BIKES!

[jtr1962]

Yes, I've actually thought a fairing might be a good idea. For example, I've seen these. Problem is the price is ridiculous given my budget ( I make ~$5K annually, and most of that goes for living expenses ). I still love the idea and may one day try and make my own. Besides blocking the wind in winter, a well-designed fairing can add a few mph to your speed, and that's always welcome. Truth is if money were no object, I'd probably make something similar to the Varna Diablo, with whatever concessions were needed to make it streetworthy. OK, I'd lose the wind whistling through my ears. But I could probably incorporate a nice roll cage, and perhaps the bike makes some interesting sounds at speed anyway. The Lightening P40 is another great option if only it were within my budget ( and that thing is just begging for a windscreen ). But yes, any way to reduce wind on my hands on my Raleigh, and possibly increase speed, is something I'd be interested in. A tailbox would probably help even more than a windscreen in the speed department. Ultimately, I'd like to be fast enough so the cars around here have to get out of MY way instead of vice versa. Just joking, but being able to hold 30-40 mph on the level for sustained periods would be great as I could ride in traffic instead of next to it.

Today was a bit better than yesterday-11.3 miles @ 13.0 mph. Numb fingers again cut the ride short, felt I could have gone another 30 minutes otherwise. Well, at least the conditioning is coming back.

Regarding the nightshade family, unfortunately as I'm of Italian heritage we eat stuff with tomato sauce at least twice a week. I guess I could try laying off the nightshades for a week or two and see if my CTS improves any. I am convinced a lot of issues such as "arthritis" are partially or entirely diet related.

[Brian McBlain]

Those plexiglass fairings are pretty neat, but the setup I can't find again (or I'd give it here), was a simple DIY and could be as inexpensive as you want.

It was a two-part setup to allow lights in the center. Each part was about 3" above and below the handlebars, maybe 4, curved and mounted about 3" in front of the bars. Small windscreens for the hands, no more.

Two pieces of corrugated cardboard and modded coat hangers and some duct tape would allow a jury rig to test whether there is enough help for you to justify making something a bit more stylish. His appeared to be 1/2" thick high density foam covered in fabric to give some structural strength. Maybe a piece of waxed poster board or milk jug plastic in there for stiffness? That is not going to scratch and will take minor incidents with ease. Small pieces of mylar sheet or plastic salvaged from large drink containers might work. Small added weight and wind resistances are a plus.

Too much of what we have to buy in supermarkets is food-like substances. Some of that stuff is deadly to some of us, and not so good for many others.

As hard as it will likely be to do, if you are going to go Nightshade-free for a test, make it at least two weeks. If you feel no different, that is great, you can enjoy your tomato sauces, peppers, and potatoes. If you get some relief, that is also good. The next step will be to see whether you can eat them once a week, twice a week, or not at all. I can't have anything potato even with potoato flour, but can have tomato sauce maybe twice a month.

To make the errand bike pay off in a year or so, I had to keep the cost down. My helmet's off to you (not too long it's cold) for managing to live there on so little. I love the idea that Moots did an all-out titanium commuting bike, but it will take a lot of gas savings to pay for a $10,000 bike.

[Brian McBlain]

You may be interested in this item:

http://www.lightweights.org/store/pr...1&cat=0&page=1

Great price, and for a classic bike that can't fit reflective tires and for my relector free pedals, the package is just what the Doctor ordered. There is video of the product on the roll on their main page. Cut everything off after the '.org/' and click the bike.

Even weight anxious cyclists can handle a few grams for safety's sake.

Just ordered a set for each bike.

[Darell]

So I was thinking about bright clothing again yesterday. We had to pass through an area with very little shoulder shoulder, relatively poor visibility, and high-speed traffic. Yeah... not a great spot to ride, much less to hit the pavement. But there we were. And I was DAMN glad to be looking like a Caltrans worker (Caltrans is our road maintenance crew in CA - they always wear those industrial orange/reflector vests and hard hats) while I was standing there assisting.

The other point about the clothing (I've been thinking a lot about this thanks to this thread!) is that even when I try to be invisible to drivers, eventually they will see me... and when that happens and they are surprised by it, bad things can happen. The least of which is giving them a heart attack! So in many situation, I DO want them to know that I'm coming - long before I arrive. Or that they're coming up on ME long before they get there.

Then again - as I've said - the drivers aound here are quite used to us sharing the road with them.

