I always find that warm tires are easier to install than a cold one. I usually put them in the sun for a few minutes before installing. The tires seem to be more flexible when warm.
I put them in the bathroom (my warmest room) 11:04 over night before installing so they’re 26 degrees Celsius when I install them instead of being 15 degrees. It’s often the difference from an easy install and a hard install. I also bought the plyer thingie and it’s absolutely worth it.
I always drape towels over my handlebar and top tube when riding on the trainer. I'm surprised at how few people seem to do this, I spend a lot of hours on the trainer in the winter and my bike stays pristine. Thanks for all the good tips Josh!
But you're not very "aero" with towels draped over your bike!!! :-) I was shocked at some of the corroded disasters people would bring in back when I was in bike retail!!! WTF? Brake squeal? The pro peloton seems plagued by this - what are all those pro mechanics doing wrong?
05:11 I'm middle aged, and I've been installing bike tyres/tubes for 35 years. I bought my first road bike 4 years back, and thought the wheels/levers/tyres were defective as impossible to install tyres. Eventually discovered the new fangled centre channel which very few people seemed aware of! Once I used that I could almost do without tyre levers. My old fashioned knowledge definitely needed updating!
Your pressure calculator really helped me, and I'm just an average guy. Interestingly, I like them about 2 psi less than the calculator tells me. Now I know why. By the way, my Pirelli P Zero Road 28 mm measure about 30 mm on my wheels with 21 mm inner width using TPU tubes. Part of the reason I switched from Contis is the Pirellis are so much easier to mount. I can always do it with my bare hands. And they never get those fibers coming out of the sidewalls like Contis.
I love it when the know it alls approach and expert and they try to give them advice on something they just learned or read about. I don't know how you don't blow up on people telling you that your pressure calc is wrong.😆
You just blew my mind with the tire install tip. Most probably knew but I generally didn’t even consider where the tire was in the groove as I was installing a tire.
I don’t sweat much on my trainer, but just in case, I use a slightly cracked carbon wheel on the trainer so don’t need to worry about damage (in my case the trainer bike is only used on the trainer). So if you have an old wheel and use your road bike on the trainer, take a minute and swap out your good road wheel for an old one and then no worries.
I’ve got a couple sets of wheels that are from the early days of Tubeless. Sometimes to seat my tires tubelessly, I have to mount the tire with a tube to seat the bead, then remove one side (and the tube), install the valve stem sans core, and use A LOT of pressure to re-seat the other bead. A bit of a dance, but it works!
Even using the "blast" bicycle pumps don't always work because the air escapes before it can build up enough pressure to seat the bead of the tire. I am now resorting to using an inner tube inside my tubeless wheels since that's how the bike came originally. For me tubeless tire mounting & sealant is no longer worth the hassle. The weight penalty is insignificant in my opinion.
Yes, early tubeless was built around a vision or true, sealant free, tubeless functionality, just like a car tire and OMG, the tire install and removal was crazy!! Kudos to you for sticking with it, when it worked, it was really good.. but most people bailed out of that tech very quickly which sadly set the whole tubeless transition back a few years..
Being an old school guy in my 60s I have always used talc for clinchers road/mtb. I have one road carbon clincher set I used some extra talc where the bead meets the rim. You are right about Contis, they shed strands when old and need a haircut to keep tidy,I still have some gp4000.
Great advice not using tire levers, I never use them, even on road tires, thanks to the channel in the rim. I think when people say a tire is very difficult to install, it's because the rim, not the tire... thanks for your advices
Thanks for the good advice of putting the valve stem at 11 or 1 o’clock when mounting tubeless tires. My experience goes all the way back to mounting wire bead clinchers in the late 1960’s when I was a teenager and riding sew-ups for three decades as an amateur racer. Now, it tubeless on all my bikes. I had been starting to mount the bead of the tubeless tire at the valve stem itself, then working all the way around to the opposite side to get the bead over the rim. A real struggle even with your Silca tire irons and high quality aluminum rims. Now, I will do your method instead. Learn something new every day. Thanks !!!
Hey Josh, Pearls of wisdom....As a race mechanic, I can echo many of the scenarios you've described on this vid. In the end, an ounce of prevention....... Cheers Mate, Pjw
In the section in which you discuss inspection of the wheel, you focus on the spoke nipples and the hub, especially where the spoke attaches to the hub. In addition, it is critically important to inspect the rims for cracks, both radial cracks emanating from the spoke holes and circumferential cracks in the rim sidewall, both resulting from cyclic stress of the rolling wheel, through the spoke to the rim. These cracks can propagate and lead to catastrophic wheel failure.
1. Tire Pressure Optimisation, tick.. I am still not getting it right, but I try... big problem is loss of pressure over time, ie days...so check every day before riding... 2. Tire install / Removal. tick. I learned to use the groove a few years ago, what a difference. 3.Trainers and Corrosion. tick. Consider general riding too as sweat gets into head stems etc. I avoid the problem by not using a trainer. 4. Disc rotors. tick. do not touch. I use an auto brake cleaner when I clean the bike after it has been cleaned. I use auto cleaning shampoo, then wax the frame and use an armour all product on the rubber and seat et al, then I brake clean. 5. Inspection. tick. and the bike itself. every time I take the chain off for a warm wax bath. I check that all is tight, including chains / rings, seat and seatpost, cassette, spokes derailleurs and levers. all good advice. tick.
Tire install tips are just another excellent advisory from Josh. You make it seem so easy to know all this stuff. Keep up the good work, these are so informative.
I installed tubeless road tires with foam inserts yesterday and it was a big mess and the only way I can think of getting them off again involves explosives. Can you cover inserts in the next video, especially in combination with the Silca sealant that does not go through the valve. My tip on installing tubeless tires is the Crank Brothers Speedier lever which hooks over the bead. Its main function is stopping the bead of coming off again.
Just filmed a video discussing this a little bit, should come out this week.. but yes, they are a total nightmare. The key is to get about 90 degrees of bead unseated.. not removed, but just pushed inward far enough that it's no longer sitting on the bead shelf.. then use your fingers to sort of massage the insert radially outward into the tire and once it moves you can now push that bit of bead down into the channel.. the trick is to then work your way around the wheel doing this with both hands while not letting the insert push back inward as it will displace the bead if it does this.. it's a real skill and I've done hundreds of these and still find it completely madenning. For WT teams at Roubaix, not gonna lie, we just cut through the tire and disembowel the insert.. such a waste, but when you have 40-60 wheels to do and the tires were free.. that's what happens!
Great video, I did a bunch of tralling various pressures and found a nice balanced pressure for my setup then found the Silca calculator and it came up with the same number, good to get confirmation 👍
If you have significant sweat dripping on the trainer, it's insufficient cooling. I don't have a drop in z2 and higher zones still very minimal. You just need the appropriate fans and environment.
Thanks for following up on the disc brake question; I agree that if anything, high temp metal anti-seize without anything else in it that corrodes aluminum is probably the thing to use on CenterLock lockring. I guess the question is whether it's better than dry; risk of contamination vs risk of seizing. Nickel would obviously be fine but would the high temp grease of the Silca Anti-Seize withstand disc rotor temperatures of however many 200+ degrees? Withstand = stay viscous enough to not spray out and contaminate.
