Tires for Clementine

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

I have a 2015 Clementine with the original Kenda tires. I have heard those aren’t nice tires and I’m starting to suspect the rumors are true. “Boggy” someone once said, and that makes sense to me.

At any rate, something worse is happening. Every day I come home from the school commute and notice black speckles all over my legs, and more on my left leg than right. The dots are not like grease - they LOOK like grease but wipe off like dust. I took a video of this but think it might be weird to post leg videos. At any rate, I suspected the stuff was coming from the chain. Joe Bernard told me to get a chain cleaner and get at it, which I did, and now my chain is clean but I still have the problem. Roberta asked about my tires. Are they flaking off? They don’t appear to be, but I don’t know.

Whatever the problem, doesn’t this seem like a good excuse to get new tires?

I would love your input here. I want them to be the same fatness (there’s a technical term!) that I have now, because I LOVE them and because they fit with my fenders. I need puncture resistance. I have a healthy fear of flats and zero skills to fix them. I’m telling you I live dangerously. That is all!

[Leah Peterson]

Here. This is a photo and a video of what I speak, on the frame. I don’t know if the video will come through. I can wipe off bare legs easy enough, but fall is promising to come to Nevada (at least I have my heart set on it) and I will be really mad if this gets on my jeans and boots.

[Jeffrey B]

I think you might like these tires:

https://www.rivbike.com/collections/tires/products/schwalbe-big-ben-wire-raceguard-performance-line-hs439-700c-x-50-50-622-28x2-00-10129?variant=12239849095279

[Ian A]

I've been surprised at how well Schwalbe Big Apple tires roll, especially considering their resilience. I'd recommend those based on how good they seem to ride on my commuter bike. Mine are 26"x 2" and feel faster than the Marathon Plus that were on before.

In terms of the black speckles, it looks almost like grime from fresh tarmac or sun softened tarmac. A wide and long mudflap on the front fender should mitigate the issue.

IanA

[Conway Bennett]

The black specs are probably and rubber from the tire rubbing, check your brake pads to see if they aren't hitting the sidewall near the bead.

[Eric Daume]

If the stock tires are the Kenda Kwik Nines, they are awful, slow, uncomfortable junk. I was surprised how much faster and smoother my Clem rode when I replaced them with 44mm Resist Nomads. Even though the Nomads were narrower, they were so much smoother since the sidewalls weren’t made of concrete. 

So, even if the tires aren’t the source of your black spots, it’s still worth upgrading. 

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[PaulS]

Your tires have probably dry rotted, living in a dry desert, it’s not surprising. Look for cracking on the sidewalls or let some air out and squeeze the sidewalls. Guessing you will see cracks.

If you don’t want flats, get a touring tire. Schwalbe Marathon Plus. Not the best riding, but you won’t be on the side of the road changing flats.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aqaFrdQjQEo

[Sky Coulter]

I like the schwalbe marathon supreme tires: big and cushy (2.0 measure around 46mm on my rims); unlikely to flat; fast rolling (in my experience there isn't that big of a difference between them and compass tires). They can be found online in a couple places at a reasonable price but still a bit dear.

Sky in new west

[Tom Wyland]

The black specs are probably brake dust or something from the road?  Water + brake dust = black specs for me.

I've had Schwalbe Big Ben (raceguard) and Marathon green guard tires on my bikes. The Big Ben/Big Apple tires really do have great rolling resistance. The Marathons are a great value. I picked up a set of Schwalbe Marathon Winter tires for my folding bike for $25/each on ChainReactionCycles (UK site). 

Tom

[masmojo]

I agree the specks look like the result of a light spray from the tires. Hit a little dampness & the droplets fling off, the moisture quickly evaporates and you are left with small spots.

Tires on a Clementine? The choices are sort of wide ranging. The Kenda's aren't bad tires, but yes maybe a bit heavy and sluggish. Unfortunately, from there where do you go? Depends on primary function. Marathons are a good choice. WTB Horizons are a good quick tire, but maybe narrower than you might want on a Clem? For a more offroad tire I like the Continental Race Kings or Mountain Kings.

[masmojo]

Oh, I meant to say, a short term solution might be simply washing your tires/bike.

