Gloves

AtlantaSports said:

I enjoy riding glove free. Do you not like it for a particular reason or did you just want to purchase a pair of gloves?

The issue with riding with no gloves is that when the distances are big it really hurts the hands and the skin goes away. Sure, if it's for small distances fine, but long distances require gloves.

Froze said:

I never wipe tires anymore, I use to wipe my tires a lot when I use to live in Goat head city to get the goat heads off the tire but since moving away from goat heads I discovered rather quickly I got just as many flats wiping as I did not wiping, and the reason for that by the time you think you see something in your tire it's either already penetrated or by the time you get your hand out to wipe it off the tire has made several revolutions and thus the object is already embedded into the tire. I may still do it on a rare occasion maybe after riding through a debris field of glass, but my gloves hold up for 3 to 4 years anyways and the occasional tire wipe doesn't hut them.

I get maybe 3 years out of my gloves. Plus I usually have about 3 pair at a time anyway. One for weekend rides (somewhat used but presentable to the populous), midweek rides (thrashed but still work/no other riders around) and the slightly used pair (for forum rides and special events).

I'm always wiping glass from our tires. The homeless and the punks of the trail break glass and spread it across the trail in strips to purposely cause flats for the riders. Usually about 4 sections of the trail. Being a heavy rider, I flat more if I don't wipe. I have light weight rider friends that flat more than I do and they have brought up the fact that I wipe often and they don't so maybe it works. ^_^

CAMPYBOB said:

That's NOT a tire you're grabbing!

When we pull up side to side, I have to put my hand on her backside to even out our speed, make it steady before I wipe her tire. OK so it doesn't have to be her back side, but why not?! :lol:

CAMPYBOB said:

That's NOT a tire you're grabbing!

LOL, this is great; though it makes no sense because by the time you get over there to wipe the tire she's made at least 50 revolutions so any imbedded debris has more than made it's way into the tire.

Froze said:

LOL, this is great; though it makes no sense because by the time you get over there to wipe the tire she's made at least 50 revolutions so any imbedded debris has more than made it's way into the tire.

I don't believe this myself and we rarely flat so IMO, it works. 😉 We ride the same course, same glass traps as our partners and we often set aside and watch them change their flats. Pretty much we all run the same tires too. Conti GP 4000's and one guy rides Specialized (not sure of the model).

Not to mention, if we run through debris and make a stop at a park after to refill water bottles, I will inspect our tires.

What? No one practices tucking & rolling while using the old timey 'Nail pullers' (AKA tire savers)?

Realizing not many even know how they work...willya look at that awesome old Record brake?!

CAMPYBOB said:

What? No one practices tucking & rolling while using the old timey 'Nail pullers' (AKA tire savers)?

Realizing not many even know how they work...willya look at that awesome old Record brake?!

Years ago I rode with a guy who had one. Said they work well but sure made a mess of the bike kicking up all the dust etc onto the frame.

The "tire savers" seem familiar to me, too. I wonder if they were in the ever-fashionable Sears catalog. Remember, Sears and Montgomery Ward, in their day, once had catalogs for almost everything? They both even sold motorcycles. If I recall, Montgomery Ward got the endorsement of Gale Sayers for its top-of-the-line motorcycle, which was probably a reject out of the Honda or Yamaha factories.

Bob

BobCochran said:

The "tire savers" seem familiar to me, too. I wonder if they were in the ever-fashionable Sears catalog. Remember, Sears and Montgomery Ward,
Bob

Just don't ever order their $49.99 set of roller blades. They suck! :lol:

We did get some nicer skates a few years back but Gina almost killed herself so they're collecting dust. Talk about needing a helmet! :o

Mr. Beanz, you said something interesting:

"I'm always wiping glass from our tires. The homeless and the punks of the trail break glass and spread it across the trail in strips to purposely cause flats for the riders."

I live fairly close to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, at the southern end, near what we call the Spellman Overpass. This overpass is a pedestrian bridge running across the Parkway, connecting the town center with a whole lot of apartment buildings. It also provides pedestrian access to the local high school which has a few thousand students.

Well -- either the school students or certain apartment residents, or more likely both these peoples, would smash glass bottles all over the overpass surface for the reasons you list above. Probably to damage cars speeding past on the Parkway, too. A few years ago I've often had to walk my bike past a zone of broken glass.

Then the city installed webcams at each end of the overpass. I think the cameras can see onto the overpass, too! And the overpass is well lit at night. I think that stopped the bottle smashing. It might also be that some smashers moved out, or got arrested and hopefully jailed. Whatever the reason -- there have not been episodes of bottle smashing this year, I'm very happy to report.

Bob

Damn, met my quota of likes for the day, sorry Bob!

So yeah, lots of dopes doing that kind of stuff around here. Some homeless urinate all over the trail so that the cyclists have to roll through it as well. Pretty sick!

I once saw a group of about 4 teens, looked well off to do kids. They placed large boulder type rocks, about 3 ft in diameter across the entire width of the trail. They were standing on an overpass just waiting to watch a cyclist go down. I got of my bike and removed the boulders then flipped the teens the finger.

Once I was in the restroom when a big dude walked up and started hassling Gina. He was a big dude like the Chief in One who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. :o

Just started shouting at her! Oh man was he surprised when I walked out of the restroom with fire in my eyes! I threatened to beat his ass right there and he backed down rather quickly. Luckily 3 other homeless dudes dragged him away apologizing to us.

There is a lot of stuff that goes on so keep the eyes open out there. 🙁

I know what you mean, Mr. Beanz, and I entirely agree with you. And I'm glad you remember "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest", too!

Bob

CAMPYBOB said:

What? No one practices tucking & rolling while using the old timey 'Nail pullers' (AKA tire savers)?

