Category: Bike

So an update on the post in January: ‘Airless Tyres‘

Back in Feb 2011 I said ‘Never in a month of Sundays…’ but now on 2020, it’s my 10th year ‘commuting by bike’, or rather simply riding a bike to and from work daily.

You can read about it here: Think again? – Feb 2011 – ‘Never in a month of Sundays…’

OK this year, 2020, it’s been a tad different for all of us – not much commuting from April through August #Leicester #lockdown.

But onward the bike’s still seen >1200 miles to date this year.

Airless Tyres

In January’s ‘Airless Tyres‘ post, I reported on my move to a Tannus Airless 40mm tyre on the rear wheel.

I kept the ‘puncture-resistant’ 35mm Marathon Plus tyres on the front, but in March the Local Bike Shop fitted Tannus Armour under the Marathon Tyre.

Thankfully there’s still a few LBS around as you’ll need the tyres fitted properly. I use the bike daily for work in all weathers and I was looking to reduce the worry of potential punctures and tyre pressure maintenance etc.  It’s just a commute; I am not trying to break records or burn off the beer; I ride in a relatively relaxed manner and have found ‘the ride’ with these Tannus adaptions great.

Alas, the surface conditions the commute deals with are still significant. So after 1200 miles here’s the wear:

Tannus Airless New

Tannus Airless 1000miles

Tannus Airless New

Tannus Airless 1000 m

Initially it was a firm (as good traditional tyres), I did not notice any difference in 35mm pumped, and 40mm airless.

After 1200 miles of wear the ride is still good, but the airless tyres are noticeable as you can see above. They now feel softer and have flattened – but, for my needs, the ride is still good. We’ll see what another 1000 miles does. Tannus say they are good for 5000 miles! But I fear they are not familiar with Leicester’s ‘bike routes‘.

The front wheel’s Tannus Armour under Marathon Plus tyres are much less of a concern, and perhaps the combo of  Marathon’s 5mm thick puncture guard PLUS Armour’s 15mm foam protection to the centre (and 2mm to the sidewall), is ultimate winner? Do I go for this on the back…?

They are not for everyone, but for now I am enjoying the puncture free worries.

There’s an ‘airless’ commercial review here and a more personal review here if you’re interested.

Also, if you’re interested there’s a few bike related Notable Reads… here.

It has surprised me that I seemed to post only two bike posts last year!

• 4000 miles, an update – March 2019
• Two years – Six and a half thousand miles – Sept 2019

It’s been more than eight years riding a bike to work daily (Velocipeding), more than 30,000 miles, and I’m now riding my ninth winter, brrrrr! Back in Oct 2017 I switched to my Gazelle Ultimate S8. Guidance and advice from friends and Future Cycles in Leicester has proved worthwhile – I am extremely pleased with my bike.

I thought I had made all the adaptions I was gonna make: The Gates belt, the Shimano gears, extended handlebars, Marathon Plus tyres, Brooks saddle, etc. but…

Puncture!

This week for the first time in about 3 years I had a puncture on the way to work. A right pain in the arse when it’s dark, cold and you’re 3 miles from work and 5 miles from home. (I scooted 3 miles to work on the pedal!)

I’ve had the ‘puncture-resistant’ Marathon Plus tyres since 2016 and I have to say they have been great.

I was thinking about options like slime etc, then touched on the subject of airless tyres, and after a little deliberation I thought let’s give it a go!

I rely on my bike, after selling the families second car that we used once a week. I use the bike daily for work in all weathers and although I had not had a puncture in three years I could do without the stress of potential punctures and tyre pressure maintenance etc.

Airless Tyres

So I am trying a Tannus airless tyre on the rear wheel – I’ve kept the Marathon on the front. I read somewhere that ~80% of punctures occur on the rear wheel as it takes the weight etc.

The first ride back from The Shop, I have to say felt no different! I understand the Tannus tyre is relatively lighter than the Marathon. I have moved from 35mm to 40m which I had been thinking of anyway due to the surface conditions the commute deals with. As it’s just a commute; I am not trying to break records or burn off the beer; I ride in a relatively relaxed manner so the ride is still great.

You will probably the tyre/s fitted properly so once again your LBS will be worth its weight in gold. If you live in or around Leicester I recommend the guys at Future Cycles!

The initial reactions are great! Time will tell, I’ll let you know.

Update March: I now have Tannus Armour on the front, under my Marathon Plus. Feels great! Will update on the Airless rear tyre in due course.

UPDATE: You can read an update here: https://julesprichards.wordpress.com/2020/09/19/airless-tyres-an-update/

Ok, I’m not a gadget type of person, and yes, my philosophy is ‘just get on and ride’, but we all enjoy toys.

You don’t ‘need’ all that must-have cycle-stuff that’s papped out but the cycle sites, and you don’t need all that ‘get while you can’ stuff in the Aldi-etc catalogues.  Yes, I went through the phase a few years back when I  got the under-garments, the over-garments, and the middle-garments. There were cycling socks, the cycling shades, cycling gloves and cycling shoe covers, LOL!

Yes, if you are going on a long cycling venture, you will need to kit up with some of this stuff. Yes, all that stuff has its uses, but for most of us who are just riding a bike to work, or to town, then look at people in some other places (remember Europe!?), who don’t even classify it as cycling, it’s just riding a bike!