SILCA anti-seize is considered non-migrating inside of jet turbines (1500 degres F is the listed burnoff of the synthetic carrier), so at our low rotational velocities and temperatures you will be fine ;-)
Excellent explanation on tyre fitting. I had worked it out myself over time and just put a pair of Maxxis Forecaster 2.4WT on a 30mm inner carbon rim without using any tyre lever. In the past I have damaged the decals on the rim by inserting the lever and moving it in a direction that will run over the decal. I always check that now. I do not use any lubrication to fit a tyre but there is advice out there to use soap etc, any thoughts?
If you can do it without anything, that is best... most latex based sealants have very high Ph and will harden quickly if exposed to water, so you can use a highly concentrated soap (SILCA bike wash has Ph 11.. similar to SILCA sealant) but it needs to be the absolute minimum amount. With synthetic sealants like MucOff or Milkit you can use a tiny bit of soap in water as those sealants are not hardened by water.
Good tips. My questions is: What of the online providers (Bikesonline, bikesdirect, jenson, Canyon,,, or any others) will provide me a bike delivered that is both tubeless ready, and I just have to fill the tires? Some DO NOT tell you you have to buy a can of stuff, rim tape, and valves.
Thanks for your tips and your great products. Would it be possible to build a calculator to determine the optimal tire width considering the internal/external rim width and rim height ?
I ran the highest pressure in the past because lower, 80-90 PSI, I kept getting pinch flats. Better tubeless tires and nicer roads later, I'm finally able to let my hair down run 60 PSI on my 25mm road bike.
Mr Poertner, Two things we now know about tyres (and wheels), wider is better, and the 105% rule. So which do we do? Do we prioritise fitting the widest possible tyre to fit the bike end-of? or do we fit 23s because our wheels are 10-15 years old? Cheers. mark
It would be really cool to see an option in the calculator to estimate for recumbent trikes (3-wheel distribution vs. 2) And just think of the wide variety of world class athletes you will have to draw from!
Another part that might break by sweat is the handlebar. Some people sweat a lot from the hands or the sweat from the face falls down on the bar tape and the accumulation of salts in the bar tape corrod the handlebar. Signs that the sweat of the user is corrosive is sometimes seen by the coating finish of the brakes levers or name plate of the shifters are worn down by the corrosion of the sweat 💦.
Thanks @fruissy, we cover this a bit (along with some amazing viewer images) in this video: ruclips.net/video/hCK0-a4ZCpU/видео.htmlsi=BY-Jq2UaB40X_NPv
Excellent stuff as always. Thanks! BUT when installing a tube in a road (or narrow gravel) tire due to HUGE gash, and there's tubeless rim tape on an already not-too-deep center channel (Zipp?) rim, any other thoughts? The tube typically does NOT want to stay up in the tire where it belongs, and levers exacerbate the tube trying to escape, and then pop. May have to start packing one of those 'tire pliers' shown in the vid. Cheers!
That is such a challenging situation! Yes, the key is to get just the tiniest amount of air into the tube to give it shape to avoid pinching but not enough that it has really any outward force against the tire.. ahhh!! So difficult!
I have a wheel setup of carbon tubeless ready rims, continental 5000 clincher tires and TPU inner tubes. I never need levers to mount or dismount the tires, I use my hands to stretch the tire beginning from the valve position at the top going around down to the bottom of the rim, obviously, always using the center of the rim bead as my ally.
The ease of installing really differs from wheel to wheel and what tire you put on them. My Mavic Cosmic wheel set is a nightmare with Conties, but easy with some other brands.
TP Calculator question. How do you deal with 2 different size tires? Running 32 in back 30 up front. Calclator comes up with a higher pressure for the narrower front wheel. Seems odd to run higher up front.
When tires are installed the usual thing to do is install one side at a time. When one side is installed, and the other is about 90% installed, and that smalll section is left hanging and stretched outside the rims channels, does having that section of tire bead stretched like that cause a wobble in the tire when it's installed and pumped up? I have Continental Race King tires that have developed what seems to be a permanent wobble. It's definitely not how I install them because I make sure the line just above the bead is uniformly even around the circumference of the rim both sides. It may be due to the frequent punctures from glass, but I'm not 100% of that yet.
You must have the newer GP5000 TS which are slightly narrower.. I still have the original GP5000TL (pre-pandemic!) which were sized based on 17mm bead width rims, the newer Conti's are sized based on 19mm internal.. this is part of why we have to use measured width as it all just gets SO comlicated!!
Hi from Spain! Big fan of the brand! I have full confidence on Silca’s sealant but I am having trouble with clogged valves. For now I change them but wonder if there is a better wayvor if I am doing something wrong. I am willing to change the valves every once and a while if it means it will seal when I need it to. Thanks!
Just shot a video this weekend addressing this, but get some cheap pipe cleaners, like the ones kids use to make crafts, and put some Synergetic or SynergE lube on there, then run it through the valve. Soak the valve core in a little Synergetic or SynergE while you do this and then reinstall. The WS2 nanoparticles in the lube fill in all of the little micropores in the metal surface and act like a non-stick coating for the valve. Our other suggestions are to store the valves in the 5 o'clock position, and before you ever let any air out of the valve, put a pump on and give it a good blast of air into the tire.. this will purge any sealant residue inside the valve and keep it from getting carried into the valve core by escaping air.
Hey Josh - sorry if I missed it. Other than an overall miss-match of tire and rim size or going too low on pressure, is there any issue with running your calculated tire pressures below the pressure range on the sidewall? My Perrelli Cinturato’s seem to suggest some pretty high pressures. Thanks for all the great content!
Great tips ! A lot of us that ride outside in cold weather, ( this would apply to people washing indoor training bikes outside) and don’t have access to a water hose. Any thoughts on a form of 1-2 gallon water pressure tank to use outside ? I would think the drive train cleaner sprayed on and some soapy water with a brush then spray clean would work . At the moment I use a bucket of hot clean rinse water and a bucket of soapy water with fleece lined rubber gloves .
At CX events in the UK quite a few are using cordless electric pressure washers eg. Worx Headshot. That particular one requires a separate water container and people use aqua roll or other camping water carriers
Bucket method works well, though I get what a pain it can be filling multiple buckets, but that's probably safest. There are small pressure washers that feed from buckets, but they introduce some risk and you still have to fill the buckets! Some people I know will do it in a shower which also works but does bring it's own issues!! I'd say keep doing what you're doing, also be sure to dry the bike, we will cover this in a future video, but a nice microfiber wipe to dry really does help to remove any residual dirts/oils/debris and if you have hard water, will also reduce any potential damage to calcium or lime buildup.
Question: How do inserts affect the air pressure you should run on your tires? Have you looked at what inserts are better than others for gravel bikes and mtb bikes? Thanks
They will not affect your pressure, but the key is to get them the right size for your application. We like the Vittoria ones as they are closed cell and are compressed down when under pressure so that they are not contacting the sidewall of the tire, and then they expand rapidly if you flat.
