Saturday, May 24, 2008

When the goop hits the fan...

When tubeless goes bad...

Those of you out there who have made the leap to tubeless tires will no doubt relish the benefits, notably the ability to run lower tire pressures with reduced risk of puncture. With low pressure also comes a world of benefits that really bring a bike alive. These include lower rolling resistance, more traction and extended tire life.

While tubeless may seem like the ultimate tire solution, it is not without its own challenges, and principal among these is the initial setup, where a combination of sitcky goop and compressed air can make for a messy and uncomfortable situation.

Fortunately, those out there who haven't taken the plunge can learn from the Mountain Pedaler's mistakes. A great deal of faffing about could have been avoided if the tyres had first been inflated onto the rims with a tube, thus seating at least one of the beads. With those done, the compressor easily inflated the tire and seated the remaining bead with a loud pop.

All sealed up and ready to PARTY!


Andrew shows some new-bike stoke

With tyres inflated and pedals attached, Andrew's Chiquillo was ready to fly. Fuego rider Will took him for a whizz around the Christhchurch tracks, and Andrew reported having a blast. Despite the always painful maiden endo Andrew showed some impressive riding skills and should be shredding his home tracks as we speak.

Mountain Pedaler out...

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