I have a set of shoes for Summer and another for Winter use, usually get a year from a set of cleats. Change them when the wear indicator says so (Look Keyo).
I try and replace them I feel too much play in my feet but now I think I worn out the pedal body of the pedal I clip out the most. When do I know I should replace my whole pedal
Quite often, I use Look Keo anti slip now because of my Assioma PM, They don't last as long as the shimano ones did, the anti slip part usually comes away from the cleat leaving me gracefully sliding down the path. 😀
What they say is just not true. With Shimano cleats the colored bits are only for walking. The rest of the cleat can look very bad but when you look closely only the „ramp/hook“ is important. And the plastic is so hard that there almost never is real damage visible. When there is play it’s for other reasons.
#askgcntech My right cleat always wears out more quickly, because it's the one I take out the most frequently when stopping in the city. I suppose that my cleats would last longer if I swapped them from side to side every few months to balance wear. Does anyone do this?
@@edwardjednacz1641 it is I worked as an Aircraft Mechanic for many years the Airport had a building to process nitrogen so it could be put into a nitrogen cart, we used it to air up the tires and the landing struts.
Nitrogen in tires is used when you have high temperature ranges to deal with. One, bottled N2 is totally dry, so you don‘t get moisture evaporate and the water vapour expanding and changing the pressure (N2 also expands, but it is much more controllable). And two, N2 filled tires can not be set on fire from the inside (you might want to ask Olli what O2 can do under high pressure and high temperatures… NOT pretty…). Which is a good thing for race tires - but much more important in airplane tires. Don‘t want your plane catch fire after landing just because they had to use their disc brakes a bit too much… But for bicycles? No need. Not even for „normal“ sports cars like your average Ferrari or Porsche…
Good points. I also would have thought that the front-on profile of the tyres, and therefore the shape of the contact patch where the tyre deforms, also behaves differently with nitrogen. A flat or square profile tyre needs to hold its shape under pressure so 100% N2 would provide a small amount of tread stability. In bike tyres with round profiles surely it would risk deformation slightly meaning running pressures slightly lower than ideal to compensate.
FWIW, regarding bike boxes: If you bring the bike box (with bike) to a hotel, remove and assemble your bike, you’re ready to go. IF YOU PLAN TO LEAVE the hotel, go touring for miles and days away from that hotel, but you plan to return eventually to that hotel, you can often arrange (possibly for a small fee) to leave the bike box at the hotel. They typically put a numbered tag on the box, and give you a tag with duplicate number as a claim check. Let them know how long you plan to be gone, etc., and when you return to the hotel you can get your box, dissemble your bike, and head to the airport (or whatever). I’ve done this many times at different hotels. You should probably check with them in advance to be sure this will be alright.
The coloured bits on Shimano cleats have nothing to do with fit in the pedals. They are there to identify the amount of float on the cleat and for walking on. You could wear these out by excessive walking and the cleat to pedal interface will be as new and unaffected. The cleat will still be functionally good without the coloured plastic. You need to inspect the part of the cleat that clips into the pedal to judge wear. C
True-ish. I find I don't like walking around in cleats that have too much of the colored part worn off because they become wobbly and slipperier to walk in.
Regarding the dent in the bottom tube. The bottom tube is in tension when the bike has a rider. The tube will not fail in column mode (unless the dent is monumental). Conversely, a dent in the top has a much greater effect because it greatly weakens the "column" stability. I helps to imagine that the top and bottom tubes have very small diameters.
I use SPD pedals because the cleats are metallic and recessed. Perfect for café stops. I’ve been told they’re great for mud shedding but in wet weather the café stops are even longer...
For the question on cleats, if after replacement you've still got more float or movement than expected and the pedals are several years old, it might be time to replace the pedals.
Cleats - I use Shimano SPD+SL yellows and I always carry a pair of clear protectors in my jersey. They cost about £4 ; a lot less than the cleats. Also you don't slip as much on tiles/shiny surfaces #AskGCNtech
Bike Friday bikes fold up into a suitcase for the plane trip and when you arrive you attach wheels and use the suitcase as a trailer. Also look up a channel called "Cycling Around the World". Jin has been travelling with a bicycle since 2011. She has a lot of content showing the bike being packed and unpacked at airports as she travels from place to place.
Great video as always. Cyclists, don't waste your money on Nitrogen in your tires. I work for a company that races and wins in the automotive arena. Car racers started using pure Nitrogen to stabilize tire pressure under changing heat conditions on the race track. It probably makes sense on the race track where milliseconds per lap may be the difference between winning and losing. It then migrated into street cars (my BMWs always have Nitrogen filled tires, kind of ridiculous) and it's another thing for the dealership to charge you for. Cyclists, just check and correct your tire pressure before each ride and save your money. At our speeds, this can't possibly make any difference.
