I've always found that as long as you have sealant in them, you can push on the tyre or squeeze the tyre in the right place to get enough of a basic seal to get the air in. You can usually see/hear where the air is escaping so press down/squeeze that bit of the tyre and pump as you hold it and usually that seals enough to push the tyre out onto the rim. You sometimes have to pump quite quickly and use one hand to pump but its always worked for me.
Road Cycling
- Thread starter FrenchTart
- Start date
I've always found that as long as you have sealant in them, you can push on the tyre or squeeze the tyre in the right place to get enough of a basic seal to get the air in. You can usually see/hear where the air is escaping so press down/squeeze that bit of the tyre and pump as you hold it and usually that seals enough to push the tyre out onto the rim. You sometimes have to pump quite quickly and use one hand to pump but its always worked for me.
Has anyone got a soft bike bag for car use they'd recommend? Something to use when putting a bike in the car but better than trying to keep the bike wrapped in old sheets and hoping the chain doesn't rub oil on something. Wouldn't be used for airline travel. I'm thinking whip the wheels off and pop the bike into the bag, I don't want to be messing undoing bars or seatposts.
Scicon have a soft bag for £32. Numerous cheaper options on Temu or Ali but the usual quality conundrum.
sciconsports.com
Scicon have a soft bag for £32. Numerous cheaper options on Temu or Ali but the usual quality conundrum.
POCKET BIKE BAG
Shop for Black Pocket Bike Bag Scicon or choose from a wide selection of bike travel bags. Buy online in the official Scicon Sports Store.
sciconsports.com
Interesting. What do you then do with your wheels? Is it not better to find a bag that takes them too?
I think for me I tend to get a favourite tyre and stick to it... Then get a cut/puncture enough times I feel inspired enough to try something else. Either for a cost saving or from someone saying they're better than what I'm using. Rarely works out and I end up back on what I was using before...
Eons ago (pre-tubeless) was Mitchenlin Pro4 Endurance and everyone here loved them. Cheaper and harder wearing than Conti. They got more expensive and then harder to get hold of. The V2 came out but everyone had gone to Continental GP4000 SII. Very soft but amazing rubber. Did ride Continental 4 Seasons for winter, again great but cut up easily. But really not cheap/winter tyres for how quick they wore out!
For Tubeless I originally had Specialized Roubaix Pro, cheap but heavy. Went to Hutchinson Fusions 5 as a summer tyre but couldn't get on with them. Leaky & wooden feel. Couldn't get Roubaix during covid so went Pirelli P-Zero as a Conti GP5000 alternative and they where good to ride but cut up and turned leaky quickly. Went to Vittoria Rubino for a winter tyre, wooden and boring ride. Wouldn't keep pressure. So went back to Conti with GP5000 S on summer wheels and enjoyed them, when the STR came out had to go with them on new bike+wheels (hookless), prices had came down so then ended up riding them on my winter wheels too....! So currently 3 bikes on GP5000 (2 on STR and other half on tubed)
I have a TT'er friend who competes nationally from near Cheltenham and several good clubmates. I'll ask who does his fits. Even @Shadowness isn't that far away for any recommendations around him (might be closer?!). My guy is between Hereford and Worcester, well recommended and been in the bike business a long time. Could be similar timeframe away - easy to get to from Worcester/M5 but more direct Gloucs/Ledbury side so might be easy to get to for you if you're that way for any reason. https://maps.app.goo.gl/5tc2mbyM6KdDfLMt5
Most Bike fitters will have been qualified on a specific brand or equipment/software. The majority of 'big brands' have a specific software or fitting system they use or are linked with... So when a guy in a bike shop goes to be trained to bike fit, usually he'll get qualified on the products that the brands they partner with and sell... Although as they're all sizing can be used to fit any person to any bike, they'll usually be better for specific brands as brands then plough money into developing the products/software systems - usually tied in with the hardware for doing fits. Like Retul was bought out by Specialized. 'Trek Precision Fit' was an alternative for Trek but now they use Retul. STT 2DMA/3D backed by various Spanish brands like MMR & Orbea. Wattbike have/had Powerfit which Giant used/backed but seen as a basic fit these days as didn't have video in it. Most of the older brands didn't have video analysis so VelogicFit came about, which plugged into most of them. But majority of the traditional software carries databases of frame sizes for looking up fits against. they obviously favour those brands who are paying their partnerships/bills/wages more than others...
