Folding a tyre.

[quixoticgeek]

Having realised on Ruska that I'll be nearly 500km between bike shops at one point, and then >1000km without a bike shop on Ruska, I'm thinking i should seriously consider packing a spare outer tyre. I'm wondering. Is there a more compact way of folding a folding tyre than the way it comes from the factory? I'll be using 622-32 GP5000's. Where do you like to carry a spare tyre on your bike?

Thanks

J

[hellymedic]

In a pannier, folded into three loops.
Twist into a T-shape, then fold all limbs inwards so they overlap.

[quixoticgeek]

In a pannier, folded into three loops.
Twist into a T-shape, then fold all limbs inwards so they overlap.

Alas no panniers on my bike.

Does the twisted tee work on folding tyres?

J

[Paul H]

How you fold it depends where you want to store it, but there isn't a lot of empty space in the way they come from the factory, if that shape suites you (And it could tape like that to any tube) leave it as it is.
When I carry a spare, it's good enough to go on the front and comfortably last till I get to somewhere I can buy a decent replacement, it isn't necessarily the same tyre as already on the bike.

[quixoticgeek]

How you fold it depends where you want to store it, but there isn't a lot of empty space in the way they come from the factory, if that shape suites you (And it could tape like that to any tube) leave it as it is.
When I carry a spare, it's good enough to go on the front and comfortably last till I get to somewhere I can buy a decent replacement, it isn't necessarily the same tyre as already on the bike.

I'm gonna be 500k from the nearest bike shop at my furthest point... So I'd rather carry a new tyre that matches what i have. Esp as it's north of the artic circle.

I am pondering on the underside of my down tube as a place to store it.

J

[hellymedic]

I carried a folding tyre when I went north of the Arctic Circle.
Never used it but was glad I took it;
I had four panniers and stuff on the rear rack.

I was solo wild camping, before the days of mobile phones & GPS...

[robgul]

Some of the "cycle adventurers" seem to carry a spare tyre in the front wheel - somehow folded and tucked inside the spokes.  Several books I've read had photos but I can remember which ones - may have been a tandem?

[Lightning Phil]

I’ve seen folding tyres strapped behind the seat post.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I've got a spare tube and levers strapped in front of my seat post. I reckon a whole tyre would probably fit there too, but obvs it depends how much seat post you have showing.

[jsabine]

I generally have a spare tyre cable-tied behind the seat tube of my audax bike - it fits neatly in the triangle formed by seat tube, seat stays and mudguard.

[hubner]

Is this a foldable tyre (folds like an inner tube) or a rigid wire bead tyre that can only "fold" down to a smaller circle?

[RobertW]

I carry a 622-28 GP 4 Seasons in a cutdown water bottle in the bottle cage underneath the down tube.

[T42]

I've carried one fastened to the underside of the rack platform, between it and the mudguard.

[nuttycyclist]

I've carried one fastened to the underside of the rack platform, between it and the mudguard.

You've suggested quixoticgeek fits mudguards?       

[quixoticgeek]

I've carried one fastened to the underside of the rack platform, between it and the mudguard.

You've suggested quixoticgeek fits mudguards?       

Well yes...

So, let's look at the suggestions.

This is my bike currently:

I generally have a spare tyre cable-tied behind the seat tube of my audax bike - it fits neatly in the triangle formed by seat tube, seat stays and mudguard.

Alas cos my bike is so small, that space is not big enough for a folded tyre

Some of the "cycle adventurers" seem to carry a spare tyre in the front wheel - somehow folded and tucked inside the spokes.  Several books I've read had photos but I can remember which ones - may have been a tandem?

That's certainly an interesting approach... I wonder how it works.

I’ve seen folding tyres strapped behind the seat post.

I could perhaps fit that above the light and below the tailfin connection. But as the tailfin comes on and off, I don't know if it would work well...

Is this a foldable tyre (folds like an inner tube) or a rigid wire bead tyre that can only "fold" down to a smaller circle?

GP5000 only comes in folded form.

I've got a spare tube and levers strapped in front of my seat post. I reckon a whole tyre would probably fit there too, but obvs it depends how much seat post you have showing.

I have tried that before. On the top tube between the tool bag and the seat post, alas it interferes with my thighs. and doesn't work.

I've carried one fastened to the underside of the rack platform, between it and the mudguard.

I have pondered the idea of attaching it to the bottom of the tailfin. But I am also pondering if I can get my sleep mat to fit there.

I carry a 622-28 GP 4 Seasons in a cutdown water bottle in the bottle cage underneath the down tube.