Also worth mentioning that the temperature difference in a car race is going to be much higher than for cycling, where the limit is likely the 'engine' power for a cyclist, whereas race cars are often grip limited
Checking the sealant in tyres is straightforward. Remove the valve core and rotate the valve to the bottom of the wheel. Wait a couple of minutes for any sealant to run down to the bottom then use a syringe to syphon it all out. A 100mm syringe is indispensable if you run tubeless. Make sure the syphon tube on the syringe can get right into the bottom of your tyres. Now top up the syringe to the required amount of sealant or change it if it's looking manky then re-inject back into the wheel. Total time, ten minutes tops for a pair of wheels.
Better yet is the shake test. If you hear liquid moving, you have enough sealant. No noise means you may need sealant. There's no need to suck out existing sealant and if you are using Silca sealant you will destroy your valve stem.
To check sealant, take wheel off bike, hold horizontal at your ear and shake the wheel to listen for a little bit of slosh. If you can’t hear the sealant, add a bit more.
Not quite true. It's so the pressure changes in a very predictable way. nitrogen is close to an ideal gas, so pressure is proportional to temperature. As soon as you start mixing gases, you move further from ideal gas. Air has moisture, which further complicates things by being polar, so even more non-ideal than a 21%/79% O2/N2 mixture. The temperature changes with bike tyres are minimal. With cars, there's a lot more temperature generated by the rubber moving, plus the heat from brakes. Your friendly Chemical Engineer 🤪
This only works most effectively if your replacement cleats are identical to the worn pair. I usually highlight the X and Y axis of the cleats on the shoe before I remove the old pair since I rarely do like-for-like cleat replacements.
for checking the sealant in the tyre... would it help/work to weigh the tyre/wheel before adding the sealant and then again after? this way, you can at any point weigh the wheel/tyre again and do the math to see how much sealant is still in there (I'm assuming that as the sealant dries up, it's really water that's drying up and that water would be a majority of the weight)
I use SPD SL and a set of Shimano cleat covers, most wear occurs from walking on the cleats rather than riding. I'm using the same set for over 2 years with virtually no wear.
Manon, Manon, Manon! You really should have repaired that top tube! (A bit of Bondo works wonders!) I'm with Alex on the 1-2 years on a set of road cleats, though if I do a lot of walking on rough pavement or gravel (road cleats), then yeah, they get pretty beat up and I'll have to change them out sooner. Plus, I usually spend about half the year on my trainer, so the cleats don't hardly wear at all. (and as others have pointed out, the cleat-to-pedal interface may still be just fine, but the little rubber nubs are what wear off and so that's my cue to replace them so I don't slip and fall)
As for the cleats, I can't even see the yellow on my Shimano, they fell off and I still use them. They clip and are sturdy same as day one. I've been using them for 6 years and I cycle 25km minimum every morning. I recon I'll feel when it's ready to replace them. Being loose, easy to clip in will be a great indicator.
The yellow tabs are just for extra walking grip. Have nothing to do with the clipping interface. I did have a nasty crash on my bike and the Look cleats "nose" broke off. Totally unstable in the pedal and the cleat sometimes unclips unintentionally. I've switched over completely to Shimano
I'm on the same cleats after 3 years. I carry some cleat covers in my back pocket to slip over them when off the bike and walking about. That seems to save quite a lot of wear. Walking in them is what really wears them.
The travel box question leads me to a suggestion. More videos regarding bicycle travel would be helpful, especially for those of us who hope to cross the Atlantic for a holiday. Bath seems like a great place to start! I could see it leading to additional support from companies involved in tourism.
GCN does a good job of covering topics, but there are lots of videos on RUclips about traveling with a bike. "Path Less Pedaled" just put one out in the last day or so.
@erics9214 I have watched enough GCN and GCN+ that I think I would like to take my first overseas cycling trip in the UK and rent a bike. We're too slow for a cycling club, but too fast for a tour group.
....for bike cases, try asking the hotel/hostel if they will store it, if your not returning to the same hotel, one solution is to schedule Uber/Lyft for a drop off at your new location with the hotel loading it onto the ride
Hi Guys. Re cleay wear, I watched a new video justthis morning on "Road Cycling Accademy" (RCA) where he showed worn SPD-D pedals about 3 years old where the wear was much greater than one can imagine cleat wear to be acceptable. So its not just about the cleat.
Road Shimano/Look cleats require replacing far too often since walking in them wears away at the soft plastic fast. Back when I used them I could squeeze around 1 season of life out of mine, maybe 2 tops if I was lucky. Meanwhile I haven't replaced my SPD cleats in 10 years and they still work great. And I haven't even gotten into how much easier it is to walk in SPD shoes. Road cleats are something I'll never understand and will never use ever again, I'll run MTB pedals on my road bike forever
I have all sorts of pedals. Road shoes and cleats just feel lighter and more connected. I have SPD-SL, SPD, flats, Look Keo, Speedplay, clips, etc etc. love using them all, but if the ride matters (KOM attempt or very fast group ride, I'll use my road stuff). Not really walking around usually anyways.
Testing tire sealant? Puncture your tire, and see if it seals within a reasonable time. If it doesn't, add sealant. :) I think people fret over this far too much. I just add a couple of ounces of sealant about twice a year until the tire wears out. I guess if you're a total gram counter this is going to bother you, but probably everything bothers you.
