Inner tube wrapped around top tube as bumper? Good or bad idea.

[[email protected]]

Hello!
I'm planning on purchasing a road bike (my first drop handlebar
bike) for club rides by the end of the month. I noticed that Trek's
SOHO (not a drop handlebar bike) had an installed rubber bumpter
section along the top tube -- apparently the designers think it would
help avoid scratches when locking the bike to a parking meter, no
parking sign, or, as a last resort, a bike rack (yeah, building owners
install them too close to the buildings here too). Could I achieve the
same effect with wrapping a split open, used inner tube along a short
section of the top tube? Is this a bad idea with negative consequences
for the bicycle.
I'm not too worried about the fashion statement aspects -- my usual
ride partners have already made their peace with my dayglo orange
sweatshirts with reflective applique, the tendency to go on 20 to 40
mile rides on open pedals (something I AM planning to change in the
near future), the coffee travel mug almost invariably clipped to the
rack trunk handle and a preference FOR "Shimano Squeal" from the brakes
(almost better than a bell because it communicates more information,
even if the information is "Mack Truck Behind You.").
Thanks in advance for your replies -- I remember and appreciate the
help I got over my dying velcro question a month or two ago.
[email protected]

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] writes:
> Hello!
> I'm planning on purchasing a road bike (my first drop handlebar
> bike) for club rides by the end of the month. I noticed that Trek's
> SOHO (not a drop handlebar bike) had an installed rubber bumpter
> section along the top tube -- apparently the designers think it would
> help avoid scratches when locking the bike to a parking meter, no
> parking sign, or, as a last resort, a bike rack (yeah, building owners
> install them too close to the buildings here too). Could I achieve the
> same effect with wrapping a split open, used inner tube along a short
> section of the top tube? Is this a bad idea with negative consequences
> for the bicycle.
> I'm not too worried about the fashion statement aspects -- my usual
> ride partners have already made their peace with my dayglo orange
> sweatshirts with reflective applique, the tendency to go on 20 to 40
> mile rides on open pedals (something I AM planning to change in the
> near future), the coffee travel mug almost invariably clipped to the
> rack trunk handle and a preference FOR "Shimano Squeal" from the brakes
> (almost better than a bell because it communicates more information,
> even if the information is "Mack Truck Behind You.").
> Thanks in advance for your replies -- I remember and appreciate the
> help I got over my dying velcro question a month or two ago.
> [email protected]

Right on!

So ... what was the question again? Oh yeah.

Anyways, just get a U-lock with PVC or vinyl or whatever it
is coating on it. If the lock has the protective coating
on it, you don't need it on the bike.

Get not necessarily the longest lock you can find/afford,
but the /widest/.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

 

[[email protected]]

Dear Tom:
Yeah, the lock (and the additional cable I've added to keep wheels,
seat etc. from walking away without the bike) is coated -- I want to
wrap the top tube in rubber because they don't coat the traffic and
parking control signs around here. Is there a downside to that -- aside
from appearance? Thanks for your reply, though.

Robert Leone [email protected]

Tom Keats wrote:
Stuff I'm snipping to save bandwidth.

 

[Brian Huntley]

[email protected] wrote:
> Dear Tom:
> Yeah, the lock (and the additional cable I've added to keep wheels,
> seat etc. from walking away without the bike) is coated -- I want to
> wrap the top tube in rubber because they don't coat the traffic and
> parking control signs around here. Is there a downside to that -- aside
> from appearance? Thanks for your reply, though.

I agree. Most of my main bike is covered with inner tubes (including
valve stems and a few patches), but I didn't do the front forks, and
they've been scratched down to bare metal by racks over the years.
Under the rubber, there's been no rusting or anything bad that I can
see when I peek - unlike the non-covered parts.

I used MTB tubes, and rubber cemented them together under the tubes so
you can't see the seams easily. There are some black cable ties near
the ends.

If I were just doing part of the top-tube and downtube, I'd probably
use an unslit skinny tube and wrap it like a handlbar tape job.

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] writes:
> Dear Tom:
> Yeah, the lock (and the additional cable I've added to keep wheels,
> seat etc. from walking away without the bike) is coated -- I want to
> wrap the top tube in rubber because they don't coat the traffic and
> parking control signs around here. Is there a downside to that -- aside
> from appearance? Thanks for your reply, though.

If you want to uglify your bike to make it look less
appealing to thieves - sure, why not? That could
actually be a desirable thing, and maybe less harmful
to the paint than tape. A few black zip-ties should
hold the inner tube securely in place. I'd take care
that the setup wouldn't interfere with brake or
derailleur cables.