Realizing not many even know how they work...willya look at that awesome old Record brake?!

At least these would catch debris on the first revolution of the tire instead of 50 revolutions later. Has any ever wondered why these tire savers are no longer used? Because they didn't work, just like the glove principle. Sheldon Brown said this about tire savers:

Tire Savers
Some punctures are caused by glass slivers or thorns gradually working their way through the tire tread. What can happen is that a small sharp object may be picked up by the tire, then gradually work its way in over the course of several tire revolutions. The pointy thing is driven in like a nail into wood by repeated blows against the pavement. A formerly popular device called a "tire saver" or "flint snatcher" used a loosely-sprung piece of wire (generally made from a bicycle spoke) to brush the tire tread constantly in hope of dislodging glass slivers and the like before they could penetrate all the way to the inner tube.
These are of dubious value in practice, but may be of help in backward areas where throwaway beverage bottles are still legal, and glass slivers are a major problem.

Mr. Beanz said:

So yeah, lots of dopes doing that kind of stuff around here. Some homeless urinate all over the trail so that the cyclists have to roll through it as well. Pretty sick!

Urinating on the bicycle trail is sick? Oh no that ain't sick, this is sick, when I die I'm going to be cremated and my surviving members of my family are going to spread my ashes all over the bike trail so when people run over my ashes they can take me wherever they're going.

Froze said:

Because they didn't work, just like the glove principle. Sheldon Brown said this about tire savers:............................................

but may be of help in backward areas

You're contradicting yourself. You say they don't work then post a claim by Sheldon saying they may help.

Of course the "they don't work" comment is your opinion without any backing info other info than Sheldon's saying "they may help". And as I posted, we are riding through sections where people purposely place loads of glass in an attempt to flatten cyclist tires. Im guessign that is one of the things meant by Sheldon's words "backwards areas".

But you are entitled to your opinion but I am entitled to mine that wiping with a glove does help. I have about 4000 miles on my bike over a period of a year and a half, Double that as Gina rides with me so double the mileage being on 2 bikes and 4 tires. In that period we both together have had only 2 flat tires. Other friends that are 60-80 pounds less than my weight flat twice as much on the same roads, the same tires, and the same ride.

When we ride through a patch of glass, I wipe my tires and literally see plenty of glass flying from my tire as I wipe. IMO it helps and Sheldon won't be there to repair my flat! :angry:

That is enough proof for me to form my opinion that wiping with the glove does work. Not sure why you keep arguing your opinion that it does not work by posting a contradicting statement from Sheldon. :unsure:

Do you have any proof that it does not work other than your own opinion?

BTW, I have once had my hand poked by wiping after riding through some thorns. Hurt like a mother but tell me that didn't prevent a flat? 😉

Sheldon Brown, for all the help he provided people...was frequently incorrect. Men who sing sea shanty's frequently are...weird.

I've used nail pullers and they worked...if you could put up with the noise generated by a new sew-up with a little actual tread form on it. I also still glove off loads of [censored]. From chip & seal shards to glass to stuck rocks and pebbles after running through tar I've removed lots of potential threats to the tire before Mr. Inside Air met Mr. Outside Air.

Back in July I ran over what looked like a roofing nail with a blunt shank that was only 1/4" long (broken off tip/point?). It took exactly zero revolutions to puncture the tire and tube. If I had a nail puller installed I would have lost all pressure in maybe 100'. With the nail in place I managed to get almost a mile before I lost enough pressure to put the rim at risk...pulled over and popped in a new tube. The now almost cord showing tire is still on the Wilier and didn't need a boot. I'll stick a new tire on in the next week or two to get me through winter. Unnecessarily risking a tire change with already frozen fingers...not smart.

Mr. Beanz said:

You're contradicting yourself. You say they don't work then post a claim by Sheldon saying they may help.

Of course the "they don't work" comment is your opinion without any backing info other info than Sheldon's saying "they may help". And as I posted, we are riding through sections where people purposely place loads of glass in an attempt to flatten cyclist tires. Im guessign that is one of the things meant by Sheldon's words "backwards areas".

But you are entitled to your opinion but I am entitled to mine that wiping with a glove does help. I have about 4000 miles on my bike over a period of a year and a half, Double that as Gina rides with me so double the mileage being on 2 bikes and 4 tires. In that period we both together have had only 2 flat tires. Other friends that are 60-80 pounds less than my weight flat twice as much on the same roads, the same tires, and the same ride.

When we ride through a patch of glass, I wipe my tires and literally see plenty of glass flying from my tire as I wipe. IMO it helps and Sheldon won't be there to repair my flat! :angry:

That is enough proof for me to form my opinion that wiping with the glove does work. Not sure why you keep arguing your opinion that it does not work by posting a contradicting statement from Sheldon. :unsure:

Do you have any proof that it does not work other than your own opinion?

BTW, I have once had my hand poked by wiping after riding through some thorns. Hurt like a mother but tell me that didn't prevent a flat? 😉

Pick and chose what you want to leave out huh? I see you left out this: "These are of dubious value in practice, but may be of help in backward areas where throwaway beverage bottles are still legal, and glass slivers are a major problem". Note the words "dubious value in practice" In other words in practice not to be relied on.

Pick and choose? Hardly. Its reading comprehension. Sheldon can say whatever he wants but once he says may help, that means there is a possibility.

Mr. Beanz said:

Pick and choose? Hardly. Its reading comprehension. Sheldon can say whatever he wants but once he says may help, that means there is a possibility.

Yes your right, a possibility, like tossing a penny a million times there is a possibility that it will land on it's edge, but cannot be relied on that every time you toss the penny that it will land on it's edge, in other words it would be of dubious value to rely on that happening.

Like I said it works for me. I see it help all the time. You and Sheldon are wrong.