It's only recently that 'self fit' and the AI app driven stuff has taken off like MyVeloFit & Bike Fit Fast which might be more non-brand specific. They're seen as more 'home' products by most Professional Fitters - as the majority of them make their living from analysing riders specific problems/injuries/discomfort. Much of that comes from pedals/shoes and bike setups being poor rather than tweaking specific sizing/angles etc. There's more mobility and 'sports science' with a Bike Fitter which you won't get from an app - like them recommending exercises to improve your fit/power/stability in areas you lack.
Some googling throws these couple up as being Bristol based (looked at places which popped up various places with peoples good reviews/comments) - https://www.physiofitbristol.com/book-online - https://bwcycling.co.uk/ (had heard of this one before) - https://www.instagram.com/cyclingposition/
You can 'stop' gap by using CO2 before getting a tubeless inflator. I did it a few times but usually found tyres I couldn't mount with my track pump, CO2 didn't work that much better... I got an inflator, works well but still 'bad' combination of tyre and rim it struggles with. So much of it is luck and technique. Having 'soapy water' around the tyre bead (or even sealant) to reduce the surface tension, along with a track pump with the vale core removed will make more of a difference. As can having the thing warm, the rubber is much more pliable then too - just don't explode it indoors like I did... Messy! Hairdryer and garage a better solution.
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Got a 20% off code emailed to me by Oakley for their afterpay sale. No discounts can be applied to their high end glasses but I fancied a new helmet as I dropped mine a while back and it landed flush on the top putting a dent in it. Probably should have binned it off before now although the internals don't seem to be damaged. Ordered the black Velo Mach MIPS at 20% off with free delivery. Decent.
Code is AFEA-MM4M-B6A3-AHB6 at checkout
Code is AFEA-MM4M-B6A3-AHB6 at checkout
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Depends how much you value its contents I suppose. Mine gets a lot of sun exposure and a lot of sweat. I don't think either of those help in prolonging the materials it's made from so I change every couple of years. My latest was a drop from table height and it's visibly damaged. Also the Oakley one is even more aero so +1 gainz.
My Kask Mojito X will be five years old in September. I've got an older O2 Laser that I still use occasionally. My problem buying helmets is I have a stupidly large head, so need a proper XL. L/XL nonsense doesn't fit, so I normally have a choice of 1 or maybe 2 brands/models when shopping.
Good point. Wheels could go in the rear footwell. Scicon do a pair of wheels bags for £20 or £75 gets a bigger big that takes the wheels as well
SOFT BIKE BAG - TRAVEL BASIC
Shop for Black Travel Basic Black Soft Bike Bag or choose from a wide selection of bike travel bags at Scicon Sports.
sciconsports.com
Soldato
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- 8 Dec 2002
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Can you not just load your bike into boot with the front wheel off and back seats down? I have done that for years and never had a problemHas anyone got a soft bike bag for car use they'd recommend? Something to use when putting a bike in the car but better than trying to keep the bike wrapped in old sheets and hoping the chain doesn't rub oil on something. Wouldn't be used for airline travel. I'm thinking whip the wheels off and pop the bike into the bag, I don't want to be messing undoing bars or seatposts.
Scicon have a soft bag for £32. Numerous cheaper options on Temu or Ali but the usual quality conundrum.
POCKET BIKE BAG
Shop for Black Pocket Bike Bag Scicon or choose from a wide selection of bike travel bags. Buy online in the official Scicon Sports Store.
Soldato
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- 17 Sep 2006
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- Gloucestershire
It's very much looking like time to break out the full summer bike this week 
Soldato
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Oh....and that annoying time where you dress for winter (ish) in the morning, and summer (ish) on the way home. Not a bad problem to have though!It's very much looking like time to break out the full summer bike this week
Soldato
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When I used the same helmet for commuting and recreational rides, so it was exposed to UV most days Mar-Oct, I roughly went with replace every ~5 years.
