Armadillos in Dublin?

grizzly

Does anyone know if Commuting Solutions do armadillos? If not where else does and where's the cheapest. I'm buying for my dad, so I'd like him to buy somewhere where they'll look after him. Also would be handy if they could fit all the parts so he could back back to one shop. I'm looking at an FCR3.

Thanks

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edit

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Looking at some of the previous posts, I think I'll go with Gatorskins. With all the rain they sound like a better bet.

72hundred

Which is better for grip in the wet?

beans

I've found the Continental to be better on both grip and puncture resistance to be honest. Sorry, can't offer advice on where to find them (only I know Cyclelogical do stock them)

Raam

Cycleways stock Armadillos.

fletch

Today is day 2 for me on my Continental Gatorskins and I got a puncture this morning, not very happy :mad::mad:

Edit - What psi do people recommend, I had them at 60psi on my Giant FCR1

Raam

fletch wrote: »

Today is day 2 for me on my Continental Gatorskins and I got a puncture this morning, not very happy :mad::mad:

How did you get it?

fletch

Raam wrote: »

How did you get it?

I don't know....I'm going to drop the bike down to the bike shop on my lunch...didn't notice myself riding over any glass...will report back

fletch

Oh in response to the original posters request, the bike shop in Ranelagh sells Armadillos.

Vélo

fletch wrote: »

Today is day 2 for me on my Continental Gatorskins and I got a puncture this morning, not very happy :mad::mad:

Edit - What psi do people recommend, I had them at 60psi on my Giant FCR1

Read the side of the tyre but I have Gatorskins and have them at about 110psi. (Size 700 X 23)

I've over 1000km on my Gatorskins and have had no problems at all.

Raam

fletch wrote: »

I don't know....I'm going to drop the bike down to the bike shop on my lunch...didn't notice myself riding over any glass...will report back

You are dropping a bike back because you got a puncture?! They only take 5 minutes to change.

Killgore Trout

Done over 1000k commuting to city centre and longer training spins on my Gatorskins and haven't had one puncture - what size tyre you using? 60 Psi sounds a bit low - on 28s i was up around 90 and on 23s I'm usually around 100psi. Could be a pinch (or snakebite) puncture

fletch

I'm just dropping it up to the bike shop to get the puncture repaired.....grand yeh I think I must be running them a bit low....100psi just seems insane cause I've come from a car running 30psi.

Raam

fletch wrote: »

Today is day 2 for me on my Continental Gatorskins and I got a puncture this morning, not very happy :mad::mad:

Edit - What psi do people recommend, I had them at 60psi on my Giant FCR1

60psi seems a bit low, possibly you got a pinch flat. What size are the tyres?

Raam

fletch wrote: »

I'm just dropping it up to the bike shop to get the puncture repaired.....grand yeh I think I must be running them a bit low....100psi just seems insane cause I've come from a car running 30psi.

Cars are spreading their weight over 4 tyres which are very wide. You bike is on two thin wheels

Vélo

fletch wrote: »

I'm just dropping it up to the bike shop to get the puncture repaired.....grand yeh I think I must be running them a bit low....100psi just seems insane cause I've come from a car running 30psi.

What size are your tyres?

fletch

700x25

Raam

fletch wrote: »

700x25

Whack them up to at least 90 psi, otherwise you'll be in puncture city forever.

Vélo

fletch wrote: »

700x25

The recommended PSI for 700 X 25 is 95psi with a maximum of 120psi

fletch

Thanks for the advice guys, 2 weeks cycling in and 2 punctures:mad:, I felt like giving up altogether and getting the bus, going to get the puncture fixed and up the pressure to 100psi but I swear if I get another puncture, I'm going to throw a Falling Down episode

Raam

fletch wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys, 2 weeks cycling in and 2 punctures:mad:, I felt like giving up altogether and getting the bus, going to get the puncture fixed and up the pressure to 100psi but I swear if I get another puncture, I'm going to throw a Falling Down episode

When repairing punctures, you need to make sure that there is nothing left in the tyre which can cause another puncture.
As you take the tube out, remember its position relative to the tyre. That is important. Find the hole in the tube by pumping it a little and listening for the air hiss and feeling with the back of your hand for the air flow. Then place the tube next to the tyre at it's original orientation. This will tell you where to look for offending items in your tyre. If it's a pinch flat, there won't be anything, but if it was glass/thorns, then you can easily find them and pick them out.

grizzly

Raam wrote: »

When repairing punctures, you need to make sure that there is nothing left in the tyre which can cause another puncture.
As you take the tube out, remember its position relative to the tyre. That is important. Find the hole in the tube by pumping it a little and listening for the air hiss and feeling with the back of your hand for the air flow. Then place the tube next to the tyre at it's original orientation. This will tell you where to look for offending items in your tyre. If it's a pinch flat, there won't be anything, but if it was glass/thorns, then you can easily find them and pick them out.

