The importance of regular maintenance.

[Rhythm Thief]

Or at least, of regularly having a look at your back tyre if you have a bike with full mudguards.
On my way to work tonight I got a rear puncture. No bother, I thought, must have been where they were cutting the hedges last week. I'll stop and repair it. Upon flipping the bike over I noticed my rear tyre was worn down to the canvas most of the way round, and in at least one place the inner tube was poking through, which was what had caused the puncture. I managed to cobble together a repair involving three patches and rode the eight remaining miles very gingerly indeed, expecting at any minute to have to mend it again. First thing I did when I got to Ledbury was find a bike shop and buy myself a new tyre.

 

[bauldbairn]

Wonder how long it had been like that - didn't happen over night?

You must've been distracted with all the excitement of the arrival of your 2CV.

I spin both tyres once a week - to check for things that are embedded in them but haven't yet got through and caused a puncture.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I think part of the problem is that the front tyre - which was the same make and was fitted at the same time - is absolutely fine. And as that's the only one I can actually see (because of my full mudguards) I sort of assumed that the back one wasn't too different, even though I know that rear tyres wear faster than fronts.
The 2CV is directly responsible for this sudden upsurge in cycle commuting, incidentally: it's on the drive with the engine being rebuilt and will be out of action all this week. I've got no other way to get to work until it's fixed, and I have to say it's doing me a world of good.

 

[marinyork]

Eek, well glad it ended up all right.

 

[Bay Runner]

I had a similar problem but fortunately the rear did not get that bad

When the rear shows slight signs of wear I end for end them

 

[snakehips]

I was lucky enough to have a friend who was following me one day point out the wear on my rear tyre.
Bike was a couple of years old , same tyres from new , little or no wear on the front tyre.

Snake

My Library

 

[mr Mag00]

'skids is for kids'

 

[MacB]

wow, I thought I was low maintenance, but I do check over the tyres each week.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

wow, I thought I was low maintenance, but I do check over the tyres each week.

The daft thing is that I'm pretty good with everything else ... as I say, I think because I could see the front one was alright, I sort of assumed that the back one wasn't too much worse. Hey ho, I've been wrong before.

 

[MacB]

The daft thing is that I'm pretty good with everything else ... as I say, I think because I could see the front one was alright, I sort of assumed that the back one wasn't too much worse. Hey ho, I've been wrong before.

It's the mudguards, I just turn the bike upside down like I did when I was a kid. Much easier for checking tyres than a workstand.

 

[gaz]

I spin my wheels before every ride. mud guards rubbing bloddy does my head in.

 

[fossyant]

It's something I try to remember to do every couple of weeks...... doesn't always work.

Before my new bike arrived, I was trying to eek the last bit out of the rear slick on the MTB.....failed about 2 weeks short of the new bike arriving (punctures, and carcase starting to show - no holes though), so eneded up commuting on the knobblies (which remained on the bike) rather than shell out for a tyre that would be used for a couple of weeks, then never again.

 

[MacB]

My kids laugh at me, even with both lights on in the garage, I still need to wear one of those led head torches to inspect the tyres properly. The eldest told me I looked like a dork

 

[tyred]

My kids laugh at me, even with both lights on in the garage, I still need to wear one of those led head torches to inspect the tyres properly. The eldest told me I looked like a dork

I used to laugh at my father insisting on having extra lights shining on anything he goes to do, even if I could see it perfectly well. Now I feel the need to do the same.

The joys of growing old