Learning Curve

RedSkywalker

Pedelecer
Jun 16, 2008
87
0
I started night school yesterday [doing basic bike maintenance] and it was great fun and very informative. We covered punctures last night and everybody had a go at stipping the tyre and tube, checking for the cause of puncture and then refitting - I feel much more confident about being able to fit a new tube out on the road now - at least as far as the front wheel goes!

Is it really that dificult to remove and refit a back wheel? I have a Powcycle Salisbury and I'm seriously considering fitting a Green solid on the rear but obviously this would mean removing the wheel for fitting and I'm hesitating because I don't know what's involved - but surely it can't be that difficult, can it?

The other thing I noticed was that when we finished at 9 and it was pitch black outside I was the only one with lights! Everbody else went happily cycling off into the night [dissappearing after just a few yards] with no lights, helmets or high vis clothing - wow!
 

Mussels

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 17, 2008
3,207
8
Crowborough
Is it really that dificult to remove and refit a back wheel? I have a Powcycle Salisbury and I'm seriously considering fitting a Green solid on the rear but obviously this would mean removing the wheel for fitting and I'm hesitating because I don't know what's involved - but surely it can't be that difficult, can it?
No, I did it for the first time in Woolwich high street and the biggest problem (apart from needing to go to Argos to buy the spanner :rolleyes: ) was the electric cable to the hub. I found it a bit fiddly to get the wheel right out but to change an inner tube you don't have to take the wheel out.
What is a green solid?
 
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RedSkywalker

Pedelecer
Jun 16, 2008
87
0
Sorry, it should have been GreenTyre :tyres

One of the things I like about it [apart from no punctures] is that I could specify a higher pressure setting [done by altering the density of the mix] for the rear [the standard tyre on the Salisbury limits you to a max of 65psi and I find that a bit soft]

How far out could you pull the wheel before the slack in the cable was taken up and are there any clips on the plug?
 

Mussels

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 17, 2008
3,207
8
Crowborough
Sorry, it should have been GreenTyre :tyres

One of the things I like about it [apart from no punctures] is that I could specify a higher pressure setting [done by altering the density of the mix] for the rear [the standard tyre on the Salisbury limits you to a max of 65psi and I find that a bit soft]

How far out could you pull the wheel before the slack in the cable was taken up and are there any clips on the plug?
I've not heard anything good about airless tyres yet and as there are good puncture resistant tyres on the market I'd be loathe to try solid tyres. Also punctures are not hard to fix, it's a five minute job for most of them.
I expect you will be able to get decent tyres that take a higher pressure, though if you can check what pressure the rim can take for your chosen tyre as well.
I can take the wheel right out without disconnecting the cable so I can change the tyre easily, I expect this is normal but I don't have the same bike as you.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
I too have a very low opinion of solid tyre types, and I've never seen a good review on them from a trustworthy source. One problem can be actually getting them on without rim damage, and a higher pressure mix will exacerbate that.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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Sure Al, but they suffer the same problem as solid, the same stability lateral and vertical, which is not what's wanted in a tyre. A properly designed tyre has good vertical flexibility for roadholding and comfort, with limited lateral flexibility to ensure cornering stability.
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RedSkywalker

Pedelecer
Jun 16, 2008
87
0
Sure Al, but they suffer the same problem as solid, the same stability lateral and vertical, which is not what's wanted in a tyre. A properly designed tyre has good vertical flexibility for roadholding and comfort, with limited lateral flexibility to ensure cornering stability.
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Cheers flecc - now I understand that fundamental difference things make a bit more sense. I have done some research on solids and discovered that Centre Parks use them on their rental bikes and they seem quite happy with them, so could it be that their disadvantage only really shows when they are used at the higher performance end of cycling but they are ok for comuting on roads?

This may be academic anyway cos having read Mussels reply I'm going to try removing my rear wheel in the fleet workshop next week to see how easy it is and if it's not too bad I'll start carrying tubes and tools.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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Having seen some publicity for Centre Parcs with people ambling around on bikes there, I can well understand them being happy with the tyres, since the distances ridden are short and the speeds of an average family party of parents and children will be low.

If one's riding is of that sedentary sort, the "solids" will be good enough, though possibly rather inefficient and needing more effort to pedal along. I think most don't ride like that, I don't even in my seventies on a utility bike, and I certainly wouldn't want to risk using them in the sometimes less than ideal road conditions we have. For example, going round a bend in the wet or with Autumn leaf slime on the road is when I want a tyre to be completely stable laterally.