[Leah Peterson]

Someone private messaged me and was nearly certain the brake pads are causing the smattering of black speckles, and I think he’s right. I ran my fingers over the brake pads and that same matter appeared on my fingers. With my brakes employed down the 1 mile descent to school, there would be a lot of opportunity for the stuff to accumulate on me and the bike.



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> On Sep 26, 2019, at 10:27 AM, masmojo <mas...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
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> Oh, I meant to say, a short term solution might be simply washing your tires/bike.
>
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[Garth]

  For your bike(27.5 wheels) Leah I'll second the 50mm Big Ben tires. I ride these on my Bombadil and I LOVE them on the road. I ride them at about 35 psi front and 40 rear.  They just roll and roll and roll ....it's amazingly fun !

[Patrick Moore]

+ 1 for the Big Apples.

I don't know if they still make the "Liteskin" version; I expect not, since that was meant, I think, to be a "performance" model* that has long since been replaced by lighter and presumeably faster tires, but the "base" model Big Apple that I used in the early 2000s was for its bulk* a quite nice rolling tire. I used both 26" X 60 mm and 700C X 60, the Liteskin only in the latter size.

I once gave a pair of modern (2018) 700C X 60 Big Apple standards to a friend who had been commuting on cheap knobbies. His performance report was: "Wow!"

Both standard (again, 15 years ago; can't speak of new ones) and Liteskin models seemed to have the same tread and puncture belt, but the LS had more supple sidewalls.

Both Big Apple models were almost goathead-proof -- tubes, no sealant. I'd come out of the bosque after a long dirt ride with scores of thorns in the tread, brush them off, and the tires were still holding air a couple of days later. On pavement, not quite as proof, but they still resisted most thorns compared to the other tires I used.

* The 700C X 60 standard weighed 900 grams (2 whole lbs!), while the Liteskin was a svelte, pared-down, racing weight ... 800 grams! But again, both seemed to roll pretty well for the mass and the puncture resistance. (For perspective: my current Schwalbe Big Ones, the same height and breadth as the 700C Big Apples, weigh 450 grams each; and roll like racing tires, I kid you not. But viable only with sealant.)

My only experience with Marathons was with the 20 Marathon Racers that were OEM on my Dahon Hon Solo. Bow wow wow wow wow. Wow wow! I replaced them with (also Schwalbe) Kojaks -- better indeed; and then with Kenda Power Bands or somesuch; better yet.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique

[Patrick Moore]

Quite seriously, I don't want to step on Garth's or any one else's toes, but I'm 175 lb and I ran 50 mm tires, and paper thin ones at that (Furious Freds, 360 grams each) at 20 psi on dirt, sub 30 on pavement. 60s if stiff sidewalled Big Apples at 16-17 dirt and about 21 pavement, supple ones 18-20 dirt, 25-6 pavement (generally, I just leave them at the lower pressure unless I take an extended pavement ride). I just found that when I pump my 28 mm Compass extralights rock hard, the digital gauge reads 51 psi; should run them at 45. I put 80 f/90 rear in supple 22 mm tires. All this often includes freight loads up to 40 lbs.

Don't overfill! Pinch flats -- I never get pinch flats for some reason -- can be avoided by being just a very little bit careful.

On Thu, Sep 26, 2019 at 12:07 PM Garth <gart...@gmail.com> wrote:

  For your bike(27.5 wheels) Leah I'll second the 50mm Big Ben tires. I ride these on my Bombadil and I LOVE them on the road. I ride them at about 35 psi front and 40 rear.  They just roll and roll and roll ....it's amazingly fun !

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[Jim Bronson]

I didn't like the Kendas on my Clem Smith Jr at first either, but after some consideration, I decided to just keep them until they wear out, or until I have money burning a hole in my pocket, which is currently NOT the case.

They are slower and heavier than other tires, but I find that if I just accept the slower speed it doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the bike.  I don't use my Clem like a road bike, it's more relaxed than that.  I just put out the same amount of effort that I would otherwise and whatever speed I achieve, is whatever speed I achieve.  Yea I'm 3 or more MPH slower than I am on my Rivendell Road Standard shod with Compass LoupLoup Pass tires, but who cares.  Well I don't at any rate.