Sealant... Every 3 months or so, gently shake the wheel. If you hear liquid, add a little. If you don't add a lot. When your tire reaches the end of life, change your sealant. Try not to overthink sealant.
Keep in mind, pedals may wear out as well. Some great videos on this out there. Basically, if you have a lot of play even with a new cleat, likely the pedal body is worn out.
I've been wearing my ONZA mtb cleats since 1995! Same Shimano shoes as well. God...I have the original laces. They don't make them like they used to? I ride all the time FWIW
Time cleats have a dimple like Conti tires, My cleats last twice as long as my riding partner but I'm careful on how much I walk in them. 5 to 8 thousand miles. Bike boxes, we call hotels near the airport we will be starting and ending our trips. The one that will store the bike box wins our business. Many are more than happy to do so if they advertise any kind of bike friendly stay.
Shimano SPD mountain bike cleats will pull out of the pedal under force when the cleats are worn. Maybe replace them once a year before they pull out which can cause a crash.
Interesting. I have never replaced my cleats and they are still fine. I have the Shimano mountain bike pedals and cleats on both my regular road bike and my tandem. I use Diadora Geko shoes with the recessed cleat area. Easy to walk in them and the cleats don't scratch the floor if I have to walk around the house real quick before I ride. I ride 24-25 miles a day, five days a week in the good months and use them on my indoor trainer in the crappy months. I don't set the pedal tension too high because there is quite a bit of stop-and-go along the way in certain areas. Maybe things are different with mountain bike pedals and cleats on the road with no mud, dirt or debris getting in the works. Either way, that is how things work for me.
Road cleats are plastic while MTB cleats are metal (Shimano are steel, some others are brass). Road cleats are mounted on the "outside" of the shoe while MTB cleats are recessed. So yes, your cleats are both more durable and more protected from external wear than Road cleats. However, MTB cleats can still become worn. For the price of a new pair of cleats, you might want to consider replacing yours at least once, just for good measure.
Regarding flying with bike boxes; I would find it surprising that you really could arrange reliable LBS' near an airport that are willing or able to provide that service at least not without a generous fee for their time and troubles. Sounds like a huge PITA for them. And what if they forget, your flight is late, etc, etc?
I would say if you're new to cleats, go for half and half being 1 side cleat, 1 side normal pedal as I went on my merida silex 400 and crashed 4 times because i forgot i was locked in on the towpath and couldn't take my feet out fast enough so I just fell haha. I also went muc-off sealant and got a 5mm glass slice and it didn't seal. Would you say muc-off or peatys is a better sealant? I have gone with peatys valves for easy top up :)
People try to convince us that tubeless setup is faster and lighter but instead of the tube they are putting in inserts and sealant - and still take a tube with them if they get a puncture. Not to mention all the mess from the sealant!
Depends on what you are riding and where. In the desert southwest of the US, tubeless with sealant is an absolute necessity for mountain, gravel, and often even road. There is a plant called a "goat head" that puts out hundreds of seeds with sharp thorns. On a recent ride, my tire probably received 30-40 punctures. The sealant almost always successfully seals them. Often without me noticing until after the ride.
CTC , sorry Cycling UK, used to recommend (and sell) Bike Bags. Nothing more than a large transparent plastic bag. Idea was that the stopped your bike "soiling" other luggage, and as it was transparent baggage handlers would hopefully treat it appropriately (an issue with cardboard bike boxes). On arrival you could take it with you or just bin it. Some years ago British Airways provided them for free.
There is no way that I would do this. I've often watched those guys loading and unloading planes. They just don't have the time or proper resources to baby a bike in a plastic bag. I always do a thorough and careful packing job into a cardboard bike box. They are easy to get from bike shops. On the other end, I often find tears, dents, and punctures in the cardboard. I don't think their handling methods are any better or worse for the cardboard boxes than for any other luggage from what I've seen actually watching them load and unload planes.
The only benefit to using 100% N2 vs Air (78% N2) is that the pure gas is dry (no water vapor). Water vapor, (which is present in standard air) can make the gas expand unpredictably with increasing temperature (ie when the tires are rolling). Of little real-world relevance though, except to separate you from your $$
Nitrogen works in performance auto tires because no oxygen reduced rubber degradation at high temperature (>185F) and having no moisture in the gas does reduce the pressure change with temperature. Neither of these are a factor with bike tires (or even road car tires either).
#askgcntech I cringe at myself but I have no other option. I leave my bike in a garage :( Is there better ways for storing in a garage? Should cover/ protect a bike that is stored in a cold, possibly damp area... especially in the winter?
Regarding the replacing of cleats. There's no definite answer because as Manon said it depends on if you're walking on them and how much, everyone will be different. I use the Look system and I use the cleats that have the rubber pads on them to help you from slipping when walking, these pads wear down and on the Look cleats there's an oval pad in the middle of the cleat, this wears down also which causes your cleats squeaking against the medal plate on the pedal. This oval pad when it is new or in pretty good condition allows your foot to pivot with the float. I've found that if you let all these pads to wear down then you'll get squeaking which is super annoying. We all don't want to replace our pedals after all they are expensive, best to check your wear and tear of cleats which is cheaper than a new pedal. But remember nothing last forever, eventually new pedals are needed. I just recently bought new pedals and cleats, I feel I can ride faster, or is that my imagination. Justridethebike.
