LiveWire Technical Alert

WTB Exi-Wolf 2.3 is the best alternative for off-road.

--
Jim_Rob - Old Man

TTFN- JR

Things I learned from Unicycling;

#3 No matter how new and fancy your unicycle is, _you_ still have to
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Jim_Rob said:

*WTB Exi-Wolf 2.3 is the best alternative for off-road. *

Thanks; I tried to suggest an alternative with approximately the same
cross-section as the Nanoraptor for best frame compatibility.

Also, you use the word "best" -- which others have you tried, under what
conditions and with what criteria? I'm very interested to hear.

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

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Hi Dave;

I have an old Nanoraptor that I've used off-road a little, it was a bit
slippy on muddy trails. I had it on a Rynolite rim, so hoping sidways
didn't work too well (it doesn't help that I weigh 210 lbs). The
Exi-wolf I have found to be much better in mud, I think because the
tread has bars that run across the tire, almost perpendicular. Also, I
run it "backwards" relative to what the MTB'rs do (they put an arrow on
the tire) because I don't care about rolling resistance, I'd rather have
the tread lined up to give a bit more grip on slippery surfaces. I now
have a KH 29 rim, with Profile 190s, which is great, and allows me to
hop any way I want with confidence. Here is a link to picture of me on
it at Moab;

http://gallery.unicyclist.com/album553/Picture_003

I also have a Big Apple that I put on the Rynolite wheel set with 150's.
that fun for commuting or playing tag with the kids.

--
Jim_Rob - Old Man

TTFN- JR

Things I learned from Unicycling;

#3 No matter how new and fancy your unicycle is, _you_ still have to
ride it.
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That looks like a good combination, Jim. The Nano is a bit smooth for
muddy trails. I have built a wheel with KH hub and rim but the jury's
still out on it. I will definitely look into the ExiWolf. Thanks!

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
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If anyone else has had a blowout problem with Nanoraptors, please
'contact me' ([email hidden]) with a brief description of
the incident, including the tire, rim, bead type, and any batch numbers
on the interior of the tire.

WTB has contacted me and suggests that the problem may be with the
folding bead version, and specifically wants to know if the steel bead
version is causing problems. Please send your comments through me so
that I can organize them into a single communication.

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)
'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)
'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)
-- Dave Stockton
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Dave;

Mine was an old steel bead, no problems with it. I will ask my friend
Walt (waltworks.com), he and his friends are deeply into 29er bikes and
could have some stories.

--
Jim_Rob - Old Man

TTFN- JR

Things I learned from Unicycling;

#3 No matter how new and fancy your unicycle is, _you_ still have to
ride it.
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Was Jeff using a Nanoraptor in the Rich And Famous race? Picture from
Nathan's Webshots gallery.

+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Attachment filename: jeff_richandfamous.jpg |
|Download attachment: http://www.unicyclist.com/attachment/323020|
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

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That looks like a foldable Nano with a Rhyno Lite rim, John. I think
that was one I built for him.

So far all the blowouts have been road or stationary, but with at least
two different rims... all the data are not in yet.

WTB did say they had problems with the foldable tire with a tubeless
setup, but they did not say what rim:

Quoted message said:

There were some "Race" tires sold in 2004 and that used a folding
beading which we heard problems about when used with Stan's No Tubes.

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
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'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)
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Ah, now I see the tube on Jeff's uni... *bonks self* 🙄

Well, we have more data in, courtesy of Tony Melton in NZ. They have
been having the same issues (blowouts) with the race version.

It appears that the so-called "race version" of the tire, which has an
interrupted, segmented bead, is essentially not appropriate for
unicycling. LiveWire recommends using only the continuous steel bead
version of the tire.

For more details, please see 'LiveWire Unicycles '
(http://www.livewireunicycles.com) for more information (click on
"Technical Alerts" on the Home Page).

If you are a LiveWire customer and have received a Race Version of the
Nanoraptor from us, please contact us at 'LiveWire Returns'
([email hidden]).