[Brian McBlain]

Found this subsection of the MTBR forum:

http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=148

Lots of good stuff and avid (rabid?) bike commuters.

Sometimes you get strange thread interactions in the same forum.

Take 'Hit 3 X'. Horriffic 'You Tube' links. Watch, look, & listen! Or else!

The 'lights for commuting' thread is where the "lightweights" previous post came from. Some well reflectorized bikes, and riders, there, too.

In the list your accidents thread, one rider had different drivers hit him hooking right and clearly violating his right of way let alone safety and breaking traffic laws. No charges filed. One of the reasons my bike has a bell is it is required and a failure to have safety equipment on a bike has thrown out cases. Mine is too old for either the wheel or pedal reflector requirements, but the lightweights will do nicely in the case that is overruled.

Better looking like Caltrans (leaning on your shovel, too were you?)
Loads better than being road pizza!

That shovel is sure handy if they get too close, too!

We are setting fashion trends.

I think we are on to the idea of trying to see ourselves as the average or sub-average driver does, not how they SHOULD see us.

Letting the 'should' go is a huge step to being safer.

My wife approves of a vest that cost about the same as a good rear blinkie!

Conversation with a motorist (in my dreams):
"What in Sam Hill do you think you're doing?"
"I didn't see you"
"So. Let me get this straight. You aren't blind?"
"Nooo.."
"Good. New driver standards haven't fallen that far, then. You can see the vest, then? (Puzzed nod.) It's the same vest that construction workers wear along the interstate construction zones so they can be seen for hundreds and hundreds of feet. Did you know that?
"No, but..."
"And you see I have a helmet with flashing lights up above car roofs and things? (Nod) Did you know they are visible for hundreds and likely over a thousand feet?"
"No, but.."
"OK. So I don't understand the 'I don't see you' comment. You say you can see, that in fact you see me clearly now. You also agree that I am dressed in an even more obvious manner than a construction worker who is considerd to be very visible about as visible as you can get. In short, I am as visible as I can be reasonably expected to be. Something no driver should ever 'not see'. Do you STILL say you did not see me?"
"Ummm. No. Well I was dialing my cell..."
"Bingo! Driving while impaired! And you didn't see me because you weren't looking where you were going, one of the essential aspects to driving safely."

So we remain invisible to some, sort of a reverse Super Power!

[Brian McBlain]

Test rode DIY light for an hour with ANSI vest, reflective tape. Wow! They actuially get over! Vest mostly. They actually see and respond at intersections.


The main street out and back is a narrow (seems like 10' each lane) no shoulder and they usually allowed me 1-2'. Now they cede the lane. May be the "nutter" factor though. Anyone crazy enough to be riding a bike in February rigged with so much visibility gear may be rabid and that might be contagious!

[Brian McBlain]

The new light in action:



In two-mode I can drop to half power with a click for oncoming cars. It has a good flash mode, too.

The bike caught in my pickup's headlights. Snow makes this a bit less of a standout but I needed to finish the roll. I hung the ANSI vest and put the helmet with its lights on the saddle. The orange front helmet light sort of blended into the snow.



Sorry about the sharpness. I locked me and the camera on the basketball post for the first and the truck for the second, which works well to about 1/4 second but at 6 seconds exposure, this is pretty good tripod-less.

The light weights really show up. Three grams and way better than the normal spoke reflectors. Imagine them spinning and the bike moving. The 'reflective' strip on the Trek saddle bag doesn't show as well as the shiny aluminum bits like the rims, hubs, and crankset. Glad Trek doesn't make ANSI vests. The reflector tape on forks, stays and rear fender help. The ANSI vest sure helps daytime, and it shows very well here. YELLOW!

The amber Xenon strobe is edge on from this angle so may be swamped. It is more important when their lights are NOT aimed at me. I want to up the ante in rear lights. Those running the Dinotte 140 and 200 lumen lights report improvements in drivers giving room similar to the ANSI vest effect I reported in the previous post.

I have a Sony Handicam that is little used, that could help show this stuff in action.

[manoloco]

Thanks for the pics Brian!, i always look forward for your input guys.

besides a couple of flats its been a nice commute everyday, sans a couple of guys trying to get that elusive parking spot that cut in front of you without warning, and you are right the most used excuse is "i didnt see you", keeping a safe distance avoids a lot of trouble.

about the first pic on your post Brian, is it me or do you use a really narrow handlebar?

looking forward for the vid!