Nitrogen on motorbike is must.. Never go back to air. Never get flat, tire can maintain it pressure. But never use to bicycle, i dont know why. Can we use that without any change ???
If your on Wahoo Speedplay less than every 1000km. Stupid move having a metal pedal and metal cleat. Gave up with the rocking once worn. Back on Shimano
Question is, if nitrogen filled tires have less rolling resistance, over time, due to the slower leaking and the better pressure stability. That would be a good test - fx a 50 or 100 km test. That would be interesting.
#askgcntech I'm currently preparing for the next season and needed new tires. After watching some of your videos regarding tire width and pressure, I decided to go for 28mm in the front and 30mm in the back (I'm 190cm and 86kgs, coming from 28/28, riding an Aero bike). I decided for Schwalbe Pro One tires and I'm running TPU tubes. The SILCA PRO TIRE PRESSURE CALCULATOR recommends 5.45 bar in the front for the 28mm tire and 5 bar for the rear 30mm tire. But: The imprint on the 28mm tire starts at 6 bar (and goes up to 8), so above the SILCA recommendation. The imprint on the 30mm tire goes from 4 to 7 bar, within SILCAs calculation. What would you do: Run the pressure lower than recommended by Schwalbe? Ditsch the Aero advantage of the 28mm, go for 30/30 with recommended and calculated pressure? Stay at 28mm with 6 bars in the front and accept some harder knocks?
i'm 20 years on with the cleats on my one set of shoes. come to think of it the shoes are 20 years old as well. I used to clock in 5k miles a year, then the life (marriage, kid) brought that down to about 500 miles a year, and now we're back up to 1200 miles a year since 'rona kicked everything around. Shimano SPD cleats (not the SPD-SL).
#askgcntech Hi GCNTech, I read that it is strongly recommended to use a trainer tire for an indoor wheel-on trainer. Are trainer tires also recommended for use with rollers (aluminium drums)? Do rollers cause excessive wear on normal road tires? I don't want to cause unexpected wear on my normal road tires. Thanks in advance!
I suspect the nitrogen in a tubeless tyre would do 2 things for performance, 1 it will leak less as Alfred has said, but 2 I suspect it will increase the lifetime of your sealant.
I know how you feel. I wanted the t-shirt that had an orange&yellow bike on it, because it matches my Specialized orange&yellow Roubaix. I finally found it the other day, but they were Out of Stock of every size. I put my e-mail on a Wait List. I just checked. Now, even that t-shirt has been removed. I'm guessing we're both out of luck. The other t-shirts don't match my bike, so I'm not interested.
@gcntech #askgcntech My Orbea Orca OMR frame says it has clearance for 35c tyres. If I put in a 35c tyre it touches the frame on the seat post. If I put in a 32c tyre I have about 1-2mm of clearance between the seat post and tyre. What’s the minimum clearance you would expect between the tyre and frame? Thanks!
When do you replace your cleats? What signs do you look out for? 🤨
I have a set of shoes for Summer and another for Winter use, usually get a year from a set of cleats. Change them when the wear indicator says so (Look Keyo).
I try and replace them I feel too much play in my feet but now I think I worn out the pedal body of the pedal I clip out the most. When do I know I should replace my whole pedal
Quite often, I use Look Keo anti slip now because of my Assioma PM, They don't last as long as the shimano ones did, the anti slip part usually comes away from the cleat leaving me gracefully sliding down the path. 😀
What they say is just not true. With Shimano cleats the colored bits are only for walking. The rest of the cleat can look very bad but when you look closely only the „ramp/hook“ is important. And the plastic is so hard that there almost never is real damage visible. When there is play it’s for other reasons.
#askgcntech My right cleat always wears out more quickly, because it's the one I take out the most frequently when stopping in the city. I suppose that my cleats would last longer if I swapped them from side to side every few months to balance wear. Does anyone do this?
I think if you fill your tires (tyres) with 78% nitrogen you'll save a ton more money than if you buy 100% nitrogen.
And is it possible to ever have 100% nitrogen? (I thought this idea died years ago)
@@edwardjednacz1641
it is I worked as an Aircraft Mechanic for many years the Airport had a building to process nitrogen so it could be put into a nitrogen cart, we used it to air up the tires and the landing struts.
So..... Normal air. I see what you did there. 😁
Mix in 21% oxygen and 1% argon, and you are golden.
@@edwardjednacz1641I looked once and saw 99.9% I think but as was wondering if to go for it or not
Nitrogen in tires is used when you have high temperature ranges to deal with. One, bottled N2 is totally dry, so you don‘t get moisture evaporate and the water vapour expanding and changing the pressure (N2 also expands, but it is much more controllable). And two, N2 filled tires can not be set on fire from the inside (you might want to ask Olli what O2 can do under high pressure and high temperatures… NOT pretty…). Which is a good thing for race tires - but much more important in airplane tires.
