Show us your.......newbie progress!

[Big_Dave]

@Mo1959 you should be able to get a refund on the customs charges on refunded goods, it does take months to get refunded (mine was over 4 months when I claimed)

Bad chest/asthma has kept me off the bike this week, it's not too bad really at the moment but kept off the bike as a precaution rather than aggravating the asthma even more

 

[sutts]

I'm pathetic, no wait, pathetic isn't strong enough, I'm an embarrassing joke. All I wanted to do was put two new tyres and two new tubes in, should take, what, 20 mins? All afternoon...all bloody afternoon and three inner tubes exploded. My mending broken finger is screaming with pain as I grappled with two new (and cold) Marathon tyres, only to get one on, pump it up and 'bang'. So I tried again and...yep, you guessed it, 'bang'. The next time I tried (with the old tubes, 'cos both the new ones had exploded) I watched it inflate and aha, I get it, it's not sitting right at the valve, so pushed the valve upwards, re-seated the tyre and hooray, I did it...well, until I go to put it on the bike that is and I see on the sidewall >>>Rotation>>>...off the tyre comes again...and back on, with said finger bashed about some more...only to put it on, exactly the same way it was before. Well the next time I cracked it...so on to the other one, went well, I'm an expert now, pumped up tyre, watched the side wall and 'bang' ...off to Halfords for more spare tubes, back again, tyre off, tyre on 'checks for bulges', pump up tyre, check >>>Rotation', reassemble, easy, cracked it.

I'm scared of loud bangs now, think it might be post traumatic stress disorder or something.

 

[morrisman]

Well all good intentions to deliver the morris men's posters for New Year's Day dancing in Aldbury were defeated by the blooming gale force winds. Saturday it is then

 

[moo]

I'm pathetic, no wait, pathetic isn't strong enough, I'm an embarrassing joke. All I wanted to do was put two new tyres and two new tubes in, should take, what, 20 mins? All afternoon...all bloody afternoon and three inner tubes exploded. My mending broken finger is screaming with pain as I grappled with two new (and cold) Marathon tyres, only to get one on, pump it up and 'bang'. So I tried again and...yep, you guessed it, 'bang'. The next time I tried (with the old tubes, 'cos both the new ones had exploded) I watched it inflate and aha, I get it, it's not sitting right at the valve, so pushed the valve upwards, re-seated the tyre and hooray, I did it...well, until I go to put it on the bike that is and I see on the sidewall >>>Rotation>>>...off the tyre comes again...and back on, with said finger bashed about some more...only to put it on, exactly the same way it was before. Well the next time I cracked it...so on to the other one, went well, I'm an expert now, pumped up tyre, watched the side wall and 'bang' ...off to Halfords for more spare tubes, back again, tyre off, tyre on 'checks for bulges', pump up tyre, check >>>Rotation', reassemble, easy, cracked it.

I'm scared of loud bangs now, think it might be post traumatic stress disorder or something.

Glass half full - you wont have to change those tyres for a few years

 

[Supersuperleeds]

I'm pathetic, no wait, pathetic isn't strong enough, I'm an embarrassing joke. All I wanted to do was put two new tyres and two new tubes in, should take, what, 20 mins? All afternoon...all bloody afternoon and three inner tubes exploded. My mending broken finger is screaming with pain as I grappled with two new (and cold) Marathon tyres, only to get one on, pump it up and 'bang'. So I tried again and...yep, you guessed it, 'bang'. The next time I tried (with the old tubes, 'cos both the new ones had exploded) I watched it inflate and aha, I get it, it's not sitting right at the valve, so pushed the valve upwards, re-seated the tyre and hooray, I did it...well, until I go to put it on the bike that is and I see on the sidewall >>>Rotation>>>...off the tyre comes again...and back on, with said finger bashed about some more...only to put it on, exactly the same way it was before. Well the next time I cracked it...so on to the other one, went well, I'm an expert now, pumped up tyre, watched the side wall and 'bang' ...off to Halfords for more spare tubes, back again, tyre off, tyre on 'checks for bulges', pump up tyre, check >>>Rotation', reassemble, easy, cracked it.

I'm scared of loud bangs now, think it might be post traumatic stress disorder or something.

First time I put marathons on it took my nigh on a hour to do the first one, the second one waited until another day..

Regarding the exploding tubes, once you have the tyre on and before you pump it up, you should push the tyre in from the side and check you can see the rim tape, do that all the way around the tyre on both sides, that way you know the tyre is on properly and the tube isn't trapped.

 

[sutts]

First time I put marathons on it took my nigh on a hour to do the first one, the second one waited until another day..

Regarding the exploding tubes, once you have the tyre on and before you pump it up, you should push the tyre in from the side and check you can see the rim tape, do that all the way around the tyre on both sides, that way you know the tyre is on properly and the tube isn't trapped.

Thanks for that tip!

 

[sutts]

Glass half full - you wont have to change those tyres for a few years

True, I hope! I have Marathon Plus on my other (hybrid) bike and they have done about 10000 miles so far. Great tyres!

