Tyres

[bayonet]

My current rear tyre was close to minimum tread and seeing next week's weather forecast I thought I'd better put a new one on this weekend. Shoulda done it on Saturday when it was sunny, coulda done it outside then. But I felt too lazy, same yesterday. Today I woke up determined to sort it.

Just got the old tyre off, bit of a wrestle (AT rear tyres weld themselves on, requiring a wind down bead breaker) did my usual mileage check and nearly fell over. Instead of the usual 10-12,000 miles, I got 15,700 miles out of the thing. Measured the tread and it's still got 2mm at the shallowest part. I know my speedo is relatively accurate because I do the same trip to work most days and it's always the same distance showing.

The tyre was a Metzler Tourance (tubed type) and I bought two at the same time but from different companies (cancelled one order, they sent it anyway so I paid and kept it), one for £65 and one for £85. That was the cheap one, wonder how the other one will do.

Anyway, getting a bit old for the single handed wrestling, so had to come in for a rest before chucking the new one on. Wish it wasn't so bloody humid.

[SteadyEddie]

Reminds me of my MX and enduro days, changing tyres with a couple of levers and taped up knuckles, the fun of anchorage bolts and inner tubes. Rahter you than me mate, good luck :laugh1

[slydog]

yea blimy crack on fella . thats not for me anymore might do me boys pushbike but thats it .

[bayonet]

Reminds me of my MX and enduro days, changing tyres with a couple of levers and taped up knuckles, the fun of anchorage bolts and inner tubes. Rahter you than me mate, good luck :laugh1Ahh, rimlocks, I hate 'em. Had some for the AT when I went to Morocco, don't bother on my DR as getting the tyres on and off is relatively easy, indeed with MT21 tyres I've even run the rear flat short distances on the road (a few miles) without the valve stem getting ripped off (just wanted to get home).

I used to go to tyre places to have it done, but after a few iffy shops/arguments and the fact you are having to work to their time table, I gave up and stuck to doing it myself. Nobody loves my rims as much as I do.

[DoodleBug]

Nobody loves my rim as much as I do.

You'll get no argument from me on that!

The Guv might be along with a different viewpoint. :grin2

[bayonet]

New tyre's on, bead is straight, now it'll sit there for an hour with 46psi in it to see if if holds air before I go to the efforts of refitting the wheel. (46psi cos that was the pressure when the bead popped on straight)

Much nicer out in my garage since I equipped it with a stereo which holds my work music USB stick (hundreds of songs to make the neighbours laugh at me if they walk past the garage), a kettle, a box of teabags, sachets of milk, a box of biscuits and large container of water.

I remember the days when all work was done outside, kneeling in a puddle, everything had to be finished in one go.:grin2

[gazmound]

damn wrong account!! grr

[2E]

New tyre's on, bead is straight, now it'll sit there for an hour with 46psi in it to see if if holds air before I go to the efforts of refitting the wheel. (46psi cos that was the pressure when the bead popped on straight)

Much nicer out in my garage since I equipped it with a stereo which holds my work music USB stick (hundreds of songs to make the neighbours laugh at me if they walk past the garage), a kettle, a box of teabags, sachets of milk, a box of biscuits and large container of water.

I remember the days when all work was done outside, kneeling in a puddle, everything had to be finished in one go.:grin2

i envy you.. everytime i see those bikes i want one it looks like so much fun... is that the DR in the first picture?:grin2

And my bike has spoked wheels too so im assuming i run tubed tyres?
if so what tyres would you recommend, it will be doing some miles, on a heavy bike, laden down with luggage..

[bayonet]

i envy you.. everytime i see those bikes i want one it looks like so much fun... is that the DR in the first picture?:grin2

And my bike has spoked wheels too so im assuming i run tubed tyres?
if so what tyres would you recommend, it will be doing some miles, on a heavy bike, laden down with luggage..That is the DR, standard apart from an Acerbis tank to give it extra range, Renthal handlebars because the original steel bars end up spaghetti shaped after the first 25 falls and Pirelli MT21 road legal knobblies, a very tough tyre which I run at 15psi without rimlocks no bother.

If you've got spoked wheels and it's not a BMW or a Honda XL600 Paris Dakar, then you've got tubes. Otherwise all your air would leak out the spoke holes. I don't know anything about normal tyres anymore, been running the same two models of bike since 95 (apart from a brief return to an FJ1200 for 12 months) so only really know about trail type road tyres. Just see what touring type tyres you can get in the sizes for your bike. I imagine it's got unfashionable wheel sizes so choice might be limited.

[bayonet]

Well I made it to work with no problems, bike feels about a foot higher now it has some tread on the back.