[Brian McBlain]

Originally Posted by manoloco

Thanks for the pics Brian!, about the first pic on your post Brian, is it me or do you use a really narrow handlebar?
looking forward for the vid!

The bars are from my late beloved 1972 Raleigh SuperCourse. They are GB brand (not Cinelli, but decent), aluminum, heavy walled, but narrow. These are 15" (38 cm). They were on a large framed bike, so I guess the narrow style was the rage for road racing then. Or it could be all they had in stock when they built it. Raleigh was known for some weird combinations in so-called standard models when the assembly line ran low on parts.

The movie will have wait for the star to finish his current contract (my high beam light).

[manoloco]

How do you guys fix light scratches on your bikes?, i have been using nail protector (like nail polish, but clear), but recently noted it has calcium, does calcium affect steel negatively (ie. rust)?

[Darell]

If I have a chip down to the metal, then I use automotive touch-up paint. But mostly, I just keep the bike waxed, and don't sweat the little scratches and dings that are bound to turn up.

[Brian McBlain]

There are scratches and then SCRATCHES.

What I do (FWIW):

For a scratch that goes through the clear coat, but not the top colored paint layer: auto wax.

For through the paint, but not the primer, nail polish will protect it. And if small enough you won't see it. Calcium is not an issue. Sealing water and air out is.

For a new bike you can often order touch-up paint. That is not your case.


For down to the metal, you can seal it or paint it. To paint it you need a bit of rattle-can paint or car scratch paint as close to the bike's color as you can get. Spray into a can to get some to brush on. Carefully apply to the scratch with a ultra fine brush ideally the width of the scatch. An old art brush reduced to a few bristles will work. Carefully wipe off any paint that goes outside the scratch without removing what is in the scratch. That can be tricky as the paint will wick. You may need to let it dry a little bit before wiping. Allow to thoroughly dry. Days. Weeks. If there is still some of your patch paint not inside the scratch that you want off, buff lightly after a few days or a week as the patch is soft. If the scratch isn't filled you can repeat the paint until it level with the original paint. Then wax. A bit of wax hides the lack of clear coat and the scratch will be an invisible as you color match lets it be.

For broader scrapes and larger dings, unless you have a new bike with matching touch-up paint, you can only fade in your best matched paint from a spray can. Unless you like the artist texture effect, brushed on is awful. Very sad. Even the best fade looks pretty bad up close because there is no clear coat, and a clear coat makes a slight color mismatch appear even worse to me. Looks great at a meter away and much better than with nothing but clear paint or nail polish. Accumulate enough of those over time and you will have my frame, with more patches than original finish. Then you can opt for a professional bare frame repaint, or a DIY which will be a bit less pretty, though nearly as protective.


FromJobst Brandt: (jbrandt@hpl.hp.com)
"The greatest damage to a frame comes from a seat clamp slot not being
filled with grease on assembly, this place being constantly bathed in
water from the rear wheel on wet roads without fenders. It's this
water and the failure of a frame painter not removing the newspaper or
rag plug from the seat tube after painting. Such a wick enhances
rusting enormously. Frame goop is for the paranoid."

Another place is the stem if you sweat down on it. A greased stem stops this from entering the frame.

[manoloco]

Thanks for the reply guys, now i can be more calm about the calcium on the nail protector, however, later on this month i will look to repair those scratches with something more like you guys advice (some show a bit of metal, on the chainstay next to the chainring, i assume from the chain slipping a couple of times)

[manoloco]

update about the flats issue:

theres a lot of glass on the road i take, on weekends its a well known place to have drinks, so as you can imagine the road is filled with glass from car crashes, bottles etc. to be honest its cleaner than one would imagine from all that activity, but theres always glass in some part.

i have been experiencing flats more than i anticipated (like 5 flats since i have the bike and its been less than 3 months) almost all were from glass and one was a snake bite i got from a pothole i didnt quite catch at night, im contemplating the use of tire liners as i dont want to use wider tires, i like the easiness and speed of my commute and shock absorption is not an issue for me as i only weight 75kg (maybe less).

what are your experiences on flats?

[Brian McBlain]

First read this: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/flats.html

A little over halfway down the page is Prevention. BTW explore the other pages in this archive. This is a treasure trove of information. The late Sheldon Brown has left quite a legacy for all cyclists.

The only thing he did not mention is Slime. I use it in my garden tractor front tires but not in my bike tires. Mountain bikers use it but I don't know how prevalently.

