Going faster

Simon Brooke

in message <33tc6eF425kotU1@individual.net>, Epetruk
('nobody@blackhole.com') wrote:

> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>> Epetruk wrote:
>>
> <snip tale of faster bike>
>
>> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>> put more air in the tyres.
>
> Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my
> rides were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a
> potential flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>
> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which I
> can easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any
> recommendations?

Don't buy a cheap one - very false economy as I know to my cost. Can't
recommend a good one as I don't have one, but will be looking to see
what other people recommend.

But getting your tyres decently hard is definitely one of the best ways
to improve performance.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Ring of great evil
Small one casts it into flame
Bringing rise of Men ;; gonzoron

Simon Brooke

in message <33tbfmF43ri6dU1@individual.net>, Peter B
('peter28@btinternet.com') wrote:

> "Zog The Undeniable" <hrothgar19@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:41d925db.0@entanet...
>> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>> put more air in the tyres.
>
> Good call, more air sounds very likely.
> Before the last ride on my winter bike that's exactly what I did, the
> tyres were seriously underinflated, and although I wasn't aware of
> riding faster (no computer on that bike) I was fairly convinced I was
> using higher gears for the same route, subjective I know.
> The ride was a little harsher but hardly detectable on the smoothest
> surfaces.
> (On my shiney summer bike I check pressures before each ride, on the
> winter
> bike I just get on and pedal).

I found myself riding noticeably faster yesterday, thanks to a neat
little component not much bigger than a box of matches. One of these,
to be precise:
<URL:http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?product=10795>

Seriously and I kid you not. Did my fastest ten mile time for many years
(on my old Raleigh Record Sprint) - it really helps with the cadence.
Mind you I do have some sympathy with people who question whether this
is safe.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Human history becomes more and more a race between
;; education and catastrophe.
H.G. Wells, "The Outline of History"

Richard Bates

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 18:02:19 +0000, Zog The Undeniable
<hrothgar19@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Cycling Plus liked the Specialized ones, so look at them first. I'd
>avoid anything that wasn't mostly made from metal.

Nah - metal bends. Plastic doesn't. My first track pump had a metal
stem which developed a small kink. That was enough to render it pretty
useless.


--
Amazon: "If you are interested in 'Asimov's I-Robot',
you may also be interested in 'Garfield - The Movie'.
... erm, how do they figure that one out?

Tony Raven

Simon Brooke wrote:
>
> I found myself riding noticeably faster yesterday, thanks to a neat
> little component not much bigger than a box of matches. One of these,
> to be precise:
> <URL:http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?product=10795>
>

Zen & the Art of Bicycle Cadence?

Tony

NC

Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message <33tc6eF425kotU1@individual.net>, Epetruk
> ('nobody@blackhole.com') wrote:
>
>> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>>> Epetruk wrote:
>>>
>> <snip tale of faster bike>
>>
>>> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>>> put more air in the tyres.
>>
>> Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my
>> rides were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a
>> potential flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>>
>> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which
>> I can easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any
>> recommendations?
>
> Don't buy a cheap one - very false economy as I know to my cost. Can't
> recommend a good one as I don't have one, but will be looking to see
> what other people recommend.

I have a Zefal one, bought at Mildenhall show several years ago. Doing fine.
Metal body, wooden handle, adaptor converts from Presta to Schrader by
sliding a switch (handy if you have bikes with both types).
Pressure gauge goes to some stupid high figure (I forget). It is fine for
120psi.
Not particularly compact, but is fine in corner of shed.


> But getting your tyres decently hard is definitely one of the best
> ways to improve performance.

Appropriately firm would be my view, over-hard doesn't help comfort in my
opinion.


- Nigel
--
NC - Webmaster for http://www.2mm.org.uk/
Replies to newsgroup postings to the newsgroup please.

Not Responding

Epetruk wrote:
> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>
>>Epetruk wrote:
>>
>
>
> <snip tale of faster bike>
>
>>Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>>put more air in the tyres.
>
>
> Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my rides
> were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a potential
> flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>
> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which I can
> easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any recommendations?
>

I have a Joe Blow (I think. Wierd name). It goes up to some awesome
pressure like 160psi.

