Headology

[Peteaud]

Cant add anything more apart from you will be amazed at the difference.

 

[Cyclist33]

My be worth noting that if you're using the same inner tubes as you had inside your knobbly tyres, then you might not want to go too close to the rated 80psi max of the City Jets. Look for some tubes that have a tyre width range printed on them of, say, 1.25-1.75".

Stu

 

[Paddygt]

Cheers Stu, no, I bought new inner tubes to match the tyres.

 

[Paddygt]

OK. Progress report. First of all, let us get something straight. I am 61.5 years of age and 5'10 and 18 stone and so unfit, I get out of breath tying my shoelaces (yes I am ashamed of that but since joining this site you have given me a reason to do something about that and this simple change of tyres could well be the first step to a change of lifestyle so bear with me). My normal cycling is just to work and back with the odd trip out to the shops so my average weekly distance is around 20 miles tops.

Back to the tyres. Did I feel a difference. Well yes, I did. My first sensation of them was how quiet it was. My old knobblies made a constant howling noise on the road that was loud enough to make pedestrians actually look my way. I think I will need to get a bell now......

Second sensation was that I could feel the road and hitting small bumps such as tarmac repair patches jarred me quite a bit rather than the sloppy bounce that I was used to.

Third sensation was when starting to pull out of a unction turning left, the front wheel felt like it wanted to 'fall' to the left rather than turn. Given the profile of these tyres, that is hardly surprising but I only noticed it once so it is no big deal, my brain compensated for it quite quickly.

Fourth sensation, it changes direction very quickly compared to my old tyres, far more responsive to a quick twitch to avoid road debris. However, I must stress that this felt very much in control it wasn't skipping about like a startled rabbit.

Performance. I hope you realise from the first paragraph that I know I am not qualified to report on performance. However, I will quote from my gps tracking.

In the week before and after Christmas, I recorded my speed and time to work. I do not and never will race, I only did this to give me more tangible reasons to change myself and to have evidence of improvement. Allowing for some pretty nasty headwinds and varying traffic that I get going to work I was usually getting an average between 9.5 and 11 mph over the 1.4 miles. My maximum speed over this period was 14mph.

I have done exactly the same run in both directions this morning with similar traffic conditions to a weekday morning with no school runs so they are comparable.

According to my Garmin 200 my trip out was a trip average of 12.1 mph, moving average of 13.6 and a max of 15.1 mph

My trip back was Average 12.6 mph, moving average of 13.1 and a max speed of 15.8 (don't ya just love statistics?)

I have to say that I felt slower coming back but that could be because I was not thinking about what I was doing, I just enjoyed the trip. Also, both ways, I was still nervous about dodging white lines, grates etc especially as it was damp on the road and one mini roundabout in particular has far too much white paint on it so I went round it as though I was on ice. (the headology bit of this is still trying to come to terms that those skinny tyres have some grip).

OK, not very scientific but I didn't try any harder than normal and I was still puffing and panting a bit. I also know that stats like these will give some of you a chuckle but that is OK. To change I have to be honest, especially with myself. In three stones time, I get my new bike then watch out lol.

 

[Biker Joe]

That's great news. I'm glad you you noticed a positive difference. That will give you a bit of incentive to start building up your cycling time.
I wish you well in loosing some of that weight.
Be careful what you eat. Eat little but often and pack in that cycling time and you'll get there.
Spring is not far off and with the warmer weather things will be good.
Good luck to you and take care.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

I will refer people to this thread next time I need to persuade someone to get rid of those awful knobbly nonsenses. Too many people ride around on these unecessarily, tiring them out too quickly and giving them the impression cycling is a hard slog. Knobblies are only justifiable off-road!
Next all we need to do is get you to fit a thinner wheel! More performance improvements await you!

PS - don't forget to check your tyre pressure regularly!

 

[Paddygt]

Whoooo, one step at a time lol. Thanks for the support though, much appreciated

 

[malcermie]

Only ridden with knobbly's once..........thought my wheels were glued to the road or I was riding through treacle!!

 

[Jimmy Doug]

The last time I used them was a couple of weeks ago, Christmas eve at my wife's sister's place. My brother-in-law lent me his bike so I could go to the supermarket on the outside of town without using the car. Awful! I hadn't ridden on knobblies for a while; now I remember why I never bought a mountain bike.

 

[Cyclist33]

all true and valid but worth remembering nothing beats the fun of an mtb when off road!

The last time I used them was a couple of weeks ago, Christmas eve at my wife's sister's place. My brother-in-law lent me his bike so I could go to the supermarket on the outside of town without using the car. Awful! I hadn't ridden on knobblies for a while; now I remember why I never bought a mountain bike.

 

[Jimmy Doug]

all true and valid but worth remembering nothing beats the fun of an mtb when off road!

I don't deny it. But I can't cycle off road because of lower back problems; but if I could, I'd buy a mountain bike to go off roading, and not to cycle on tarmac. Cycling in town on a mountain bike is a bit like walking up a hilly high street carrying an ice pick whilst wearing crampons and a thick down jacket! I exaggerate a teeny weeny bit, of course!

 

[Nigelnaturist]

That's great news. I'm glad you you noticed a positive difference. That will give you a bit of incentive to start building up your cycling time.
I wish you well in loosing some of that weight.
Be careful what you eat. Eat little but often and pack in that cycling time and you'll get there.
Spring is not far off and with the warmer weather things will be good.
Good luck to you and take care.

How the heck can you say that, we just into the 3rd wk of winter, (just by 2 days) that mean another 10 wks a 5 days of winter. O I dont forget February, nice spring month that one. Though i suspect you are right this year, seems mild enough at the mo.
Don't be overly timid with white lines or man-hole covers, IF you have to go over them, dont brake and dont do any sudden movement's, I lost my front wheel briefly and that was on a bit of poor tarmac, when I think back that might have caused me my puncture.
As Biker Joe says good luck, take care on the roads, you don't need to bust a gut to lose weight, just steady paced cycling, but you do need quite a lot.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

On I hope I didn't worry you about manhole covers! Sorry!


Loved your report, smooth tyres are a world of change!

 

[Paddygt]

Lol, no you didn't make me worry, you just gave sound advice. Never liked riding over grates or painted lines but I still need to get my head round the fact that these tyres can grip, hence the title 'headology'.

In theory,and no doubt in practise, we still have the worst weather to come but it will pass.