Plus the Kendas have the added advantage of being very flat resistant.  I don't even take a spare tube with me when I ride my Clem.  Granted, I don't get more than 5 or 10 miles away from the house much on my Clem, but still, it's somewhat liberating to feel that sort of confidence.

*I do carry spare tubes most of the time, but the couple of times I forgot to put my saddlebag back on, I just shrugged it off and kept riding.

Jim 

Austin, TX

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[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Ok, Friends, you’ve got me interested in the Schwalbe tires, and of those, I think the Big Ben and the Big Apples sound good. I don’t know that I need the tread of the Bens since I’m really a paved surface kinda gal. But I’m open here! The next question is what size. I was out there with a flashlight just now and I see the Clementine tires are Kenda “27.5 x 1.75.” Just out of curiosity, I looked at my son’s 45 cm Clem, and he has Kenda “26 x 2.10.” Can he really have fatter tires than me?!

I’m asking you and not Rivendell because I probably won’t order tires from them.

You are lifesavers,
Leah

[Garth]

The Clem takes up to 60mm/2.4" tires, but with your fenders which are likely P50's(about 53-54 actual) the Big Ben 50's(46 or so actual) fit fine. I bought the BB over the Big Apples just for the extra tread and lifespan. Trust me, the tread does little if anything for traction on the road and nothing for off road. As I said they roll with ease !  It's a BA with 50 grams more rubber.

[George Schick]

Be careful about buying Schwalbe Big Apple tires.  For many years (well over 15 IIRC) I had a pair of Schwalbe Big Apple 26x2.35" tires on my Surly 1x1 and I loved everything about them.  They finally came to the end of the road this Summer when I rode across a stretch of pavement where construction workers had pulled the nails out of wooden forms for an adjacent concrete sidewalk and carelessly left them lying all over the place.  So I went to buy a new pair on-line and due to unclear and evasive descriptions of Schwalbe models I wound up mistakenly ordering a pair of 2.15" Big Apple Plus tires.  They're ridiculously heavy (>750 gm's) and they ride like motorcycle tires due to the 3mm of protection guard.  Wish I'd been more careful

P.S.  If anyone out there is more interested in flat-proofness than ride quality I'd be willing to sell these tires for cheap.

[Garth]

   Well that's interesting PM !  I prolly weigh more/less in the same ballpark and I first tried the BB @ 25-30 psi but found the rear(Rhyno Lite rim) a bit bouncy on the road, and the front felt like it was gonna roll off the rim(25mm Mavic) when I leaned hard into corners.  Felt like is one story, actuality is another though and I wasn't in the mood to find out.  I suspect that sense of rollover though is from the large round profile tires, something I've never ridden before.  Off road I would go much lower though as these are not pleasant at 35 psi. !   I have lots of steep curvy roads around here

   On my "road" bike I run some Forte Metro 35mm tires @ 35-40 psi, sometimes less, and they feel awesome, though the 531ST tubing, long wheelbase and relaxed angles all help.

[Leah Peterson]

Why does everyone love barely inflated tires? I put the max air in mine and ride them rock hard! Otherwise they feel flat to me. I fly over bumps and stay in the saddle and let my bones rattle! I’m doing it wrong, I know...

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 26, 2019, at 1:47 PM, Garth <gart...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Garth]

  It doesn't matter what pressure Leah ... you're enjoying the ride and that's all that matters. Rules are for foolz !

[David Bivins]

Leah, I'm the same. I pump them up!

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[in Dallas nick]

I'm in the market for a set of 650b / 27.5 tires also .

I'm considering these Maxxis Refuse , size 27.5 x 2.0

In a folding tire at 610 grams,  not a terrible weight

for a 2" wide tire and not too high on price at 42 bucks each.

I've had good luck with other Maxxis tires.

Shows double puncture protection on these Refuse.

It reminds me of the tread on my 700x42 Continental Contact Speed tires that roll nice and have good flat resistance. My riding buddy and I have 2 pairs each.

If they came in a 650b I'd get a pair.

Dang , I just found they do come in a 27.5 x 2!

This discussion has helped me also. Thanks!

