peevee

I find it difficult/impossible to pump it to the normal size when the air is leaking from the hole. Any miracle solution? If I put my finger on the hole I won't be able to sand the area and apply glue...

I find that the part of the tube I have patched never inflates to the same diameter of the rest of the tube as the patched part is restricted from expanding fully due to the patch. Is that usual? If I'm not in a hurry, do think it may enhance my success rate if I delay re-inflating the tube for a few hours after patching it? I've used the self adhesive patches with about a 90%+ failure rate (I think I may have only ever patched 1 successfully!). What's your experience of the self adhevive patches?

Forgot to mention that I'm a roadie....

I have tried many times to patch tubes and although most people just buy a new tube, and I do most times, I just think it's more environmentally friendly to repair rather than just toss out a punctured tube. Problem is that although I follow the process I've read in books/magazines, on the net & seen in videos, the patch inevitably "leaks" air resulting in failure each time. Any tips or pointers to guide me to success?

I suffered from severe cramping during the latter part of races but have managed to control it by ensuring I take in enough carbs. The recommended dose of carbs is 10g per 1 kg of body weight during the 24 hours before a race. I spent the day before the Argus literally just eating & planning my next meals. I sweat profusely & also tried Enos the night before and also before the race. However in my humble opinion, although certain people are more prone to cramping, it can be controlled to a certain extent by ensuring you take in enough carbs before & during a race.

One of my rear spokes broke during the Argus & have been wondering what could have caused it. It was 30k into the race (at the bottom of the Boyes Drive descent) and don't recall going over any potholes, cats-eyes or bumps. However I do pump my tyres really hard (about 125/130) so am wondering if that could cause the spokes to wear faster than usual??? Had many punctures before I started using higher tyre pressure, hence decision to inflate to 125/130 rather than going for a softer ride.peevee2010-03-16 07:44:12

Thanks for your reply. I am indeed doing a lot of training & certainly am getting very fit, but would like some assistance during the recovery process, so thought a good recovery supplement would be worth trying. I'm sure all top athletes take supplements pre, during & after activity as our normal diets don't provide everything needed by our bodies whilst undergoing programmes of intensive exercise.

Anyone heard of or know where I can buy Metabol? I'm relatively new to cycling & find my body really takes strain after a long ride or an intense spin class, probably because I generally exercise at a high intensity. I'm currently taking RecoverMax by USN which I found helps a bit but read that Lance Armstrong used Metabol as an aid to recovery during the '99 TDF and am keen to try it.

I'm tired of getting punctures despite using tyre liners & sludge. What are the most puncture resistant tyres for road bikes? I currently have Continental Ultra Sports which I've only used for just over 1,150kms but have recently had a series of punctures which is really spoiling my fun on the road. Also would like to establish is one is more suseptible to punctures if one's tyres are inflated to a higher or lower pressure????