Don‘t want your plane catch fire after landing just because they had to use their disc brakes a bit too much…
But for bicycles? No need. Not even for „normal“ sports cars like your average Ferrari or Porsche…
Good points. I also would have thought that the front-on profile of the tyres, and therefore the shape of the contact patch where the tyre deforms, also behaves differently with nitrogen. A flat or square profile tyre needs to hold its shape under pressure so 100% N2 would provide a small amount of tread stability. In bike tyres with round profiles surely it would risk deformation slightly meaning running pressures slightly lower than ideal to compensate.
FWIW, regarding bike boxes: If you bring the bike box (with bike) to a hotel, remove and assemble your bike, you’re ready to go. IF YOU PLAN TO LEAVE the hotel, go touring for miles and days away from that hotel, but you plan to return eventually to that hotel, you can often arrange (possibly for a small fee) to leave the bike box at the hotel. They typically put a numbered tag on the box, and give you a tag with duplicate number as a claim check. Let them know how long you plan to be gone, etc., and when you return to the hotel you can get your box, dissemble your bike, and head to the airport (or whatever). I’ve done this many times at different hotels. You should probably check with them in advance to be sure this will be alright.
The coloured bits on Shimano cleats have nothing to do with fit in the pedals. They are there to identify the amount of float on the cleat and for walking on. You could wear these out by excessive walking and the cleat to pedal interface will be as new and unaffected. The cleat will still be functionally good without the coloured plastic. You need to inspect the part of the cleat that clips into the pedal to judge wear.
C
True-ish. I find I don't like walking around in cleats that have too much of the colored part worn off because they become wobbly and slipperier to walk in.
Regarding the dent in the bottom tube. The bottom tube is in tension when the bike has a rider. The tube will not fail in column mode (unless the dent is monumental). Conversely, a dent in the top has a much greater effect because it greatly weakens the "column" stability. I helps to imagine that the top and bottom tubes have very small diameters.
I use SPD pedals because the cleats are metallic and recessed. Perfect for café stops.
I’ve been told they’re great for mud shedding but in wet weather the café stops are even longer...
For the question on cleats, if after replacement you've still got more float or movement than expected and the pedals are several years old, it might be time to replace the pedals.
Cleats - I use Shimano SPD+SL yellows and I always carry a pair of clear protectors in my jersey. They cost about £4 ; a lot less than the cleats. Also you don't slip as much on tiles/shiny surfaces
#AskGCNtech
Bike Friday bikes fold up into a suitcase for the plane trip and when you arrive you attach wheels and use the suitcase as a trailer. Also look up a channel called "Cycling Around the World". Jin has been travelling with a bicycle since 2011. She has a lot of content showing the bike being packed and unpacked at airports as she travels from place to place.
Thank 4 the great video Manon and Alex!
Great video as always. Cyclists, don't waste your money on Nitrogen in your tires. I work for a company that races and wins in the automotive arena. Car racers started using pure Nitrogen to stabilize tire pressure under changing heat conditions on the race track. It probably makes sense on the race track where milliseconds per lap may be the difference between winning and losing. It then migrated into street cars (my BMWs always have Nitrogen filled tires, kind of ridiculous) and it's another thing for the dealership to charge you for. Cyclists, just check and correct your tire pressure before each ride and save your money. At our speeds, this can't possibly make any difference.
Also worth mentioning that the temperature difference in a car race is going to be much higher than for cycling, where the limit is likely the 'engine' power for a cyclist, whereas race cars are often grip limited
Or fill your tires at Costco, which has free Nitrogen.
Checking the sealant in tyres is straightforward. Remove the valve core and rotate the valve to the bottom of the wheel. Wait a couple of minutes for any sealant to run down to the bottom then use a syringe to syphon it all out. A 100mm syringe is indispensable if you run tubeless. Make sure the syphon tube on the syringe can get right into the bottom of your tyres. Now top up the syringe to the required amount of sealant or change it if it's looking manky then re-inject back into the wheel. Total time, ten minutes tops for a pair of wheels.
Better yet is the shake test. If you hear liquid moving, you have enough sealant. No noise means you may need sealant. There's no need to suck out existing sealant and if you are using Silca sealant you will destroy your valve stem.
Go through 2 Shimano right foot cleats in a year because that’s the foot I put down at traffic lights. And I clip in and out of it the most.
Have you ever been tempted to switch to a spd mtb style cleat? 👀
I switch the cleats around.
That's crazy. I just track stand 80% of the lights
To check sealant, take wheel off bike, hold horizontal at your ear and shake the wheel to listen for a little bit of slosh. If you can’t hear the sealant, add a bit more.
They use Nitrogen so the pressure doesnt change with temp. This happens with air as it also contains moisture. The moisture is the issue.
Not quite true. It's so the pressure changes in a very predictable way. nitrogen is close to an ideal gas, so pressure is proportional to temperature. As soon as you start mixing gases, you move further from ideal gas. Air has moisture, which further complicates things by being polar, so even more non-ideal than a 21%/79% O2/N2 mixture. The temperature changes with bike tyres are minimal. With cars, there's a lot more temperature generated by the rubber moving, plus the heat from brakes.
