Wednesday 16 January 2013

Bike Tire Torn Sidewall Repair

Bike Tyre Torn Sidewall Repair - Cheaper but not very sensible.

If you are silly enough to use glue to fix probably the most important part of your bike then on your head be it. If you are too cheap to buy a new tire, and would like to copy my method for sidewall repair then please carry on reading.

On the £ / $ side of things if your repair doesn't work and you wreck an inner tube, then you have wasted 20% - 50% the cost of a new tire. Like I say your choice.

Bike Tire Torn Sidewall Repair - Pop

Stones and bits of metal can lead to tears in the sidewalls of tires. The inner tube then pops out and either bursts or may jam against the frame cuasing the wheel to lock up. This is why it is very important to run tyres with repaired side walls on the REAR wheel. If the inner tube were to pop out on the front wheel it may put you over the handle bars.

Bike Tire Torn Sidewall Repair - My Tire

A piece of flint did for the sidewall of my big apple kevlar tire, and so I thought I'd try and patch her up. As you can see this is a pretty big cut, but it only goes right the way through for about half of its length.

Bike Tire Torn Sidewall Repair - Things

Bike Tire Torn Sidewall Repair - Step 1

Sand down the area adjacent to  tear or cut on both the outside and the inside. If the split runs through the tread on the tire then you may have a problem, or will only be able to patch the inside.

Bike Tire Torn Sidewall Repair - Step 2

Get an old tire and cut out a strip from the side wall. Note the direction of the fibers within the tire.

These fibers need to run 90 degrees (across) the split when you glue the patch in place so try a cut the patch accordingly.

Bike Tire Torn Sidewall Repair - Step3

Glue the patch in place. The glue should be strong and flexible when dry. You may have problems with the patch peeling off before the glue is dry. weigh the patch down with something heavy, and leave for 24 hrs.

For a few days run your tire at the minimum pressure 35 - 40 psi, and see how the patches hold up.

If you get serious buldges in the patched areas, it time to try again (it is probably the wrong glue) or get a new tire.

Below tire pumped up to 70 psi. Looking a bit worse for where! This was where I didn't aligns the fibers on the patch across the cut, instead they are parallel meaning the patch will stretch.




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Avid BB7 Review

Avid BB7 Review - Introduction

After being rather disappointed with a Clarks CMD-8 disk brake, I decided to buy something half decent, a BB7 for which I have read many a fine review.

In short they are very good, I have the 180mm rotor and the power is excellent. I ride upright, with loaded panniers, and the brake will easily lock the rear wheel, a new experience for me, as my old V-brakes or wimpy CMD-8 would not do this.

Avid BB7 Review - Power

As above very good.

With a little patience the brake will fiit on with racks (tortec transalp rack) and mudguards.

Avid BB7 Review - Setup

Being a bit of a novice with setting up disk brakes I would recommend looking else where for advice on this, just remember to adjust the inner (fixed) pad inwards FIRST, and then the outer. Then do up the bolt to secure the calliper to the adaptor. 

This video is the shortest and best I have come across, thanks HB. BB7 Setup Video

Avid BB7 Review - Price

There is massive variation in price when buying these, some UK stokists are looking for £60+, whilst they can be had from www.discount-bikes.de for £37. Good value for a very good bit of kit.

 Avid BB7 Review - More Pics




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Avid BB7
Reviewed by Kermit Green on Jan 16 2013
Rating: 5

Tortec Transalp Rack Review

Tortec Transalp Rack Review - Intoduction

Having recently upgraded my rear brake to a disk brake I needed to swap out my rack too as the down stays would not go around the disk brake caliper., at least not very well (read my clarks CMD-8 review to see how I bodged a standard rack to fit around the disk brake).

Problem is a bodged rack just isn't very strong, and so I had to swap it after a while, for a disk specific rack like this Tortec Transalp Rack.


Tortec Transalp Rack Review - Quality

The rack seem very good quality for the amount I paid (£20 from SJS cycles) the tubing is thick and ridgids and it is very adjustable, all of the bolts appear to be stainless steel. It comes with basic nuts and bolts for fitting, but no adapters for bikes without bolt holes in the seat stays. My frame does not have these so I had to make up some brackets out of strip steel (builders banding strap).

Once fitted the rack seems tough. This rack fit all of the common wheel sizes meaning that on a 26" mtb there will be a fair bit of head room between the rear tire and the base of the rack.

This could be viewed as bad or good.

Good - panniers are a little higher from the ground keeping them out of spray and thusly a little clener.

Bad - Higher centre of gravity.

Tortec Transalp Rack Review - Fitting

Pretty easy, but you will need bolt holes in frame (braise ons) for the upper part of the rack to fit. My old rack use to attached vi athe hole for the mudguards between the rear seat stays, but this rack will not do that.

One very good feature of this rack is that you can mount nearly any rear light on it, even ones that a designed to fit on tubing:



Tortec Transalp Rack Review - Price

Cheapest half decent disk specifc rack I can find. £20.

Tortec Transalp Rack Review - Stats
  • specifically designed for bikes with disc brakes.
  • Simple and super quick to mount to 26? and 700c bikes.
  • Produced from lightweight 10mm alloy tubing and with additional lower pannier mounting rails means it?s easy to attach a rack pack without interfering with pannier hooks.
  • Max load 25kg.
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Tortec Transalp Rack
Reviewed by Kermit Green on Jan 16 2013
Rating: 4.5