Scrubbing in a New Tire
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
This ride story actually starts a few days before the actual riding. Since last fall, I needed a new front tire on The Black Pearl. No point in letting new rubber sit in the garage and not gripping the road. So a week or so ago, I ordered new front tire.
Next is to get it mounted, and my brother had the tools to do it, and had changed the tires on his bike. So Kasey and I drove up to Lafayette to my brother's house with the old tire on the rim, and the brand new tire. The four of us chatted for a bit, and then Kevin and I headed out to start changing the tire.
All of his tools are of the manual variety, so it made it hard get the old tire off the rim. That and the factors that is was cold, and had been on the rim longer than usual. Once we got the bead broken, we were able to get it popped off the rim.
Next was getting the new cold tire on the rim. I did a bit of cleaning, and we started the process. We felt like we were putting a 17 inch tire on a 18 inch rim. We got it most of the way, and the remaining few inches seemed impossible, but with a little weight thrown in to it, and the tire stretched over the rim.
The rest of the process was pretty easy. Filling the tire with air to pop the bead, and then balance it so it dribble while I'm riding. After the big fight with the big rubber ring, we all sat down for dinner, and then had a discussion about Gathering of Eagles.
So a couple of days more pass, and it is Monday, and I needed to mount the wheel on the bike. It was such a struggle, never had this much trouble, until I had it all on and figured out the spacers were on the wrong side. After I took them out, and swapped them, the wheel went right on.
Tuesday, the next day, I had some work to do, and ran through it quickly, just so I could get to were there would be some ride time at the end of the day. One part of my work was doing a test at the Fairgrounds, which went smoothly.
So it was time to ride. Not looking to ride hard, just get the tire warmed up and get is roughed up a bit. I started out heading north on State Road 39 out of Danville. Just before 236, I saw a minibike at the end of a driveway for sale. The house belongs to the parents of a former intern. I thought, they must be selling his childhood toy.
I turned left on State Road 236, heading north and west to North Salem, Indiana. This stretch has some sharper curves, but most of it his great sweepers. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the road was smooth, couldn't ask for much more.
In North Salem, I turned to the south on Highway 75. Just out of town, the road was chip and seal, heavy on the chip, but not loose. This would rough up the rubbed out front. Seventy-five has a couple of right angle corners, and at the second one, I go straight, and head down Hughes Road. This road was narrower with no markings. The road was marked up, with mud clods from a truck heading down this road.
After dodging the clumps, I came upon McCloud Nature Park. It is a great Hendricks County Park, but it's gravel drive is not motorcycle friendly. Too bad, as it would make for a great destination for those of us on two wheels.
I followed Hughes Road to North Putnam County Line Road. It might be that this road is on the border, and hard for the two counties to keep in good order. The road was broken up in several places, leaving it like a gravel road. I road slow and steady, and made my way to US 36. I had to stop behind, of all things, a school bus. Our kids are on Spring Break, not these kids.
I started back east on US 36. On the western edge of Danville, I pulled into the high school parking lot and practiced some maneuvers. Going to need some more time behind the bars, been too long, and too little from last year. Next stop was back home. Not enough miles to really get the tire scrubbed in, but there will be another day of riding to help that cause.
This ride story actually starts a few days before the actual riding. Since last fall, I needed a new front tire on The Black Pearl. No point in letting new rubber sit in the garage and not gripping the road. So a week or so ago, I ordered new front tire.
Next is to get it mounted, and my brother had the tools to do it, and had changed the tires on his bike. So Kasey and I drove up to Lafayette to my brother's house with the old tire on the rim, and the brand new tire. The four of us chatted for a bit, and then Kevin and I headed out to start changing the tire.
All of his tools are of the manual variety, so it made it hard get the old tire off the rim. That and the factors that is was cold, and had been on the rim longer than usual. Once we got the bead broken, we were able to get it popped off the rim.
Next was getting the new cold tire on the rim. I did a bit of cleaning, and we started the process. We felt like we were putting a 17 inch tire on a 18 inch rim. We got it most of the way, and the remaining few inches seemed impossible, but with a little weight thrown in to it, and the tire stretched over the rim.
The rest of the process was pretty easy. Filling the tire with air to pop the bead, and then balance it so it dribble while I'm riding. After the big fight with the big rubber ring, we all sat down for dinner, and then had a discussion about Gathering of Eagles.
So a couple of days more pass, and it is Monday, and I needed to mount the wheel on the bike. It was such a struggle, never had this much trouble, until I had it all on and figured out the spacers were on the wrong side. After I took them out, and swapped them, the wheel went right on.
Tuesday, the next day, I had some work to do, and ran through it quickly, just so I could get to were there would be some ride time at the end of the day. One part of my work was doing a test at the Fairgrounds, which went smoothly.
So it was time to ride. Not looking to ride hard, just get the tire warmed up and get is roughed up a bit. I started out heading north on State Road 39 out of Danville. Just before 236, I saw a minibike at the end of a driveway for sale. The house belongs to the parents of a former intern. I thought, they must be selling his childhood toy.
I turned left on State Road 236, heading north and west to North Salem, Indiana. This stretch has some sharper curves, but most of it his great sweepers. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and the road was smooth, couldn't ask for much more.
In North Salem, I turned to the south on Highway 75. Just out of town, the road was chip and seal, heavy on the chip, but not loose. This would rough up the rubbed out front. Seventy-five has a couple of right angle corners, and at the second one, I go straight, and head down Hughes Road. This road was narrower with no markings. The road was marked up, with mud clods from a truck heading down this road.
After dodging the clumps, I came upon McCloud Nature Park. It is a great Hendricks County Park, but it's gravel drive is not motorcycle friendly. Too bad, as it would make for a great destination for those of us on two wheels.
I followed Hughes Road to North Putnam County Line Road. It might be that this road is on the border, and hard for the two counties to keep in good order. The road was broken up in several places, leaving it like a gravel road. I road slow and steady, and made my way to US 36. I had to stop behind, of all things, a school bus. Our kids are on Spring Break, not these kids.
I started back east on US 36. On the western edge of Danville, I pulled into the high school parking lot and practiced some maneuvers. Going to need some more time behind the bars, been too long, and too little from last year. Next stop was back home. Not enough miles to really get the tire scrubbed in, but there will be another day of riding to help that cause.
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