As to personal experience, flats are not the adventure they once were, so I have opted for Kevlar (tm) belted tires. I have had two road punctures from glass on the touring bike since Kevlar, but both were not in the protected area. Logic would say that I likely dodged a lot of flats in the tread area.

I friend who runs a bike shop hates liners and thinks like Sheldon, that they often do more harm than good. Thorn resistant tubes sound good, but might be hard to come by outside of the Southwestern US.

'Thorn scrapers', 'tire helpers' or whatever they are called, that rub the tire and remove glass before it embeds might help, and Sheldon agrees that in the case of a lot of glass, they may help. They too were common on bikes in the '70's in the American Southwest where cactus thorns blown onto the road remain a problem. Couldn't find a picture fast for you.

Found this:
From http://www.elevengear.us/confections.html:
•Puncture Avoidance: Thicker tyres in the winter or when it is raining. Consider a tire liner. Even more hardcore is "The System," an old 23c tyre with its bead cut off, inserted between inner tube and 25c tyre. Our New Mexico associates assure us it is the only effective barrier for goathead thorns. Also, we've found that scrupulous avoidance of the f-word seems to help. use puncture instead.

The doubled-up tire technique avoids the overlap that causes tube problems with tire liners. I'd recommend talcum between the two tire carcasses. Should be able to get worn tires for this for free from the local bike shop. No personal experience with it, but it sounds worth a try. It adds about 50% to the tire weight (no beads on the inner one), right at the outer part of the wheel where it adds the most inertia.

Hope this helps.

[jtr1962]

Originally Posted by manoloco

what are your experiences on flats?

My experiences are that the problem had gotten so bad that I went to airless tires despite all the bad press Sheldon and others give them. Turns out in real world use they are just not as bad as some make them out to be.

I started an entire thread on this over at CPF:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...ad.php?t=76149

When the tires finally arrived and I put some miles on them I did a review:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/...2&postcount=40

I've since put on another ~800 miles. The tires have gradually become slightly better riding, and rolling resistance has gone down slightly, although truth is both were acceptable after the first 50 miles ( and note that this is in NYC, pothole capital of the world ). On smooth roads ride harshness is less of an issue. I think the problem is quite a few people just don't give airless tires a fair shot. They put them on, ride a few miles, and conclude they stink. As they're made of the same material as sneakers, there is a break in period. After 50 or so miles the tires get noticeably better. They continue getting, probably for the next 1000 miles or more. Still a little harsher ride and a little more rolling resistance. However, I'll gladly take ~1 mph off my speed, plus some vibration noise, over getting flats on average twice a week. I'll also note that most of the common suggestions for flat avoidance, such as slime, thicker tubes, thicker tires, tube liners, etc. ALL increase rolling resistance. Some also give a harsher ride. The few times I've tried mountain bikes with heavy tires I easily lost 4 or 5 mph from my speed. Even if they flat less, that to me is an unacceptable penalty. When looked at in light of most of the alternatives, airless tires seem to hold their own. In truth I actually like the feel of my airless tires better. I feel more connected to the road. They're also reminiscent of steel wheel on steel rail in sound and feel. Being a train lover, this adds to the appeal.

My only suggestion if you want to go this route is to measure your rims accurately so the tires fit, and order tires with the highest psi rating ( you might be able to get by with 20 or 30 psi less the max given your weight ). Note that psi rating here refers to "equivalent psi feel" as the tires have no air. Lower psi rides smoother but has more resistance. I ordered 175 psi feel. If you're really lucky tires in your size will be available in HR ( high rebound ) elastomer ( mine weren't ). For mountain bike sizes, there seem to be plenty of selections of HR tires. This pretty much eliminates the speed and harshness penalties.

Flats are usually the first reality check for anyone doing serious cycling. In my case, they had gotten to the point where I was seriously anticipating giving it up. With my CTS changing flats is at best a 2 hour ordeal, not to mention the aggravation of having a ride cut short, or having to stay within a few miles of home in case I had to walk the bike back.

Some pics of the tires being mounted:

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...H/PA230202.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...H/PA230203.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k3...H/PA230204.jpg

Link to album with all Raleigh rebuild pictures

[manoloco]

Brian, Jtr:

Thanks for the suggestions, actually i have checked and read Sheldon B.´s site about this and other topics, however, sometimes things change and what better to ask fellow current commuters; the suggestion about "The System" is interesting, however i have no means to get 25c tires (i have looked for them) if i could get a 23c inside a 23c it would be interesting to try, except for the weight problem.