My Abus Gamechanger is just over 6 years old, but only used for recreational rides and I've gone out far less in last three years, not stored in direct exposure to sun so no worries (and also not had any sort of bang in it). Provisionally, I'll keep using it until at least '28.
I bought a cheap Giro for commuting a few years ago, but it's still in the box out of direct sun, because I've not been commuting. So I'll treat it as brand new as and when I start wearing it.
I tend to go by 5-6 years from manufacturers date, but I know the Evade I had was dated 2016 and I didn't get it until 2018.
I think general consensus was the plastic gets more brittle the more UV it sees, or the foam starts to degrade/be less effective. Modern materials might now be better. My commuter I always tended to replace more frequently, but I'm down to 1 cheapy helmet at the moment (Align II - great lid for the money).
Pretty much what I've found as I'm 62-63cm and some brands don't go that big - many XL only being 58-60cm. Then others like Kask who do are an odd shape for me - too round so always found them too tight at the back, while feeling loose at the sides. Giro and Specialized fit much better and last couple have been Specialized. Americans have big fat heads so a safe bet on sizing
HAha yeah it was 3 degrees yesterday morning, went back into shorts+warmers+tights but ditched the tights today. Have been enjoying seeing Vingegaard in my winter setup of tights over shorts...!
Today considered just the windproof jacket (Spatz Wintr) but chickened out and still put a thermal on under it which I'll carry home. Was about right but have a feeling I'll put a thinner windproof on for the rest of the week - tomorrow afternoon is forecast 19 degrees here! WTF!
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It's for when it's not just me and bike in the car. For instance, we've got a weekend away in June which I'll take my bike but have other bags and stuff. My thinking was back seats down, luggage in the boot and then bike in the bag on top. No old sheets to try to keep the oil and muck off everything.
Soldato
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Roof rack or Boot rack maybe?
A lot of it depends on the car - especially how well the boot rack options work on them...
I'm determined our next has a tow hitch so I can get something similar to a Thule Easyfold. Not that we carry bikes much, but as both commute we have to have a 'rescue' option to keep in the car then get out when required. The boot lid one we use at the moment is ok, but awkward and I hate going any distance with it (Fiesta). It just doesn't feel secure enough, bike wobbles and front wheel can hit the car when going at speed unless strapped etc etc... Any distance either of our bikes fit easily in the car ok, with with rear seats down and the front wheel removed (3 door fiesta), but that scuppers any real opportunity to take the bike when also have the family in the car without using boot lid...! Then I'm too nervous to carry a £7000 bike on a flimsy thing where the £1400 wheel wobbles and can get scratched/dinked hitting the boot (not to mention 'squeezing the top tube!) Gah!
I'm determined our next has a tow hitch so I can get something similar to a Thule Easyfold. Not that we carry bikes much, but as both commute we have to have a 'rescue' option to keep in the car then get out when required. The boot lid one we use at the moment is ok, but awkward and I hate going any distance with it (Fiesta). It just doesn't feel secure enough, bike wobbles and front wheel can hit the car when going at speed unless strapped etc etc... Any distance either of our bikes fit easily in the car ok, with with rear seats down and the front wheel removed (3 door fiesta), but that scuppers any real opportunity to take the bike when also have the family in the car without using boot lid...! Then I'm too nervous to carry a £7000 bike on a flimsy thing where the £1400 wheel wobbles and can get scratched/dinked hitting the boot (not to mention 'squeezing the top tube!) Gah!
I have tried all ways to carry bikes. Had them on the roof when I had coupes, both wheel off and on methods and bundled them in the back with front wheel off in SUVs. Bought one of these recently and would never have anything different going forward. So, so easy. https://99bikes.com.au/products/yakima-holdup-2-bike-hitch-rack
Can't recommend enough. You can even get an add on piece for it to take 4 bikes. I have a Defender so had to get extender block to get it out past the spare wheel but it's perfect. Super secure, lockable and the bikes sit entirely behind the car with nothing poking out either side. Only downside is it freaks the reversing tech out but can live with that.
Can't recommend enough. You can even get an add on piece for it to take 4 bikes. I have a Defender so had to get extender block to get it out past the spare wheel but it's perfect. Super secure, lockable and the bikes sit entirely behind the car with nothing poking out either side. Only downside is it freaks the reversing tech out but can live with that.