Tires

Bike tires... and Car Tires...

observations of the commuter/rider/cerebral idiot (ie bike nerd/geek).

My 28c tires on the Klein Q-P, have a SMALLER contact patch than my 25c tires on the Commuter bike.

Oh air pressure; Klien 100psi, Commuter (P-mount)... 110psi.

Oh one other variable right? (yall better know this) Rim width. Yes rim width plays a huge factor in tire air volume and contact patch and shape. They are both 19mm rims.

So... how is it that a WIDER tires has LESS contact than a skinner one????

Oh how did i measure it? Riding in the wet over the same course (EBBP).

The difference is like comparing a U with an O... Everyone says 'tubulars are best because they are round' DUH no shit. So are my conti 28s mounted on 19mm rims.

BUT they are soooo heavy (one might say)... bullshit. That weight isn't gonna make a huge difference for anyone but a KL, and she's riding 650s so the argument is out the window.

No i don't have 23s to compare. But if you are mounting them to the same rim... is the narrower tire going to be any less U shaped than the 25? NO.

It goes against convention i know... but its hard emperical evidence that is out there that i've seen that i know... But the argument for bigger tires is more contact patch...

Yes that's the case, well sort of ... as ya lean over the rounder bigger tire contact patch doesn't change, where as the U shaped ones decrease dramatically the contact patch, when you DO NOT want it to decrease (side loading in corners or sprinting).

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Car tires. More of a thought than something like the above: Loud tires = less efficient. It takes energy to make sound. And a few other variables to go with but i tend to notice tires on cars a lot... ie "that looks like a shitty tread" "oh its a no name no brand tire... suprise*not*"

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Racing... may get my feet wet crit style sunday. May as in there's a chance someone could talk me out of signing up for the 3/4 race. I'm thinkin that one first cause i have a team mate registered (always better to have a team mate - right?). Second, its shorter (i hate crits and why suffer more than i have to). Third, well the heavy hitters for the BOB team all seem to be registered for the 30+ race (not saying that the home team in the 3/4 race won't also kick my ass). its sort of scary, to be honest. I have not measure of how well i'd do. My legs aren't bad. But is my fitness at a level that i can hang. Is my pain threshold to the point i can hang.

I feel stronger and faster than i ever have before (I know - that's not saying much). But i also don't know what to expect. I haven't done a crit since College. And i didn't like them then. But i was 165 pounds, no real power - just a good power to weight ratio, the only race i really loved then was the Tokeneke road thing put on by UConn.

One other thing. This new school schedule is MUCH better than the old one. No more working hard to get the oldest up and out the door by 6:55 to the bus. Which always ment me getting up in time to shower, get her snack packed up, make coffee, sort out breakfast... now i'm still the first up but its a much more civilized hour (6am) instead of the 5something before...

Great ride in, hooked up with one of the founding members of the PVelo club (Peter something). He passed me riding a silver Steelman road bike, wearing knickers and a longsleeve jersey. Carrying nutt'n. Me with trailer, and messenger bag (rather obsecenly loaded) and kid in trailer... decide getting passed is okay but i'm not letting him get more than 20 yards away... after cruising through the riverside intersections a log jam cuts the gap and we start chatting away. Me trying to not sound super labored breathing... him... spinnin away heading to work (a bit further north). Got in much faster, crazy work though... legs are definately feeling that effort.

yall take care now hear?

G

oooooooh

that yogurt container thing...
The Hawthorne Valley containers are made by plastics packaging, w.springfield MA... and are #2 HDPE... the Brown Cow and Seven Stars yogurt containers are the crappier #5 PP plastic.

Yogurt Boy... what'r the Stony quarts made from?