Every Move We Make

I am not going to comment on whether or not I believe this is good or bad.  The answer is complex.  But few of us are fully aware of the extent of how much our lives are being recorded.   An article revels that every phone call, e-mail, or any digital trail we leave, is being recorded by the US Government. 

We know for a fact that any keystroke we make on our computers is being recorded by Google to mine for advertising purposes.   They read my e-mail to show bike related ads based on my e-mail content .

Are you aware that you have a keystroke voice?  You can easily be identified by how you type because everyone types at different speeds, makes different mistakes, and has a notable signature method of typing.  Go to a public computer and you do not leave your identity behind.

Everything we do now is both digitally enhanced and recorded – when you wake up and turn on your phone, where you are, how fast you drive, and your Strava times.

Flats.

Nobody likes them.  They can take you out of a race and will disrupt your commute.  At the very best, it’s an aggravation. It’s very common to see many riders who really dread fixing flats because fixing one isn’t simple if you don’t know how to do it.  You can get tire liners (like Mr Tuffy) that help prevent flats but they are both heavy and dramatically increase rolling resistance.  

Or you can use a tire sealant.  Normally about one ounce (28 grams) of sealant will work for both tires.  The sealant won’t work with catastrophic failures that would require a tire replacement but will work for almost everything else. At bike shows you regularly see tire sealant companies stick ice picks into tires without them losing air.

Another great alternative is to carry a bottle of sealant so that if you do get a flat you just use the sealant instead of replacing the tube.  A much easier, quicker, and better fix (but have you ever seen anyone do this on a group ride?).  You will need tubes with removable valve cores (pretty common).

If you happen to run tubulars, this is a no brainer.  It kind of boggles my mind that the pros haven’t figured this one out yet – but they haven’t.  Think about it – 28 grams and no flats.

Thanks for reading – John Neugent

Equipment Know-How

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Correct Tire Pressure Improves Your Ride

How much tire pressure should you run? Start by trying the manufacturer's recommended pressure, which you'll find printed on the tire sidewall (it's often on a small label but it might be molded into the casing, too, so look closely). This suggested inflation range is a good starting point. If it's a wide range, for example 40 to 60 psi, experiment to find which pressure works and feels best.

Pump Road Rubber More, Knobbies LessThe most common mistakes are riding with too little pressure in road tires and too much pressure in off-road rubber. The former happens because road treads don't have a lot of air volume. Sure, road tires are pumped up to high pressures. But, because they're skinny tires, there's hardly any air inside. Consequently, even if only a little leaks out (most bicycle tubes are made of butyl rubber, which is porous and naturally seeps air), the pressure and volume are greatly reduced. To prevent this, check tire pressure on a road bike before every ride. If you don't, you'll be riding on soft tires, which is asking for trouble. More about this in a minute.

Off-road rubber is inflated to lower pressures and because the tires are much wider than road models, there's considerably more air inside. These differences mean that fat tires don't seep air very quickly so they don't require frequent inflation the way skinny tires do. Unfortunately, the tendency is to over inflate off-road tires. By all means, if you're riding your fat tires exclusively on pavement and smooth surfaces, inflate them as hard as you like (don't exceed the manufacturer's maximum recommendation).

Go Low
If you're riding off road, however, seriously consider lower pressures -- in the 35- to 45-psi range, depending on the terrain and your weight. This will greatly increase your control and comfort over trails while improving traction and handling. Indeed, if you've been riding off-road on 50 to 60 psi, you'll be amazed at the difference.

How Low Is Too Low
Just, don't go too low. That'll increase the risk of a flat two ways (this holds true for road and off-road rubber): First, softer tires pick up more debris, which may work into the tires popping the tubes. Second, when you hit holes, ruts, rocks, etc, soft tires can deform to the point that the rim hits the ground or rock so hard that it pinches the tube (between the rim and obstacle) and cuts it in two places, which is what's known as a pinch flat or snakebite puncture (because the holes in the tube resemble a snakebite). Besides damaging the tube, this impact can bend the rim, leading to an expensive repair. Under-inflated tires also lack the sidewall rigidity needed for hard cornering. And, too-soft tires wear quicker.