Is there any feedback from anyone on why the Silca tire pressure tool recommendations are so different from the SRAM one? A little variation is expected but for my road bike (28mm tires), the SRAM tool recommends 65 psi back and 61 front. The Silca tool recommends 78 back and 76 front. For reference, I'm around 155 pounds, the bike plus gear add up to around 20-21 pounds
So the SRAM calculator works to charts created in the 1970's by a guy named Frank Berto who determined '15% drop' to be the ideal loaded tire deformation. They then use those calculations with a filter applied that bend the values down as they approach 72psi. Our calculator is based on thousands of field testing data points with real athletes on real surfaces, where we use Chung/Virtual Elevation testing to determine what pressure provides optimal Crr.. our calculator fits curves to all of these data points to allow for interpolation in between them, and we do not modify the calculations at all for any rim or tire pressure limitations which is why we say that if the calculator tells you something too high, then you need larger tires. Also, be sure to measure the tires.. all other calculators sort of guess at actual width from the sidewall marking and rim inner bead width, but can be off in terms of actual measured width by 3-5mm.
Tyre install tip priceless... just been acting like a contortionist, tyre lever under load under 1 elbow, another held by the other hand then tyring to get the third lever jammed under the tyre.. done it your way and it flopped on with no effort.. cheers
i damaged a tire with a lever, the main factor that makes a tight fitting tire hard to get on is the grippiness. so now i use a lil bit of power and its a breeze, vs using over 100 percent of my strength and focus with a lever, also punched my self in the face when pulling the lever towards me, i use to train one arm pull ups so yea that hurt.
Any chance that the Silca pressure calculator be able to have the option of providing recommended tire pressures for those who are using mixed tire widths between front and rear? I usually run 2.35 front/2.2 rear and sometimes 3.0 front/2.35 rear.
Same request. My canyon came with different tire widths front and rear. Have also used different tire widths front and rear when upgrading older bikes due to clearance issues. An option for different widths front and rear would be great.
I use Filmore valves. To check for sealant every 4 months or so I need to visually inspect. Often it is low or gone especially if I have needed to add air regularly. What is the least messy way to check for sealant?
Shake the wheel and listen.. it should sound sloshy like water in there. As soon as it starts to sound thicker than water, you need to add more, and if it's silent, you need to open it up and inspect.
If you haven't done so already can you do a video that includes using tubes inside tubeless wheels/tires. I have had tire sealant etch into my wheels after not removing it in a timely manner. My bike came with tubeless ready wheels (with a tube inside), so aside from the weight issue is there any arguments against using that set up?
The only real downside of tubes in tubeless setups is that it's heavier and has higher rolling resistance. Tubeless tires already contain extra rubber making them a bit heavier and potentially slower than tires made for tubes.. so by keeping a tube in there, you are getting the worst of both worlds. As for your etching of your wheels, that should not happen with any of the modern ammonia free sealants and a good TPP rim tape.
The weight does not concern me since I am not racing. The hassle of sealant does. Popping in a tube for me is more convenient than the mess of tire sealant. Since I already have tubeless ready wheels I can always switch back if need be.@@SILCAVelo
Josh re: the abrasion between carbon rims and tire sidewalls, do you think that the wearing is more related to bits of clay/silt getting trapped between the two (rather than the carbon rim being abrasive in and of itself)?
It's likely a combination of both, but mostly the carbon.. if it were grit and dirt in the interface, we'd see it on aluminum rims as well, but it's almost unheard of in that application. However, I think that grit in that interface will wear away the epoxy more easily than the carbon, and the carbon left exposed will be fiber ends, making a sort of micro saw blade. I personally hit all my rims with a white scotch-brite pad on this surface when new to try polish it as smooth as possible, but the real solution lies with the tire companies putting a protective material in this area, which most all of them are now doing.
Technically yes, but it works extremely well and tests very well in blowoff, you can learn more here: www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Race_Wheels/_Dan_Josh_A_Hookless_Discussion_8710.html
Hi there great tips, I was wondering what your thoughts are on the Tyre Glider? Since discovering it installing gp5000's is no longer a nightmare... however I do wonder if they can damage the rim
I've not used the tire glider specifically, but it's install technique is very reminiscent of the CrankBros lever action..which works well, but you have to be careful if your carbon rims have decals as before you know it, you've run it around the rim and shredded them.
I wish I could use your pressure calculator but it does not include a "Tyre Type" = Tubular. Could you please include it in the next version? Tubulars are "beadless" and have a full 360 degrees of casing. This amounts to 20 to 30 % more casing "width" for a given tyre diameter when compared to a clincher . In turn, this results in higher hoop stress for a given pressure, and this changes the optimal pressure...
So we've tested this pretty extensively using both static and dynamic load/deflection testing (you can see some of it here: silca.cc/blogs/silca/part-2-tire-stiffness-wider-is-stiffer-harsher) and found that for a given tire measured diameter, the radial stiffness will be equivalent regardless of tire construction.. in fact, for the first probably 2-3 years of data that our calculator is based on, all of the cobble and much of the road racing data comes from tubulars.. in fact, if you know the rider weight at the time and measured tire width, you can at least 4 Roubaix winning pressures (on tubulars) from the calculator.. so calculate away!
Hi Josh. I have an off topic question about Zipp which you mentioned several times on a recent GCN video. I just unpacked my Zipp 950 disc from about 25 years ago. I discovered that my 10-speed cassette still fits and it seems to spin normally. It seems to be in great condition but not used for about 15 years and only used maybe 25 times ever. Question: would you still use it for a 70.3 race or is it too old even though it looks fine? What about my same vintage Zipp 440 front wheel in similar good condition?
Old carbon wheels don't degrade from sitting so you should be fine. The bearing grease might not be in such good shape, but a clean-up and some lube and you should be good to go!
Our official stance is that you should never go against the manufacturers recommendations. Generally the low limit is more about pinch flat prevention than safety, but with the wide variance of hookless rims and such on the market, best to be safe or at the least test it out and consult with others using the same setup to ensure that it is not a safety risk.
The key to preserving your trainer bike is fans and towels. If you're dripping on your bike, its because you aren't doing that. Way easier (and cheaper) than your recommendations.
One thing to remember with fans is that they help to evaporate the water, but that leaves the salts in the sweat just that much more concentrated.. towels are super helpful, but if that super concentrated sweat is seeping through, then you will have issues.
Just scratched my rim's using Silca tire levers when removing a tire to replace the Silca Inner tube :( They are good quality, but I now going back to using cheap plastic ones.
I'm surprised to hear that for removing the tire.. our plastic inner piece is similar plastic to what other levers are made from but is actually softer since it has the aluminum spine? Where you peeling the bead off, or running the lever around the rim? Honestly never heard of this before so curious! Thanks
@@SILCAVelo I was trying to remove the tire. One lever was on and while I used the other lever to peel of the tire it scratched the edge. I might have done something wrong, but never ran into this when using the cheap plastic levers. They don't last very long though.
