Are Tubeless Tyres Really Any Good?

The autumn ism’t only a time of shorter days, cooler temperatures, and colourful woodlands. For many leisure cyclists it also brings the puncture season as farmers trim their hedges and leave the minor back roads that cyclists use to avoid the worst of the traffic littered with thorny debris. It ofthen seems that Friday afternoons are the preferred time to do this because there will inevitably be more people out cycling on Saturday and Sunday, so this offers the best chance to maximise the number of them that will be getting punctures.

Having just ridden through the third puncture season since I last changed the tyres on my bike now seems like a good time to reflect on whether tubeless tyres really are an improvement, or just another more expensive alternative to something that already works.

Although nobody wants a puncture, being equipped to fix one and knowing that it will only take you about 10 minutes means that you don’t have to worry about them. However, when they do happen they are inevitably an inconvenience, and especially so it it is dark and raining. These days things like glueless patches, and CO2 inflators can make fixing a puncture and getting back on your way much quicker.

I have been using Schwalbe Matathon Almotion tyres for well over two years now without any problems. These are fairly wide tyres compared to what many people use, and there do seem to be more problems getting tubeless to work with narrower tyres. I add fresh sealant about every six months and apart from that I just ride them. I’ve got a tool for fixing punctures that are too big for the sealant to fill, although I’ve never actually had to use it yet.

The Almotion tyres are certainly robust, but they are quite heavy and certainly aren’t made for racing. There are certainly lighter and faster alternatives, like the Schwalbe G One Allround, although they are more prone to punctures and need replacing more regularly. Somebody who rides quite a lot could well find that by the time they need to refresh the sealant they really need a new pair of tyres too.

Tern GSD Review

I have been using a Tern GSD electric cargo bike as my regular means of transport for a few years now, and now seem a good time to reflect on how that has been. It is a second generation GSD and is the R14 model, which has quite a few upgrades relative to some of the other models in the tern range. Most importantly it is fitted with Rohloff hub gears which cover a wide range of ratios, and a belt drive that does not require any regular maintenance. Mine is also fitted with quite a lot of accessories, and it is these that allow the bike to be put to a variety of different uses from transporting kids to carrying heavy or bulky loads.

The accessories do add significantly to the total cost of the bike, but seem good value given that they increase its usefulness as an everyday vehicle. A lot of the journeys that I make don’t actually require the load carrying capacity of the bike, but having the ability to carry things easily on the bike does make using it as my everyday transport much easier. Most of the journeys that I make on it are no more than about five miles each way, and many are much shorter. However, they are all journeys that most people would just use a car for without thinking about it.

It is a very big, heavy bike, and it really does need some electrical assistance to make it rideable, and that is noticed most when accelerating. However, I find that riding it on the flat doesn’t usually really require any more than the lowest assistance level, although smaller riders might not feel that same about that. Being an electric bike if you are in a hurry, or there is heavy traffic on the route, or you are going up a hill, or the weather is bad, or the shopping that you are carrying is really heavy, or you are just too tired to want to be cycling, you can increase the level of assistance to help you. This means that you can often travel at about 15 mph regardless of the conditions.

Obviously the electrical assistance comes at a price, and the bike does need to be charged from time to time. The cost of charging the battery is currently about 25p, and in normal use I get an average of about 80 miles of riding between charges, although I always recharge the battery before it is empty. That is probably about two thirds of the “potential” range quoted by the manufacturer. It works out at around 0.3 pence per mile, which is about one tenth the cost per mile of charging an electric car and using it under good conditions.

Lime Bikes and Other Public Bike Hire Schemes

Quite a few cities now have public bike hire schemes, where bikes are accessed from a dock on the street like the Boris Bikes in London. Dockless e-bike schemes are also becoming increasingly common around the UK. One of the things that using these kinds of hire schemes requires is some local navigational knowledge.

