What is your rescue remedy for cycle breakdowns miles from home?

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Location
London
Ironically and no doubt unintendedly, your efforts to disclaim any sexism, in relation to @vickster, are undermined by your use of the term "granny gear". That term is of course deeply embedded within cycling but each of us has a choice whether to go along with that sexism or not.
There is nothing I would define as sexism in anything I have written in this thread, or any other. Feel free to report me to the mods for using the term "granny gear".
Priceless.
 

swansonj

Guru
There is nothing I would define as sexism in anything I have written in this thread, or any other. Feel free to report me to the mods for using the term "granny gear".
Priceless.
Are you seriously saying that the term "granny gear" is not sexist?
 
Location
London
Suggest you put the term into the search box.

Will turn up a multiplicity of occurences from many eminently nice cyclists.

Including this from Vickster in a post from February of this very year:

>>>I actually find my knee hurts more when trying to spin, I find around 70-80rpm with resistance works best...but were all different. I don't find myself spinning up hills much just too heavy
dQbB5mRUY9QmU9beNUBowUihFxFfQ2zaI7vobTObR5r8UOeJPYOFCP40_TAoKXM3AJ6mLXlnuYKKPaPRtFmFfXgA_Hy8nLEY.gif
they hurt my knee so I'm riding virtually on the flat currently

Low gearing is certainly something to look for, preferably a triple if possible for the granny gears

I'm hoping a recent steroid injection into the knee settles the pain and swelling down a bit


>>


sorry can't link directly to post. Not techie enough.

but it was in this thread:

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/total-noobie-here.230049/#post-5136257


Now perhaps we can get back to a very interesting/helpful/useful thread with contributions from all - genders, races, religious beliefs and none, sexual preferences and none.
 

swansonj

Guru
It’s probably more ageist than sexist.
I'd agree that it's both. Either way, it is clearly derogatory and clearly unhelpful, and its prevalent and largely unchallenged use across cycling is evidence of how our activity is shot through with chauvinistic and macho attitudes.
 
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I'd agree that it's both. Either way, it is clearly derogatory and clearly unhelpful, and its prevalent and largely unchallenged use across cycling is evidence of how our activity is shot through with chauvinistic and macho attitudes.
I wouldn’t quite go as far as that,

My wife calls them granny gears and she is 68 with many grandchildren, and I have called them granny gears and I have many grand children, the same ones as my wife,

I don’t really see the derogatory in it, unless someone is using it to be derogatory, and that doesn’t appear to be the case in the times people have used it.
 
Location
London
Thank you ian and dogtrousers for your brave commonsense.

Am seriously tempted to start a separate thread on the fraught issue of granny gear and sexism (cafe?, Politics?) So
that the rest of us of whatever persuasion can get on with the question of getting out of a cycling pickle (no disrespect to chutneys).
 

swansonj

Guru

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
Hmm, I'm starting to panic a bit about getting my super skinny tyres off my new bike now in the event of the inevitable.

I think a practice change is in order when I get home tonight.

HIGHLY recommended if you don't want a nasty roadside surprise!
 

Serge

Über Member
Location
Nuneaton
HIGHLY recommended if you don't want a nasty roadside surprise!
I've just ordered some Pedro's tyre levers to give me a helping hand.

I haven't dared take the tyres off yet, I need the bike in full working order for the daily commute. I'll be giving it a bash on my first rest day.

It never occurred to me before reading this thread that it'd be any different to removing my fat MTB tyres. You live and learn!
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
It never occurred to me before reading this thread that it'd be any different to removing my fat MTB tyres. You live and learn!
The main difference is that fat MTB wheels have wide wells in between the bead seats that one side of the tyre bead (the inner circle which is often rigid wire) will drop into pretty easily, allowing the other side to be pulled over the rim. The tyre width and flexibility probably means that the far side's bead doesn't hinder the side you're trying to remove as much, too.

You can still get narrow tyres to drop into the well on narrow rims in a similar way but you have to be more deliberate about it - there are videos out there where people use toe straps or reusable cable ties to hold the bead at the bottom in the well while they seat the top of the bead. Otherwise, you use something like the bead jack that effectively does the same thing with leverage.
 
Location
London
Thanks folks (of whatever gender, sexual persuasion or whatever)

We are back on topic :smile:

Will start watching and, hell, maybe even contributing, again.

Roll on folks.
 

Randy Butternubs

Über Member
You can still get narrow tyres to drop into the well on narrow rims in a similar way but you have to be more deliberate about it - there are videos out there where people use toe straps or reusable cable ties to hold the bead at the bottom in the well while they seat the top of the bead. Otherwise, you use something like the bead jack that effectively does the same thing with leverage.

Instead of cable ties or similar you can just hook the tyre lever under one or both sides of the tyre simultaneously and put tension on it as if you were removing the tyre normally. Then with your other hand you can work your way around the wheel, moving the bead into the well by pinching and twisting. The amount of extra give you can get doing this is remarkable.
 
Location
London
I am playing safe ... from now on I will refer to it as my gr-ovelling gear! :okay:
Next time am up in sane northern parts praps we can jointly run a totally inclusive ride incorporating such approved billing over the beautiful northern hills and valleys.

All the best

p
 
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