Maxxis Refuse

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=83492

Continental Contact Speed 

https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=92314

Good luck on your hunt for the right tires for you.

Does anyone else split the difference between the minimum and maximum PSI inflation recommendation on the side of the tire?

Paul in Dallas

[Joe Bernard]

Yep, I usually run between the two numbers, or if there's only a maximum I'll go 10-15 under it. My bones are older than Leah's and less tolerant of rattling 😁

[Patrick Moore]

Leah:  If you ever try some really nice tires, you will surprised at how fast and smooth -- both together -- they feel at moderate pressures. This advice from someone who used to pump his 35 mm Fatboys to 120 psi because the sidewall told me to do that.

Even the Schwalbe Kojaks (I used the 32-real/35-labeled in 3 different diameters, but they also come in a 50 mm width, I think) are sufficiently more nice than, say, Marathon Racers that you can get by with a much lower pressure before they start feeling as if you are riding in cold, cold molasses. IME, nice tires have a wider range between "hard" and "bounce", and between "fast" and "bow wow."

OTOH, when my daughter last had a bike, it had (1) cheap, stiff tires, (2) thorn proof tubes -- these weighed as much as the tires; (3) a heavy tire liner; (4) a bucket full of Slime in each tube. I tried reducing pressure to, oh perhaps 35 psi where they belonged; molasses. Pumped them right up again to "rock hard."

But that's with tires that are inferior by any standard except perhaps puncture resistance and price.

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[Garth]

  Yeah !  It's funny how all so-called dis-ease with not just tires, but anything and everything, is a comparison.  The thing is though, the present is incomparable. No matter how or what or where or who or how you're riding, for example,, you can't make it any faster or slower or better or worse in any way, you cannot change the present being, It always is presently Being , always on time, never late, early, fast or slow ..... immeasurable.... as there isn't anything to/from/as which to compare.  I'm not saying anything that isn't inherently known and living .... this is appreciation for and as LIFE.... BEING !  

 

[Joe Bernard]

Party on Garth 👊

[Mark Roland]

This ended up being my approach on my OC (Original Clem<entine>). I was planning to buy a set of Compass Switchbacks before my new bicycle even arrived, but like Jim, I soon got into the whole vibe, with the Bosco Bulls and the step-through and the fenders and back o bike bags, and the tires were just fine. They weren't "high performance" but they didn't decrease the fun in any way.

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[Eric Daume]

I sometimes still wake up at night in a cold sweat, after a nightmare about being forced to ride Kenda Kwik Nines! :)

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[masmojo]

I have to agree with the above sentiment about tires. While some Compass tires would certainly ride much better; I kinda felt like putting super nice tires on went against the whole vibe of the bike. I have a Schwalbe on the back of mine, but it looks exactly like the Kendas.
For the same reason I resisted the urge to put fancy Nitto racks on mine and it's got chunky BMX grips

[Steve Palincsar]

On Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 4:59:25 PM UTC-4, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Why does everyone love barely inflated tires? I put the max air in mine and ride them rock hard! Otherwise they feel flat to me. I fly over bumps and stay in the saddle and let my bones rattle! I’m doing it wrong, I know...

I can give you one good reason (besides comfort) why you might not want to inflate wide tires to max pressure unless you've very heavy.  When you pump a wide tire up to high pressure it can become very bouncy with a considerable rebound on hard impacts, a bit like a basketball. That can, in some circumstances, snatch the handlebars right out of your hands.  It happened to me, and I crashed as a result, breaking my collar bone.  I'm not talking here about the biopace-like surging you might get at very low pressure, where you can feel the bike squishing the tires down on each pedal downstroke, but rather the SPROING bounce you get when you throw a basketball down onto the pavement. 

Your "bones rattling" comment reminds me of a time at Bike Virginia, back when they still had dinner put on by a community organization.  I was standing in line waiting for them to open, and couldn't help overhearing the guy in front of me discussing tire pressure with his friends.  He looked a bit like a football player - large, obviously over 250 lb.  He was from Virginia Beach, and was talking about how much he enjoyed going downhill on "the bridge" -- evidently, the only hill in town -- on his 19mm tires inflated to 150 psi.  "Rock hard," he said, and at 30 mph the bike vibrated so much he said "it really felt fast!"

