It finally happened re: Clem stock tires
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Jim Bronson
Nov 8, 2023, 2:28:59 PM11/8/23
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Well after 6 years of owning my Clem and riding it at least 1x weekly, usually 4-5x weekly, I got a flat.
I was doing my normal 3 mode commute, by car to the train station, by train into town and by bike from the train station to the office. Well I rode my bike from the car to the train and was goofing off a bit and I thought it was a seamless transition from the grass to the sidewalk in the pre dawn light, well, it was actually a large sharp edge that was about 4-5" higher than the grass. Thankfully didn't go down, the front wheel rolled over it but I'm guessing I either got a pinch or just exploded the tube internally.
I hung the bike up on the train and got out my laptop and did normal work laptop stuff while riding the 40 minutes down to the office. Well when I stood up to unrack my Clem the front tire was flat. Well I've never had a flat on Clem before and although I had a spare tube, I did not have a pump or other method of inflation. So I hike a bike'd the 2.5 miles to the office.
I was able to buy a Schwalbe tube at the e-Bike store across the street, albeit for a princely $18 for a SV19. It's been holding air ever since, so hopefully it will be another 6 years before I have another flat.
I was able to buy a Schwalbe tube at the e-Bike store across the street, albeit for a princely $18 for a SV19. It's been holding air ever since, so hopefully it will be another 6 years before I have another flat.
Gratuitous bike pic: Clem on the train on a different day.
Jim
ATX
Tom Wyland
Nov 8, 2023, 2:44:51 PM11/8/23
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Meanwhile, 2 weeks into a set of fancy Rene Herse tires I ran over a staple, sliced the tire and got a flat.
Tom
Eric Daume
Nov 8, 2023, 3:21:26 PM11/8/23
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I absolutely hated the stock tires on the Clem (Kenda Kwik Nines at the time). Maybe the worst feeling tire I’ve ever experienced. I can’t imagine six years on those things!
Eric
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Jim Bronson
Nov 8, 2023, 5:57:59 PM11/8/23
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It is the Kenda QwickNine. The beauty of these tires is that they don't get flats in normal usage.
I have other bikes that I run ReneHerse tires on. But for what I use Clem for, which is mixed terrain riding and commuting, they're great. And they're very forgiving about air pressure. They ride fine down to about 20psi, but you can inflate them to 50psi, or anything inbetween. Or even more if you like but the ride is more bumpy.
Other bikes: fill to whatever pressure causes the most optimal sidewall deflection of 15% plus or minus 3 psi depending on usage and the alignment of the stars, the planet's gravitational pull and canine flatulence along my route of travel.
Clem: Tires have air? Ok, let's ride.
Jim
ATX
On Wed, Nov 8, 2023 at 2:21 PM Eric Daume <eric...@gmail.com> wrote:
I absolutely hated the stock tires on the Clem (Kenda Kwik Nines at the time). Maybe the worst feeling tire I’ve ever experienced. I can’t imagine six years on those things!
Eric
--Well after 6 years of owning my Clem and riding it at least 1x weekly, usually 4-5x weekly, I got a flat.I was doing my normal 3 mode commute, by car to the train station, by train into town and by bike from the train station to the office. Well I rode my bike from the car to the train and was goofing off a bit and I thought it was a seamless transition from the grass to the sidewalk in the pre dawn light, well, it was actually a large sharp edge that was about 4-5" higher than the grass. Thankfully didn't go down, the front wheel rolled over it but I'm guessing I either got a pinch or just exploded the tube internally.I hung the bike up on the train and got out my laptop and did normal work laptop stuff while riding the 40 minutes down to the office. Well when I stood up to unrack my Clem the front tire was flat. Well I've never had a flat on Clem before and although I had a spare tube, I did not have a pump or other method of inflation. So I hike a bike'd the 2.5 miles to the office.
I was able to buy a Schwalbe tube at the e-Bike store across the street, albeit for a princely $18 for a SV19. It's been holding air ever since, so hopefully it will be another 6 years before I have another flat.Gratuitous bike pic: Clem on the train on a different day.JimATX
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Ryan Frahm
Nov 8, 2023, 7:25:34 PM11/8/23
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Rode about 5 miles with this in my tubeless tire home. Used plugs and rode that tire a couple thousand more miles. I’m sold on tubeless for many reasons. I am envious to a degree about these stories though! So cool to hear how long some get out of a tube and/or tire!
As far as Rene Herse tires, I have used the endurance casing as a commuter tire for thousands of trouble free miles on each one. I must be lucky.
Ryan Frahm
Nov 8, 2023, 7:32:19 PM11/8/23
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That was in a Maxxis Rekon 29x2.6 for reference. It lifted the whole bike and trailer with my daughter in it before it punctured! It was such a crazy feeling!
Jim Bronson
Nov 9, 2023, 4:17:53 PM11/9/23
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I've never tried the Rene Herse endurance casing. My reasoning is that it defeats the purpose of these high zoot tires in the first place, which is a high volume tire that is comfortable and has extremely low rolling resistance. Well that and money, being a family man these days, there's only so many high dollar bike bits that can be justified.
I ride brevets sometimes and for that purpose, the Rene Herse tires are 100% worth it, it's just that much more enjoyable to ride distance with them. I only use the standard casings and they are a good balance for me of weight and flat resistance. I see others riding the ultralights but I can't justify the extra cost. I've tried cheaper ultralight 650B tires like the Pari-Motos but they are just too thin to ride with tubes, I had 6 flats one time on a 600K with the Pari Motos and had I had another flat, I would have been hitchhiking back to the hotel.
