Beat Bike Toba Crossbar (Bike Log)

[Deleted member 4366]

How many punctures have you had recently without a rim tape? Not one was a puncture through the tyre. It shouldn't be too difficult to figure out if it's ok to run without the rim tape. I wouldn't dream of it!

I'd find a new bike mechanic if I were you. Anybody should have spotted that the tape was missing and fixed it.

 

[anotherkiwi]

And not any rim tape, the cheap stuff in my sons BMXs from Decathlon was as bad as not having any. There were even holes in the rim tape where the spoke nipples had cut through probably due to too being too long...

 

[Perseus]

How many punctures have you had recently without a rim tape? Not one was a puncture through the tyre. It shouldn't be too difficult to figure out if it's ok to run without the rim tape. I wouldn't dream of it!

I'd find a new bike mechanic if I were you. Anybody should have spotted that the tape was missing and fixed it.

I am gonna be my mine own bike mechanic. It is only my dexterity that was lacking. And avoiding invalidating the hub gears guarantee if my workmanship broke with what looked like easily broken plastic bits. I think they spotted the lack of rim tape, but for some reason did not fix it. I should have asked for it, but I did not know it was absent at first. NB: spoke fittings were recessed unlike old bikes.

Undoing the hub gears. Don't forget the pointed pliers in the tool bag. I did it quite quickly when I could find them.

 

[Perseus]

Tyre rip after the crash

 

[Perseus]

Putting the wire back on is more of a problem with the hub gears than taking it off. With practice it might be easier. But I would not fancy doing it on the road, miles from home. Really wouldn't. Gears are working OK though after I finished. Near two hours than one as I was short on technique. Thread the wire after getting the nut on. (I tried the other way around.)

 

[anotherkiwi]

You know you are doing a very good sales pitch for derailleur gears

 

[Perseus]

You know you are doing a very good sales pitch for derailleur gears

A bit unfortunate as I prefer hub gears when working properly.

Do the sealants work to inflate a tyre when you have a puncture? Two canisters failed to patch the hole with my last puncture.

 

[Perseus]

Wheel returned; test ride soon.
Continental Contact II 700c Commuting Tyre.

 

[Perseus]

Gears working a dream and feeling OK.

Roads are really bad, potholes every pedal stroke, much worse than the cyclepaths. Residential road no HGV traffic.

 

[Perseus]

Just discovered that sealant cannot be added to Presta valve (racing style) valves/inner tubes. There were on the Toba Beat Bike 700C tyres. First time I have had this size.

NB: Chain jammed in outer casing. This is not straightforward to detach because of wires threaded through it.

 

[chris_n]

You can usually remove the valve core on Presta valves and get your sealant in that way, then refit the core.

 

[Perseus]

You can usually remove the valve core on Presta valves and get your sealant in that way, then refit the core.

Is this easy on the road? I got the sealant in on the road but it did not cure the puncture. Two canisters used. Tyre went up but deflated in under a minute.

https://www.evanscycles.com/continental-contact-ii-700c-commuting-tyre-EV211302

Puncture resistant tyre. (new)

 

[Perseus]

Chain came of on a bridlepath four miles from home. Logged as it does not happen very often. Gear two slowly uphill because terrain was dodgy. Came off the wheel rear chain ring, But it still involved taking the wheel off. Case for a throttle in stops like this. If the chain comes off the front chain ring, it is a pain to get back on.

 

[Perseus]

Pity I don't really like this bike. It's too heavy for the thin larger wheels so it doesn't feel safe much over 15 mph and certainly not going downhill over 20 mph. I think I would prefer 26" wheels with a mountain bike width. It is probably safe enough as I had a blow out puncture at 23 mph and I was able to make a controlled stop rather than a crash.

 

[Perseus]

Bike does not like going uphill on a bridlepath. Back heavy and front wheel came off the ground. Best keep to the roads. Hub gear working OK now. Original was faulty from the start. Hub gears are really good in towns and traffic. Good for starting on hills w/o a throttle.

NB: this bike is designed such as if the chain comes off it is a pig ot get it back on again especially the front chain wheel. With the slight awkwardness with the hub gear connection (back wheel removal), this is not really a casual off roader, especially with the thinner wheels. This is a town and city bike and a very good one (for £1600) rather than a hybrid town and country bike.

 

[Perseus]

Off road. Bike really does not like going downhill on a bridlepath either, combination of thin wheels an heavy weight was not design suitable. It was safer to get off and walk. Hub gears help with starting on an incline which needs a thought or to whether the bike can make it. A throttle and more powerful motor (illegal) would help with this.

20 mph and brake to a dead stop in four bike lengths or less, easy on the dry. To 10 mph in half that distance. 4 seconds or so. That is using the hyraulic rim back brake only. Using the right brake after slowing would bring the bike to a halt sooner. It is still a problem at that speed in traffic as vehicles can stop quicker.

 

[Perseus]

Saw a bike conversion and bike I liked the look of ridden by someone who passed me. 1000 watt motor helps.

Electric Bike Conversions. Several options. http://www.electric-bike-conversions.co.uk/

 

[Perseus]

Stranded again. Not having much luck and I've only done 513 miles. This time, it was not the bike's faults. The Squire Bronze Secure Combination Lock broke on me and I could not get the lock undone away from home and I did not have the tools.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Squire-Mako-Combination-Chain-Lock-Sold-Secure-Bronze_75702.htm?sku=239776&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxpHu79ul1gIVDoGyCh3kiwA1EAQYASABEgJZLfD_BwE#

Locksmith cost me £66 and it took him 25 minutes to drill out the lock. I think he could have done the job on the chain with a portable angle grinder in a few minutes?

 

[Perseus]

550 MILES. Hub gears working without problems. Lots of bikes on the road in Shoreham. It seem about 30%.

Still don't like the Toba. Thin wheels and heavy weight do not make for an enjoyable ride. Really back heavy.

 

[Perseus]

20 mile round trip from Shoreham to the Amex and back completed without any trouble. Plenty of juice left. Heavy bike on very bumpy roads was not a good ride though. Traffic of all sorts was horrendous including other cyclists on pale green bikes.