giverdada
03-08-2012, 06:53 PM
i know: we never do anything new for race day/big ride/when it counts/etc.
however, the situation was forced by a late-day flat yesterday after riding to pick up the car from the shop, and now i'm in the middle of some things about which i know very little: tubular flats, vittoria pit stop, and while i have the bike in the proverbial stand, that 10 speed derailleur 11 speed drivetrain thingy. i'm heading to virginia with my lady for a couple days of riding and hoping to do some bigger miles and bigger hills than what we're used to. i'd like my equipment to be the least of my worries. any suggestions appreciated. thanks.
1. i got a flat on my rear reflex wheel in a continental sprinter gatorskin. found the offending piece, among many other cuts, took it out, felt and heard the leak. i don't know how to repair tubulars or have a kit, but i am thinking about doing it some day. my question: there are some clinchers out there that i have tried, unsuccessfully, to flat - Bontrager Hardcase and Maxxis Re-fuse; is there a tubular that provides the same flatproofness? does it ruin the point (ride quality, cornering traction, etc.) of tubulars?
2. after the flat was discovered and i hit up the shop for some extremely expensive vittoria pit stop ($20/can?), i followed instructions and the online video and the mechanic's advice all at once, in a bit of a jumble. the air was out. the cap came off. the valve was opened fully. the valve was inserted into the can top rubber nozzle. the can was pressed into the valve for about 25 seconds (40ish PSI). the nozzle was removed, the valve closed, and the wheel spun for about a minute continuously. hissing and air leakage were still apparent. after about 3 minutes, the remainder of the can was injected into the tire, never reaching beyond approximately 60-70 PSI. the valve was again closed. the wheel was again spun. then an hour passed. after this time, the tire was pumped up to 110 psi with a floor pump, and no hissing or leaking of air has been apparent. is this okay? can i ride it now? forever? what happens to sealant if i need to deflate the tire? does it leak out? is the tire done? why did it still leak after the initial low pressure injection?
3. if i follow oldpotatoe's mod to make my 10 speed rear derailleur work with my 11 speed shifter, does that mean that i make the cable run over top of one of the tabs on the cable binder bolt plate?
4. in terms of tubulars, i was thinking that they're really awesome because if i flat, i can continue to ride/coast to a safe stop, tire still on the rim and me still on the bike. this is a huge thing as i work to descend as quickly as possible, and flats do happen, obviously. however, what's the word on alloy rims and braking on descents and tubular glue heating up? i've heard of it with carbon, but i don't know how much braking for how long from what speed this all has to happen. i'm not hitting up the alps any time soon, but i'd like to know, more out of curiosity.
5. thanks for your patience in the epic thread.
however, the situation was forced by a late-day flat yesterday after riding to pick up the car from the shop, and now i'm in the middle of some things about which i know very little: tubular flats, vittoria pit stop, and while i have the bike in the proverbial stand, that 10 speed derailleur 11 speed drivetrain thingy. i'm heading to virginia with my lady for a couple days of riding and hoping to do some bigger miles and bigger hills than what we're used to. i'd like my equipment to be the least of my worries. any suggestions appreciated. thanks.
1. i got a flat on my rear reflex wheel in a continental sprinter gatorskin. found the offending piece, among many other cuts, took it out, felt and heard the leak. i don't know how to repair tubulars or have a kit, but i am thinking about doing it some day. my question: there are some clinchers out there that i have tried, unsuccessfully, to flat - Bontrager Hardcase and Maxxis Re-fuse; is there a tubular that provides the same flatproofness? does it ruin the point (ride quality, cornering traction, etc.) of tubulars?
2. after the flat was discovered and i hit up the shop for some extremely expensive vittoria pit stop ($20/can?), i followed instructions and the online video and the mechanic's advice all at once, in a bit of a jumble. the air was out. the cap came off. the valve was opened fully. the valve was inserted into the can top rubber nozzle. the can was pressed into the valve for about 25 seconds (40ish PSI). the nozzle was removed, the valve closed, and the wheel spun for about a minute continuously. hissing and air leakage were still apparent. after about 3 minutes, the remainder of the can was injected into the tire, never reaching beyond approximately 60-70 PSI. the valve was again closed. the wheel was again spun. then an hour passed. after this time, the tire was pumped up to 110 psi with a floor pump, and no hissing or leaking of air has been apparent. is this okay? can i ride it now? forever? what happens to sealant if i need to deflate the tire? does it leak out? is the tire done? why did it still leak after the initial low pressure injection?
3. if i follow oldpotatoe's mod to make my 10 speed rear derailleur work with my 11 speed shifter, does that mean that i make the cable run over top of one of the tabs on the cable binder bolt plate?
4. in terms of tubulars, i was thinking that they're really awesome because if i flat, i can continue to ride/coast to a safe stop, tire still on the rim and me still on the bike. this is a huge thing as i work to descend as quickly as possible, and flats do happen, obviously. however, what's the word on alloy rims and braking on descents and tubular glue heating up? i've heard of it with carbon, but i don't know how much braking for how long from what speed this all has to happen. i'm not hitting up the alps any time soon, but i'd like to know, more out of curiosity.
5. thanks for your patience in the epic thread.