I use the Gatorskin Contis too, but after riding on a newly slagged street in
Shorewood earlier this summer, I got a flat. First one in years.
From: India Viola <[email protected]>
To: Swell Schultz <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 12:54 PM
Subject: Re: [Bikies] MS Ride and tires
Thanks for the gear tip. These sound like tires that WAAM can recommend for
folks heading on longer rides/tours.-India, We Are All
Mechanicshttp://www.WeAreAllMechanics.com
On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 11:51 AM, Swell Schultz <[email protected]>
wrote:
My 2 cents...I went from 23c road tires 2 years ago to 25c Conti Gatorskin
"training" tires - they are TOUGH and only a bit larger. I think they have a
layer of a ceramic cloth similar to kevlar. No flats in 2 years and they are
nice handling meats.Dan
>Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:23:31 -0700From: [email protected]:
>[email protected]; [email protected]: Re: [Bikies] MS Ride and tires
>Like anything else in life, you can't gain a feature while changing one option
>without giving up another feature.
>We have established the probability of the slag as one factor of increased
>flats, and road trash as a another factor, lightweight and thin tires as a
>another factor. The conflict then appears to be municipality's desire for cost
>effective means of keeping streets safe and smooth and the cyclists desire to
>keep ounces off the bicycle for speed. Umm, lets see which desire wins when it
>comes to the public budget time.
>I know I'm a poster child for heavy bikes or trikes but if I had to choose
>between protecting my bones or my racing self-image, I'll protect my bones
>with heavier puncture resistant tires because I can't win a race by spending
>time changing tires.
>My humble two cents worth.
>DJ --- On Fri, 8/12/11, Michael Rewey <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>From: Michael Rewey <[email protected]>
>>Subject: Re: [Bikies] MS Ride and tires
>>To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
>>Date: Friday, August 12, 2011, 10:49 AM
>>
>>
>>Larry presented a very good history.
>>
>>
>>We've been presented that it is either pea gravel or coal slag for sealing
>>our streets. While I support the sealing of streets (but not necessarily
>>with coal slag) we've been given an either/or scenario. Let's look at it
>>differently.
>>
>>
>>I suggest that we use fractured stone or stone chips that are pre-coated.
>>They do it in Ireland where the chips are actually pretty big. Yes, it will
>>cost a little more, but the street will be "ready to go" right after
>>application, there will be no glass slivers that cause flat tires and it
>>removes the environmental question surrounding the using of coal slag in
>>urban and residential areas.
>>
>>
>>Mike Rewey
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--------------------------------------------------
>>On 12 Aug 2011 at 8:27, Larry D. Nelson wrote:
>>
>>
>>Let me attempt to give some background on this issue, Kevin. I am sure that
>>Mike Rewey can add information as well.
>> · Counties and local municipalities would prefer to maintain roads by
>>grinding off the surface and replacing with new asphalt every 15 to 20
>>years. That takes a lot of petroleum and energy in exchange for a smooth
>>surface.
>>· Sealing the surface with aggregate and water emulsified asphalt
>>every five years seals the cracks and, for a residential street, allows the
>>pavement to be maintained indefinitely. The material covers the
>>imperfections but does not reduce them but that is not generally a problem on
>>residential streets where there is a demand for slower traffic.
>>· In the early 1970s, air pollution concerns required the shift from
>>asphaltic cutback materials to water emulsified materials to reduce the
>>release of volatile compounds into the atmosphere. The old material was bad
>>for the air but it was excellent for pavements.
>>· The City of Madison used chip seal on its 80 miles of unimproved
>>streets but would not employee the material on its improved streets. City
>>policy assessed the cost of the pavement to the property owner and residents
>>of unimproved streets would tolerate the pea gravel and oil rather than be
>>assessed for an improved street. Dane County did the work.
>>· The use of pea gravel has some serious problems. As I said, bikers
>>were particularly impacted because “it’s like biking on marbles.” Also, pea
>>gravel is mined from glacial outwash deposits, often along streams. Getting
>>a quarry/surface mine in Dane County is pretty difficult.
>>· Dane County Recycling Coordinator, working with the Dane County
>>Highway Department, successfully demonstrated using recycling materials from
>>power plants for aggregate on County projects.
>>· Based on my observations, the recycled materials adhere to the
>>pavement better than pea gravel. And, people can walk and bike on the
>>material almost immediately.
>>Given our experience in using pea gravel in past years and probability of
>>bike crashes, I think its use is too great a risk to the public.
>>Larry
>>
>>
>>From: [email protected] [mailto:bikies-
>>[email protected]] On Behalf Of Kevin Luecke
>>Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 3:54 PM
>>To: [email protected]
>>Subject: Re: [Bikies] MS Ride and tires
>>
>>
>>I will chime in because I keep seeing mention of tire choice making a big
>>impact on the flats people are reporting. Tires definitely make a big
>>difference in flat prevention - my commuter bikes have heavy, slow rolling,
>>uncomfortable tires that are damn near impossible to flat. I never carry
>>patches or tubes on my commuters.
>>
>>
>>On my road bike I ride typical training tires: 23c, narrow, light tires. Why?
>>They are noticeably faster and more comfortable than heavily armored tires.
>>
>>
>>In the last four years I have had a total of two flats in the Madison area on
>>these tires (and one was because I let the tire visibly wear too thin). This
>>summer my wife and I have had at least 6 flats! Nothing has changed on the
>>equipment side of things, so I have to think it is something on the road that
>>is causing more flats.
>>Every time I have have examined the tires, there are more and more little
>>cuts, usually filled with very small chips of what looks like glass. After
>>all of these messages, and taking a closer look at what is out on the road, I
>>am now convinced that it is the coal slag being used as chip-seal aggregate.
>>While I like that a practical use is being found for what is otherwise a
>>waste product, this may not be the best use for it. And Larry, you mentioned
>>that this is "less expensive" than pea gravel - shouldn't coal plants be
>>paying municipalities to take it off their hands or at least giving it away
>>for free? Otherwise they'd have to pay to dump it. Seems like the munis are
>>getting screwed!
>>
>>
>>Kevin
>>--
>>Kevin Luecke
>>Lead Planner, Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
>>www.bfw.org | 608-251-4456
>>-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
>>
>>
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