Ice on the MVT

Icy Boardwalk at Dyke Marsh by Rootchopper

Comments

[Ren]

This has nothing to do with ice but does involve the MVT. At a party over the weekend, I heard that a friend of a friend broke his neck on the MVT at the crossing south of the airport a week or two ago. I get the impression both the cyclist and the motorist were moving quickly. He looked as he was coming up, but when he got to the crossing, there was a car in front of him and he went over his handlebars. He is not paralyzed. Not sure if this was posted anywhere.

[oboe]

Hah, suckers! Put these on the commuter/road bike just yesterday (700x35):

http://www.schwalbetires.com/node/1788

[washcycle]

Ren, I haven't heard anything about that. I hope your friend's friend recovers quickly.

[Crickey7]

Those tires look kind of excessive for DC winters. Do they make more noise?

[aaa]

$84! Do they come filled with 12-year old scotch? I'd just like have a tire that doesn't make me replace a popped tube every month.

[TurbineBlade]

aaa - I've been a daily rider since late 2008 now and I've had, I think, 4 flat tires now during that time. Possibly 5. Granted, I do use tires with thick kevlar belts and stop to remove debris stuck in the tires if I hear/notice it. Also, I keep my tires pumped up to prevent pinch flats.

Where are you having issues with flats? I believe you completely, I'm just curious. I hear a lot of folks say they get flats a lot and am just wondering what factors are involved.

[aaa]

Turbine -- It's little bits of glass usually. Sometimes I'll get a flat after a pothole that couldn't be avoided or after the occassional curve jump. If you have any suggestions for a 700c on a hybrid, I'm all ears. I usually just rely on the local bike shop for hardware which might be my problem.

[washcycle]

I use kevlar lined tires and Slime smart tubes. I haven't had a flat in a very long time. So long that I fear that I need to check my bag to make sure I have the gear to repair one if needed.

[oboe]

@Crickey7:

Those tires look kind of excessive for DC winters. Do they make more noise?

Oh, boy, do they ever! They sound like a Jeep on the interstate. They're heavier than sin, too. :)

Actually, I was mostly joking. Now that they're broken in, I'm going to keep them in the shed unless there's snow & ice on the ground. Which means they'll probably last for the next five years.

[oboe]

Also, I've found that checking tire inflation before going out on a ride every time is about as effective as slime, etc, etc... and much lighter.

Nearly every time I've flatted in dry conditions, it's been because I was running pressure that felt "okay" with the "thumb pressure" method, but that on retrospect had likely lost pressure over a matter of days.

:)

[oboe]

Bah, I'm assuming I'm being held for moderation because of the blockquote, or something. If not, here's flat tire info:

http://yarchive.net/bike/flat_tires.html

[dynaryder]

aaa: Vittoria Randonneurs are pretty much the standard in urban tires. Puncture protection,good handling,long wearing,and reflective sidewalls. Can be a pain to mount on some rims,but I've never flatted them.

wash: slime is crap. Ok for MTB's that deal with thorns,or if we had goatheads,but useless for glass. Also adds weight and you have to burp it out of your valve stem before attaching your pump or you can goo up the insides of the pump head.

And of course the best flat prevention methods are keeping your tires aired up proper and watching what you ride over.

[Ron Alford]

@dynaryder: Vit Randonneur Pro, 2000 miles, 3 flats in a year - all on the rear tire.

My front tire, same model and a thousand miles older, looks like it's a regular at bar fights but has yet to get a flat.

I apparently ride with too much junk in my trunk.

[antibozo]

I love my Vittoria Randonneurs. No flats since I got them, I think about 4000 miles ago. [touch wood]

For studs I've been happy with Nokian Hakkapeliitta I got at REI last year. Yes, they're noisy--sounds like you're riding on gravel all the time. This also has the psychological effect of making me very turn-wary, as if I were riding on gravel. Prolly just as well.

They do have their limits tho. Four inches of slush are a no go, at least on my 26" MTB. (Big surprise.)

[Crickey7]

Gotta go with the Continental Ultra Gatorskins for thin commuters (700x25). Tires, that is. Riding makes me too hungry and thirsty to be skinny.

[oboe]

Bah! You're all wrong. The only "true" tire for day-to-day use is the Avocet FasGrip slicks. Unfortunately they don't make them any more, and you can't have any of the four left in my shed.

Once I've worn through those, I plan on giving up cycling.

[oboe]

$84! Do they come filled with 12-year old scotch?

i've found that there's a high correlation between my purchasing $84 tires and the presence of 12-year-old scotch.

[aaa]

lol. thanks all for the suggestions.