give tired tyres a 5 minute face-lift!

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 22:39:49 +0100

Whether we have one, two or three wheels on our bicycle, we all need tyres! Without them, steering, braking and pedaling would be impossible and the ride would be uncomfortable – to say the least….

So what can be done to make sure our tyres stay in good condition and that little patch of rubber in contact with the road does a proper job?

wave good bye to wonky valves

The tyre valve should be pointing straight at the middle of the hub in the centre of the wheel. They can wander off at an angle to the valve hole and this can put a strain on the valve or that bit of inner tube just out of sight under the wheel rim.

The answer is to flatten the tyre, squeeze the two sides of the tyre wall together to loose them, then shuffle the tyre around – usually no more than a centimetre (1/2”) – bringing the valve around until you can easily push it into the valve hole.

a thorny issue

Work your way around the tyre removing any thorns, glass, wire or tiny pieces of stone that you see. You might need a small screwdriver to persuade them out.

Listen for a hiss, as they may already have caused a puncture! Any big empty cuts that have been caused by sharps can be glued together. Empty all the air out of the inner tube, pop a spot of super glue into the cut and squeeze together until the sides hold shut.

pile on the pounds

Make sure you’re running the correct tyre pressures. This is often written on the side of the tyre in “PSI” (pounds per square inch) or Bar (the metric equivalent). If it’s a while since your last ride they will almost certainly need some air, as inner tubes will always deflate eventually.

Time to get the pump out! If you’ve no gauge, pump up until the tyres are firm to the squeeze. When you sit on your bike, the tyres should deform very slightly where they touch the ground, as they take your weight.

free spin

Lift the wheel and give it a gentle turn, allowing it to run by itself.

Nothing should catch the tyre as it moves (mudguards, frame, wiring) and you’re looking for a perfect circle as the tyre rotates – no bumps or egg-shaped curves.

dreaded treads

Any signs of tread coming away, or wearing down to the carcass, badly cracked or flaking sidewalls, or rubber becoming hard and brittle? If so, it may be time for a change.

Rubber is a natural material and will deteriorate in time, through too much heat and light, even if it hasn’t done a high mileage.

Your tyre face-lift takes less time than it does to for you to put your make-up on in the morning.

If only all make-overs were that quick and easy!

If this has posed more questions for you than it answers, give David a call at The Cycle Service on +44 (0) 77 333 77 818 mentioning Cycle Divas.

plain dutch speaking

Tue, 12 May 2009 07:58:44 +0100

I get so angry at cycle magazines that spout jargon. In fact, I was so incensed by a reader’s letter featured recently in a well known cycling publication that I just had to respond. This letter was written by a guy who was campaigning for the magazine ‘not to dumb down’ in response to a letter in a previous issue sent in by a lady who was new to cycling. All she asked for was a teensy weeny little article about the basic parts and mechanics of her bike.

It’s hard enough to encourage more women into cycling and this attitude, which is so typical of the mainstream day-glow spandex cycling fraternity, does little to welcome more women to enjoy the benefits cycling brings.

This got me thinking. And in a bid to help all you ladies, from novice to competent cyclists, to understand the parts and workings of this wonderful machine and put you on par with the experts, I’ve put together 2 simple diagrams and guides that show you what the various parts of your bike are called and what the key parts do.

I’m going to start with the Dutch Roadster which is becoming frequently more popular in the UK as cycling and fashion begin to ride in tandem. Agyness Deyn has one. So too does Laura Cameron-Lewis.

So, the next time you walk into a bike shop wanting spares or repairs or read a jargon orientated article, you’ll be geared up to respond!

I’m going to start with an increasingly popular choice for stylish lady cyclists and that is the Dutch Roadster.

brakes & gears
Traditionally, the brake pads rest on the front and rear rims of your wheels. However, many dutch style bikes like this one have what are called FRONT HUB BRAKES. The benefits of hub brakes over the rubber brake pads that you see commonly on most bikes are that they work extremely effectively in the wet and don’t wear your aluminium rim away like a vee or caliper brake would do.

Most dutch styled bikes don’t have a rear derailleur, a simple system consisting of a chain and multiple sprockets and a chain guide to help move the chain from one sprocket to another, but a BRAKED HUB GEAR. This has all the advantages of the front hub, but the gears are snuggled in there too, like jolly baked beans in a can, free to turn in peace away from the dangers of salt, water and grit in their own little clean-oil environment. I have a lot of time for hub gears!

Some dutch bikes have what are known as COASTER brakes. A coaster brake is a back-pedal brake and has the advantage of needing no lever or cable running to it, simplifying the mechanical operation.

Coaster brakes were invented in the 1890s, and have continued to be sought after in some areas to this day. Contrary to popular opinion, coaster brakes are NOT illegal in the UK.

head set

The "headset" is the assembly that connects the front fork to the frame, and permits the fork to turn for steering and balancing. Older bikes and bikes styled on an old fashioned concept like our bike above has a threaded headset.

Many newer bikes use "threadless" forks and "threadless" headsets but the bicycle frame doesn’t really care which style headset it used, so long as it is the correct size.

chain and skirt guards

The beauty of dutch style bikes is that they often come with chain guard (shown) and skirt guard (not shown) as standard. These prevent your trousers and skirts getting tangled up and avoid you having to wear unsightly trouser clips!

Whilst more manufacturers of ladies road bikes are including the guards as standard, many more don’t. They come as additional extras which you need to have fitted to your bike....at yet more cost!

If this has posed more questions for you than it answers, give David a call at The Cycle Service on +44 (0) 77 333 77 818 mentioning Cycle Divas.

Meet David from The Cycle Service

give tired tyres a 5 minute face-lift!

plain dutch speaking