As our calculator is based on thousands of actual field test results of optimal Crr for given weight/tire/surface it does get a bit cloudy at the extremes as we just have very little data.. Also, it's mostly using pro road/CX/gravel inputs with maybe 10% mtb cross-country. So our data skew toward lighter riders and bikes as a result. So with a heavy bikepacking setup and tires that big, you are just sort of out of the scope of the calculator.. though I'd be interested to see how it works for you, have you tried our recommendation? If you could give me some data points that do work for you, we could drop that into the model and it would actually start to improve data quality out there.
@@SILCAVelo based on a total weight of 280lbs , grade 3 gravel , & 29 x 2.35 tubeless tyres the app suggests 17 psi ,I actually settle for 26 to 28 psi .I will try 17psi on a regular route if you like & report back .
What do I do, if the calculator tells me lower pressures than allowed by the tires? So for me, I'm running 700x45 MAXXIS Rambler on my gravel bike (hookles, tubeless) and the calculator tells me to use 2.1 bar while the allowed minimum on the tire says 2.5 bar. Does it mean, I should run smaller tires? Like 40s?
I would ask the tire manufacturer why they list a minimum pressure. Some tires have a minimum pressure based on what the manufacturer fears could allow the tire to burp or de-bead under side load (which would be a safety issue), and others are just giving guidance to avoid a potential pinch flat.
Using the Silca tire pressure calculator I find it impossible to satisfy both the rule of 105% and the ERTRO guidelines (this is on 30mm external rims, so relatively wide & I’m under 75kg). On a moderate to fast group ride, should I give up on optimal pressure or on the rule of 105%?
On a group ride aero only matters when you’re on the front. So aim for optimal pressure . Even when you’re riding in front another person on your back wheel will also reduce the drag on you. So aerodynamic benefits only really matter when you ride alone. Doing yoga or stretching so you can ride comfortably with your body lower probably matters more than any aerodynamic gear you can buy. But that’s the boring answer. Buy the things you want and enjoy life. 😊 I waited two years to buy my Canyon before they came with a color I really wanted - racing green.
Many modern wheels have made it nearly impossible to hit the rule of 105 and hookless rims make it actually impossible unless you weigh 100lbs. I'd shoot for as close to 105 as you can get, in many cases this will be 100% or equal rim and tire width, and then optimize your pressures. If you have money to burn check out my favorite setup, the 3T Discuss 45/40 with hooked 29mm internal bead width, with 32mm GP5000's that actually measure out at 35-36mm when inflated on that rim.. looks like a motoGP wheel at first, but the aero is phenomenal as is comfort and road feel.. I run mine at ~38-40psi and it's amazing.
Josh, do you know if the Formula RX-142 12x142 rear hub has a space maintainer between the hub inner race bearings? Or does this model rely solely on the hub to external race and a preload by the axle end jamb nuts?
Sorry, I don't know that hub, but most all Taiwanese cartridge bearing hubs use an internal spacer to control bearing alignment and preload.. but you'd have to take it apart or ask Formula to be certain.
@@SILCAVelo Thanks for the reply, I’ve tried contacting Formula several times. I did get several schematic drawings from them before for another reason (how the freehub was removed), but in what i was sent then, it’s hard to determine for sure of there’s a spacer. And I was asking around first before trying to take apart. When I had written later asking about a spacer, I never got replies.
especially with Fat Tires, I see people running 20+ psi sometimes 30, getting flats constantly, instead of lowering their tire pressure below 15psi, they start using tire liners.
Great video, but about halfway through the video got SO QUIET. And then when the midroll ad came in, it blasted me because I'd turned everything up. Even the outro music was louder.
@@JoshuaTootellI figured somebody would reply with a brag about their miles. Even if it is every other week, it takes minutes. These days I do far fewer miles on the road bike than I used to. My time is split between trainer, mtb, and road. And on the road it's almost all climbing. My typical ride is around 50mi and 6000ft.
Hi Josh, I have a pair of Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels and this upcoming spring I want to replace the rim tape, now the inside rim width is 25mm. What size rim tape should I use?
I always find that warm tires are easier to install than a cold one. I usually put them in the sun for a few minutes before installing. The tires seem to be more flexible when warm.
That's a great tip!
I put them in the bathroom (my warmest room) 11:04 over night before installing so they’re 26 degrees Celsius when I install them instead of being 15 degrees. It’s often the difference from an easy install and a hard install. I also bought the plyer thingie and it’s absolutely worth it.
Under the more is better theory, popping that tire in the oven at 350F for 45 min will make it super easy to install... or will make banana bread
great tip on the tires. I put my tubeless tape in the sun for a few minutes before applying. Makes the adhesive a little tackier.
Best tip. Put your bike in an autoclave. Tyres will slide on.
#Sorted
I always drape towels over my handlebar and top tube when riding on the trainer. I'm surprised at how few people seem to do this, I spend a lot of hours on the trainer in the winter and my bike stays pristine. Thanks for all the good tips Josh!
Yeah, back in the stoneage somebody even made one called a Sweatband or something dopey like that. Was it Yakima?
Yup...I've always done this same thing. It helps a ton with any salt corrosion building up
But you're not very "aero" with towels draped over your bike!!! :-) I was shocked at some of the corroded disasters people would bring in back when I was in bike retail!!! WTF?
Brake squeal? The pro peloton seems plagued by this - what are all those pro mechanics doing wrong?
Yes I'm leaking mega watts but it's a worthy sacrifice 🙃@@larryt.atcycleitalia5786
Josh, whoever is editing your videos is a master. The contrast of all the colors look great and the quality is top notch
Thanks so much! That's Phil and he's really been upping our game here lately, thanks for noticing!
05:11 I'm middle aged, and I've been installing bike tyres/tubes for 35 years. I bought my first road bike 4 years back, and thought the wheels/levers/tyres were defective as impossible to install tyres. Eventually discovered the new fangled centre channel which very few people seemed aware of! Once I used that I could almost do without tyre levers. My old fashioned knowledge definitely needed updating!
Your pressure calculator really helped me, and I'm just an average guy. Interestingly, I like them about 2 psi less than the calculator tells me. Now I know why. By the way, my Pirelli P Zero Road 28 mm measure about 30 mm on my wheels with 21 mm inner width using TPU tubes. Part of the reason I switched from Contis is the Pirellis are so much easier to mount. I can always do it with my bare hands. And they never get those fibers coming out of the sidewalls like Contis.
2 psi isn't really an accuracy you can gauge with any bike pump, if you're within 5 you're fine.
@countspokeula539 You raise a great point, but I always check with a digital gauge. But who knows how accurate it is?
@@stuartdryer1352 I know, it amazes me that pumps don't quote an % accuracy like so many other things these days
I love it when the know it alls approach and expert and they try to give them advice on something they just learned or read about. I don't know how you don't blow up on people telling you that your pressure calc is wrong.😆
Just realized my 47's are actually 50mm wide. So glad you guys did the pressure calculator! It's really helped me out
You just blew my mind with the tire install tip. Most probably knew but I generally didn’t even consider where the tire was in the groove as I was installing a tire.
I don’t sweat much on my trainer, but just in case, I use a slightly cracked carbon wheel on the trainer so don’t need to worry about damage (in my case the trainer bike is only used on the trainer). So if you have an old wheel and use your road bike on the trainer, take a minute and swap out your good road wheel for an old one and then no worries.
