…and later on – the rear tire blew (for the same reason as the first) as my face inched close to the rear wheel with camera in hand to take what I hoped to be ultra cool pictures for this site. I was only about three feet away when the rear tire exploded. I watched as the tire bulged and then BANG! My ears rang for an hour louder than they normally do. Ouch!
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Finally finished with my bike build up…. so I thought! I had just pumped my tires to just under 6 bar (85psi) and was checking my email quick so I could go out and ride and I heard a “pffft…. BANG!” At first I though someone threw an M80 next to my chair but after a walk though of the house I saw that my front tire was flat and the tire bead unseated meaning that it wasn’t properly seated in the first place, causing the blowout.
ARRGG! Someone really doesn’t want me to finish this thing! BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Self-healing rubber bounces back The journal Nature has reported that scientist using vegetable oil and a component of urine have created a rubber compound which heals its self when broken. When a strip of rubber was severed and then pressed back together it “almost immediately… was strong enough for… the sample (to be held) just at one end. Within an hour the bonds had rebuilt themselves so thoroughly that it was possible to stretch the strand to twice its length without any sign of weakness where the cut had been made.” The material is almost entirely a Green and researchers say that it “could be completely so with a few adjustments.” For bicyclists this means no more flats, having to bring extra tubes, patch kits or wheels on bike trips. This is also good news for automotive makers. What this could also mean is a reduction of landfills packed with tires. Reporting back on the Men’s Terramar Thermawool Zip Mock from Campmor that I got for only $25 and the Schwalbe Marathon Racers. The Thermawool zip mock base layer is about as good as my Smartwool zip T. It has the same flat seams for comfort and uses similar Australian Merino wool which is fairly soft, washing care instructions are similar (machine wash warm gentle cycle) and is it is stretchy and formfitting. Where it excels over the Smartwool is that it has ribbed shoulders to allow for more movement and stretch (although won’t be necessary for most but could be for someone very buff) benefiting, and even though the zipper catches occasionally on it, unlike the Smartwool, has a flap to prevent wind from passing though to the wearer and lastly, the zipper pull tucks neatly into little tuck of fabric at the top of the zipper, protecting your neck hairs or skin from catching in the mechanism. Where the Thermawool lacks from the Smartwool design are like I mentioned earlier, the zipper occasionally catches on the zipper flap when zipping and it is slightly less soft in the beginning but I’m sure over time and a few more washes will soften up nicely but the first wash before wearing is very important. Both these things are minor annoyances that I’m sure will pass over a short period of time. One more difference is that the Thermawool has a shorter mock top than the Smartwool but overall this is a great wool base layer top especially for the $25. The Schwalbe Marathon Racers are handsome tires with plenty of grip. They gripped the road well at corners going down a mountain road at 45 mph and had little resistance with it’s ;ow profile thread. I really like the reflective sidewall and easy install even though they use a Kevlar bead. This last fact, however, is the big benny as it allows you to easily pack one up in a pack for tours. I am pleased with both purchases and highly recommend them. |
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