two or three gears at the back with the same sweep. The 50/36 is a nicer ratio but not that much easier than the 39. So get the compact and a 23-11 cassette and you will be set. Dont get anything bigger than the 23 or else you might as well be walking up the hills. I ride a 21-11 with my compact.

But then how do you get home?