When Should You Replace A Road Bike Tyre? | The GCN Tech Clinic
When Should You Replace A Road Bike Tyre? | The GCN Tech Clinic
We’ve got a special edition of the GCN Tech clinic, brought to you from sunny Dubai. This week Jon is talking tyre wear, when to replace cables, and how to care for your helmet.
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Why don’t we put tubeless liquid inside clinchers…best of both worlds?
Wait… did he spray wd-40 on the whole bike?????
the gear cables on my mtb where 16 years old when I had to replace them because the coating on them had turned to dust , I use un coated cables now so I might never have to replace them again
I love this, also thanks for this beautifully informative content about tyres and more.
How do you dispose of all the aerosol spray cans?
The reason why they vinegar new tyres on a velodrome is to remove any potential release agent on the rubber from when the tyre was made. You will usually find track riders will sand their tyres and vinegar them. If you dont, you will fall off hen you go on the bank. The other trick rider will do is ride 4/5 laps of the cote, as this helps scrub the tyre in.
Instead of super glue, would you use Shoe Goo on a tire cut?
hi Jon, do you recommend putting grease before locking the cassette? I noticed that some videos have them but never saw mechanics in different bike shops put grease in the hubs before locking the cassette. #askgcn
I’ve used tubeless tires for over three years now and discovered that I had punctures I didn’t realize had happened when I replaced a worn out tire. Now that most international brands have tubeless selections, the only significant downside is when you get a large cut and you have to perform the dollar bill and tube fix at the side of the road. Bead tolerances on tubeless tires are so tight that it can be a pain to get the tire off and then back on the rim.
When to replace your tyres? When they’re tyred…
GCN Tech: How can I true my wheels without using a truing device/stand? Thanks in advance!
The master cylinder on my shamano hydraulic brake has got stuck all the way in! How can I fix this?
I’ve got a cuestion. I have a pair of bontrager aeolus 3 and the back wheel seems to be a bit unbalanced. I don’t feel it on the road, only when i lift the bike and spin it manually. I’ve noticed that the anbalance is on the valve side and located the sensor magnet in the opposite side but the “problem” remains. Is this a normal thing?
PS best channel ever!
his name is HEETESH 😛
Hi Jon, I have a question. I ride a lot on Zwift and I sweat a lot-A LOT. I am always worried about sweat eroding the carbon frame or handle bar. While I always remember to wipe off the sweat after a ride, how often should I take my bike for an actual wash assuming that I ride everyday for at least 1 hour per day.
Coming back on when to replace a helmet: I’ve had a crash, but I’ve never thought about it of replacing my helmet. When I checked it properly, I saw a couple of coves (3-4 mm deep) and a deep and large one (at least 7 mm deep). Do I need to replace my helmet on this occasion?
Ahh, that’s what the dimples are on my Conti tyres. Thanks Jon, didn’t know it was a tread indicator.
Thanks so much for answering, Jony Tech !
Be very conservative judging front tire wear and damage. The front tire is how you steer, stay up on two wheels and takes much of the load under braking. ANYTHING connected to the fork CAN BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE!!
Dont overinflate tires. Propely inflated tires are FREE PERFORMANCE!Most roadies overinflate. It makes no sense unless youre riding the track or exceedingly smooth roads. I weigh 170 and never pump tires over 70 psi on smooth roads(32c road tires)
80-90psi for skinny tires max unless you weigh more than 220lbs or carry loads. Softer, more voluminous tires roll just as well, its been proven in real world tests. Softer tires grip better in braking and cornering. Softer tires wear longer and suffer less flats. Last , but most important, (to me)softer tires are more comfortable letting you ride longer and be fresher at the end of a long ride. Hard tires ‘feel’ faster, but its an illusion. Your body needs to absorb all those extra impacts and theres added stress in keeping the bike on track. Try to ride smoother, unweight the bike over obstacles and pick good lines.
DONT Rotate tires on a bicycle. This isnt a car!!Rear tires wear out almost twice as fast as front tires. Remember! Front tires are a safety issue!Replace tires as they wear out or are damaged. They WILL NOT last any longer rotating. Its not worth taking safety risks to save a small amount of money in any case.
Regarding tubeless (latex) tires.