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I'm pathetic, no wait, pathetic isn't strong enough, I'm an embarrassing joke. All I wanted to do was put two new tyres and two new tubes in, should take, what, 20 mins? All afternoon...all bloody afternoon and three inner tubes exploded. My mending broken finger is screaming with pain as I grappled with two new (and cold) Marathon tyres, only to get one on, pump it up and 'bang'. So I tried again and...yep, you guessed it, 'bang'. The next time I tried (with the old tubes, 'cos both the new ones had exploded) I watched it inflate and aha, I get it, it's not sitting right at the valve, so pushed the valve upwards, re-seated the tyre and hooray, I did it...well, until I go to put it on the bike that is and I see on the sidewall >>>Rotation>>>...off the tyre comes again...and back on, with said finger bashed about some more...only to put it on, exactly the same way it was before. Well the next time I cracked it...so on to the other one, went well, I'm an expert now, pumped up tyre, watched the side wall and 'bang' ...off to Halfords for more spare tubes, back again, tyre off, tyre on 'checks for bulges', pump up tyre, check >>>Rotation', reassemble, easy, cracked it.

I'm scared of loud bangs now, think it might be post traumatic stress disorder or something.

What Marathons are you using?

I alternate between 32mm Marathon Supremes and 35mm Marathon Deluxe and they go on easy-peasy.

Maybe it's due to different rim profiles? (Not sure!)

 

[sutts]

What Marathons are you using?

I alternate between 32mm Marathon Supremes and 35mm Marathon Deluxe and they go on easy-peasy.

Maybe it's due to different rim profiles? (Not sure!)

These were Marathon Greenguards (a city/commuter tyre to be honest). I read that a heavy tread doesn't give more grip, but I just feel better in winter with some tread!

 

[BrianEvesham]

I'm pathetic, no wait, pathetic isn't strong enough, I'm an embarrassing joke. All I wanted to do was put two new tyres and two new tubes in, should take, what, 20 mins? All afternoon...all bloody afternoon and three inner tubes exploded. My mending broken finger is screaming with pain as I grappled with two new (and cold) Marathon tyres, only to get one on, pump it up and 'bang'. So I tried again and...yep, you guessed it, 'bang'. The next time I tried (with the old tubes, 'cos both the new ones had exploded) I watched it inflate and aha, I get it, it's not sitting right at the valve, so pushed the valve upwards, re-seated the tyre and hooray, I did it...well, until I go to put it on the bike that is and I see on the sidewall >>>Rotation>>>...off the tyre comes again...and back on, with said finger bashed about some more...only to put it on, exactly the same way it was before. Well the next time I cracked it...so on to the other one, went well, I'm an expert now, pumped up tyre, watched the side wall and 'bang' ...off to Halfords for more spare tubes, back again, tyre off, tyre on 'checks for bulges', pump up tyre, check >>>Rotation', reassemble, easy, cracked it.

I'm scared of loud bangs now, think it might be post traumatic stress disorder or something.

Kudos for not giving up, if I'd got on the bike after that lot and seen "rotation" I would have thrown the bike over a hedge!

 

[Mo1959]

Kudos for not giving up, if I'd got on the bike after that lot and seen "rotation" I would have thrown the bike over a hedge!

I would have cycled backwards rather than go through all that again!

 

[Big_Dave]

Kudos for not giving up, if I'd got on the bike after that lot and seen "rotation" I would have thrown the bike over a hedge!

Lol I'd have given up bought some new tyres with wheels already fitted for good measure

 

[Mo1959]

Lol I'd have given up bought some new tyres with wheels already fitted for good measure

.........or why not just a new bike

All joking aside, I sometimes have wondered if it is almost as cheap just replacing a cheapish bike every couple of years rather than having to replace wheels, drive trains, etc and pay for servicing if you can't do it yourself.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

These were Marathon Greenguards (a city/commuter tyre to be honest). I read that a heavy tread doesn't give more grip, but I just feel better in winter with some tread!

I'm with you on this.

I do get that on a nice velvet smooth road that a tyre with no tread equals more grip.

However, on rough and gritty road my experience is that tyres with tread cling on a damn sight more than treadless.

Schwalbe, on their website, allude to this as well here:

"On a normal, smooth road, even in wet conditions, a slick tire actually provides better grip than a tire with a tread, because the contact area is larger.

The situation is much different on a rough road and even worse on a dirt trail. In these cases the degree of control provided by a slick tire is extremely limited.

A slightly serrated surface on the tire tread can have a positive effect on tire grip, as it creates micro interlocking with rough asphalt."

 

[Big_Dave]

That's a very valid point @Mo1959 , although I do spend a fair amount on my bikes they do have sentimental value.

@SpokeyDokey I have to admit that when I first started riding on wet roads on 'slicks' I was quite nervous, now I am pretty confident on them and never had an issue, I am not a fast rider so that's more than likely why I've not had an incident. On slicks hitting gravel on the other hand is a different arse clenching feeling altogether