Newbie, wheel rim/tyre numbers?? Unsure...

[Ajax Bay]

Schwalbe Road Cruiser HS377 Tyre with Amber Wall - 26 x 1.75 Inch , 47-559

That tyre will also fit your wheel. The sides will get grubby; but 'grubby chic' for "mainly road use, and little off road USE.."

 

[mjr]

Phew! You can tell I haven't been on a bicycle for errrr, nearly 40 years!!!

I think it was only that the complexity was hidden. Tyre manufacturers still sold a range of sizes, but most labelled them fraudulently, so a 1⅝" labelled width could be anything from 37mm to 47mm in reality. At least now you have more chance of getting a tyre that will fit and don't feel you have to stick to the same tested brands.

 

[Shalesearcher]

Thanks peeps..... Also, "rim tape" I understand the spoke ends need covering to prevent spoke end punctures, but will any tape, that is flexible, and not encroach the rim walls be OK?

 

[mjr]

Probably but most will wear through more quickly or leave more adhesive residue on the rim than a proper rim tape. I like velox.

 

[iluvmybike]

These are easy to fit, long-lasting and work well with high pressures - no sticky residue easy peasy
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental...38502&ptaid=aud-131695477502:pla-183187057742

 

[mjr]

These are easy to fit, long-lasting and work well with high pressures - no sticky residue easy peasy
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental...38502&ptaid=aud-131695477502:pla-183187057742

Looks like the wrong wheel size to me: 622 when the OP has 559s.

 

[Shalesearcher]

Looks like the wrong wheel size to me: 622 when the OP has 559s.

I'm doing this, this evening, so I'll make do with 10mm gel tape, (single sided)...

 

[Ajax Bay]

I'll make do with 10mm gel tape, (single sided)...

I don't know what you mean by 'gel tape' but 10mm wide tape will be too narrow, and 'flexible' is not a desirable trait. Your rim (Rim: Rigida AS26FL (20x559)) is 20mm wide (internal). Double wrap might do it perhaps, on a temporary basis.

 

[Shalesearcher]

Hi guys, gel tape worked just fine.... But now brake balance on the rear v brake is killing my brain cells, one at a time!!! Just cannot get both sides to move in/out in unison!! The individual spring balance adjusters are grub screws with hex fit, cannot work out best place to start them from, all in or all out! One side always seems to dominate, the cable attached side, not the passive other side...!!! Any advice..?

 

[mjr]

Look it up on parktool.com or sheldonbrown.com, else start a new thread with a title that will attract V-brake adjustment experts' comments.

Oh OK, I'll help: http://sheldonbrown.com/canti-direct.html#centering

 

[Shalesearcher]

Hi all, well stripped the v brakes down to individual components, I think I was correct in that one of the springs was compromised/strained, had a fiddle with it with pliers and moleys, got it as good as I could and cleaned/lubed all parts and reassembled with new pads and cable... I works significantly better now, although I will at some point renew the whole system, the frame has all the holes/lugs etc to put a disc brake on, so may do that down the line.. Also, my new tyres have arrived, didn't overspend, but didn't get the cheapest either, got a pair of Vandorm Crossfire (26 x 1.95) [53-559] off Amazon, £14.99 delivered.. So will pop them on and report back..

 

[Ajax Bay]

gel tape worked just fine....

With respect, how do you know this? You will know it wasn't up to the task you're asking it to do when your get a puncture with the hole on the inside of the inner tube. #Cassandra#

Want a mid range tyre, for mainly road use, and little off road USE..

got a pair of Vandorm Crossfire (26 x 1.95) [53-559]

Good to see you took minimal notice of the advice offered by several above (eg tyre width and tread). Have you come across 'VanDorm' tyres before? Best of luck.

 

[Shalesearcher]

With the greatest of respect, I had to get tyres, I only had a very limited budget, very limited, the vandorm tyres were cheap, but not the cheapest and had around 150 reviews by purchasers, mostly they were OK reviews.. Some of the even cheaper ones had terrible reviews.. The tape I used to cover the spoke nipples on the inner rim is a tape that has a 2mm layer of gel, with a non woven outer skin, it was/is expensive, but I bought it 3 yrs ago, for another use, and it has, as far as I can see, done the job, if I get a puncture because it was not up to the job, then I will have to replace it with proprietary tape, but again, I didn't have funds to get it at this time.. I'm not trying to build a off road, downhill racer, it's just to commute to work, which at the moment is 4 miles away.. I may go on the odd grass verge, and up the odd kerb. I was a Co Director of a local business upto a couple of yrs ago, and money wasn't a problem, however, we became victims of a company going bust, whilst owing us money, and we were forced to close because of this, which also left me with no car, and no money, and I am only just on the road to recovery, hence no money to splash on bike bits...
I have listened to every bit of advice, but had to weigh up its costs, I would have loved to have bought £15 tyres + rim tape, + new brake calipers, and some other bits, but I have had to mend, and make do with what I could get for the money I had..
Sorry if you think I just ignored advice...

 

[mjr]

Yeah, understood. Let us know how the tyres go because I've never heard of them. Sometimes stuff I've never heard of turns out OK (Vavert tubes) and sometimes I've had problems with famous brand stuff (Continental tyres, Shimano brake pads and chains.) Although famous names have a better success rate IMO it's not sure.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

.......The tape I used to cover the spoke nipples on the inner rim is a tape that has a 2mm layer of gel, with a non woven outer skin, it was/is expensive, but I bought it 3 yrs ago, for another use, and it has, as far as I can see, done the job,...

It would make a good follow up if you let us know how well this works over time. The tyres too as that is a brand which is new to me.