That ride sounds nuts. Hats off to you. Do you think you would complete the ride if it wasn't organized?
It seems to me that if the structure allows/helps you to take part in the ride, that's OK, and that's enough.

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A mini-poll for the experts: Is patching a tube crap or not crap?

I just started doing this because it seems wasteful to chuck the whole tube.
I half expected the patched tubes to blow out again within days but they seem to hold up pretty well.
Not crap?

I sort of thought patching tubes fell out of favor a long time ago, and the cheap-ass patching kit I had in my possession did not inspire confidence.
But it did the trick, and you can't argue with results, right? I may regret this I guess.

Teacher's Pet wrote: Fri Nov 03, 2023 4:15 pm
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A mini-poll for the experts: Is patching a tube crap or not crap?

I just started doing this because it seems wasteful to chuck the whole tube.
I half expected the patched tubes to blow out again within days but they seem to hold up pretty well.
Not crap?

I sort of thought patching tubes fell out of favor a long time ago, and the cheap-ass patching kit I had in my possession did not inspire confidence.
But it did the trick, and you can't argue with results, right? I may regret this I guess.

Patching has never fallen out of favor with non-racers. Patches work well and last a long time with a little bit of patience. The Rema Tip Top kits have been the standard forever.

Patching is the right action unless the tear is massive, or the inner tube is visibly knackered. When I was riding a daft amount a couple of years ago, I remember retiring an inner tube with four separate patches on it.

…and finally moved back to more puncture resistant tyres. Love riding on Vittoria Corsas, but Continental Four Seasons ultimately sustained me on London’s mucky roads.

I have a few friends who have gone tubeless within the last year. I haven't made up my mind about them yet: while they do seem to get less day to day flats, it still happens sometimes (deep potholes or train track grooves and whatnot) and I don't believe it's something that can be re-sealed on the spot. I think they perform better with less PSI which is counterintuitive compared to conventional road tires.



I've patched up minor punctures in the past but these days I seem to get either big tears in the tube, or it's kind of old anyway and just replace it.

Well, my bike of over 20 years (pictured on a previous page) was stolen yesterday in broad daylight. Locked up with a Kryptonite cable lock, I was gone for 45 minutes. Time to go shopping I guess.

^enframed, sorry to hear the rotten news.

penningtron wrote: I have a few friends who have gone tubeless within the last year. I haven't made up my mind about them yet: while they do seem to get less day to day flats, it still happens sometimes (deep potholes or train track grooves and whatnot) and I don't believe it's something that can be re-sealed on the spot. I think they perform better with less PSI which is counterintuitive compared to conventional road tires.

My wife's gravel bike had tubeless 28cs that failed completely a couple of times, and we found them infuriating to work with. We probably could've got comfortable with them had we invested time and effort in learning how to maintain and fix them, but we found them messy and fiddly, and nowhere near as reliable as we expected them to be. Tyre pressure may have been too high at times, perhaps. Speaking to a local bike store that specialised in mbks, I gather 28c is as thin a tubeless tyre can go without becoming a liability for anyone other than a pro, so if you're riding thicker wheels, go for it. We're sticking to clinchers hereon: the last failure ruined a ride and resulted in a costly taxi ride home, as the tyre was completely unseated.

Back in the UK, we rode old steel racing bikes ("classic lightweights" to use English terminology) with friends who are thoroughly in love with old bikes, and there are a fair few ex-racers in the bunch who stick to tubulars, which I saluted while thinking they're nuts.

enframed wrote: Sat Nov 04, 2023 4:33 pm Well, my bike of over 20 years (pictured on a previous page) was stolen yesterday in broad daylight. Locked up with a Kryptonite cable lock, I was gone for 45 minutes. Time to go shopping I guess.

Commiserations, that's awful.

My faithful old Kryptonite has been out-paced by the arms race: our local bike thieves have been using a battery powered angle grinder in broad daylight, so I've just upgraded to a new lock. Battery technology advances have some downsides too.

Can't provide an especially useful review other than 'I still have my bike'.

pldms wrote: Mon Nov 06, 2023 9:28 am

enframed wrote: Sat Nov 04, 2023 4:33 pm Well, my bike of over 20 years (pictured on a previous page) was stolen yesterday in broad daylight. Locked up with a Kryptonite cable lock, I was gone for 45 minutes. Time to go shopping I guess.

Commiserations, that's awful.

My faithful old Kryptonite has been out-paced by the arms race: our local bike thieves have been using a battery powered angle grinder in broad daylight, so I've just upgraded to a new lock. Battery technology advances have some downsides too.

Can't provide an especially useful review other than 'I still have my bike'.

Looks like a good lock thank you. I have a new bike on the way, which I'm excited about. Will be my first bike with indexed gears.

I did a mega-bike ride, gravel event this past weekend. I also made a video.

benadrian wrote: Mon Feb 12, 2024 2:55 pm I did a mega-bike ride, gravel event this past weekend. I also made a video.

Man, something about the sound of an announcer at the beginning of a sporting event gives me flashbacks to marathons past and my anxiety just SHOOTS up.

I'd love to do some rides like this but less structured!