Your friendly Chemical Engineer 🤪
Love that top tip to of drawing around your cleat before replacing. Top hack
This only works most effectively if your replacement cleats are identical to the worn pair. I usually highlight the X and Y axis of the cleats on the shoe before I remove the old pair since I rarely do like-for-like cleat replacements.
for checking the sealant in the tyre... would it help/work to weigh the tyre/wheel before adding the sealant and then again after? this way, you can at any point weigh the wheel/tyre again and do the math to see how much sealant is still in there (I'm assuming that as the sealant dries up, it's really water that's drying up and that water would be a majority of the weight)
I use SPD SL and a set of Shimano cleat covers, most wear occurs from walking on the cleats rather than riding. I'm using the same set for over 2 years with virtually no wear.
8 years here... LOL
Manon, Manon, Manon! You really should have repaired that top tube! (A bit of Bondo works wonders!)
I'm with Alex on the 1-2 years on a set of road cleats, though if I do a lot of walking on rough pavement or gravel (road cleats), then yeah, they get pretty beat up and I'll have to change them out sooner. Plus, I usually spend about half the year on my trainer, so the cleats don't hardly wear at all. (and as others have pointed out, the cleat-to-pedal interface may still be just fine, but the little rubber nubs are what wear off and so that's my cue to replace them so I don't slip and fall)
As for the cleats, I can't even see the yellow on my Shimano, they fell off and I still use them. They clip and are sturdy same as day one. I've been using them for 6 years and I cycle 25km minimum every morning.
I recon I'll feel when it's ready to replace them. Being loose, easy to clip in will be a great indicator.
The yellow tabs are just for extra walking grip. Have nothing to do with the clipping interface.
I did have a nasty crash on my bike and the Look cleats "nose" broke off. Totally unstable in the pedal and the cleat sometimes unclips unintentionally.
I've switched over completely to Shimano
good exchange
Nice tech
I'm on the same cleats after 3 years. I carry some cleat covers in my back pocket to slip over them when off the bike and walking about. That seems to save quite a lot of wear. Walking in them is what really wears them.
Agree. Investment in cleat covers is well worth it in minimizing wear. They are also rubber which helps with grip when walking.
the SL pedals also gets worn down over time and can develop play, even if one gets new cleats.
The travel box question leads me to a suggestion. More videos regarding bicycle travel would be helpful, especially for those of us who hope to cross the Atlantic for a holiday. Bath seems like a great place to start! I could see it leading to additional support from companies involved in tourism.
GCN does a good job of covering topics, but there are lots of videos on RUclips about traveling with a bike. "Path Less Pedaled" just put one out in the last day or so.
Thanks, I just subscribed. Seem less entertaining than GCN though.
@@john_7986 I agree. Russ is just a little one man show, basically out of his garage.
@erics9214 I have watched enough GCN and GCN+ that I think I would like to take my first overseas cycling trip in the UK and rent a bike. We're too slow for a cycling club, but too fast for a tour group.
Excelente trabajo
....for bike cases, try asking the hotel/hostel if they will store it, if your not returning to the same hotel, one solution is to schedule Uber/Lyft for a drop off at your new location with the hotel loading it onto the ride
Gracias por tu video 👍🏻
Hi Guys. Re cleay wear, I watched a new video justthis morning on "Road Cycling Accademy" (RCA) where he showed worn SPD-D pedals about 3 years old where the wear was much greater than one can imagine cleat wear to be acceptable. So its not just about the cleat.
I shake tubeless tires with my ear near the bottom of the tire. Works fine for me.
Good vídeo
Excelente contenido
My cleats generally last a couple of years and I typically ride once a week with them.
Road Shimano/Look cleats require replacing far too often since walking in them wears away at the soft plastic fast. Back when I used them I could squeeze around 1 season of life out of mine, maybe 2 tops if I was lucky. Meanwhile I haven't replaced my SPD cleats in 10 years and they still work great. And I haven't even gotten into how much easier it is to walk in SPD shoes. Road cleats are something I'll never understand and will never use ever again, I'll run MTB pedals on my road bike forever
I have all sorts of pedals. Road shoes and cleats just feel lighter and more connected. I have SPD-SL, SPD, flats, Look Keo, Speedplay, clips, etc etc. love using them all, but if the ride matters (KOM attempt or very fast group ride, I'll use my road stuff). Not really walking around usually anyways.
re level of tubeless fluid in your tyres, give them a good shake and when you cant hear shloshing refill them
Buen reportaje
Testing tire sealant? Puncture your tire, and see if it seals within a reasonable time. If it doesn't, add sealant. :)
I think people fret over this far too much. I just add a couple of ounces of sealant about twice a year until the tire wears out. I guess if you're a total gram counter this is going to bother you, but probably everything bothers you.
Sealant... Every 3 months or so, gently shake the wheel. If you hear liquid, add a little. If you don't add a lot. When your tire reaches the end of life, change your sealant. Try not to overthink sealant.