I have one of these:

https://www.wolftoothcomponents.com/collections/b-rad-system/products/b-rad-mini-strap-and-accessory-mount

I could use that on the downtube spot bottle mount location. But then I'd need to find an alternative location for the lock. The lock I could attach to my top tube next to the top tube bag...

Thanks everyone for the ideas so far.

J

[perpetual dan]

I’ve only occasionally carried a spare tyre, but always in a bag. Faced with a roadside repair I think I’d rather not have to clean accumulated days of crap sprayed up from wheels before it’s usable - especially with no mudguards.

[quixoticgeek]

I’ve only occasionally carried a spare tyre, but always in a bag. Faced with a roadside repair I think I’d rather not have to clean accumulated days of crap sprayed up from wheels before it’s usable - especially with no mudguards.

I could always have it in a zip lock bag until used. Would keep it clean...

J

[Kim]

This is my bike currently:

Looking at that, my thoughts (after "Have you considered some proper luggage?" ) would be back of the seatpost, under the rack bag or the underside of the downtube.  Presumably the fork is already accounted for.

Some of the "cycle adventurers" seem to carry a spare tyre in the front wheel - somehow folded and tucked inside the spokes.  Several books I've read had photos but I can remember which ones - may have been a tandem?

That's certainly an interesting approach... I wonder how it works.

I expect it works fine until it doesn't, then fails with Hilarious Consequences.  Seems to me that the usual arguments against mudguards (aero and weight penalty, awkwardness of adjustment to prevent fouling, possibility of entanglement, etc) apply even stronger to a tyre bodged into the spokes of the front wheel.

That said, if I were going to attempt this, I'd try wrapping the tyre around the hub and zip-tying in place.

[Kim]

I’ve only occasionally carried a spare tyre, but always in a bag. Faced with a roadside repair I think I’d rather not have to clean accumulated days of crap sprayed up from wheels before it’s usable - especially with no mudguards.

I could always have it in a zip lock bag until used. Would keep it clean...

Yeah.  Wrap it in cling film, a la spare inner tube^[1].


_{[1] Normally my spare inner tubes live in a bag somewhere, and the clingfilm is for abrasion protection and (along with a suitable label) ease of identification.  But I've got one zip-tied to the underside of my trailer, and it keeps the road crud off just fine.}

[quixoticgeek]

This is my bike currently:

Looking at that, my thoughts (after "Have you considered some proper luggage?" ) would be back of the seatpost, under the rack bag or the underside of the downtube.  Presumably the fork is already accounted for.

For a ride where I need to do >262km per day for 8 days?

I don't like putting stuff on the fork if I can avoid it, it messes with the handling too much.

Also, while I have a rack mount on the front fork, it doesn't have the standard bottle boses that would make simply adding a blackburn cage a lot easier. I have bodged it before:



It uses a BRAD unit from wolf tooth, and a nylon spacer. In this config I also have the dual bottle mount on there so I can do blackburn cage and bottle cage.

Some of the "cycle adventurers" seem to carry a spare tyre in the front wheel - somehow folded and tucked inside the spokes.  Several books I've read had photos but I can remember which ones - may have been a tandem?

That's certainly an interesting approach... I wonder how it works.

I expect it works fine until it doesn't, then fails with Hilarious Consequences.  Seems to me that the usual arguments against mudguards (aero and weight penalty, awkwardness of adjustment to prevent fouling, possibility of entanglement, etc) apply even stronger to a tyre bodged into the spokes of the front wheel.

Yeah, I'm not sure it would be a good idea. Just curious how it works, mechanically...

This may be a more useful picture as it shows the front setup. In this pic there is actually a spare GP5K on the bike. It's between the aerobars at the front. Unfortunately, for the ride I'm planning, that space will be taken by my food bag.

I’ve only occasionally carried a spare tyre, but always in a bag. Faced with a roadside repair I think I’d rather not have to clean accumulated days of crap sprayed up from wheels before it’s usable - especially with no mudguards.

I could always have it in a zip lock bag until used. Would keep it clean...

Yeah.  Wrap it in cling film, a la spare inner tube^[1].


_{[1] Normally my spare inner tubes live in a bag somewhere, and the clingfilm is for abrasion protection and (along with a suitable label) ease of identification.  But I've got one zip-tied to the underside of my trailer, and it keeps the road crud off just fine.}

Oh... I just stick the tubes in the top tube bag... Apart from the one that's held on the bottom of my waterbottle pouch with bungee. Tho I fear that with 10000km of it sat there, it may not actually be a viable tube anymore...

I still need to decide how many tubes to carry for this trip. 1000+km without a bike shop means my usual 2 and a pile of patches may be optimistic... Why do you need ease of identification? What are the options to mistake it for?