Obviously, these days a lack of local navigational knowledge can be overcome with the aid of a smartphone and Google Maps, but that does require you to keep stopping to check your phone to make sure that you are heading in the right direction. All that stopping and starting can really start to add to your journey time though. A reasonable network of safe routes, or at least streets that aren’t too hostile for cycling on, is also really a requirement for these schemes to be useful.

Having recently used one of the Lime bikes in London I found them to be a bit of an experience. They seemed to be much easier to get access to when you turn up than Boris bikes, hiring one is app based so you don’t need to deal with a machine like a parking meter in the street. I was a bit surprised by the power, and the fact that they are single speed. Just one gear means that there is less to go wrong, and having electrical assistance makes single speed a practical option.

They also only have one power setting, which seems to be equivalent to the flat out, eveything it’s got, setting that you don’t use much on the e-bike that you might have at home. The downside of having a single speed and single power level is that speeds at which they work best are quite high. The result is that you get a swift cycling speed for a very pedestrian level of effort, and being a quicker alternative to walking is probably what they are really aimed at.

However, they do seem to be quite well suited to riding around at about 20 to 25 kph I would guess. This is a good speed for riding in UK cities where riding with traffic is inevitable, and they will get to that speed very quickly. A downside of them being fairly basic and robust bikes is that the brakes seemed a bit inadequate for something with their weight, power, and speed.

How Expensive is a Bike?

With recent claims that almost half of British people can’t afford to buy a bike perhaps it’s helpful to look at just how expensive bikes are. We assume that this is simply because virtually everybody in the UK considers a owning and running a car to be essential, and a bike to be optional and only for recreational use. You could buy a second hand bike for the price of two tanks of fuel, and there are places locally like Ree Cycle that can provide you with a choice of bikes for that price. So the real question is how expensive is it to run a car in the UK these days?

The average annual cost of running a car in the UK is approximately £3,580, though individual expenses can vary based on factors like car type, usage, and personal circumstances. That’s the typical cost of an average car, like a Vauxhaul Astra, and a smaller car might cost less overall. Lots of households have two, or more, cars though. The thought of giving up your only car in driving dominated Lancaster would be a rather daunting prospect for most people, but swapping a second (or third) car for an electric bike to use for short local joiurneys is much more practical.

For not much more than the annual cost of running an average car in the UK for a year you could buy a Trek Fetch+2, although it would probably need soem additional accessories for carrying shopping or kids to make the most use out of it. Cargo bikes like the Fetch can carry a passenger or a big load of shopping with ease meaning that they can be a really practical alternative to a small car. Alternatively, a more ordinary looking machine with more limited load carry capabilities like the Riese and Muller Nevo is similarly priced, and can eaily transport a single person around town, which is all a lot of the cars are doing in Lancaster.

Whilst these might seem like quite expensive bikes, and there could be some additional costs, compared to the cost of even running a small second car they could be paid for in under two years.

Tern bikes are available from The Edge Cycleworks on Chapel Street, and Riese and Muller bikes are available from E-Radicals on King Street.

Jerseys, Night Rides, and Cycloraves

With Ride to the Sun almost upon us, and the possibility of late or over-night rides on empty roads, it seemed like a good time to try out another new Torm cycling jersey. If you haven’t done it, the Ride to the Sun is a fantastic overnight ride from Carlisle to Edinburgh, although it’s fair to say that overcoming the logistical challenges associated with long overnight linear rides are probably an important part of the overall experience. Although the roads on the first part of the ride are a bit questionable, where else could you get a piper on the summit of the climb, and a cyclorave instead of a feed station in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night?

I first heard about Torm cycling jerseys because they sponsor Ride to the Sun, but as I’m not usually a fan of merino it was quite a while before I actually bit the bullet as it were and bought one on a recommendation. They are fairly plain looking jerseys, which some will certainly see as a positive, and seem to be very well made. Whilst they aren’t cheap, they are quite reasonably priced compared to the likes of Rapha or Cafe du Cycliste.

