Mickle's tip of the day - Inner tubes

[mickle]

Before you install your next inner tube dust the inside if the tyre with talcum powder.

Make sure your tyre is clean and free from debris first - then: A generous squoosh and spread it around with your fingers getting it on every bit of surface. Shake out any excess (but try to avoid breathing it, it may be a carcinogen).

Lubricating the inside surface of your tyres in this way makes for very happy tubes. They sit more comfortably and are therefore less likely to end up twisted within the tyre, pinched under the bead or snagged by a lever. Rolling resistance is reduced (and I suspect that the likelihood of punctures is reduced). In the long term it prevents the tube from getting stuck to the tyre and inner tube wear is eliminated (if you have ever opened up a tyre to discover a load of rubber dust you'll know what I mean).

We have 15+ bikes in the garage and I get more than a year out of a small container - so it's not an expensive addition to your home workshop kit. But once you start using it, and experience the benefits, you wont feel right installing a tube without it.

Any flavour will do, I like lavander very much.

There's an article on setting up your own home workshop on Cyclorama by Geoff Apps and me which might be of interest.

 

[gb155]

Before you install your next inner tube dust the inside if the tyre with talcum powder.

Make sure your tyre is clean and free from debris first - then: A generous squoosh and spread it around with your fingers getting it on every bit of surface. Shake out any excess (but try to avoid breathing it, it may be a carcinogen).

Lubricating the inside surface of your tyres in this way makes for very happy tubes. They sit more comfortably and are therefore less likely to end up twisted within the tyre, pinched under the bead or snagged by a lever. Rolling resistance is reduced (and I suspect that the likelihood of punctures is reduced). In the long term it prevents the tube from getting stuck to the tyre and inner tube wear is eliminated (if you have ever opened up a tyre to discover a load of rubber dust you'll know what I mean).

We have 15+ bikes in the garage and I get more than a year out of a small container - so it's not an expensive addition to your home workshop kit. But once you start using it, and experience the benefits, you wont feel right installing a tube without it.

Any flavour will do, I like lavander very much.

There's an article on setting up your own home workshop on Cyclorama by Geoff Apps and me which might be of interest.

Hum I've never done that

But now you mention it, it seems like a great idea !

 

[tyred]

Finally, a use for all those Brut 33 sets my granny buys me every Christmas. Or at least it's the Talc used up, what can I do with all the aftershave?

 

[Rob3rt]

Before you install your next inner tube dust the inside if the tyre with talcum powder.

Make sure your tyre is clean and free from debris first - then: A generous squoosh and spread it around with your fingers getting it on every bit of surface. Shake out any excess (but try to avoid breathing it, it may be a carcinogen).

Lubricating the inside surface of your tyres in this way makes for very happy tubes. They sit more comfortably and are therefore less likely to end up twisted within the tyre, pinched under the bead or snagged by a lever. Rolling resistance is reduced (and I suspect that the likelihood of punctures is reduced). In the long term it prevents the tube from getting stuck to the tyre and inner tube wear is eliminated (if you have ever opened up a tyre to discover a load of rubber dust you'll know what I mean).

We have 15+ bikes in the garage and I get more than a year out of a small container - so it's not an expensive addition to your home workshop kit. But once you start using it, and experience the benefits, you wont feel right installing a tube without it.

Any flavour will do, I like lavander very much.

There's an article on setting up your own home workshop on Cyclorama by Geoff Apps and me which might be of interest.

I readily accept almost all of this (I thought it was pretty much widespread knowhow) but reducing rolling resistance, how does this occur?

 

[mickle]

I readily accept almost all of this (I thought it was pretty much widespread knowhow) but reducing rolling resistance, how does this occur?

Because it reduces friction between the inside surface of the tyre and the outside surface of the tube - though, to be fair, it's only especially noticeable with large section tyres and/or at lower pressures. Wear does occur between these surfaces as they move, I've seen plenty of examples where the tube has worn through completely.

It should be common knowledge but I reckon most bike shop mechanics don't use it. And most of them are common.

 

[Rob3rt]

So you are talking resistance between tube and tyre only here? I was thinking you were talking about resistance to the road :S

 

[mickle]

Rolling resistance is the drag caused by the tyre continually flexing and returning as it rolls along. Friction between the tyre and tube is part of that equation.

 

[Mad at urage]

Also thoroughly talc the spare inner tube(s) before folding and bagging it (them). This will also reduce likelihood of it sticking when unfolded and give the same (ish) as Mickle's suggestion when replacing the tube beside the road .

 

[Red Light]

Rolling resistance is the drag caused by the tyre continually flexing and returning as it rolls along. Friction between the tyre and tube is part of that equation.

And given the negligible mass and great flexibility and compliance of the inner tube, the effect on rolling resistance will be absolutely negligible. In fact you could say that if the tube is stuck to the tyre the two move in complete harmony while sliding across each other must dissipate energy - again absolutely negligible though.

But hey this is marketing

 

[Pottsy]

Yes I like this one, I've done it for years. Johnson's Baby Powder is my fave as it prevents you cycling around smelling like a perfumed ponce after each puncture repair.

 

[Rob3rt]

And given the negligible mass and great flexibility and compliance of the inner tube, the effect on rolling resistance will be absolutely negligible. In fact you could say that if the tube is stuck to the tyre the two move in complete harmony while sliding across each other must dissipate energy - again absolutely negligible though.

But hey this is marketing

I was thinking something along these lines myself.

 

[bonj]

Does it prevent a warped tire?

 

[mickle]

And given the negligible mass and great flexibility and compliance of the inner tube, the effect on rolling resistance will be absolutely negligible. In fact you could say that if the tube is stuck to the tyre the two move in complete harmony while sliding across each other must dissipate energy - again absolutely negligible though.

But hey this is marketing

Negligible is right - but many negligibles make a not negligible. It's not the flexing of the tube by the way but the rubbing against the tyre - which is capable of generating enough friction to wear through it.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

It's not the flexing of the tube by the way but the rubbing against the tyre - which is capable of generating enough friction to wear through it.

+1, as a result of folks reducing pressure to the minimum offroad to minimise rolling resistance, which in turn is the key motivation/reason for many to go tubeless to avoid (pinch) flats.

 

[YahudaMoon]

Lol. Ive not done that for 30 years. I used french chalk as a kid