Skinny Tire Blues
Posted by GruntDoc on August 5th, 2007
I’m back on my road bike, and am enjoying the exercise as much as anyone who dislikes exercise, but at least the scenery changes enough to keep my interest.
There’s a low-water crossing on my route, and I’ve ridden over it before, just about 4-6″ of running water over concrete. I chose a different path back home through the water, after seeing a mountain-bike follow it. I hadn’t really considered how much more contact are a mountain-bike tire has than my overinflated skinny road-bike tire. I should have.
When the dime-sized contact patch rolled up on the algae, the water running along was enough to wash the bike out from under me, and so now I’m lying in the stream. I was nice, cool water, but a) it was a nasty surprise to fall and b) I was lying atop my new blackberry. So, out of the stream, no harm done to me or the bike (and the Blackberry worked fine after a drying-out period).
I still like the bike riding. Now I have a ziplock baggie for the phone, because with my skills you never know.
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August 6th, 2007 at 6:25 am
Yes, algae approximates the consistency and friction coefficient of snot. No good traction to be had without knobs there. If you have the brake clearance, I suggest cyclocross or commuter tires to continue to try that. Schwalbe marathons come to mind.
August 6th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Glad you are riding, it is a newfound pleasure of mine. However, a great and grand part of the pleasure is doing without a stinking phone. Set yourself free, brother!
August 6th, 2007 at 7:29 pm
If you have the brake clearance, try 28-622 or even 32-622 tires. Your rim will limit what you can use. the 32s are typical cyclocross racing tires, but unless you have good frame clearances and canti brakes, thet might not be an option. Nicer ride on the blacktop, too.
Do you make it over to bikeforums?