I cycle 8 miles to work, and 8 miles back, and have done for 8 years. If it’s raining I wear a coat, if it’s cold I put on a few layers and gloves, etc. I don’t usually wear long trousers unless it’s near freezing.  Incidentally, it rains much less than you might imagine. I don’t pelt it, it’s not a race, I am simply riding a bike instead of walking, getting a bus, or driving a car. At work, I change into my work clothes.

So all the bits and bobs, that the cycling culture pedals out, are not essential. But back to gadgets…

Non-essential gadget number 1, the Helmet Camera.

If you’ve read my other bikey posts, you’ll know that I have moved from biking by road to biking by path. Motor vehicles mixed with people-powered transport is far from ideal. Although I ride primarily off-roads, a gadget I have not been able to drop is my helmet camera. Not essential I agree, but since I have been using one I have filmed so much dangerous driving – I’ve become aware, that should the worst happen, it would be my word against theirs, and having it on film MAY give some leverage to may carers or those left behind.

My camera simply records on a loop of about 10 days worth of rides. I habitually charge it each night along with my phone etc. Having a record of some rides is also good for posterity! I am not sure if my Dogcam / Road Hawk Bullet Ride R+ camera is still available for sale, but it was a budget price, and considering it’s used daily and still going after 4 years it’s been well worth the money. You can see footage from it here – RECORDINGS – These are uploaded at a low-quality, the original is really good but they are meaty video files.

Find out more here: Camera

Non-essential gadget number 2, the Bone Conduction Headphones.

Again, I ride primarily a bike off roads – about ~1mile of my 8 miles is mixed with motor traffic. With this in mind, I sometimes enjoy the company of Radio 3 etc in the mornings.

It was an impulse purchase and to be honest I didn’t think it would work, but this relatively cheap budget version works really well! And it’s Bluetooth, so no wires!

Leaving my ears clear to hear anything from my surroundings, the sound is transmitted through the skull, the node sits just on the cheekbones, it really is amazing. Admittedly on busy areas where traffic is heavy, you struggle to hear quieter elements of the sounds but this is to be expected. When away from the motor traffic, what you can hear is great – both bass and treble, voice and music, is clear and has depth.

Find out more here: Headphones

So, yes a lot of the cycle culture kit is not needed but these two toys I use daily, and along with my belt-drive Gazelle, biking to work is a blessing!

It’s been another year, and about ~3280 miles. Last September I switched from my old Specialized bike to a delightful Gazelle Ultimate S8.

I’d consulted the guys at Future Cycles Leicester about a bike:

• with a quality belt drive, so in needn’t deal with chain wear and maintenance.
• with quality hub gears for the same reason as above.
• that would take the rigours of a 16miles a day UK cycleway(lol) commute

Over many years I have discovered that an urban commute, with a chain/gear mechanism, picks up so much muck and dirt that regular clean, degrease, lube etc is essential! This is not great if you don’t enjoy regular bikey cleaning, tinkering, adjusting and all that stuff – also this can be expensive if you don’t keep an eye on your machine or don’t get quality gear. This is not the case with a quality hub and belt setup. You can read about my Gazelle from Future Cycles Leicester, here: Gazelle Ultimate S8.

Over the last year, I have had no issues with my S8. The belt has done its thing and the gears have been a dream. The bike has had two full washes, the belt just needed a rinse with water. The gears have needed no attention.

OK, it takes ~40 minutes not 4 and my whole mantra is to slow down not speed up but hey!

This will be my eighth winter riding a bike to and from work. A colleague said to me recently “I felt for you in the bad weather, but I guess there must be something you enjoy about it?”, and it struck me that it’s been a long time since I thought I must be mad, why don’t you take the car?. Yes, years back, I did think like that! The transition from automobile user to a more pedestrian way of travel is not easy. I guess my habits & rituals have changed my mindsets.

A lot of our reactions and attitudes to life can be down to our perspective and the way we frame things. Yes, it’s easily said. Life throws curved balls and can be horrific. The human condition is a very shadowy thing. But, we can try to culture a language and narratives that focus on the breath, the light, and the essential things that matter.

So if I became President it would be belts, not chains, and low maintenance movement for all. It would be fresh air and free exercise for all. It would be regularly pujas, pauses, thank-yous and sorrys. Yes, there would still be the shadowy human condition, but we might be more in touch with a human spirit that can, with a little help from friends, seemingly move mountainous shadows.

My daughter says ‘there’s no such thing as perfection, only improvement’. I’m told, it’s what her teacher says.

You may remember my old ‘Specialized’ bike above gradually transformed from the standard off-the-self bike, to a more relaxed sit-up and breathe kind of thing.  My riding style gradually changed from:
A. Trying to co-exist with traffic, ‘cycling’, riding a bike with a similar driverly attitude and outlook.
to…
Z. Aiming to be more aware of person, place, and surroundings: adopting a more mindful way.

So although my delightful ‘Gazelle Ultimate S8‘* was pretty much perfect, after a trip to France I found room for improvement.

My new S8* adopted my previous Jones Bend H-Bar® 660. However, I still had that slight niggle that I wanted to relax even more.

You’ll see from my random selection of bikes in France, that people abroad generally ride in a more relaxed manner; sit-up and breathe.

Driving home I found myself following a Gazelle with an extended handlebar stem – I decided, that’s what I want!

And so, the great people at Future Cycles Leicester replaced the limited length break and gear cables on the S8 with longer ones, and added a new stem… ‘simples’.

Old Stem…

New Stem…

Boom, boom, and triple boom! Sit-up and breathe. If you can, just ride a bike!

*My Gazelle Ultimate S8, what can I say, an utter delight: read more here.