I’ve got a couple sets of wheels that are from the early days of Tubeless. Sometimes to seat my tires tubelessly, I have to mount the tire with a tube to seat the bead, then remove one side (and the tube), install the valve stem sans core, and use A LOT of pressure to re-seat the other bead. A bit of a dance, but it works!
Even using the "blast" bicycle pumps don't always work because the air escapes before it can build up enough pressure to seat the bead of the tire. I am now resorting to using an inner tube inside my tubeless wheels since that's how the bike came originally. For me tubeless tire mounting & sealant is no longer worth the hassle. The weight penalty is insignificant in my opinion.
Yes, early tubeless was built around a vision or true, sealant free, tubeless functionality, just like a car tire and OMG, the tire install and removal was crazy!! Kudos to you for sticking with it, when it worked, it was really good.. but most people bailed out of that tech very quickly which sadly set the whole tubeless transition back a few years..
Being an old school guy in my 60s I have always used talc for clinchers road/mtb. I have one road carbon clincher set I used some extra talc where the bead meets the rim. You are right about Contis, they shed strands when old and need a haircut to keep tidy,I still have some gp4000.
I LOVE THIS CHANNEL!!! Josh! Are soo awesome!! So many GOLDEN NUGGETS!!!
Great advice not using tire levers, I never use them, even on road tires, thanks to the channel in the rim. I think when people say a tire is very difficult to install, it's because the rim, not the tire... thanks for your advices
Thanks for the good advice of putting the valve stem at 11 or 1 o’clock when mounting tubeless tires. My experience goes all the way back to mounting wire bead clinchers in the late 1960’s when I was a teenager and riding sew-ups for three decades as an amateur racer. Now, it tubeless on all my bikes. I had been starting to mount the bead of the tubeless tire at the valve stem itself, then working all the way around to the opposite side to get the bead over the rim. A real struggle even with your Silca tire irons and high quality aluminum rims. Now, I will do your method instead. Learn something new every day. Thanks !!!
can't wait for your video of fitting a gravelking to a Mavic allroad with a vittoria liner!
Hey Josh, Pearls of wisdom....As a race mechanic, I can echo many of the scenarios you've described on this vid. In the end, an ounce of prevention.......
Cheers Mate, Pjw
Well done! I though it will be just a marketing BS but turned out it was a VERY informative. Many thanks 👍
Excellent ideas. Many people do not work on their own bikes, but everybody has to change a tube once in a while, or at least, install one. Thank you.
In the section in which you discuss inspection of the wheel, you focus on the spoke nipples and the hub, especially where the spoke attaches to the hub. In addition, it is critically important to inspect the rims for cracks, both radial cracks emanating from the spoke holes and circumferential cracks in the rim sidewall, both resulting from cyclic stress of the rolling wheel, through the spoke to the rim. These cracks can propagate and lead to catastrophic wheel failure.
I love tube tyres and rim brakes
1. Tire Pressure Optimisation, tick.. I am still not getting it right, but I try... big problem is loss of pressure over time, ie days...so check every day before riding...
2. Tire install / Removal. tick. I learned to use the groove a few years ago, what a difference.
3.Trainers and Corrosion. tick. Consider general riding too as sweat gets into head stems etc. I avoid the problem by not using a trainer.
4. Disc rotors. tick. do not touch. I use an auto brake cleaner when I clean the bike after it has been cleaned. I use auto cleaning shampoo, then wax the frame and use an armour all product on the rubber and seat et al, then I brake clean.
5. Inspection. tick. and the bike itself. every time I take the chain off for a warm wax bath. I check that all is tight, including chains / rings, seat and seatpost, cassette, spokes derailleurs and levers.
all good advice. tick.
Hey, a video with Josh! I'd better watch and learn.
Great list, but the most common mistsake that I'm still guilty of is not checking my sealant often enough!
Definitely working on a sealant related video on it's own.. please let us know any other tips or issues you'd like to see covered!
Sealant compatibility....mixing sealants vs cleaning out all the previous sealant. Or mixing when you run out of one kind.
Love to see a video on cleaning out old sealant! Is there a best method or product?
@@SILCAVelo why valves get clogged up so easily give us some tips or advice and get so frustrated getting fucked up I do my best to mitigate that
@@SILCAVelomethods of checking sealant levels without disturbing a nicely seated tyre bead?
Tire install tips are just another excellent advisory from Josh. You make it seem so easy to know all this stuff. Keep up the good work, these are so informative.
I installed tubeless road tires with foam inserts yesterday and it was a big mess and the only way I can think of getting them off again involves explosives. Can you cover inserts in the next video, especially in combination with the Silca sealant that does not go through the valve.
My tip on installing tubeless tires is the Crank Brothers Speedier lever which hooks over the bead. Its main function is stopping the bead of coming off again.
Just filmed a video discussing this a little bit, should come out this week.. but yes, they are a total nightmare. The key is to get about 90 degrees of bead unseated.. not removed, but just pushed inward far enough that it's no longer sitting on the bead shelf.. then use your fingers to sort of massage the insert radially outward into the tire and once it moves you can now push that bit of bead down into the channel.. the trick is to then work your way around the wheel doing this with both hands while not letting the insert push back inward as it will displace the bead if it does this.. it's a real skill and I've done hundreds of these and still find it completely madenning. For WT teams at Roubaix, not gonna lie, we just cut through the tire and disembowel the insert.. such a waste, but when you have 40-60 wheels to do and the tires were free.. that's what happens!
Thanks Josh, much appreciated.
Your pressure calculator tells me exactly what the manufacturers [ eg Michelin] were telling me 20 years ago, for my 23s....
Great video, I did a bunch of tralling various pressures and found a nice balanced pressure for my setup then found the Silca calculator and it came up with the same number, good to get confirmation 👍
In response to trainer riding - use a bigger fan, or 2 or 3! A big enough fan evaporates the vast majority of sweat before it drips.
Love your Sealant, I"ve tried them ALL.......will use nothing but SILCA in the future!!
If you have significant sweat dripping on the trainer, it's insufficient cooling. I don't have a drop in z2 and higher zones still very minimal. You just need the appropriate fans and environment.
Thanks for following up on the disc brake question; I agree that if anything, high temp metal anti-seize without anything else in it that corrodes aluminum is probably the thing to use on CenterLock lockring. I guess the question is whether it's better than dry; risk of contamination vs risk of seizing. Nickel would obviously be fine but would the high temp grease of the Silca Anti-Seize withstand disc rotor temperatures of however many 200+ degrees? Withstand = stay viscous enough to not spray out and contaminate.
SILCA anti-seize is considered non-migrating inside of jet turbines (1500 degres F is the listed burnoff of the synthetic carrier), so at our low rotational velocities and temperatures you will be fine ;-)
Great video! Wiping is not cleaning!! 😅
Excellent explanation on tyre fitting. I had worked it out myself over time and just put a pair of Maxxis Forecaster 2.4WT on a 30mm inner carbon rim without using any tyre lever. In the past I have damaged the decals on the rim by inserting the lever and moving it in a direction that will run over the decal. I always check that now. I do not use any lubrication to fit a tyre but there is advice out there to use soap etc, any thoughts?