About the airless tires, same thing, i cant find them here, and shipping would be extremely expensive as those dont fold like other tires plus the weight thing, and seeing that they are not easily available online, i can already imagine the overblown shipping fee that i would find on those.

Changing tubes / fixing tires is not a problem, however cutting short the ride like Jtr mentions, is; but more importantly, its the safety that concerns me, i dont want to lose control, in that regard all my flats have been soft on me: always the rear tire, slow air leak, small punctures.

The other safety reason is i like to be on the move to prevent theft, i dont feel so easy changing tubes on the side of the road or street, i do however walk with the bike until i find a cop or a security guard and i make conversation while i take care of flats (i dont take too long and dont need tools besides the pump and a tube)

my most logical option seemed to be liners, have you guys ever used them? if so what are your experiences with them, are they really that problematic with the valves and tubes?

once again thanks for sharing your experiences

[Brian McBlain]

I can fix a puncture without being robbed. I can call my wife or a friend if I'd rather fix it at home. Two of my punctures and a old tire's bead failure have been within a mile of home. One puncture I had a cyclist who I did not know stop to help. It was very hot that day and I was 50 km from home. Which reminds me: an explosive bead failure in a front tire is sudden and can be very dangerous. So if the tire is too easy (by hands alone) to mount/ dismount it must be replaced.

I appreciate JTR's solution. I have other options and at my weight I need all the spring I can get from the tire and tube

Can you get 20 or 21 mm tires to go in the 23 mm?

Trying to find the article I read about someone finally conquering the liner cutting tube issue.

Here is one of interest:

http://softsolder.wordpress.com/2009...iner-abrasion/

Another forum:

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/in.../t-127809.html

An interesting version:

http://www.spinskins.com/index.html

They don't give them away:

http://www.bicycleeverything.com/pro...re-Liners.html

I can't find the article where the guy over years of trying came up with a way to keep the end from cutting the tube. I think it was a half tube under the liner around the whole tube to keep the joint from cutting in. You'd think the edges would cut the sides of the tube but maybe there isn't the movement with pressure applied needed to cut through. He'd need to run a smaller tube to ab=llow enough room. Sort of a poor man's thorn resistant tube.

[manoloco]

Thanks for the info Brian, im giving the road, my memory and anticipation skills another chance regarding flats, if in a month i dont get another i will skip the liners, otherwise i will try the used tube piece over the overlapping technique.

as an anecdote, last week i made maintenance to the transmission and in the process noted that the biopace chainrings were incorrectly set, so i proceeded to align the tabs with the crank properly, problem is i did the 52 ring ok and the 42 with the tab ok but flipped the other way.

I was all week wondering why it made a bit of noise on the 42 ring and it was because the rings were too close, not to mention the small ring was feeling awkward; since i dont have much time left on weekdays i didnt checked the bike completely, obviously i ended up using the 52 ring a lot more than usual, even in parts of the city with a lot of traffic, and on uphills i dont usually use it.

today i took the time, noticed this and fixed the problem, i swear next time i will take half an hour to check the bike as soon as i get home after i feel something weird.

[Brian McBlain]

Originally Posted by manoloco

as an anecdote, last week i made maintenance to the transmission and in the process noted that the biopace chainrings were incorrectly set, so i proceeded to align the tabs with the crank properly, problem is i did the 52 ring ok and the 42 with the tab ok but flipped the other way.

If you have a cell phone with camera capability, this is a great way to document the disassembly for proper reassembly.

I learned something looking this stuff up. I had never heard of "The System": the tire-in-tire approach. When I have to dismount the 700C-35's on the errand bike for a flat I will try one of the 27 in x 1 1/4 tire carcasses I kept thinking I might find a use for. It can carry up to and over 70 pounds of groceries, so what's a couple more ounces on the tire if it will greatly reduce flats? A front tire flat with loaded front panniers and frozen food in a cooler on the front rack CAN'T be much fun. I know it has slightly noodly handling when loaded.

[manoloco]

Brian, i found this:

http://ozsoapbox.com/cycling/fitting...ur-inner-tube/

maybe its the article you were looking for?

will have to try it as i got another flat today, glass keeps appearing in new places all the time...

[Brian McBlain]

That's the one! Impressive tenacity, persistence, patience, obsession, or he was getting a LOT of punctures.

