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| Current state of the Fargo Gen I |
The first order of business was to swap out the 180mm XT crank set for the 175mm crank set seen in the image here. I also wanted to swap wheel and tires, but this took a strange turn recently.
See, I did not have any tires I was jazzed about using. Plus, I thought I really wanted a fancy wheel set for this bicycle. I'd be talking about hundreds of dollars just to satisfy a whim. In other words, I could not really afford to do this just now and I did not have anything by way of tires in mind at all.
A week ago, on Monday, a dear reader of this blog donated a bunch of items to the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective. One of those items was a set of tires. 700c X 2.2", to be exact. A size we at the Collective would probably rarely - if ever - use in the next year or two. Instead of having these two tires just sit around taking up space, I purchased them.
The tires? Ironically they are Rene Herse Fleecer Ridge tires in the Endurance casing. They had been used, for sure, but they were in very good condition otherwise. Now, all I needed was a wheel set. I barely have any quick release wheels anymore these days!
But I identified a set which came on my Raleigh Tamland Two. They are not real heavy, but they are not lightweight either. Not in terms of what is out there now which one could purchase. So anyway, I set up the Fleecer Ridge tires with a WTB TPU tube in the rear and a standard butyl tube up front. Now it was time for a test ride.
First thing I noticed was the vibrations these tires produce. I could feel it everywhere- saddle, pedals, handlebar. I set the tires up at 30psi and was riding in 40° temperatures. The Fleecers rode fast on pavement but on my gravel sections it was tough since we had an inch and a third of rain. This made the tires cut into the surface on unpaved, gravelly bits.
I decided the unpaved areas were too soft to really get a read on the tires, so I bailed and hit the City side streets. About a mile from the house I heard a "pfffft-ssssssshhhhhheeeeeeeah.
Poof! Just like that. A flat tire!
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Okay. Great...... I cannot remember the last time I had a flat tire. Was it the tire? The TPU tube? I didn't know, but the irony of what I have said about Rene Herse tires was not lost on me in the moment. I turned around and took the walk of shame, a mile back to the house.
Once I was home I took the wheel off, peeled back the tire, and started pulling the TPU tube out. I figured I would make a mental note of the relationship between the valve stem and the hot patch of the tire as I pulled the TPU tube out. Then suddenly I noted something.
There was no valve stem!
Upon further investigation it was apparent the plastic valve broke off at the very bottom of the base of the TPU/valve instantaneously dumping all the air out of my tube. It was a failure of the TPU tube, not the Fleecer Ridge tires.Phew!
So, this was good news. Now I am not too impressed with the WTB TPU tube, I will say that. Note: There was no valve nut to force too much pressure, pulling the valve apart because the plastic valve is not threaded. This wasn't cut by the rim, because it was obvious the plastic was broken down inside that sheath you see still protruding out of the TPU material. It was an irregular, crystalline looking break.
No, this was a failure of the material. So, a new thing for me. I've never seen anything like this before. It is but another reason I think TPU tubes need mechanically connected, aluminum threaded valve stems. I think TPU tubes are really great, and I will continue to use them, but these early efforts at TPU product are not without some growing pains.
On the other hand, later on I remembered hearing something, (maybe a stick?) , tinkle through the rear wheel not long before the valve stem failed. Maybe whatever that was knocked the valve stem? It is a possibility, if what I heard was what I thought I heard. I did not stop or verify this, as things like this happen all the time and unless I feel resistance in the drive train I tend to let things like this go uninvestigated or at least they are of little concern.
N.Y. Roll said to me on the phone when I was telling him this story that he was glad I was taking these chances so he could learn from my misfortunes.
Hey! Someone has to do the testing!



Wow! What a donation, but bummer to hear about the TPU tube. I've never flatted a tubeless Fleecer Ridge tire, FWIW. They have been 100% solid over the past couple years.
ReplyDelete@MG - I can see why you have had good fortunes with the Fleecer Ridge after handling it. The Endurance casing feels pretty stout. Keep in mind, these tires I have are used, likely already broken in, so the fact they feel like they do in the hand is not insignificant.
DeleteAnother data point I found interesting is that the Fleecer Ridge tires weigh fairly close to the Maxxis Ardent tires I took off which are the same stated width, (although the Maxxis tires were wider on the same rim with tubes)
FWIW, at my 185lb weight, I'm running 19/22psi in my Fleecer Ridges.
DeleteI also am glad you're doing this testing! My first go at TPU tubes was with the RH ones, because they have metal stems. I haven't seen another brand that offers that yet, so I haven't given TPU another try. Are you aware of one?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete@capncavedan - The Schwalbe TPU and German made SILCA (Likely Schwalbe) TPU tubes have threaded, mechanically connected, aluminum valve stems.
DeleteYeah, the SILCA TPU tubes are top notch… as are the ones from Rene Herse. They also have metal valves and are very high quality.
DeleteMetal stem TPUs are pretty common now. The AliExpress brands (RideNow, Cyclami) have them, as do most the IG ads I see (Craft Cadence, etc)
DeleteI had terrible experience with RH TPU tubes. The first two that I tried failed on me in less than 50 miles.
DeleteI haven’t sworn off TPU, but I will not trust TPU from RH again. I haven’t had issues with their tires though.
I was “late” in getting my first TPU tubes and when I did I avoided those without metal valve stem. I still bought the “cheap” brands, mainly to carry as spares and I have only used them to test and for a single flat on a ride. Those do not have replaceable valve cores, and they are glued together.
ReplyDeleteMore recently I did purchase the Rene Herse TPU tubes, based on their long metal stems, replaceable cores, mechanical valve mounting, sonically welded seams and available widths. I am using the RH tubes in one wheelset with no issues so far.
The vibrations from the RH tires is odd. I have the same tires and haven’t noticed it. I have older, narrower versions without the “noise canceling” knob pattern that do buzz and can feel a bit draggy, but no vibration.
I wonder if the “cold” temperatures and butyl tube are factors?
@shiggy person - The butyl rubber tubes and cold may be contributing factors, yes. I will be getting TPU tubes for this set up soon, so stay tuned on this for an update.
Delete@GT the construction of the RH Endurance casing is very similar to that of the standard Panaracer Gravel King casing. When comparing slicks of the same size the claimed weights are nearly identical.
DeleteThe standard casing RH definitely has a better ride, but is more fragile.
I do find the GK SK to feel “faster” on hard surfaces than the RH knobbies even if the latter have the more supple casing.