J

[hubner]

OK it seems the Continental GP5000 is an actual folding tyre (can fold like an inner tube), how about just chuck it in the bike luggage, maybe next to the spare inner tubes, puncture kit, tools etc?

Most of the replies seem to be talking about rigid wire bead tyres where you can only twist it into a smaller rigid circle.

[Kim]

Oh... I just stick the tubes in the top tube bag... Apart from the one that's held on the bottom of my waterbottle pouch with bungee. Tho I fear that with 10000km of it sat there, it may not actually be a viable tube anymore...

It's surprising how long they last ratting around in a bag, as they're protected from UV.  Presumably the ultimate failure is chiefly governed by Murphy's Law.

Why do you need ease of identification? What are the options to mistake it for?

They all need different size tubes.  There's a bit of cross-compatibility with widths, but that's mostly thwarted by the bikes that need two wheel sizes.  From memory:

Brompton 35-359
Baron 28-406/28-559 (and lightweight racing variants thereof in the second wheelset)
Streetmachine 40-406/40-559
Trike 50-406/28-406
Trailer 40-406
RPMB 50-559
Hybrid 28-622 (or 40-622, but it's the same tubes)

I've standardised on Presta valves to avoid going completely insane, but in general, if you grab a piece of luggage from one cycle, it'll almost certainly not have the tubes you need for another, even if it's got a 28-406 in it.

[quixoticgeek]

OK it seems the Continental GP5000 is an actual folding tyre (can fold like an inner tube), how about just chuck it in the bike luggage, maybe next to the spare inner tubes, puncture kit, tools etc?

Couple of reasons: bike luggage is already full internally. I have bivvi kit and clothing for sub zero temps right upto about 15°C, and as someone who feels the cold, that's bulky.

All of my tubes, and tools, fit in the top tube bag, and while it currently holds 2 tubes, and enough tools to fix everything except my bottom bracket, there's not enough space for a full outer tyre.

Hence looking at external solutions. Or some magical way to make it considerably more compact than it arrives from the factory...

Most of the replies seem to be talking about rigid wire bead tyres where you can only twist it into a smaller rigid circle.

Yes. This surprised me. I thought by explicitly mentioning GP5000 tyres and their size, that people would be familiar with them enough to know they are only available as a folding tyre. I clearly should not assume such things in future, and be more explicit.

Oh... I just stick the tubes in the top tube bag... Apart from the one that's held on the bottom of my waterbottle pouch with bungee. Tho I fear that with 10000km of it sat there, it may not actually be a viable tube anymore...

It's surprising how long they last ratting around in a bag, as they're protected from UV.  Presumably the ultimate failure is chiefly governed by Murphy's Law.

Yeah. I've never felt the need to protect a tube inside luggage...

Why do you need ease of identification? What are the options to mistake it for?

They all need different size tubes.  There's a bit of cross-compatibility with widths, but that's mostly thwarted by the bikes that need two wheel sizes.  From memory:

Brompton 35-359
Baron 28-406/28-559 (and lightweight racing variants thereof in the second wheelset)
Streetmachine 40-406/40-559
Trike 50-406/28-406
Trailer 40-406
RPMB 50-559
Hybrid 28-622 (or 40-622, but it's the same tubes)

I've standardised on Presta valves to avoid going completely insane, but in general, if you grab a piece of luggage from one cycle, it'll almost certainly not have the tubes you need for another, even if it's got a 28-406 in it.

Oh. I solve this by having a dedicated tool kit for each bike, and in the case of the bike in discussion here, it's permanently attached to the bike (well velcro and a cable tie, but I rarely remove it). But then I only have a Brompton and the big red abomination. And for the Brompton, i generally consider my OV chipkaart as my "in event of bike fault" option...

J

[Kim]

So do I, but I sometimes swap the luggage around, or grab a new spare tube in a hurry or something.  Helps to have them readily identifiable.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I've got a spare tube and levers strapped in front of my seat post. I reckon a whole tyre would probably fit there too, but obvs it depends how much seat post you have showing.

I have tried that before. On the top tube between the tool bag and the seat post, alas it interferes with my thighs. and doesn't work.

I've got mine strapped to the actual seat post. You have more seat post showing than I do. A 28mm tube is no wider than a seat post, so no interference, but that might not be the case with a tyre. Also, it is in a zip lock bag  – cling film might work even better but we don't generally have any at home.

Anyway, looking at the photo, two obvious places: behind seat post, already mentioned; or strap it on top of the saddle pack. I know some come with a cargo net for this very purpose.