Topics

1

Gear Talk / Remounting tight tires

« on: June 11, 2009, 05:51:57 pm »

The tires on my bike were a very tight fit and are now even tighter after I added Tuffy liners. In 20 years of cycling I've never experienced tires this difficult to remove or remount. I needed metal tire irons to get them back on while using a vise-grip to prevent the bead from slipping off as I worked my way around the rim toward the vise-grip. The tires are fairly new so I don't want to buy different ones. Carrying a heavy vise-grip on the road is not appealing. I ride alone so won't have help available.

Anyone have a solution to prevent the bead from slipping off one part of the rim while trying to leverage the rest of the bead on? Is there a lightweight, compact gizmo made for this problem? I suppose a hose-clamp might work but don't want to scratch the rims. (Using metal tire levers and not scratching the rims is a challenge.) Has anyone ever cracked a rim while using metal levers?

2

Gear Talk / Wind noise in ears

« on: June 10, 2009, 01:52:11 pm »

HELP! This may seem trivial but it is a big deal to me, especially now that I am planning a tour...

Anyone found a way to reduce wind noise while riding? I wear a lightweight Pearl Izumi headband over my ears which blocks the wind but doesn't reduce wind noise. I've tried two kinds of headbands: a regular one and the kind with small cutouts to slip the arms of my sunglasses through. The second kind is warmer in cold weather but not quieter. The noise becomes very tiring after many hours in the saddle. Ear plugs would probably help but that doesn't seem like a safe solution, even on roads with light traffic. I know they become irritating when used day after day, even when using a new clean pair each day because I have done that for many years on my motorcycle.

Is there some kind of ear muff that would help? Or something to attach to helmet straps? Has anyone tried the ski-type muffs with elastic (no headband) that go around each ear?

I would love to just hear the birds singing and the hum of my tires while riding.