Something we like about the Torm jerseys is that they all seem to have two zipped pockets at the back, and the one pictured also has a zipped pocket on the chest too. I have to admit that I do prefer a side zip for ease of use, although it is certainly easier to get to these than the ones where the only zipped pocket is in the middle and I’ve never struggled to retrieve my key from it which is more than can be said for some other jerseys I have.

Their windproof jerseys are also very good, and as somebody who sometimes struggles to find a short sleeved jersey that is warm enough on anything but the very hottest of days I wear mine a lot. If they ever make one in green I would probably buy another.

Why You Should Ride an Audax

The Club’s regular Audax event was held recently as part of the Wray Scarecrow Festival. The ride was originally run by the Club President Mike Hutchinson and was called the Bowland Forest Populaire. Mike sadly passed away last year but the Club continues to run this great event and it will be renames as the Mike Hutchinson Memorial Ride from next year onward.

This year one of the entrants was Katie Kookaburra and she made a short video about the event and five reasons why everybody who enjoys cycling should try an Audax ride.

The *SECRET* cycling rides you should ALL TRY!!! Endless routes & amazing people!

Tubeless tyres and puncture repairs

Tubeless tyres have been very popular for mountain biking for quite some time, and have become increasingly popular for road use over the last decade. Tubeless tyres should offer an alternative to fixing punctures on the road, because a sealant in the tyre should fill and seal any puncture holes before the tyre goes flat. It sounds great in theory, but does it really live up to the hype? Peoples experiences of tubeless tyres for road use seem to be a mixture of tales of success and horror stories in equal measure.

One of the factors that seems to be important in whether people have had any success with tubeless tyres for road use seems to be the size of the tyres that they are using. Users of relatively narrow tyres, perhaps less than about 30 mm, often seem to report problems and in many cases have returned to using inner tubes for reliability. On the other hand, riders who are using fatter tyres, with widths typically 30 mm or more, have often had success.

However good the sealant in the tyre is, there is always a chance that eventually there will be a puncture hole that is just too big for the sealant to seal effectively. There are a whole host of different puncture repair kits available that are supposed to help seal the hole, at least sufficiently so that the sealant can make the tyre air tight again.

Of all the different ones that we have tried we have only every had any kind of success with Dynaplug products. Whilst there are people who report having had success with the miniature pitchfork and rubber sausage type I can only report a lot of faffing and no success with them. The Dynaplug type simply require finding the offending hole in the tyre and stabbing it with a little brass tipped dart. Whilst these probably aren’t intended as a permanent repair we have had tyres with multiple repairs of this type go on for several months more use without any problems.

Dyanaplug make and sell a variety of different devices that are mostly a way to hold the tiny darts whilst you stab them into the tyre, and can usually hold a few spare darts too. Both the tools themselves and the replacement darts are relatively expensive, but for their ease of use and reliability that are arguably good value.

You can buy Dynaplug kits from Leisure Lakes.

Folding Bikes

Riese & Müller Birdy

This bike is a surprisingly good ride for a small wheeled bike. Whilst it might feel as though it has a very soft back tyre when you first get on and you might notice quite a bit of bobbing up and down as you set off you can get used to riding the Birdy within a very hundred metres. The suspension does a surprisingly good job of smoothing out the bumps on the road or path without seeming to hinder it at all, and there is no noticeable brake dive that is usually so common for suspension forks.

The bike is fitted out with very good quality components, including hydraulic disc brakes and dynamo lights as standard. It is also the only bike that I tested that can take standard bike luggage (i.e. panniers). The frame will take a folding rack that does not significantly increase the folded size. If you already have a set of panniers that will fit then this can save quite a bit on the overall cost compared to the Tern or Brompton if you need to be able to carry some luggage on the bike.

The Birdy is relatively quick and easy to fold. However, it does require the bike to be in top gear with the cranks aligned in a particular way for folding. This is an extra step in the folding process, and also means that you need to put the bike into a more useful gear to ride it once it has been unfolded. There are hub geared versions available, but neither have a belt drive. It is easy to carry when folded, but cannot be rolled when folded.