There are some excellent puncture resistant tyres available like the Schwalbe Marathon Plus and Continental Security models, and they give more than enough protection. I've been using the Marathon Plus for some five years across three bikes, almost all without punctures. The one exception was riding over freshly cut buckthorn on a cyclepath, a daft thing to do and for which I paid with a puncture. During that five years I've had many punctures on my trailer for which there are no Marathons available, but not one on the road with the three bikes, doing up to 5000 miles a year.

That's not to say they can't puncture, some do suffer them, but for most they are very effective.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres

Continental Contact Security tyres
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eddieo

Banned
Jul 7, 2008
5,070
6
I am technically challenged so please be patient.But I can repair a tyre ...but doing this on a wisper concerns me a bit.......

Is it advisable to upgrade to puncture resistant tyres?

which are recommended for the wisper?

can you turn the bike upside down?

do owners carry a spare inner tube rather then repair?

can rear inner tube be repaired in situ? Or is it best to remove wheel?

is it possible to remove rear wheel? what about the cable....

this is worrying me every time I go out. I have a punture kit but would like to be prepared:confused:
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
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Is it advisable to upgrade to puncture resistant tyres?

It's whether you fear punctures enough to spend the extra.

which are recommended for the wisper?

As above, Marathon Plus or Continental Contact Security.

can you turn the bike upside down?

Yes, easiest to take the battery out first.

do owners carry a spare inner tube rather then repair?

Some do, but probably not worth it for the rear wheel. Better to repair the puncture with the wheel left in then. There are also split inner tubes for temporary use on the road, these you can put in without undoing the wheel. Halfords have them.

can rear inner tube be repaired in situ? Or is it best to remove wheel?

Repair with the wheel in place, just release the V brake to give inner tube clearance and do the job on the non-chain side.


is it possible to remove rear wheel? what about the cable....

Yes, there is some spare cable so it's possible to change the tyre or tube with care.
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eddieo

Banned
Jul 7, 2008
5,070
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Fanx's flecc!

what can I say... I am extremely grateful to you Sir!

I also should have asked ...are standard wisper tyres of good quality?
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
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I don't know what they have these days Eddie, but if they are the Kenda ones I had no problems with them on two of my bikes. There were no punctures over several hundred miles before I changed to the Marathon's as a precaution and also to change to narrower gauge at the same time.
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Mussels

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 17, 2008
3,207
8
Crowborough
They do have Kenda tyres and they are puncture resistant, I wasn't very impressed as I had a tyre wall fail after a week but that may have been brought on by the punctures* I had. :(
The only thing I didn't really like about the tyre was the upper pressure limit of 60psi being a bit low for my liking.

*The punctures were all caused internally and nothing got through the tyre.

You can turn the bike upside down but the gear changer will get scuffed.
Hardest thing I found with removing the rear wheel was getting the V brake quick release undone, and to replace you need to undo the wire side nut almost to where it drops off the thread otherwise it catches on the rear mech. You'll also need an 18mm open jaw spanner to remove it which isn't in the Wisper toolkit.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
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You'll also need an 18mm open jaw spanner to remove it which isn't in the Wisper toolkit.
That's the same problem as on the eZee bikes, 18 mm a really awkward size. Look at many sets of spanners on the market and there's commonly a jump from 17 mm to 19 mm, and buying a separate 18 mm can be expensive.

If you have a reasonable mix of tools already, you may be able to make them though make them though, as I've shown on my website, extract following:

The Torq and Quando motor spindle nuts are 18 mm, a size often not included in the average spanner set which commonly jumps from 17 to 19 mm. Separate spanners are expensive and even open ended spanners are often too long for a compact toolbag like the one mentioned above. A rummage in your existing toolbox can provide a solution if you have a spare 17 mm or 11/16" spanner, since chrome vanadium is easily filed and hacksawn. A millimetre filed out of the jaw of the former or just over half a millimetre from the latter will do the trick. Then you can saw off the unwanted end of the spanner with the usual high speed steel hacksaw blade and smooth it to provide a compact 18 mm spanner for your "on road" toolkit. Both the 18 mm spanners in my Torq and Quando toolkits were made in this way from old unwanted items.
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frank9755

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 19, 2007
1,228
2
London
I've been using the Marathon Plus for some five years across three bikes, almost all without punctures. The one exception was riding over freshly cut buckthorn on a cyclepath, a daft thing to do and for which I paid with a puncture.
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Eddieo,
My experience of the Kenda tyres wasn't great; this thread has my story and also that of John (Aldby).

Hedgerow clippings can be quite a problem - this article reminded me of your puncture, Flecc
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
That was a nasty one Frank. At least on the cyclepath where I had that puncture, I could clearly see all the cuttings but placed too much faith in the tyres.

Farmers in my area always fall down on the legal requirement for hedge cutting warning signs, while contractors and councils are very good in that respect, sometimes putting advance signs so far in front that I begin to wonder if there are any works!
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