I've locked my own bikes onto parking meters, signposts,
wrought iron fences, all kinds of stuff, with no ill effects
on the paint though. Whenever I can, I prefer to thread
my U-lock through the front wheel, around the rack or post,
and around the downtube. Maybe my rear derailleur cable
acts as a sort of bumper.

If you're really concerned about scuffs, another option
might be to temporarily wrap some cloth (or strips of
inner tube) around the tubes that contact whatever
you're locking to.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

 

[Peter Cole]

Brian Huntley wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>>Dear Tom:
>> Yeah, the lock (and the additional cable I've added to keep wheels,
>>seat etc. from walking away without the bike) is coated -- I want to
>>wrap the top tube in rubber because they don't coat the traffic and
>>parking control signs around here. Is there a downside to that -- aside
>>from appearance? Thanks for your reply, though.
>
>
> I agree. Most of my main bike is covered with inner tubes (including
> valve stems and a few patches), but I didn't do the front forks, and
> they've been scratched down to bare metal by racks over the years.
> Under the rubber, there's been no rusting or anything bad that I can
> see when I peek - unlike the non-covered parts.
>
> I used MTB tubes, and rubber cemented them together under the tubes so
> you can't see the seams easily. There are some black cable ties near
> the ends.
>
> If I were just doing part of the top-tube and downtube, I'd probably
> use an unslit skinny tube and wrap it like a handlbar tape job.
>

It can be a little tricky to cover the top tube with wrapping because of
the cables. I cover the chainstays on my MTB with a slit tube and finish
the ends with electrical tape just to protect from chain slap.

 

[Bob]

Peter Cole wrote:

> It can be a little tricky to cover the top tube with wrapping because of
> the cables. I cover the chainstays on my MTB with a slit tube and finish
> the ends with electrical tape just to protect from chain slap.

Most hardware and home improvement stores sell cylindrical lengths of
semi-rigid styrofoam for insulating water pipes. Cut to fit, position
it on the top tube so the cables run in the gap, and then install the
slit inner tube. This won't work of course if your bike has an
oversized top tube or if you are an extreme weight weenie.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

 

[Mike Kruger]

"Bob" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> Most hardware and home improvement stores sell cylindrical lengths of
> semi-rigid styrofoam for insulating water pipes. Cut to fit, position
> it on the top tube so the cables run in the gap, and then install the
> slit inner tube. This won't work of course if your bike has an
> oversized top tube or if you are an extreme weight weenie.
>
This works very nicely. I've used it on my mountain bike, where off-road
top-tube collisions aren't unknown.

 

[Luke]

In article <[email protected]>,
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Hello!
> I'm planning on purchasing a road bike (my first drop handlebar
> bike) for club rides by the end of the month. I noticed that Trek's
> SOHO (not a drop handlebar bike) had an installed rubber bumpter
> section along the top tube -- apparently the designers think it would
> help avoid scratches when locking the bike to a parking meter, no
> parking sign, or, as a last resort, a bike rack (yeah, building owners
> install them too close to the buildings here too). Could I achieve the
> same effect with wrapping a split open, used inner tube along a short
> section of the top tube? Is this a bad idea with negative consequences
> for the bicycle.
> I'm not too worried about the fashion statement aspects -- my usual
> ride partners have already made their peace with my dayglo orange
> sweatshirts with reflective applique, the tendency to go on 20 to 40
> mile rides on open pedals (something I AM planning to change in the
> near future), the coffee travel mug almost invariably clipped to the
> rack trunk handle and a preference FOR "Shimano Squeal" from the brakes
> (almost better than a bell because it communicates more information,
> even if the information is "Mack Truck Behind You.").
> Thanks in advance for your replies -- I remember and appreciate the
> help I got over my dying velcro question a month or two ago.
> [email protected]
>

I recommend using non-adhesive cork wrap - that's drop handlebar wrap -
for protecting the main tubes of the frame. One set will do the
top-tube as well as sections of down-tube and seat-tube that contact
the lock when free-locking to the front or rear wheel.

The major complication posed using this approach is cable routing. Even
so, both my road bike and MTB (with single 7 O'clock and triple 12
O'clock top-tube routing respectively) have submitted without much
trouble. To prevent interference with cable operation just keep
iteration overlap to a minimum in the sections affected. Finish off the
with a band of tape to keep the wrap in place.

Bottle cages are also constraining, but since these accessories act as
local frame tube protectors (being wider, they make contact rather than
adjacent frame sections when the bike is leaned against a pole,
etc...), it's really not necessary that the wrap proceed past them.

And with bar-wrap you have recourse to a multitude of colours and
patterns should the desire to colour coordinate become overwhelming.

Luke