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Date: 29 Sep 2007 05:23:04
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Dirt in the tire?
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I raced a 'cross race in dry, dusty conditions a few weeks ago. Then today, in prepping for a race, I changed my tires. Inside the rim of the front tire, I found the most curios thing at one place: dirt, a lot of it, very powdery and tightly packed (it looked like espresso-grind coffee: very fine). The dirt was in the rim in a little clod about an inch long. So how did it get in? The notable weirdness with cyclocross, of course, is that the received wisdom is to run the tires with very low pressure. 50 pounds is quite normal, and 30-40 is not unheard of. The fastest rider I know claims not to use a pressure gauge: if he can't touch the rim when he presses down on the tire with his thumb pushed by his other hand, he has enough tire pressure. Like most serious CXers, he uses tubulars. My phenomenon happened when I was using clinchers though, because I'm cheap. So, did the dirt just get an invitation past the bead during a near-blowoff? Did I pick it up a little at a time, or in one big scoop? Any other reports of such strange phenomena? -RjC. -- Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/ "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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Date: 29 Sep 2007 12:32:06
From:
Subject: Re: Dirt in the tire?
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On Sat, 29 Sep 2007 05:23:04 GMT, Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@sfu.ca > wrote: >I raced a 'cross race in dry, dusty conditions a few weeks ago. > >Then today, in prepping for a race, I changed my tires. Inside the rim >of the front tire, I found the most curios thing at one place: dirt, a >lot of it, very powdery and tightly packed (it looked like >espresso-grind coffee: very fine). > >The dirt was in the rim in a little clod about an inch long. So how did >it get in? > >The notable weirdness with cyclocross, of course, is that the received >wisdom is to run the tires with very low pressure. 50 pounds is quite >normal, and 30-40 is not unheard of. The fastest rider I know claims not >to use a pressure gauge: if he can't touch the rim when he presses down >on the tire with his thumb pushed by his other hand, he has enough tire >pressure. Like most serious CXers, he uses tubulars. > >My phenomenon happened when I was using clinchers though, because I'm >cheap. > >So, did the dirt just get an invitation past the bead during a >near-blowoff? Did I pick it up a little at a time, or in one big scoop? >Any other reports of such strange phenomena? > >-RjC. Dear Ryan, When muddy water gets in through rim holes, settles to the bottom, and evaporates . . . Cheers, Carl Fogel
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Date: 30 Sep 2007 04:14:08
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Dirt in the tire?
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In article <nb6tf35sd7hsboek8v44vao88h3j95l6p6@4ax.com >, carlfogel@comcast.net wrote: > On Sat, 29 Sep 2007 05:23:04 GMT, Ryan Cousineau <rcousine@sfu.ca> > wrote: > > >I raced a 'cross race in dry, dusty conditions a few weeks ago. > > > >Then today, in prepping for a race, I changed my tires. Inside the rim > >of the front tire, I found the most curios thing at one place: dirt, a > >lot of it, very powdery and tightly packed (it looked like > >espresso-grind coffee: very fine). > > > >The dirt was in the rim in a little clod about an inch long. So how did > >it get in? > > > >The notable weirdness with cyclocross, of course, is that the received > >wisdom is to run the tires with very low pressure. 50 pounds is quite > >normal, and 30-40 is not unheard of. The fastest rider I know claims not > >to use a pressure gauge: if he can't touch the rim when he presses down > >on the tire with his thumb pushed by his other hand, he has enough tire > >pressure. Like most serious CXers, he uses tubulars. > > > >My phenomenon happened when I was using clinchers though, because I'm > >cheap. > > > >So, did the dirt just get an invitation past the bead during a > >near-blowoff? Did I pick it up a little at a time, or in one big scoop? > >Any other reports of such strange phenomena? > > > >-RjC. > > Dear Ryan, > > When muddy water gets in through rim holes, settles to the bottom, and > evaporates . . . Not impossible, especially since the race before last, which was also dry and dusty, had, er, a water crossing. -- Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/ "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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Date: 29 Sep 2007 12:51:54
From:
Subject: Re: Dirt in the tire?
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Ryan Cousineau wrote: > I raced a 'cross race in dry, dusty conditions a few weeks ago. > > Then today, in prepping for a race, I changed my tires. Inside the rim > of the front tire, I found the most curios thing at one place: dirt, a > lot of it, very powdery and tightly packed (it looked like > espresso-grind coffee: very fine). > > The dirt was in the rim in a little clod about an inch long. So how did > it get in? > > The notable weirdness with cyclocross, of course, is that the received > wisdom is to run the tires with very low pressure. 50 pounds is quite > normal, and 30-40 is not unheard of. The fastest rider I know claims not > to use a pressure gauge: if he can't touch the rim when he presses down > on the tire with his thumb pushed by his other hand, he has enough tire > pressure. Like most serious CXers, he uses tubulars. > > My phenomenon happened when I was using clinchers though, because I'm > cheap. > > So, did the dirt just get an invitation past the bead during a > near-blowoff? Did I pick it up a little at a time, or in one big scoop? > Any other reports of such strange phenomena? > > -RjC. > Possibly material wearing off the inside of the tire casing due to squirming of the tube? I would not advise brewing and drinking a cup of it. Marcus
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Date: 30 Sep 2007 04:13:18
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Dirt in the tire?
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In article <46fe8312$0$24084$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com >, marcus9000@gmail.com wrote: > Ryan Cousineau wrote: > > I raced a 'cross race in dry, dusty conditions a few weeks ago. > > > > Then today, in prepping for a race, I changed my tires. Inside the rim > > of the front tire, I found the most curios thing at one place: dirt, a > > lot of it, very powdery and tightly packed (it looked like > > espresso-grind coffee: very fine). > > > > The dirt was in the rim in a little clod about an inch long. So how did > > it get in? > > > > The notable weirdness with cyclocross, of course, is that the received > > wisdom is to run the tires with very low pressure. 50 pounds is quite > > normal, and 30-40 is not unheard of. The fastest rider I know claims not > > to use a pressure gauge: if he can't touch the rim when he presses down > > on the tire with his thumb pushed by his other hand, he has enough tire > > pressure. Like most serious CXers, he uses tubulars. > > > > My phenomenon happened when I was using clinchers though, because I'm > > cheap. > > > > So, did the dirt just get an invitation past the bead during a > > near-blowoff? Did I pick it up a little at a time, or in one big scoop? > > Any other reports of such strange phenomena? > > > > -RjC. > > > > Possibly material wearing off the inside of the tire casing due to > squirming of the tube? I doubt it. There was enough that had this much powder worn off the casing, it would have probably been a hole in the tire! And the tires are black, but the dirt was brown. Also, I'm pretty sure it was dirt, not rubber crumb. > I would not advise brewing and drinking a cup of it. Good advice! -- Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/ "I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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