The derailleur is close to the ground when riding, but it isn’t very vulnerable to damage when folded because it fits neatly between the front and rear wheels. This also means that you are less likely to get dirty marks on your clothes from the chain when you are picking it up or carrying it. It is expensive, but would be a great choice for somebody who wanted it as their only bike because it rides so well and could easily be used beyond occasions where a folding bike is a requirement.

You can get a test ride or buy the Riese & Müller Birdy from E-Radicals in Lancaster.

Tern BYB

The Tern BYB is OK to ride, and whilst hardly inspiring it is perfectly usable for journeys of moderately length. It has functional components, 9 speed derailleur gears and V brakes, but I did notice some intermittent issues with brake rub whilst riding.    

Does have a rack, but will probably only take very small panniers, and even they are likely to cause problems for anybody with large feet. There is a Klickfix bracket that can be fitted to the headtube that doesn’t affect the fold, and Tern do sell at least one bag that will fit to this that is significantly bigger than other barbags. However, the likelihood is that if you want to carry much you will probably be looking at Terns own accessories, and whilst they generally seem to be of good quality they are rather expensive.

Is a bit slower and more awkward to fold than the Birdy, but the entire folded bike holds together very well because there is a catch that holds the wheels together and a strap to hold the stem in place. The derailleur and chain are also on the inside of the folded bike, so should be safe from damage or leaving oily marks on things. The left hand pedal is removable, and can be stowed securely on the bike when folded. The folded bike is noticeably more awkward to carry than the Birdy, but it can be rolled on some small wheels that are fitted to the rack. The folded bike can sit either horizontally or vertically when folded, so although it’s a bit bigger than the others it is potentially quite flexible about where it might fit.

There aren’t currently any Tern dealers in Lancaster, although you can hire and buy them from Manchester Bikes, in Manchester.

Brompton

I found the Brompton to be somewhat precarious to ride and rather inadequately geared. Whilst the brakes will stop you okay from a modest speed on the flat they might well struggle a bit in some of the steep descents around Lancaster. I found that riding the Brompton I was considerably more keen than usual to avoid traffic, hills, and uneven surfaces that really weren’t an issue on the other bikes.

The fold is quite quick and easy, although the fasteners that are used to secure the folding joints are a little bit more fiddly and slow than the mechanisms on both the Birdy and BYB. Once folded the Brompton is noticeably smaller than either of the other bikes, but it is still quite a big thing. Like the Tern, the Brompton is also restricted to specific Brompton luggage if you want to carry anything on it.

The Brompton is available in a huge array of different types, the version that I tested was a 3 speed with dynamo lighting and mudguards.

Overall, the Brompton convinced me that Bromptonism is more of a religion than it is about a great bike. It is certainly a design icon, but it is amongst the worst bikes to ride that I have ever encountered, and whilst you can fold it up and take it on the train you can also do that with the others without feeling that a taxi might have been a better option.

You can test and buy Brompton bikes from Leisure Lakes in Lancaster.

Alternatives

Tern Vektron

This is basically an E-bike that folds, it has a very robust rack that will take a Thule Yepp child seat, and rides very well. However, the folded bike is still rather big and heavy when folded, to the extent that some might find it difficult to lift into a car, or carry down a flight of stairs, although the folded bike can be rolled on its wheels. Although the rack is quite long there are still likely to be foot clearance issues with panniers.

Brompton Bike Hire

You can hire a Brompton for £5 per day from lockers that are conveniently located near some stations. However, it does rather seem to defeat the purpose of a folding bike to hire one after your train journey. Given that lots of the places with these docks probably also have a local city bike hire scheme, and such bikes usually have a basket that can hold a bag and ride more like a normal bike I’m not sure that this is that great a solution. However, the Bromptons are cheap to hire, avoid the problem of not being able to find a city bike when you want one, and can be easily folded and carried into a meeting or hotel, there are clearly some benefits. You appear only to be able to make an advance booking for the next day, and the locker system that you get the bikes from does clearly have some issues though.