It is true you don't get the same super cushy ride benefit from lower tire pressure with chunky, rigid-sidewall tires as you do with supple tires with flexible sidewalls, but there's still a benefit to having your tires as the proper pressure for your weight.  At just under 100kg I'm well over the Clydesdale line and there are very few tires that I need to inflate to the "max pressure".  And I'll bet you a chocolate milkshake I weigh a lot more than you do.

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Alright, I’m just catching up since I had an event that went late into last night. I have opened the proverbial can of worms here. I was supposed to say, “Please figure out this tire problem. Tell me what to get and how to make the black speckles stop.” and you were supposed to say, “1. Do this. And 2. Do that.” And then problem solved, right?!

I might be more conflicted than when I started regarding tires, but I DID order the Kool Stop brakes and will have those installed. I’m pretty sure that will stop the black speckling issue. As for tires, I know some have been ok with the Kendas and like how they keep the bike from taking itself too seriously (looks-wise) but I am going to switch them out. The Clementine feels, even on flat land, a big sluggish. I rarely shifted on my Betz but I need to on the Clementine, like the bike is always in a gear that’s a little too hard. I want to see if better tires would help that.

So, in light of that, do we think Schwalbe Big Bens in 50 will be the ticket?

[Leah Peterson]

I both laughed and shuddered over the football player’s bone-shaking. 

Yes, that’s what I like - the basketball bounce you get on full tires - I’ve just never thought of it that way! Don’t take this from me! Because now I’m a little concerned. But maybe not concerned enough to ride around on sloppy tires. We’ll see.

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 27, 2019, at 7:28 AM, Steve Palincsar <pali...@his.com> wrote:



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[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

Wait, not in 50 - where did I get that? Who put this idea in my head?

The tire size is “27.5 x 1.75” and the bike has fenders.

[johnboy]

Leah, I’ve never noticed tires “dusting” my frame .Could it be something on the roads you are riding? Where on the frame does it appear? Where doesn’t it? John

[Garth]

   I've had some Kenda tires of a different model, they were fairly light and folding even ..... and they too felt sluggish. The Big Bens, despite weighing much more ride so much better and as I've said repeatedly .... roll and roll and roll ..... on over yonder and hill and dale. I ride the exact same hills with my much lighter road bike and I ride up in the same gears and speed.... that is ... slow ! Ahahahahaha !

  Big Bens it is .  Call them the killer B's ...

On Friday, SepteThe Clementine feels, even on flat land, a big sluggish. I rarely shifted on my Betz but I need to on the Clementine, like the bike is always in a gear that’s a little too hard. I want to see if better tires would help that.

[Garth]

  Yes 50 is right, they'll be about 46mm and you might have to get the fenders adjusted when installed, maybe not.... hopefully the mechanic is competent !

Schwalbe Big Ben, RaceGuard Performance line, wire bead, HS439 - 650B x 48 (50-584, 27.5x2) - 10138 - 745g, 35-70 psi

[Leah Peterson]

The tires aren’t doing the dusting - we suspect the brake pads are. Did you see the photos? Our commute is concrete - a sidewalk made extra wide, and I don’t spend a lot of time on the blacktop. Cars reign supreme up here, and with those big, wide paths and few if any pedestrians, we stay on concrete. See my original post for where the speckles appear and don’t appear....

Sent from my iPad

> On Sep 27, 2019, at 8:52 AM, johnboy <nitej...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Leah, I’ve never noticed tires “dusting” my frame .Could it be something on the roads you are riding? Where on the frame does it appear? Where doesn’t it? John

>
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[Steve Palincsar]

Make sure you have a good grip on the bars, in that case.

On 9/27/19 11:38 AM, Leah Peterson wrote:

I both laughed and shuddered over the football player’s bone-shaking. 

Yes, that’s what I like - the basketball bounce you get on full tires - I’ve just never thought of it that way! Don’t take this from me! Because now I’m a little concerned. But maybe not concerned enough to ride around on sloppy tires. We’ll see.