Keep in mind, pedals may wear out as well. Some great videos on this out there. Basically, if you have a lot of play even with a new cleat, likely the pedal body is worn out.
I've been wearing my ONZA mtb cleats since 1995! Same Shimano shoes as well. God...I have the original laces. They don't make them like they used to? I ride all the time FWIW
Time cleats have a dimple like Conti tires, My cleats last twice as long as my riding partner but I'm careful on how much I walk in them. 5 to 8 thousand miles. Bike boxes, we call hotels near the airport we will be starting and ending our trips. The one that will store the bike box wins our business. Many are more than happy to do so if they advertise any kind of bike friendly stay.
Shimano SPD mountain bike cleats will pull out of the pedal under force when the cleats are worn. Maybe replace them once a year before they pull out which can cause a crash.
Interesting. I have never replaced my cleats and they are still fine. I have the Shimano mountain bike pedals and cleats on both my regular road bike and my tandem. I use Diadora Geko shoes with the recessed cleat area. Easy to walk in them and the cleats don't scratch the floor if I have to walk around the house real quick before I ride. I ride 24-25 miles a day, five days a week in the good months and use them on my indoor trainer in the crappy months. I don't set the pedal tension too high because there is quite a bit of stop-and-go along the way in certain areas. Maybe things are different with mountain bike pedals and cleats on the road with no mud, dirt or debris getting in the works. Either way, that is how things work for me.
Road cleats are plastic while MTB cleats are metal (Shimano are steel, some others are brass). Road cleats are mounted on the "outside" of the shoe while MTB cleats are recessed. So yes, your cleats are both more durable and more protected from external wear than Road cleats. However, MTB cleats can still become worn. For the price of a new pair of cleats, you might want to consider replacing yours at least once, just for good measure.
Excelente la información
Well shoot, I've had my speedplay cleats for 3 years now and haven't switched them yet. I suppose I should probably do that
Yeah
Regarding flying with bike boxes; I would find it surprising that you really could arrange reliable LBS' near an airport that are willing or able to provide that service at least not without a generous fee for their time and troubles. Sounds like a huge PITA for them. And what if they forget, your flight is late, etc, etc?
Buen video informativo
Saludos desde Perú
Buen video, 👍
I would say if you're new to cleats, go for half and half being 1 side cleat, 1 side normal pedal as I went on my merida silex 400 and crashed 4 times because i forgot i was locked in on the towpath and couldn't take my feet out fast enough so I just fell haha. I also went muc-off sealant and got a 5mm glass slice and it didn't seal. Would you say muc-off or peatys is a better sealant? I have gone with peatys valves for easy top up :)
People try to convince us that tubeless setup is faster and lighter but instead of the tube they are putting in inserts and sealant - and still take a tube with them if they get a puncture. Not to mention all the mess from the sealant!
That’s exactly why I won’t go tubeless. Love my tubolitos, they are brilliant.
Depends on what you are riding and where. In the desert southwest of the US, tubeless with sealant is an absolute necessity for mountain, gravel, and often even road. There is a plant called a "goat head" that puts out hundreds of seeds with sharp thorns. On a recent ride, my tire probably received 30-40 punctures. The sealant almost always successfully seals them. Often without me noticing until after the ride.
CTC , sorry Cycling UK, used to recommend (and sell) Bike Bags. Nothing more than a large transparent plastic bag. Idea was that the stopped your bike "soiling" other luggage, and as it was transparent baggage handlers would hopefully treat it appropriately (an issue with cardboard bike boxes). On arrival you could take it with you or just bin it. Some years ago British Airways provided them for free.
There is no way that I would do this. I've often watched those guys loading and unloading planes. They just don't have the time or proper resources to baby a bike in a plastic bag. I always do a thorough and careful packing job into a cardboard bike box. They are easy to get from bike shops. On the other end, I often find tears, dents, and punctures in the cardboard. I don't think their handling methods are any better or worse for the cardboard boxes than for any other luggage from what I've seen actually watching them load and unload planes.
Buen video
The only benefit to using 100% N2 vs Air (78% N2) is that the pure gas is dry (no water vapor). Water vapor, (which is present in standard air) can make the gas expand unpredictably with increasing temperature (ie when the tires are rolling). Of little real-world relevance though, except to separate you from your $$
Nitrogen works in performance auto tires because no oxygen reduced rubber degradation at high temperature (>185F) and having no moisture in the gas does reduce the pressure change with temperature. Neither of these are a factor with bike tires (or even road car tires either).
#askgcntech I cringe at myself but I have no other option. I leave my bike in a garage :( Is there better ways for storing in a garage? Should cover/ protect a bike that is stored in a cold, possibly damp area... especially in the winter?
I literally just replaced my cleats. I could tell because one foot got all sloppy
Top bolt is typically 3-4nm. Check manufacturer.
There's no specific torque spec, the target is binding-free headset operation and zero headset play.
