2002 merlin XL compact tire chainstay clearance

[andre...@aol.com]

So, I finally built and rode the bike with 23mm tires. It rides wonderful. Upon inspection, the rear tire leaves a scuff mark on the chainstay. I don't feel anything when riding. Wheels are true. So i think that contact is minimal. Should I ignore and keep riding? What do you all think?

Tia

[AMuzi]

On 8/2/2023 11:59 AM, andre...@aol.com wrote:
> So, I finally built and rode the bike with 23mm tires. It rides wonderful. Upon inspection, the rear tire leaves a scuff mark on the chainstay. I don't feel anything when riding. Wheels are true. So i think that contact is minimal. Should I ignore and keep riding? What do you all think?
>
> Tia
>

Probably not a crisis but I would change to another
(slimmer) tire brand:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/photosfromthepast/brknaxle.jpg

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

[Lou Holtman]

I have/had close clearance bikes but not one where a 23 mm tire on a straight wheel would rub the chainstay.

Lou

[Tom Kunich]

From what I can remember all of the bikes I rode with 21 mm tires could easily take a 23. I would suggest that the bike has to long horizontal rear dropouts and that the wheel is way too far forward.

[Roger Meriman]

Something is up, as even then bikes took 23mm at least without rubbing.

OP check wear is even and wheel is mounted correctly, I’d personally not
ride a bike that tight. Could try some photos? So folks can see? Or
possibly see if a local bike shop can solve.

But rubbing shouldn’t be happening even if it had wider rims as modern
wheels tend to be.

Roger Merriman

[andre...@aol.com]

Lou,
When you look at it, there is a little bit of clearance, and the wheel is perfectly straight. But after riding it I can see the scuff marks on the chainstay.

[andre...@aol.com]

Not horizontal, vertical.

[Lou Holtman]

On both chainstays? Does the wheel deflect when you ride out of the saddle?

Lou

[andre...@aol.com]

Only on the non drive side, the clearance is the same on both sides. I suspect that it deflects when I am out of the saddle. I'll try to post pics and video.

[Tom Kunich]

Yes, sorry, I lost track of what bike we were talking about because I don't remember any titanium bikes being so damn tightly spaced.

[Frank Krygowski]

On 8/2/2023 12:59 PM, andre...@aol.com wrote:
> So, I finally built and rode the bike with 23mm tires. It rides wonderful. Upon inspection, the rear tire leaves a scuff mark on the chainstay. I don't feel anything when riding. Wheels are true. So i think that contact is minimal. Should I ignore and keep riding? What do you all think?

I wouldn't put up with it.

--
- Frank Krygowski

[James]

On 3/8/23 06:45, andre...@aol.com wrote:

> Only on the non drive side, the clearance is the same on both sides. I suspect that it deflects when I am out of the saddle. I'll try to post pics and video.

Not just rubs from the little rubber tags left over from the
manufacturing process?

--
JS

[Tom Kunich]

I don't remember titanium bikes being this tight but steel bikes were for a while. Remember that they raced 19 mm tubeless tires for quite some time. I used to ride 21 mm tubeless tires. It is a lot easier to fix flats when all you need to do is peel the old tire off and stick the "new" (previously glued) tire on. We used to use a toe strap under the saddle to hold two spare sewups.

[AMuzi]

On 8/4/2023 9:43 AM, Tom Kunich wrote:

You probably meant tubulars.
Nothing about tubeless road tires could be called 'easier'.

[Tom Kunich]

I should have said Sewups so as not to confuse.

[Frank Krygowski]

I was in a bike shop yesterday, and a woman came in saying she got some
flat tires so she wanted to ask about changing to tubeless. I thought to
myself "Don't do it!" and moved out of earshot, as the shop owner began
slowly explaining that it was not a simple choice.

--
- Frank Krygowski

[Tom Kunich]

Frank, what do you know about tubeless and whether it is simple change or not? If she's riding a newer bike they probably have tubeless rims since most of the rims since 2010 are tubeless and you now have to specifically ask for clinchers. Or are you suggesting that changing tires and injecting sealant (today "tubeless tires" do not need sealant and "tubeless ready do") is a difficult changeover? Even putting a tubeless tire on the rims is much easier using a tire jack.

Stop pulling a Liebermann and talking about things you have no experience with and no interest in except appearing to be an expert.

[funkma...@hotmail.com]

In https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/jgg5E72fnPs/m/wNBir4-uAQAJ

Andrew Muzi wrote:
"Nothing about tubeless road tires could be called 'easier'. "

> Stop pulling a Liebermann and talking about things you have no experience with and no interest in except appearing to be an expert.

Take your own advice, asshat.

[Roger Meriman]

Lack of punctures roadside, while tubeless works better with more volume
and lower pressures, seems to cope with those small flints etc that like to
deflate one on wet gritty rides in the lanes.

While inner tubes are certainly easier and less maintenance,
fixing/replacing a tube roadside which often seems to be in fairly horrible
weather/worse time for it is certainly more awkward difficult than having
the tire self seal probably without notice sometimes you get a spot of
sealant and a slightly soggy tire.

As to is it worth the extra maintenance and possibly cost? Well that’s up
to folks to ponder themselves.

>
>> Stop pulling a Liebermann and talking about things you have no
>> experience with and no interest in except appearing to be an expert.
>
> Take your own advice, asshat.
>

Roger Merriman

[Tom Kunich]

Flunky crawls out from under a rock when he believes he has something particularly clever to say.