If you can do it without anything, that is best... most latex based sealants have very high Ph and will harden quickly if exposed to water, so you can use a highly concentrated soap (SILCA bike wash has Ph 11.. similar to SILCA sealant) but it needs to be the absolute minimum amount. With synthetic sealants like MucOff or Milkit you can use a tiny bit of soap in water as those sealants are not hardened by water.
for corrosion during training. Get a protective cover. Several companies make them and maybe a couple hundred dollars less than the riser contraption.
Good tips. My questions is: What of the online providers (Bikesonline, bikesdirect, jenson, Canyon,,, or any others) will provide me a bike delivered that is both tubeless ready, and I just have to fill the tires? Some DO NOT tell you you have to buy a can of stuff, rim tape, and valves.
Just checked the tire pressure calculator and behold... It's almost exactely what I always ride 'by feeling'.
One thing Josh mentioned that is very important, when cleaning your bike inspect all the bike while cleaning it. And keep bike clean it goes long way
The "groove in the rim is called a drop center in the motorcycle and car world. Its the only way tires go on.
Super helpful, as always!
Thanks for your tips and your great products. Would it be possible to build a calculator to determine the optimal tire width considering the internal/external rim width and rim height ?
I ran the highest pressure in the past because lower, 80-90 PSI, I kept getting pinch flats. Better tubeless tires and nicer roads later, I'm finally able to let my hair down run 60 PSI on my 25mm road bike.
Mr Poertner, Two things we now know about tyres (and wheels), wider is better, and the 105% rule. So which do we do? Do we prioritise fitting the widest possible tyre to fit the bike end-of? or do we fit 23s because our wheels are 10-15 years old? Cheers. mark
It would be really cool to see an option in the calculator to estimate for recumbent trikes (3-wheel distribution vs. 2) And just think of the wide variety of world class athletes you will have to draw from!
Another part that might break by sweat is the handlebar. Some people sweat a lot from the hands or the sweat from the face falls down on the bar tape and the accumulation of salts in the bar tape corrod the handlebar. Signs that the sweat of the user is corrosive is sometimes seen by the coating finish of the brakes levers or name plate of the shifters are worn down by the corrosion of the sweat 💦.
Thanks @fruissy, we cover this a bit (along with some amazing viewer images) in this video: ruclips.net/video/hCK0-a4ZCpU/видео.htmlsi=BY-Jq2UaB40X_NPv
I never used spoke prep when build my wheels but never had any corrosion on them yet
Wow that was super helpful!
Excellent stuff as always. Thanks!
BUT when installing a tube in a road (or narrow gravel) tire due to HUGE gash, and there's tubeless rim tape on an already not-too-deep center channel (Zipp?) rim, any other thoughts? The tube typically does NOT want to stay up in the tire where it belongs, and levers exacerbate the tube trying to escape, and then pop. May have to start packing one of those 'tire pliers' shown in the vid. Cheers!
That is such a challenging situation! Yes, the key is to get just the tiniest amount of air into the tube to give it shape to avoid pinching but not enough that it has really any outward force against the tire.. ahhh!! So difficult!
I have a wheel setup of carbon tubeless ready rims, continental 5000 clincher tires and TPU inner tubes. I never need levers to mount or dismount the tires, I use my hands to stretch the tire beginning from the valve position at the top going around down to the bottom of the rim, obviously, always using the center of the rim bead as my ally.
The ease of installing really differs from wheel to wheel and what tire you put on them. My Mavic Cosmic wheel set is a nightmare with Conties, but easy with some other brands.
Great job Josh! Thanx.
TP Calculator question. How do you deal with 2 different size tires? Running 32 in back 30 up front. Calclator comes up with a higher pressure for the narrower front wheel. Seems odd to run higher up front.
9:46 Galvanic Nightmare would be a good band name
When tires are installed the usual thing to do is install one side at a time. When one side is installed, and the other is about 90% installed, and that smalll section is left hanging and stretched outside the rims channels, does having that section of tire bead stretched like that cause a wobble in the tire when it's installed and pumped up? I have Continental Race King tires that have developed what seems to be a permanent wobble. It's definitely not how I install them because I make sure the line just above the bead is uniformly even around the circumference of the rim both sides. It may be due to the frequent punctures from glass, but I'm not 100% of that yet.
Great Contant thank you so much Josh
Thank you for the TP calculator! One point, if running inserts, subtract 3psi?
Inserts don't change optimal pressures in terms of the Crr, but they allow you to safely lower the pressure with less risk if you are seeking comfort
@@SILCAVelo Thanks for the reply! In my case, yes, seeking comfort!
Great stuff, Josh. Thanks!
Thanks Excellent teach in 🏴
Also love 32 GP5000s on my 3T Discus 45|40! However mine only typically measure 35.5.
You must have the newer GP5000 TS which are slightly narrower.. I still have the original GP5000TL (pre-pandemic!) which were sized based on 17mm bead width rims, the newer Conti's are sized based on 19mm internal.. this is part of why we have to use measured width as it all just gets SO comlicated!!
Hi from Spain! Big fan of the brand! I have full confidence on Silca’s sealant but I am having trouble with clogged valves. For now I change them but wonder if there is a better wayvor if I am doing something wrong. I am willing to change the valves every once and a while if it means it will seal when I need it to. Thanks!
Just shot a video this weekend addressing this, but get some cheap pipe cleaners, like the ones kids use to make crafts, and put some Synergetic or SynergE lube on there, then run it through the valve. Soak the valve core in a little Synergetic or SynergE while you do this and then reinstall. The WS2 nanoparticles in the lube fill in all of the little micropores in the metal surface and act like a non-stick coating for the valve. Our other suggestions are to store the valves in the 5 o'clock position, and before you ever let any air out of the valve, put a pump on and give it a good blast of air into the tire.. this will purge any sealant residue inside the valve and keep it from getting carried into the valve core by escaping air.
Great!!
Hey Josh - sorry if I missed it. Other than an overall miss-match of tire and rim size or going too low on pressure, is there any issue with running your calculated tire pressures below the pressure range on the sidewall? My Perrelli Cinturato’s seem to suggest some pretty high pressures. Thanks for all the great content!
To clarify - I meant running pressures below the recommended minimum pressure.
So how does one get a tire into the channel when using a Vittoria Air Liner (or another brand)?
Great tips !
A lot of us that ride outside in cold weather, ( this would apply to people washing indoor training bikes outside) and don’t have access to a water hose.
Any thoughts on a form of 1-2 gallon water pressure tank to use outside ?
I would think the drive train cleaner sprayed on and some soapy water with a brush then spray clean would work . At the moment I use a bucket of hot clean rinse water and a bucket of soapy water with fleece lined rubber gloves .