Road RatingBut this doesn't mean you should always inflate road tires to the maximum pressure. Roads in the real world aren't billiard-table smooth. The jarring effect of bumpy pavement on over-inflated tires robs energy and makes for a bone-rattling ride. Properly inflated tires will roll over bumpy roads smoother and faster and get you home without shaking loose your dental work. On ultra-smooth roads, however, when rolling resistance is critical, such as in a time-trial or triathlon, go as high as 140 psi if your tires are rated to take it. Stay at the lower end of the pressure zone for comfort and rough roads.

Check Our ChartWhich pressure you use depends a lot on your weight. So we've put together this handy chart to help: (road listing is for 23c tire, off-road is for 2.0-inch-width tire). 

Rider Weight (pounds)	Road TirePressure (psi)	Off-Road TirePressure (psi)
110	95-105	35-38
140	105-115	37-40
170	110-120	40-43
200	120-130	42-45
230	125-135	45-48

Equipment Know-How

The 15% Rule Of Tire Inflation.

A good customer and newsletter reader, Charlie Zwick, sent me a copy of a great article from Bicycle Quarterly about tire inflation. It says, for most riding, tires should compress about 15% when you get on your bike. 

The front and rear tires, typically take remarkably different pressures. To determine yours, put your bike on a bathroom scale (with one wheel on a block of the same height) and get into your riding position. Record both front and rear wheel scale readings.

Bike and rider for me is about 210 pounds with 40% on the front wheel and 60% on the back. The chart indicates that I should be running 88/132 psi for 23C tires and about 75/100 for 25C. If we factor in an additional 11% pressure reduction that the wider rims offer (according to Steve Hed), that would equate to 67/98 for 25C and 78/117 for 23C. Note how low the pressure is in the "controlling" front tire - that, my friend, can change your world.

My significant other who with bike, hits the scales at about 140, would have these numbers. Normal width wheels 25C 55/75, 23C 62/88 and with wide rims 49/67 on 25C and 55/78 on 23C.

Tire pressure will affect your ride much more than any other factor – both in terms of comfort and performance. My guess is that less than 1% of bike riders are riding on the right tire pressures. You can experiment with tire pressures for free. Have fun.

Thanks for reading – John Neugent

Tire Pressure For Road Bike Tires on Wide Rim

Weight: 140 lbs

Road: Smooth and Rough

Tire: 23 c

Rim: 22 mm wide rim

Front: 94 psi

Rear: 100 psi

Weight: 140 lbs

Road: Climbing Mt. Diablo

Tire: 23 c

Rim: 22 mm wide rim

Front: 96 psi

Rear: 100 psi

Weight lbs	Front load	Rear Load	Tire Size	Front psi	Rear psi
150	67.5	82.5	23c	68	80
Weight lbs	Rim Width	Tire Size	Front psi	Rear psi
210	22mm	23c	78	117
150	22mm	23c	75	92
140	22mm	23c	55	78
140	19mm	23c	62	88
150	19mm	23c	90	106
210	19mm	23c	88	132
210	19mm	25c	75	100
210	22mm	25c	67	98
140	19mm	25c	55	75
140	22mm	25c	49	67

Neuvation Newsletter Tuesday April 30 th.

Aerodynamics And Power 101 Every day we have customers come in and want bikes that are both comfortable and fast.  My job is to tell them the dynamics of both.  At high speed (25 mph) 85% of the drag (or energy you exert) is due to aerodynamics.  And 85% of that is due to your position on the bike.  Sit up tall and you will catch wind like a wind block.  Put your back parallel to the ground and you will slice through the air. Your body position over the pedals is also critical.  The best power position is normally when your torso and upper leg form a 90 degree angle (or thereabouts).  Sit up tall and you lose that angle and power. The problem is that to be comfortable you give up lots of speed.  So most people compromise. On the next group ride (race) move into the “race position” of back parallel to the ground and notice how much easier it is to lead, and how  much more pain you feel in you lower back, neck and hands.  Often this change can mean all the difference between hanging on and being at the front – albeit in discomfort. We always want to buy our way into speed when, in fact, making a few changes in our body positions would be much more effective and cost nothing. Thanks for reading – John Neugent You can prebook any of the new 2014 model wheels now.  Your credit card will not be charged until we ship (in a few weeks).  Also new for 2014 is a new CX Ray model SL wheel that we sell online for $495 – the best stockwheels we have ever offered – with our new red hubs.