Amen, I had reoccurring punctures from the same bit of glass that was embedded so far in the wheel it could only be seen peeping out from the inside of the wheel when squeezed. Must of "fixed" that tube 4 times *faceslap*.

tunney

fletch wrote: »

Today is day 2 for me on my Continental Gatorskins and I got a puncture this morning, not very happy :mad::mad:

Edit - What psi do people recommend, I had them at 60psi on my Giant FCR1

Eh, did you read the sidewalls? recommend psi is 120. You got a pinch puncture because your tyres were under-inflated.

Hate to say it but your fault not the tyres.

Killgore Trout

tunney wrote: »

Eh, did you read the sidewalls? recommend psi is 120. You got a pinch puncture because your tyres were under-inflated.

Hate to say it but your fault not the tyres.

Diplomatic.

Lumen

tunney wrote: »

Eh, did you read the sidewalls? recommend psi is 120.

I think that's the max psi. The recommended psi for 25 gatorskins is 95.

Gavin

Killgore Trout wrote: »

Diplomatic.

Tunney ain't known for his diplomacy or his reading of the entire thread.

Turbulent Bill

I have 26"x1.2" Gatorskins and had a glass shard go straight through the tyre. They were pumped up to 95psi originally, but that was about a fortnight before the puncture - might need to check the pressure more regularly.

Stark

fletch wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys, 2 weeks cycling in and 2 punctures:mad:, I felt like giving up altogether and getting the bus, going to get the puncture fixed and up the pressure to 100psi but I swear if I get another puncture, I'm going to throw a Falling Down episode

They come in 3s you know (Though after getting 2 in the space of week, I've been free so far...).

Killgore Trout

I check pressure at least once a week, sometimes twice depending on how much faffing about i'm doing.

It's also worth checking regularly to find and remove sharp things stuck in your tyres before they work their way through.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

I think that's the max psi. The recommended psi for 25 gatorskins is 95.

95 is correct; I have 700x25c Gatorskins on my tourer myself. 110 PSI is recommended for the 700x23c version. 120 PSI is the max.

fletch

Well turns out although my pressures were wrong, I don't think it mattered in this instance , was a thumb tack through the tyre

penexpers

But if your pressures had have been correct, the thumb tack may not have penetrated the tire. I've ridden over glass (by accident!) on my correctly inflated Gatorskins and not had a problem.

Killgore Trout

Glass and a thumbtack are completely different. Because of the thumbtack's construction it will be much better at penetrating a tyre. The head keeps it upright - the fact that the pin is slim etc.. I wouldn't like to take the pepsi challenge at reglar or lower pressure.

flickerx

the armadillos are great - i have them on three bikes, never any issue, ever.

Diarmuid

flickerx wrote: »

the armadillos are great - i have them on three bikes, never any issue, ever.

Did you do the thumb tack test though ?

kenmc

Gatorskins for me (700x23), 100psi. Rode straight over a bottle last week (was watching to see what cars ahead of me were doing at a junction, didn't see the bottle in the cycle track) and the bottle shattered into smithereens, hitting my legs and the car beside me. Was sure I was going to get 'that sinking feeling', but not a bother thankfully.
You need to check the pressure in your tyres at least weekly if not more often.

Stark

Yeah my Gatorskins seem to take glass in their stride as well. One finally got taken out by a nail the other week though. (Nasty bugger, picked up another puncture next time I took the bike out as I missed a piece of it that had gotten stuck in the wheel rim).

dub_skav

Finally bought some Armadillos last week. Haven't used them yet though, will be out on them tomorrow morning. I'd better not puncture :rolleyes:

neilled

I've both and gotten punctures with the gatorskins from glass whilst they were properly inflated. Armadillos for ultimate puncture resistance but they're slippy in the wet.

columk

MAXIMUM PSI FTW NO NEED TO AVOID GLASS SMASHY SMASHY!

BostonB

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

I have 26"x1.2" Gatorskins and had a glass shard go straight through the tyre. They were pumped up to 95psi originally, but that was about a fortnight before the puncture - might need to check the pressure more regularly.

I have 26"x1.5" keep them at 80~90. I pump them before I ride. They tend to drop 10psi in day or two. Two punctures in 2 yrs. Both glass shards. I think the tread pattern grips the shard and then next heavy numb rams it through. Both times the hole in the tyre was quite big, but the hole in the inner lining was tiny.

Choice of route is also a consideration, some routes have more debris than others. Especially after rain which sweeps all the crud to the side of the road/cycle path.