At CX events in the UK quite a few are using cordless electric pressure washers eg. Worx Headshot. That particular one requires a separate water container and people use aqua roll or other camping water carriers
Bucket method works well, though I get what a pain it can be filling multiple buckets, but that's probably safest. There are small pressure washers that feed from buckets, but they introduce some risk and you still have to fill the buckets! Some people I know will do it in a shower which also works but does bring it's own issues!! I'd say keep doing what you're doing, also be sure to dry the bike, we will cover this in a future video, but a nice microfiber wipe to dry really does help to remove any residual dirts/oils/debris and if you have hard water, will also reduce any potential damage to calcium or lime buildup.
@@SILCAVelo yes and I have a compressor , so I blow it dry , especially around the bearings and drivetrain.
Question: How do inserts affect the air pressure you should run on your tires? Have you looked at what inserts are better than others for gravel bikes and mtb bikes? Thanks
They will not affect your pressure, but the key is to get them the right size for your application. We like the Vittoria ones as they are closed cell and are compressed down when under pressure so that they are not contacting the sidewall of the tire, and then they expand rapidly if you flat.
Thanks for an quick response!! @@SILCAVelo
Is there any feedback from anyone on why the Silca tire pressure tool recommendations are so different from the SRAM one? A little variation is expected but for my road bike (28mm tires), the SRAM tool recommends 65 psi back and 61 front. The Silca tool recommends 78 back and 76 front. For reference, I'm around 155 pounds, the bike plus gear add up to around 20-21 pounds
So the SRAM calculator works to charts created in the 1970's by a guy named Frank Berto who determined '15% drop' to be the ideal loaded tire deformation. They then use those calculations with a filter applied that bend the values down as they approach 72psi. Our calculator is based on thousands of field testing data points with real athletes on real surfaces, where we use Chung/Virtual Elevation testing to determine what pressure provides optimal Crr.. our calculator fits curves to all of these data points to allow for interpolation in between them, and we do not modify the calculations at all for any rim or tire pressure limitations which is why we say that if the calculator tells you something too high, then you need larger tires. Also, be sure to measure the tires.. all other calculators sort of guess at actual width from the sidewall marking and rim inner bead width, but can be off in terms of actual measured width by 3-5mm.
@@SILCAVelo Thanks for the detailed answer
Tyre install tip priceless... just been acting like a contortionist, tyre lever under load under 1 elbow, another held by the other hand then tyring to get the third lever jammed under the tyre.. done it your way and it flopped on with no effort.. cheers
How do you think about the one-piece carbon fiber Syncros Capital SL wheel, seems like it could get rid of some problems related with spokes.
Is tyre pressure calculator available on F-Droid?
i damaged a tire with a lever, the main factor that makes a tight fitting tire hard to get on is the grippiness. so now i use a lil bit of power and its a breeze, vs using over 100 percent of my strength and focus with a lever, also punched my self in the face when pulling the lever towards me, i use to train one arm pull ups so yea that hurt.
Any chance that the Silca pressure calculator be able to have the option of providing recommended tire pressures for those who are using mixed tire widths between front and rear? I usually run 2.35 front/2.2 rear and sometimes 3.0 front/2.35 rear.
Just input it twice
@@Fatbutnotflatit does'nt work that way since I run a mid fat setup (29x3.0 front, 29x2.35 rear).
Same request. My canyon came with different tire widths front and rear. Have also used different tire widths front and rear when upgrading older bikes due to clearance issues. An option for different widths front and rear would be great.
I use Filmore valves. To check for sealant every 4 months or so I need to visually inspect. Often it is low or gone especially if I have needed to add air regularly. What is the least messy way to check for sealant?
Shake the wheel and listen.. it should sound sloshy like water in there. As soon as it starts to sound thicker than water, you need to add more, and if it's silent, you need to open it up and inspect.
If you haven't done so already can you do a video that includes using tubes inside tubeless wheels/tires. I have had tire sealant etch into my wheels after not removing it in a timely manner. My bike came with tubeless ready wheels (with a tube inside), so aside from the weight issue is there any arguments against using that set up?
The only real downside of tubes in tubeless setups is that it's heavier and has higher rolling resistance. Tubeless tires already contain extra rubber making them a bit heavier and potentially slower than tires made for tubes.. so by keeping a tube in there, you are getting the worst of both worlds. As for your etching of your wheels, that should not happen with any of the modern ammonia free sealants and a good TPP rim tape.
The weight does not concern me since I am not racing. The hassle of sealant does. Popping in a tube for me is more convenient than the mess of tire sealant. Since I already have tubeless ready wheels I can always switch back if need be.@@SILCAVelo
11:40 or wrap an old towel over/around your wheel, fix with clothes pegs. Have another towel over handlebars.
I love these tips! Keep on going!
Josh re: the abrasion between carbon rims and tire sidewalls, do you think that the wearing is more related to bits of clay/silt getting trapped between the two (rather than the carbon rim being abrasive in and of itself)?
It's likely a combination of both, but mostly the carbon.. if it were grit and dirt in the interface, we'd see it on aluminum rims as well, but it's almost unheard of in that application. However, I think that grit in that interface will wear away the epoxy more easily than the carbon, and the carbon left exposed will be fiber ends, making a sort of micro saw blade. I personally hit all my rims with a white scotch-brite pad on this surface when new to try polish it as smooth as possible, but the real solution lies with the tire companies putting a protective material in this area, which most all of them are now doing.
Josh, I'm planning to buy the Silca Race sealant soon. I heard people say it can clog up the valves. Do you recommend any specific valves?
08:00: Have one of those, but I´m not very satisfied with it. I keeps slipping off the rim.
Towel on the front wheel and headset dude! $2 solution. Don't over think!
29mm inner width rim with 32mm GP 5000's ? Isn't that out of the ETRTO recomendations? Maybe there is something I'm missing...
Technically yes, but it works extremely well and tests very well in blowoff, you can learn more here: www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Things_that_Roll/Race_Wheels/_Dan_Josh_A_Hookless_Discussion_8710.html
Great video. Thanks for the tips. :)
Hi there great tips, I was wondering what your thoughts are on the Tyre Glider? Since discovering it installing gp5000's is no longer a nightmare... however I do wonder if they can damage the rim
I've not used the tire glider specifically, but it's install technique is very reminiscent of the CrankBros lever action..which works well, but you have to be careful if your carbon rims have decals as before you know it, you've run it around the rim and shredded them.
that's actually exactly what happened 😂
DUCATI: " to hell with comfort, winners can be comfortable after the race"
I wish I could use your pressure calculator but it does not include a "Tyre Type" = Tubular. Could you please include it in the next version? Tubulars are "beadless" and have a full 360 degrees of casing. This amounts to 20 to 30 % more casing "width" for a given tyre diameter when compared to a clincher . In turn, this results in higher hoop stress for a given pressure, and this changes the optimal pressure...
So we've tested this pretty extensively using both static and dynamic load/deflection testing (you can see some of it here: silca.cc/blogs/silca/part-2-tire-stiffness-wider-is-stiffer-harsher) and found that for a given tire measured diameter, the radial stiffness will be equivalent regardless of tire construction.. in fact, for the first probably 2-3 years of data that our calculator is based on, all of the cobble and much of the road racing data comes from tubulars.. in fact, if you know the rider weight at the time and measured tire width, you can at least 4 Roubaix winning pressures (on tubulars) from the calculator.. so calculate away!