My experience isnt that good. I loose around 1.5 bar of presure before the gap is closed so i drop from 7 bar to 5.5 wich increases the risk of pinchpunctures instead of removing them. You can always bringe your tire up to 7 bar again at wich point the latex doesnt hold te gap any more but Just blows out
Also when u get a nasty ripp or slash in your tire you will be cleaning latex offerte your bikes for about an hour
So if your a bigger person there is a chance that when u get a flat tire ure ride will be over instead of replacing an inner.
Im back on inners. Latex works great on mtb though
I was quite surprised seeing my sisters helmet after she had a close look at a Ford Transit windscreen at 60 km/h. The helmet started to shrink. right after the collison it was normal size and only had a few scuff marks, but after 2 days i’d estimate it had shrunk 10%. The plastic outer lining was way too big for the foam.
Is there going to be a full video on "how to scrub your helmet properly?"
Jonny Tech, you’re the best.
The super glue on tires trick truly works to fix nicks and such, mine has a lot of it on there and it just keeps going (for now, anyway).
Awesome thanks Jon! Will check if it’s a frayed cable..!
vinegar on track tyres is just to clean the tyre so you’re not contaminating the track, it also helps with grip to a certain extent by not having oil etc on the tyre on the potentially very slippery surface of the velodrome. On the road its just not relevant
Tubeless tires, to me, are not worth the trouble. Most of the advantage of a tubeless tire can be matched with a light tube (latex or very light butyl) and by powdering the tire and tube with either talc or cornstarch. You don’t have to worry about the sealant drying out or incurring the extra cost of buying sealant. In a blindfold test, I doubt that the vast majority of riders would be able to tell the difference between a tubed and a tubeless tire.
didn’t expect to hear you talking about scrubbing your helmet in the shower, Jon.. #toomuchinformation
I need this bike🚵👍😘💙
Lol y’all have brake problems when I got 55 mph with a engine and my brakes are dollar store flip flops on the ground 😂😂😂
I think the vinegar was to clean the new tyre as they often have a bit of release agent on them from the moulding process as it is slippery stuff.
Hey John, how about cuts and tears in your tires?? Show us some of those and chips off the tire? Also is there Teflon tape to put on the tire?
6:17 perfect chance to address the misnomer appertaining to "clinchers." Fail…
By using vinegar you remove a bit of the rubbers oil therefor making the tire less sticky. This lowers rolling resistance by an unmeasurable amount. But iT is still usefull because on the Road your tires pick up less debris so less chance of flats.
the foam rubber on the inside of bike helmets degrades over time. I just had to replace an old Specialized helmet after virtually all of the foam padding crumbled and fell apart. If you recall the scene from The Andromeda Strain where the rubber hose on the pilot’s helmet turned into what looked like sand, you’ll know what I mean.
Holy shit i thought those 2 holes were manufacture defects!!!
Fill gaps in tires with liquid rubber like Shoe Goo. Much better than super glue. It can be even be used to cover sidewalls and the tire casing from super worn tread.
I run my hybrid bike on stock 35c tyres. Will it be safe to switch to 28c or will it be incompatible?
Hi Jon can a short or long stem make any difference in turning my bike?
Is it possible to use tubless tires on standard rims, I saw someone use plumbers tape. I don’t know if he was successful.
Last time i had a problem with my braking ( with no visable reason) i replaced the cables and hey presto. ( cable was kinked inside my top tube )
Is there anything Jon doesn’t know?… “What was Fausto Coppi’s preferred chain lube?” Jon: “Funny enough, when I worked as Coppi’s mechanic in 1947…”
So if I am not changing to tubeless tires, what about just using a tube sealant? I commute in the Canadian winter and don’t want to be stranded in the -20c storm. Does the sealant plug up the valve stem when you go to add air?
You failed to mention an important detail regarding brake compatibility: Shimano have changed their brake cable pull ratio at least twice during the last 15 years or so: both the amount of cable pulled, and how the cable is pulled throughout the throw of the lever (from regressive to progressive pull).
Whats the difference of brands of wheelsets? Such as superteam and other big name brands
Quick rule of thumb. If you are getting higher than average punctures, it’s probably time to replace your tire.
Bike maintenance tip; never, ever spray your bicycle with water, yeegads! Why is that still a thing? Just wipe it down and oil the parts that need oil.
#askgcntech hi, can you out sealant in your inner tubes? will it work?
I always clean my helmet whilst showering.
"Make sure your levers match your calipers" …just like on your Merckx then Jon? 😉