Ok after two and a half hours trying to work out why I have a bump in my rear tyre and when I sorted it and tried to inflate the tyre again the brand new tube had a puncture. Not bloody happy. So I have given up and will take it to the shop tomorrow. I have a feeling the Thursday puncture shredded some of the side wall of the tyre and it might not be going on properly. Don’t know but I can’t work out why it wont just go on. That is the afternoon half of this write up done now onto this morning.
Unlike yesterdays continued addition to this weeks tally of flats today we had none. We all rolled out of the Coode St car park puncture free. Thanks to Peters map all three groups were following the same route at least until the Zig Zags. We cruised along Great Eastern Hwy and right into West Pde keeping together well. Pace was around 30km/h. Thanks to the advanced riders in front who broke through the wind for us.
Right turn into Ridge Hill road and the reminder that you are up on a Sunday morning ready to self inflict some pain. A flurry of clicking gear changes and the rpm rate increased as everyone took on their own challenge of the three climbs. I found these hills a little easier than two weeks ago so that was good managed to keep a speed of around 18km/h this time and was sitting on the back of some Intermediate riders who were having a good old chat on the way up. We hadn’t had much traffic up until here but it seems soon as we turned onto Ridge Hill Road the traffic followed. This didn’t appear to be an issue and the drivers were patient enough.
So the main group departed and left us to take on our easier climb up Zig Zags. After the short briefing that this is a one way road and to watch out for gravel and cars we were off. Tracey had already taken off down the road so I figured I would catch her up and kindly go straight pass. The first hairpin was covered in gravel. As I headed back past the three groups coming the other way I gave them the warning and continued on. This week Ivan didn’t come with me and so I kept a pace of around 20 ~ 25 km/h up the hill this time while on the each turn looking down to the groups below. At the top I pulled over and waiting for the others to catch up. After the hill round the corner from the Zig Zags I noticed my mothers car sitting waiting to take a photo. Pitty she took a photo but wasn’t of me. I think she was too slow and got Ivan instead. Another time maybe. So onward and upward towards Kalamunda. I had noticed some of the guys had kept going ahead and while waiting a little for the girls again I turned back to check where they had got to. Tracy said she was ok and said to go on ahead she knew the cafe in Kalamunda we were stopping at. By this time a few riders had stretched out close to 1km up the rode I think. After regrouping everyone at the library we rolled into Hays street where it was a flood of SPR riders who had made their way up Kalamunda road and were going for a bit of extra pain before their coffee.
There were nine of us at the coffee shop so a few up on last week. I think it was agreed upon sorry if anyone was not happy with the choice but instead of going back down Kalamunda road we travelled down Canning Road until the round about right onto Pomeroy Rd. The pace for this stretch was around 30km/h and on Pomeroy Rd I think we sat on around 35km/h
Past my old High School (10 years since I gone past there I think) and right onto Welshpool for the 6km roll down the hill to the lights at Roe Hwy. We did not try and set any land speed records. I was a little concerned about the bump in my rear wheel letting go and Ivan had a couple of chunks missing from his tyre also. The aim was to sit at around 55 – 60km but looking at my computer I reached 68.4km/h This wasn’t maintained or pushed because of the for mentioned.
At the lights of Roe Hwy we regrouped with 5 other SPR riders. Well I know one was because I recognised them from Coode St. Sorry I don’t know your name so for the purposes of this write up the Brown jersey rider. We had planned on going straight down Orrong but because we were all keeping well together we took a slightly different path travelling through Welshpool. At some point Tracey pulled off as was planned and so did Michelle. A couple of the Intermediate riders also pulled of at different stages. Once onto Berwick St there were five of us remained. I dropped back to check on Ivan and help him get back on. As we all do at some stage after cruising for a few kms he slightly struggled once it was time to climb a couple more hills. Don’t worry mate happens to all of us. Once we were all back on was a straight forward cruise to Canning Hwy. I surprised myself with a couple quick sprints in this section. Not to be a hero but to get inline because of cars. Seems the 12 course dinner at the wedding the night before had more energy in it than I thought. 🙂
So it was a left then a right into Mill Point Rd and a couple more kms to Coode street. A distance of around 60km and the average speed was 27.7km/h Thanks to some help from another rider on my trip home pushing me on I managed to bring my 82km distance up to an average of 28km/h.
Todays route http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/australia/we/bayswater/221126671869841450
A few people asked if I would write todays write up. I told them I would but if anyone else would like a go to do these write ups I’m sure Peter can set you up an account. I know Ronny will normally do one when he is along but if he is not there I just do it. Not sure if these questions were a hint of anything because I know I’m not the best writer so if others are wanting to give this a go don’t be afraid to ask Peter to make you a login.
This is just a bump for my previous post that has been buried with the number of recent posts.