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 27, 2019, at 7:28 AM, Steve Palincsar <pali...@his.com> wrote:



On Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 4:59:25 PM UTC-4, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

Why does everyone love barely inflated tires? I put the max air in mine and ride them rock hard! Otherwise they feel flat to me. I fly over bumps and stay in the saddle and let my bones rattle! I’m doing it wrong, I know...

I can give you one good reason (besides comfort) why you might not want to inflate wide tires to max pressure unless you've very heavy.  When you pump a wide tire up to high pressure it can become very bouncy with a considerable rebound on hard impacts, a bit like a basketball. That can, in some circumstances, snatch the handlebars right out of your hands.  It happened to me, and I crashed as a result, breaking my collar bone.  I'm not talking here about the biopace-like surging you might get at very low pressure, where you can feel the bike squishing the tires down on each pedal downstroke, but rather the SPROING bounce you get when you throw a basketball down onto the pavement. 

Your "bones rattling" comment reminds me of a time at Bike Virginia, back when they still had dinner put on by a community organization.  I was standing in line waiting for them to open, and couldn't help overhearing the guy in front of me discussing tire pressure with his friends.  He looked a bit like a football player - large, obviously over 250 lb.  He was from Virginia Beach, and was talking about how much he enjoyed going downhill on "the bridge" -- evidently, the only hill in town -- on his 19mm tires inflated to 150 psi.  "Rock hard," he said, and at 30 mph the bike vibrated so much he said "it really felt fast!"

It is true you don't get the same super cushy ride benefit from lower tire pressure with chunky, rigid-sidewall tires as you do with supple tires with flexible sidewalls, but there's still a benefit to having your tires as the proper pressure for your weight.  At just under 100kg I'm well over the Clydesdale line and there are very few tires that I need to inflate to the "max pressure".  And I'll bet you a chocolate milkshake I weigh a lot more than you do.

--

Steve Palincsar
Alexandria, Virginia 
USA

[REC (Roberta)]

I have some Kenda tires (not sure which ones) on my Joe Appaloosa. I think they are 45 wide.  I pump them to 65 ( I think that is the max) and don't pump them up again until they get that squishy feeling, then pump them up again.  I do like them a touch less than the max, but much more than squishy.  I'm not sure what pressure that is.  Still fairly firm though for me.

[franklyn]

I am amazed not one person mentioned Schwalbe G-One 27.5x2.0 or Panaracer Gravel King 48mm (27.5), not mention the Compass/Rene Herse Tires! They are lighter and "suppler" than any Schwalbe tires mentioned here!

On Friday, September 27, 2019 at 8:59:47 AM UTC-7, Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! wrote:

The tires aren’t doing the dusting - we suspect the brake pads are. Did you see the photos? Our commute is concrete - a sidewalk made extra wide, and I don’t spend a lot of time on the blacktop. Cars reign supreme up here, and with those big, wide paths and few if any pedestrians, we stay on concrete. See my original post for where the speckles appear and don’t appear....

Sent from my iPad

> On Sep 27, 2019, at 8:52 AM, johnboy <nitej...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Leah, I’ve never noticed tires “dusting” my frame .Could it be something on the roads you are riding? Where on the frame does it appear? Where doesn’t it? John
>
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[Joe Bernard]

Franklyn, my advice to the young lady weighed heavily towards the 'no flats' side, which basically started and ended with "get Big Bens, they'll work." She rides with the kids back and forth to school every day and REALLY can't afford many road side repairs, so I think this was the way to go.

[Jan O.]

I run 650B x 48mm Big Ben on my Atlantis and they are great all around tires. They roll very well and have good puncture protection.

Jan

San Francisco, CA

[Mark Schneider]

I would say that on my old MUSA Atlantis that changing the tires to Rene Herse Antelope Hill tires transformed the bike into a so much more pleasurable ride. But Schwalbe G One speed tires also run great.
I haven't gotten any flats this year, but YMMV

Good bike tires are expensive, but I ride for enjoyment and going a little faster makes my ride more pleasurable.

Mark  

[REC (Roberta)]

How long do tires last?  Is it the number of miles (and how many), the age, environmental, a combination?  Would these tires last longer I suppose, because the material is thicker (assuming all material is exactly equal, which probably isn't true).