David Martin

Simon Brooke wrote:
> in message <33tc6eF425kotU1@individual.net>, Epetruk
> ('nobody@blackhole.com') wrote:
>
>
>>Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>>
>>>Epetruk wrote:
>>>
>>
>><snip tale of faster bike>
>>
>>>Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>>>put more air in the tyres.
>>
>>Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my
>>rides were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a
>>potential flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>>
>>So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which I
>>can easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any
>>recommendations?
>
>
> Don't buy a cheap one - very false economy as I know to my cost. Can't
> recommend a good one as I don't have one, but will be looking to see
> what other people recommend.
>
I had a cheap Silca one, it was crap but did the job for a while. I now
have a Joe Blow which does th ejob but the plastic handle feels a bit flexy.


> But getting your tyres decently hard is definitely one of the best ways
> to improve performance.

Just out of interest, how hard do you run the AWS? They do seem very supple.

...d

MSeries

Epetruk wrote:
> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>
>>Epetruk wrote:
>>
>
>
> <snip tale of faster bike>
>
>>Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>>put more air in the tyres.
>
>
> Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my rides
> were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a potential
> flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>
> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which I can
> easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any recommendations?
>
> --
> Akin
>
> aknak at aksoto dot idps dot co dot uk
>
>
>
>
I have a £20 Beto one, absolutely fine.

Paul - xxx

Epetruk composed the following;:
> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>> Epetruk wrote:
>>
>
> <snip tale of faster bike>
>
>>
>> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>> put more air in the tyres.
>
> Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my rides
> were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a potential
> flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>
> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which I can
> easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any recommendations?

Dunno the part number, but I have a blue plastic Zefal Track Pump bought
from Decathlon (Nottingham) for about £9.99 ish or thereabouts .. It's about
10 years old and still as good as new ...

Identical ('cept mine has plastic not Alloy barrel) to this ..
http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/acatal...2dPUM625%2ehtml


--
Paul ...
http://www.4x4prejudice.org/index.php
(8(!) Homer Rules ...
"A tosser is a tosser, no matter what mode of transport they're using."

Martin Wilson

>This sounds a bit odd to me - I can't see how tightening the gear cables
>would make turning the cranks more difficult. Anyone else have any idea what
>else might have been done?
>
>Yours sincerely,

My guess he flicked the cycle computer read out from mph to kph or
maybe theirs a small needle sticking through the saddle that injects
performance enhancing drugs into your buttocks as you ride. Maybe the
cycle shop is at a dead end at the top of a hill ;-)

the.Mark

Not Responding wrote:
> I have a Joe Blow (I think. Wierd name). It goes up to some
> awesome pressure like 160psi.
I've got one of them. Good isn't it.
--
Mark

1x1 wheel, 3x2 wheels & 1x3 wheels.

Jon Senior

Simon Brooke wrote:
> Don't buy a cheap one - very false economy as I know to my cost. Can't
> recommend a good one as I don't have one, but will be looking to see
> what other people recommend.

I use a Topeak Joe Blow (Yellow one. Not the "Sport" IIRC!). It's pretty
bloody good achieving 120psi in my 23mm tyres without too much swearing!

> But getting your tyres decently hard is definitely one of the best ways
> to improve performance.

I frequently find myself riding home, wondering why I'm so pathetic. I
usually manage to climb Leith Walk about three times before I realise
that I need to put air in my tyres, at which point I go noticeably faster.

Jon

Jon Senior

Simon Brooke wrote:
> <URL:http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?product=10795>

New toy for Christmas?

My MP3 player gets used for running. I can't run well unless I have
something to take my mind off what I'm doing. Avoid trying to match step
/ cadence with the beat though. ;-)

Jon

Martin Bulmer

In news:33tc6eF425kotU1@individual.net,
Epetruk <nobody@blackhole.com> wrote:
> Zog The Undeniable wrote:
>> Epetruk wrote:
>>
>
> <snip tale of faster bike>
>
>>
>> Could have readjusted a conventional BB that was too tight, or just
>> put more air in the tyres.
>
> Zog, you're right. I finally sussed it today when I noticed that my
> rides were now 'bumpier' than usual... checked to see if there was a
> potential flat and the tyre was hard as stone.
>
> So I should be looking to get my self a decent track pump with which
> I can easily achieve the same tyre pressure in the future. Any
> recommendations?

These are good if you can still get them;
http://www.pneuforce.co.uk/

I also have a Topeak Mountain Morph, see;
http://www.bikemagic.com/review/rev...p?RER=2&RPN=660
which I got for Christmas, and hasn't really been tested in the field yet,
but got my spare bike's tyres nice & hard. They do others in the Morph
category, some of them with guages, but I wanted the little one.

Both these pumps give reasonably high pressure, have hoses so you don't pull
the valve off the tube, and fit on a bike.
--


Martin Bulmer