Innovaciones en el ciclismo
Regarding the replacing of cleats. There's no definite answer because as Manon said it depends on if you're walking on them and how much, everyone will be different. I use the Look system and I use the cleats that have the rubber pads on them to help you from slipping when walking, these pads wear down and on the Look cleats there's an oval pad in the middle of the cleat, this wears down also which causes your cleats squeaking against the medal plate on the pedal. This oval pad when it is new or in pretty good condition allows your foot to pivot with the float. I've found that if you let all these pads to wear down then you'll get squeaking which is super annoying. We all don't want to replace our pedals after all they are expensive, best to check your wear and tear of cleats which is cheaper than a new pedal. But remember nothing last forever, eventually new pedals are needed. I just recently bought new pedals and cleats, I feel I can ride faster, or is that my imagination. Justridethebike.
Extraordinario
Nitrogen on motorbike is must.. Never go back to air. Never get flat, tire can maintain it pressure.
But never use to bicycle, i dont know why. Can we use that without any change ???
If your on Wahoo Speedplay less than every 1000km. Stupid move having a metal pedal and metal cleat. Gave up with the rocking once worn. Back on Shimano
Grandes técnicas
Excelente
Muy bien 👍
Excelente la calidad
Buen contenido
Exelente 👍
Muy Interesante🤗
Lol still didn't answer the bike box question lmao
I don't even have a bike box, but could you mail it ahead to your destination?
Question is, if nitrogen filled tires have less rolling resistance, over time, due to the slower leaking and the better pressure stability. That would be a good test - fx a 50 or 100 km test. That would be interesting.
#askgcntech
I'm currently preparing for the next season and needed new tires. After watching some of your videos regarding tire width and pressure, I decided to go for 28mm in the front and 30mm in the back (I'm 190cm and 86kgs, coming from 28/28, riding an Aero bike). I decided for Schwalbe Pro One tires and I'm running TPU tubes.
The SILCA PRO TIRE PRESSURE CALCULATOR recommends 5.45 bar in the front for the 28mm tire and 5 bar for the rear 30mm tire.
But: The imprint on the 28mm tire starts at 6 bar (and goes up to 8), so above the SILCA recommendation. The imprint on the 30mm tire goes from 4 to 7 bar, within SILCAs calculation.
What would you do: Run the pressure lower than recommended by Schwalbe? Ditsch the Aero advantage of the 28mm, go for 30/30 with recommended and calculated pressure? Stay at 28mm with 6 bars in the front and accept some harder knocks?
Muy interesante
Muy bien
Why not use nitrogen instead of CO2 cartridges if the main benefit is slower leakage?
Buena presentación interesante
i'm 20 years on with the cleats on my one set of shoes. come to think of it the shoes are 20 years old as well. I used to clock in 5k miles a year, then the life (marriage, kid) brought that down to about 500 miles a year, and now we're back up to 1200 miles a year since 'rona kicked everything around. Shimano SPD cleats (not the SPD-SL).
Los mejores
Genial 👌🏻
You should only use self-sealing stem bolts. I know where you can get 100 gross of them cheap.
Exelente
Siempre dinamicos
#askgcntech
Hi GCNTech,
I read that it is strongly recommended to use a trainer tire for an indoor wheel-on trainer. Are trainer tires also recommended for use with rollers (aluminium drums)? Do rollers cause excessive wear on normal road tires? I don't want to cause unexpected wear on my normal road tires. Thanks in advance!
Are your stem bolts self sealing though?
Genial 👍
Buena dupla
I suspect the nitrogen in a tubeless tyre would do 2 things for performance, 1 it will leak less as Alfred has said, but 2 I suspect it will increase the lifetime of your sealant.
The atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen!!!
Does putting nitrogen in your tires make tubeless sealant last longer or work better?
Your sealant is still going to dry out - maybe even faster because the N2 is totally dry, unlike air
"..120 to 180 days.." ??? 🤣
Just use inner tubes, you know it makes sense.
I still use inner tubes on my road bike, but I changed to tubeless on my MTB just to prevent flats. But tubeless is a pain for maintenance.
I love the shirt Alex has on. I cannot find them in your shop. How do I get one?
I know how you feel. I wanted the t-shirt that had an orange&yellow bike on it, because it matches my Specialized orange&yellow Roubaix. I finally found it the other day, but they were Out of Stock of every size. I put my e-mail on a Wait List. I just checked. Now, even that t-shirt has been removed. I'm guessing we're both out of luck. The other t-shirts don't match my bike, so I'm not interested.
Muy buena
It depends if they're regular stem bolts or self-sealing stem bolts... If you know, you know... 🤣🤣
Muy sabios
2:20. We'll see exactly how much you care about 1 minute when the next challenge comes around 😅
I have pondered nitrogen for my bike tires. The problem is finding nitrogen at 80+ PSI
It comes in bottles at 100 - 200 bar, you just need the correct regulator.
@gcntech #askgcntech
My Orbea Orca OMR frame says it has clearance for 35c tyres. If I put in a 35c tyre it touches the frame on the seat post. If I put in a 32c tyre I have about 1-2mm of clearance between the seat post and tyre. What’s the minimum clearance you would expect between the tyre and frame? Thanks!