The blog post does not appear to include tubular tyres? @@SILCAVelo
whoa i never knew measuring actual tire width was necessary. i always run 90-95psi but now its putting me under 80psi.
Hi Josh. I have an off topic question about Zipp which you mentioned several times on a recent GCN video. I just unpacked my Zipp 950 disc from about 25 years ago. I discovered that my 10-speed cassette still fits and it seems to spin normally. It seems to be in great condition but not used for about 15 years and only used maybe 25 times ever. Question: would you still use it for a 70.3 race or is it too old even though it looks fine? What about my same vintage Zipp 440 front wheel in similar good condition?
Old carbon wheels don't degrade from sitting so you should be fine. The bearing grease might not be in such good shape, but a clean-up and some lube and you should be good to go!
What should I do if the calculator recommends a tire pressure lower than the minimum written on the tire sidewall?
Our official stance is that you should never go against the manufacturers recommendations. Generally the low limit is more about pinch flat prevention than safety, but with the wide variance of hookless rims and such on the market, best to be safe or at the least test it out and consult with others using the same setup to ensure that it is not a safety risk.
The key to preserving your trainer bike is fans and towels. If you're dripping on your bike, its because you aren't doing that. Way easier (and cheaper) than your recommendations.
One thing to remember with fans is that they help to evaporate the water, but that leaves the salts in the sweat just that much more concentrated.. towels are super helpful, but if that super concentrated sweat is seeping through, then you will have issues.
Wash your bike regularly also when it’s on the trainer. If it’s freezing outside wash it the shower.
Top information 👌 Thanks
Just scratched my rim's using Silca tire levers when removing a tire to replace the Silca Inner tube :( They are good quality, but I now going back to using cheap plastic ones.
I'm surprised to hear that for removing the tire.. our plastic inner piece is similar plastic to what other levers are made from but is actually softer since it has the aluminum spine? Where you peeling the bead off, or running the lever around the rim? Honestly never heard of this before so curious! Thanks
@@SILCAVelo I was trying to remove the tire. One lever was on and while I used the other lever to peel of the tire it scratched the edge. I might have done something wrong, but never ran into this when using the cheap plastic levers. They don't last very long though.
Interestingly the app comes up with a pressure way below other apps , I use 29 x 2.35 on bikepacking.
As our calculator is based on thousands of actual field test results of optimal Crr for given weight/tire/surface it does get a bit cloudy at the extremes as we just have very little data.. Also, it's mostly using pro road/CX/gravel inputs with maybe 10% mtb cross-country. So our data skew toward lighter riders and bikes as a result. So with a heavy bikepacking setup and tires that big, you are just sort of out of the scope of the calculator.. though I'd be interested to see how it works for you, have you tried our recommendation? If you could give me some data points that do work for you, we could drop that into the model and it would actually start to improve data quality out there.
@@SILCAVelo based on a total weight of 280lbs , grade 3 gravel , & 29 x 2.35 tubeless tyres the app suggests 17 psi ,I actually settle for 26 to 28 psi .I will try 17psi on a regular route if you like & report back .
What do I do, if the calculator tells me lower pressures than allowed by the tires? So for me, I'm running 700x45 MAXXIS Rambler on my gravel bike (hookles, tubeless) and the calculator tells me to use 2.1 bar while the allowed minimum on the tire says 2.5 bar. Does it mean, I should run smaller tires? Like 40s?
I would ask the tire manufacturer why they list a minimum pressure. Some tires have a minimum pressure based on what the manufacturer fears could allow the tire to burp or de-bead under side load (which would be a safety issue), and others are just giving guidance to avoid a potential pinch flat.
@@SILCAVelo thank you very much!
Using the Silca tire pressure calculator I find it impossible to satisfy both the rule of 105% and the ERTRO guidelines (this is on 30mm external rims, so relatively wide & I’m under 75kg).
On a moderate to fast group ride, should I give up on optimal pressure or on the rule of 105%?
On a group ride aero only matters when you’re on the front. So aim for optimal pressure . Even when you’re riding in front another person on your back wheel will also reduce the drag on you. So aerodynamic benefits only really matter when you ride alone. Doing yoga or stretching so you can ride comfortably with your body lower probably matters more than any aerodynamic gear you can buy. But that’s the boring answer. Buy the things you want and enjoy life. 😊 I waited two years to buy my Canyon before they came with a color I really wanted - racing green.
Many modern wheels have made it nearly impossible to hit the rule of 105 and hookless rims make it actually impossible unless you weigh 100lbs. I'd shoot for as close to 105 as you can get, in many cases this will be 100% or equal rim and tire width, and then optimize your pressures. If you have money to burn check out my favorite setup, the 3T Discuss 45/40 with hooked 29mm internal bead width, with 32mm GP5000's that actually measure out at 35-36mm when inflated on that rim.. looks like a motoGP wheel at first, but the aero is phenomenal as is comfort and road feel.. I run mine at ~38-40psi and it's amazing.
What to do when the sidewall says minimum 1.8 bar and the tire caldulator says 1.2 bar. Schwalbe R.ron 29x2.25
Josh, do you know if the Formula RX-142 12x142 rear hub has a space maintainer between the hub inner race bearings? Or does this model rely solely on the hub to external race and a preload by the axle end jamb nuts?
Sorry, I don't know that hub, but most all Taiwanese cartridge bearing hubs use an internal spacer to control bearing alignment and preload.. but you'd have to take it apart or ask Formula to be certain.
@@SILCAVelo Thanks for the reply, I’ve tried contacting Formula several times. I did get several schematic drawings from them before for another reason (how the freehub was removed), but in what i was sent then, it’s hard to determine for sure of there’s a spacer. And I was asking around first before trying to take apart. When I had written later asking about a spacer, I never got replies.
especially with Fat Tires, I see people running 20+ psi sometimes 30, getting flats constantly, instead of lowering their tire pressure below 15psi, they start using tire liners.
Great video, but about halfway through the video got SO QUIET. And then when the midroll ad came in, it blasted me because I'd turned everything up. Even the outro music was louder.
I rotate my road bike’s tires front to back every 500mi. Doing that gives me ample opportunity to inspect my wheels.
Seems a bit extreme. That's like every other week 😂
@@JoshuaTootellI figured somebody would reply with a brag about their miles. Even if it is every other week, it takes minutes.
These days I do far fewer miles on the road bike than I used to. My time is split between trainer, mtb, and road. And on the road it's almost all climbing. My typical ride is around 50mi and 6000ft.
The alternative to a $700 kickr climber is a $2 towel draped over the front of your bike. No issues.
Hi Josh, I have a pair of Zipp 303 Firecrest wheels and this upcoming spring I want to replace the rim tape, now the inside rim width is 25mm. What size rim tape should I use?
27 or 28 mm
I'd ask Zipp.. it will depend if they are hooked or hookless, but they will know the exact number for your model.
@@SILCAVelo My wheels are "Hookless"
I use a big ass fan and a dehumidifier when I'm on the turbo
Diggin it