The existing tires had only a few hundred miles on them, but I ordered replacements anyway. The new small front tire resisted going on the rim and to my chagrin, I pinched the tube and made it leak. Arghhhh! how clutzy.
I had a spare tube, but when I looked at it I saw it had a big patch on it. OK for a spare, but I'd rather have an unpatched tube for regular service.
Parenthetically: it has been years and thousands of miles since I had a flat. Bike tires have gotten steadily better the past decade. These new ones have a "Raceguard puncture protection belt" under the tread and I expect they will be at least as puncture-free as the previous ones.
So I went to three, count em, three local bike shops looking for new 20x1-1⁄8 tubes. Nnunh-unh, of course. So I had to order them also from BikeTiresDirect, excellent purveyors of recumbent tires and tubes, and wait for shipment but finally they came.
Meanwhile I polished the front wheel and the spokes of both wheels just for shiiiiny. The rear wheel has a gray anodized finish that doesn't polish, although cleaned up nicely.
The new front tubes (I ordered three, just to have a lifetime supply) came with cute li'l yellow valve stem caps. I put those on both wheels for a tiny little color accent.
2 comments:
Also - would there be any chance of tire rub at full travel with these larger wheels on this "demo" set up?
Wheels and Tires
Hasn't been any. The carbon-fiber front fender is a very close fit and will rub on cornering if it isn't aligned just perfectly, but that has always been true.
The rear tire has always been a close fit on the Tour Easy frame, owing to the relationship between the rear dropout and the base of the rear fork. (Maybe newer frames are better, this one is 12 y.o.) Once the wheel is in, all is fine, but getting the wheel in or out has always been a chore. It's harder now because with the motor, the rear wheel weighs about 12 pounds.
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