I know nothing of tires, but am curious.  I'm a "no flat" kind of person.

[Leah Peterson]

It’s hard to say how long tires last. The heat and dryness out here can crack tires but I haven’t had it happen. Use, disuse, miles - it all affects the tire. I had my Betz tires for 5 years before I wore them down to the fabric. I could see the air in those tires!

Oh, you asked about the WTB Betty Foy post. I don’t want to sell right now. I do still love the bike and have been riding it again lately. I think the Clementine’s tires have been decreasing my enjoyment lately. It just feels hard lately. Pedaling that bike seems to always take too much effort. And it’s not the weight of the bike - it feels the same loaded or not. I still really like it, but it needs some fine-tuning.

Alright I’m spent. To bed!

L

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 28, 2019, at 6:05 PM, REC (Roberta) <rcha...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[PaulS]

Schwalbe touring tires can last quite a while and typically measured in distance. Reports I’ve seen vary between 6-10k miles, depending on terrain, weight, etc.

I’ve used Big Apples. Very plush. I did have a staple go right through one time. If I had been on my Marathon Plus, I’d have just kept going. If you prioritize flat proof over everything else, I’d highly recommend the Marathon Plus.

[franklyn]

It seems that a plush ride is of value here. One trick that I use and one that has been mentioned on this list before is to put tubeless sealant in the tubes. This way you can enjoy the supple Compass/RH tires while not worry about flats: have the cake and eat it also.

[Braxton Colagross]

Seems the dust might be from the brake pads wearing themselves.

On Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 4:20:09 AM UTC-7, Conway Bennett wrote:

The black specs are probably and rubber from the tire rubbing, check your brake pads to see if they aren't hitting the sidewall near the bead.

[Bicycle Belle Ding Ding!]

It’s been a long saga, but I finally have news to report. 

I got a smokin’ deal on Schwalbe Big Ben tires (2 in?) in 650b for my Clementine. They are a UK company, so of course shipping was going to take awhile. At some point, the tires were lost by the carrier and I was working with the company to figure out next steps. Meanwhile, one fine morning I made it all but a half mile to school and BOOM BOOM BOOM!!! Stopped my bike immediately and saw that the rear tire was pancake flat. I made an instagram video about that as I pushed my bike 1.5 miles uphill in my nursing scrubs. I don’t know why I thought that was funny. You should see the blisters I still have on my heels. 

I’m Two-Bike Leah these days, so I decided to take the Clementine to the shop and give them a laundry list of small issues I’d identified, as well as to have them get new tires for it. We all marveled at how dirty the bike was, and T (shop owner) agreed that the black on my pants could definitely be the brake pads. I brought Kool Stop brake pads for installation, because we had decided somewhere on this List that the brake pads were maybe to blame. Plus, what does it hurt to get new brake pads? I needed some tuning for the derailleurs and then the new tires and one new tube. The shop owner had tires in mind and I left him to it. Take my money, I’d said. I’d ride the Betz in the meantime.

Meanwhile, my lost tires appeared and the shop’s were late in arriving. He decided to put my Big Bens on my bike instead and asked me to bring them by. I came to pick up the Clementine today and T told me that he really thinks the black dust all over me and the wheels were from those old brake pads. He said they were disintegrating (or something) and that there was metal and erosion in them (or something). He really thinks I’m going to be pleased with these new pads. 

I did a test ride around the block and I honestly cannot believe how much better the bike feels on new tires and with new brakes. Just wow. I wish I had known sooner. It’s like butter now, whereas my old Kendas always felt a little like going through mud. I have dark wash jeans on today, so no telling about the brake dust, but I’ll certainly be back here whining about it if it starts up again. Carl! Thanks for messaging me about the Kool Stops!

What really was the icing on the cake was that T took it upon himself to clean up my filthy, filthy wheels and the multi-colored spoke ends all show up in bright color again. I was so pleased about how the bike came out and as I was leaving one mechanic said, “Your bike always moves to the front of the line when you bring it in. I think you get special treatment here.” 

“My bike is serious class,” I said, winking.

And it is.

Leah

PS Thank you so very much for helping me figure out this mess!