I think I'll try The System (I have old tires that should be perfect) on my errand bike not because I get a lot of punctures, but if I am carrying home frozen food and fresh produce in the heat of summer, or tropical fruit and produce in winter, a puncture could turn expensive, fast.

[manoloco]

Good decision, preventing is definitely better than fixing.

im going for it, i dont have mr tuffy available here, but there are some ravx brand ones, and i have some used inner tubes to make the sleeves, still debating if using the liner only on the rear tire or on both.

So far i think i will try both and if the bike feels too cumbersome i will remove the front one.

Thanks for pointing me to this article, i hope this fixes my only problem with the commute.

[Brian McBlain]

Slow leaks are a pain in either tire. A sudden loss of pressure can be handled easily in a rear tire, not so for the front. So if the protection will slow a puncture in the front to a less rapid loss of pressure, it would be a safer option.

[jtr1962]

Originally Posted by manoloco

im going for it, i dont have mr tuffy available here, but there are some ravx brand ones, and i have some used inner tubes to make the sleeves, still debating if using the liner only on the rear tire or on both.

So far i think i will try both and if the bike feels too cumbersome i will remove the front one.

Please let us know if this fix increases rolling resistance or ride harshness. Not that I'm ever going back to pneumatics at this point, but I'm curious how the other solutions to flat tires compare.

[chimo]

I've been using Mr Tuffy for about 2 years. It works very well and does not seem to add too much weight.

I have gotten one flat with it on last year, however, I was using the narrower tape for my 28mm tires on a set of 38mm studded ones. A staple went on near the sidewall. It was really cold that day too - and the rubber was not very flexible for flat changing.

I didn't put the studded tires on at all this year. I'm in my third week of commuting to work. Odd, because about 3-1/2 weeks ago we were skating on the canal!

My problem today was a broken spoke. On the front wheel of all places! I've been careful this year too on avoiding the potholes. Of course, all my spare spokes are for the rear wheel and are too long. Gotta get some more this weekend.

BTW, I got mine at mec, in one of their B&M stores.

[manoloco]

safer option sounds great to me

i will report how it goes probably tomorrow, i was feeling ill in the morning and didnt went to work with the bike as i feared the headache would turn into fever later, feeling a bit better now.

i am installing the liners now, theres a huge overlap (30cms or so), so i think i will need to cut the liners a little to reduce the overlap.

also found this!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX1nlyrBwPg


VERY interesting..

[Brian McBlain]

The Tyvex would be a poor man's kevlar belt, but you could make it wider to cover the sidewalls. No long term report to see if it cuts tubes.

Checkout Post number 3 in this thread for a guy determined to minimize punctures.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.ph...58#post6710858

The recommendation to check your tires before or after a ride to get anything out that is sticking in the tire but not yet through is very good if you are very likely to be picking up such things.

BTW. US dollar bills are pretty tough stuff too and are often used on the road as a short term fix to cover a torn sidewall if not too extensive and keep the tube from ballooning out the rent. You get it back when you get home and fix it properly. A piece of Tyvex would work, too. I may add a chunk to my saddle bag.

[Darell]

Hmmm. Tyvek could be an awesome, lightweight solution. I'm gonna have to go out and try to poke holes in it with some spare Goat Head thorns I've got sitting around. Man, if that works we need to get together and market it! The overlapping end cuts shouldn't be a problem! Biggest problem is finding one piece big enough to go around the whole tube.

I know I'm being all prissy - But I have a really hard time adding a bunch of weight to my stoopid-expensive light-weight wheels! I seem to go months without a single flat. Then I get ten in a week. Repeat. If I can reduce or eliminate my flat situation with very little extra weight, I'm all for it!

OK, just tested some Tyvek. I've gotta say that I'm impressed! Takes some effort to get a push-pin through it. Does go through of course, but not without some effort. And my relatively sharp letter opener takes a HUGE effort to shove through. Hmmm... I've got some work to do here!

[manoloco]

I did a big mistake yesterday when i reassembled everything, it seems i needed a little bit more tightness with the quick release, this morning the wheel rubbed the chainstay, not much and i did notice it immediately, so i adjusted and closed it properly, the rubbed part of the sidewall seems to be very slight but im a bit paranoid, would there be side effects to this?

About the liners, everything seems to be ok, theres not much rolling resistance, in fact doesnt bother me much and even im a bit sick with the flu so it might be a negative factor.

The positive part is that after a little uphill, there was some broken glass i couldnt notice on time on the way down and i went right through it and everything went fine! i think its a good first test.