For all those that are interested. I have created a team on behalf of SPR for the Transitional riders. This is in no way limited to the transitional riders but the pace and distance is a good match for this group. Please read the paragraphs below for information on this event. More info click below.
By Nathan Rzepecki
I was very pleased to start having a go at getting into the hills. It was great to ride to the “start” with the other groups. I cant believe that hill went up and up and up. Anyway thanks Nathan for leading the ride. I think we had a great route and group of riders I look forward to next week, can we do the same one again? I was completely knackered and useless at the hills but now have a challenge! See you all next week for some more punishment 🙂 Thanks Mike B for a bit of encouragement.
Tracy, sounds like you have planted the seeds to a love hate relationship with the hills 😉
Mike B is the king of the mountains.
Nathan, does the “bump” coincide with where the valve is? Depending on the tyre (some are quite tight, especially the Continentals – the Attack/Force ones as the front tyre is only 22mm across to present a smaller frontal area, and hence more aerodynamic – or so the theory goes – but the advertisement forgets to mention the 90kg bohemoth (ie me) sitting atop the saddle providing more of a hindrance to wind resistance). Sometimes the “platform” the valve sits on needs to be physically pushed in to bed it properly against the tyre (before you pump it up fully). Otherwise it’s held away from the tyre wall at the junction of the tyre and the rim edge. Also do you leave the “nut” on the presta valve on? Throw it away, it just adds weight (joking) and may hold up the tube away from the tyre wall.
No that was what confused me a bit the bump was not where the valve is. My original tubes do have the nut. The three replacement tubes I have do not have the extra nut. You are right it was the way I was fitting them. Just taken it to the shop and had it sorted. I wasn’t putting any air in the tube first I was bedding it in the tyre then trying to fit it. This was giving me the major pain in the ass yesterday. Now i know to actually put a little air in first then fit it now I might do ok next time this happens. With my mountain bike I always just put the tube in, fitted the tyre to the wheel then pumped it up.
Lesson learned. Do I get knocked back to the novice group now for my stupidity 🙂
SOB I had another flat this morning as I rolled out the door so had to change another then flog myself to get to the ride in time.
Can’t be the tubes. Must be the rim. Any dents, rim tape okay? Do you re-insert your tyre with the levers? Try doing it with just your hands/thumbs. If you start from one end and work around whilst stretching the tyre, you don’t usually need to use the lever – less chance of pinching the tube. Make sure you have a bit of air in the tube as well.
No Nathan – we don’t want ‘stupid’ people in the Novice groups thanks ! (Only joking – of course you’d always be welcome and by the sounds of it you’d win the sprint every time!)
Re: tyres & repetative punctures . . . couple of other things you might like to check / do :- after every couple of rides I turn my bike upside on the grass in the sun and starting at the valve, slowly rotate the wheel & carefully inspect the tire tread (a ritual my neighbours have now got used to – lycra loonies and all that). Very frequently I pick out bits of glass, calthrop thorns etc that are embedded but haven’t gone through – yet!
If I leave them there there’s a good chance they’ll work their way in the next ride. A 2 min time investment at home is much better than 5 mins of panic as the bunch disappears up the road. I use a sewing stitch picker ($1.50 from a sewing shop) its sharp, the point is perfectly angled and is very small so fits on the bike toolbag.
Also I ‘paint’ a white tippex dot on the tyre and position this next to to the valve – so when I check a punctured tube I know its ’cause’ is in 1 of 2 places on the tyre.
After pumping the tyre up I check the bead lines on the tyre are equal distance to the wheel rim to make sure its seated properly, and spin the wheel to ensure no lumps.
If a tyre won’t fit on the rim evenly it could be the inside of the rim is scored – a bit of care with wet-n-dry emery paper should resolve that. In desparation when an old tyre just wouldn’t sit neatly on my commuting hybrid rim – a good squirt of Silicone spray (Selleys in the green can at Bunnings) on the tube and inside the tyre, sorted that one out. Silicone spray is the only lube that doesn’t damage rubber – but make sure you clean the braking surface on the rim with meths afterwards.
Tip re: putting tyres back on without using tyre levers, is to push the tyre bead into the middle of the wheel rim all the way around – it gives more slack as you force the final bit of the bead over the rim with your fingers.
Cheers for the tips guys. I got an update. Take a guess what it is. On the way to work this morning I was at the lights waiting for it to go green. Goes green I start rolling and surprise. The front wheel had done it again.
So at least I got the ride in this morning and with an average of 29.2km/h. My average to the Narrows this morning was 32.3 Had to flog myself to get to the start on time. I have just come back from the bike store and I have replaced the front tyre. Had a thorn in it so my guess is it was there for the whole morning. I have gone through all my tubes now are onto patch tubes but the first one that went this morning was patched and lasted over 1300kms. So will stick with the tubes I have for now. I will have to get a matching rear tyre once I can afford it. Will be checking my tyres more closely from now on though.
Yay no flats today 🙂