I ride brevets sometimes and for that purpose, the Rene Herse tires are 100% worth it, it's just that much more enjoyable to ride distance with them. I only use the standard casings and they are a good balance for me of weight and flat resistance. I see others riding the ultralights but I can't justify the extra cost. I've tried cheaper ultralight 650B tires like the Pari-Motos but they are just too thin to ride with tubes, I had 6 flats one time on a 600K with the Pari Motos and had I had another flat, I would have been hitchhiking back to the hotel.
I cut my teeth riding brevets on 700x28 Gatorskins in my mid-30s, if I had to do that now, I probably would stop riding brevets.
But anyway back to the Clem tire question....
Literally the Clem has been the most cost effective bike I've ever owned as an adult from a replacement parts standpoint, and that includes bikes I bought off the Interwebs for relative peanuts. I've probably got 3 or 4 thousand miles on it, riding distances from 2 to 72 miles. The bike has stock everything and until last week it had both the original tubes in it. It still has the original chain, cassette and chainrings, and everything else for that matter. I do lube and clean the chain pretty regularly and put oil other places where oil goes, and adjust the cables and derailers and so forth. The chain still has not reached the wear mark on my Park Tool, but when it does, I'll replace it. Otherwise, Clem just goes. I don't even put air in the tires that much. Maybe once a month, which is saying something because it's my tool of choice for my before work or lunchtime rides around the neighborhood.
Literally the Clem has been the most cost effective bike I've ever owned as an adult from a replacement parts standpoint, and that includes bikes I bought off the Interwebs for relative peanuts. I've probably got 3 or 4 thousand miles on it, riding distances from 2 to 72 miles. The bike has stock everything and until last week it had both the original tubes in it. It still has the original chain, cassette and chainrings, and everything else for that matter. I do lube and clean the chain pretty regularly and put oil other places where oil goes, and adjust the cables and derailers and so forth. The chain still has not reached the wear mark on my Park Tool, but when it does, I'll replace it. Otherwise, Clem just goes. I don't even put air in the tires that much. Maybe once a month, which is saying something because it's my tool of choice for my before work or lunchtime rides around the neighborhood.
I did give Clem some King Cage Iris water bottle cages that I had sitting around in my parts bin already and a Brooks saddlebag that I got cheap from a LBS, but I would have done that for any bike that I acquired.
I even balked at the Brooks saddlebag at $70, but the shop owner happened to be there that day and he offered it to me for $29, which I immediately accepted. He knows I'm a good customer and the first stop for any problem I can't solve on my own, or if I just don't have time to solve it with my busy family schedule.
Putting Antelope Hill TC Endurance that cost $184 a pair on the bike doesn't exactly fit that ethos. If Jan wants to mail me a pair of them for free, I will be happy to write a lengthy review after several hundred miles of abuse. Otherwise I'm going to keep riding the KwickNines.
Jim
ATX
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Bill Lindsay
Nov 9, 2023, 4:42:44 PM11/9/23
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Kenda Qwick Bitumen here on my office bike. They came on an Appaloosa, and now roll on a fixed gear Crust.
Your bike came with the Kendas, and you love your bike, and they practically never puncture? APPROVE
I acknowledge there are people who can't imagine riding tires as bad as the Kenda Quick whatevers. I also acknowledge that there are people who would turn down an ice cold Corona on a hot day because they can't imagine drinking that swill. I'll take a bike ride on Kenda Quick Bitumen over not riding, and I'd take a cold Corona over going thirsty.
Bill Lindsay
El Cerrito, CA
On Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 2:57:59 PM UTC-8 Jim Bronson wrote:
Garth
Nov 10, 2023, 3:03:51 PM11/10/23
to RBW Owners Bunch
I can only add that Schwobble's Big Bens are also inherently very flat resistant and quite fun despite their relative heft. I've ridden other Kenda tires and it seems to me that they ride like hell even in lighter weight folding varieties !
The Big Bens also rolls real easy, like a low resistance flywheel ;)
The Big Bens also rolls real easy, like a low resistance flywheel ;)
DavidP
Nov 10, 2023, 5:28:25 PM11/10/23
to RBW Owners Bunch
Just echoing Garth's sentiments on some of the hefty Schwalbe tires:
I have the little Big Bens (700x38, true to size on ~18mm inner rims) on a single speed bike. Despite the tires weighing over 650g each I enjoy riding this bike both on and off pavement.
My townie/errand bike has Big Apple 26x2s (~45mm on ~21mm inner rims, 690g). They are silent and super smooth, quite enjoyable on a townie.
Super Moto-X 27x.2.4s that weigh about 1000g on a bomber coaster brake bike; these are a blast on this bike. Silent and smooth on pavement (flywheel description is apt for these) and work well in the dirt. Of course I'm not trying to go anywhere fast on this bike.
I have the little Big Bens (700x38, true to size on ~18mm inner rims) on a single speed bike. Despite the tires weighing over 650g each I enjoy riding this bike both on and off pavement.
My townie/errand bike has Big Apple 26x2s (~45mm on ~21mm inner rims, 690g). They are silent and super smooth, quite enjoyable on a townie.
Super Moto-X 27x.2.4s that weigh about 1000g on a bomber coaster brake bike; these are a blast on this bike. Silent and smooth on pavement (flywheel description is apt for these) and work well in the dirt. Of course I'm not trying to go anywhere fast on this bike.
-Dave
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