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)
'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)
'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)
-- Dave Stockton
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As U-Turn indicated, a number of NZ riders have experienced blowouts
with the Kevlar beaded race version of the Nanoraptor 29" tyre. To this
effect www.unicycle.co.nz will cease to sell this tyre. This is a pity,
as the older steel beaded version was a great tyre, but the only 29"
Nanoraptor available in NZ is the race version.

'Three other 29\" tyres' (http://tinyurl.com/9svkc) are available
through unicycle.co.nz.

--
TonyMelton - Cloud 9

The way to a man's heart is through his veins.
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U-Turn said:

*It appears that the so-called "race version" of the tire, which has
an interrupted, segmented bead, is essentially not appropriate for
unicycling. LiveWire recommends using only the continuous steel bead
version of the tire. *

How common are these interrupted or segmented beads in folding tires?
The folding tires I've used seem to have a continuous Aramid (a.k.a.
Kevlar) bead around the tire. Is this segmented style of bead something
new? I've seen some folding tires that fold flatter than others. Are
those flat folding tires using a segmented bead?

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john_childs said:

*How common are these interrupted or segmented beads in folding tires?
The folding tires I've used seem to have a continuous Aramid (a.k.a.
Kevlar) bead around the tire. Is this segmented style of bead
something new? I've seen some folding tires that fold flatter than
others. Are those flat folding tires using a segmented bead? *

My camera is on the fritz or I'd post a couple of photos for you.
Basically there is a slight gap between segments where there is no bead,
only cloth. This allows there to be a full fold there, not just a bend.
However, the cloth itself is a little stiff, allowing a bump or crease
to appear at the gap. I'm pretty sure that this bump helps keep the
bead from locking in properly, especially with narrower rims where the
tire-rim angle is more extreme.

This theory is supported by WTB's stipulation that they not be used with
tubeless setups.

I'm not really sure how common they are; this is the first tire I
personally have seen with it. They do fold very well; I imagine that's
why they call it a "race" version. It might even fit in a jersey
pocket.

I have a wheel built with a KH rim and the Race version of the
Nanoraptor, and will endeavor to spend more time on it, both on- and
off-road, in the next weeks. The KH rim, being quite a bit wider than
the nearest competitor, may provide a better seating.

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
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TonyMelton said:

*As U-Turn indicated, a number of NZ riders have experienced blowouts
with the Kevlar beaded race version of the Nanoraptor 29" tyre. To
this effect www.unicycle.co.nz will cease to sell this tyre. This is a
pity, as the older steel beaded version was a great tyre, but the only
29" Nanoraptor available in NZ is the race version.

'Three other 29\" tyres' (http://tinyurl.com/9svkc) are available
through unicycle.co.nz. *

I appreciate Tony's neighborly input in this matter which affects us
all. He sent me more detail which I will fold into the webpage as soon
as possible.

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
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'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)
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U-Turn said:

*...more detail which I will fold into the webpage as soon as
possible. *

Done. Please see 'LiveWire Unicycles'
(http://www.livewireunicycles.com) for the updates (click on "Technical
Alerts" on the Home Page).

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
'Strongest Coker Wheel in the World'
(http://www.unicyclist.com/gallery/albup39)
'29er Tire Study' (http://u-turn.unicyclist.com/29erTireStudy/)
'New York Unicycle Club' (http://www.newyorkunicycle.com)
-- Dave Stockton
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U-Turn said:

*Basically there is a slight gap between segments where there is no
bead, only cloth. This allows there to be a full fold there, not just
a bend. However, the cloth itself is a little stiff, allowing a bump
or crease to appear at the gap. I'm pretty sure that this bump helps
keep the bead from locking in properly, especially with narrower rims
where the tire-rim angle is more extreme.
*

A second close inspection seems to indicate that the bead is continuous,
however the bead folds over easily. One can hear a slight tearing sound
if the bead folds in a new place. The resulting bead in that area is
narrower and slightly misaligned so that it gives the appearance of
being a separate segment.

--
U-Turn - As long as my feet keep movin'...

Weep in the dojo... laugh on the battlefield.
'LiveWire Unicycles' (http://www.livewireunicycles.com)
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