Loop around Oahu trip

[5-7HEAVEN]

Great, Ed,

Maybe it's Sunday then!

[5-7HEAVEN]

I installed two new tires and adjusted the brakes at 4am this morning. (woke up to use the bathroom, couldn't go back to sleep, so did something productive.)

Because I ripped a tire casing on our Ka'ena Point/Waianae ride, I'm carrying a spare tube AND casing on our upcoming 100-mile ride.

[augidog]

if i could get keve forum-adept, he'd tell you how much he's freaking out over your thread...his grandmother lived right along your route, that rough place where the road ends...it's his childhood stomping grounds.

so...i didn't notice what size tires you're working with, but i recently had the best of luck with the "tire in a tire" trick...i have a bald 1.95 (hutchinson acrobat thick kevlar) stuffed inside a new 2.2 (ritchey speedmax downhiller), it fits like a glove no trimming...finished off with a thorn-resistant tube @ 50psi...go ahead, kick that tire! it just did 300 hard miles, no problems at all

[5-7HEAVEN]

augidog, I used tires-in-tires exclusively on "The Dragon Lady". Even then I averaged a flat every six weeks. Friction drive and the fact that the bike weighed 95 pounds probably had a lot to do with punctures.

It's good that people can relate to the route we've been riding. While working yesterday, I had a chance to drive the 62-mile home-to North Shore-to Kaneohe route,going and coming back. The roads are decent, with no iron plates or construction along the way. The Schofield Barracks-to-Haleiwa has two very steep hills. We can either bomb the straight hill at 45mph like we did before, or take the winding road at 35mph.

Other than that it'll be pretty flat until we get to the East shore, which is Sea Life Park-Makapuu-Sandy Beach-Hanauma Bay. That's 83 miles out. From then on, it's a downhill ride then a flat 20 mile cruise home, through Diamond Head and Waikiki.

I can hardly wait.

[augidog]

i think you may have a "terrain" problem, too...sabrina-II weighs a TON but i ride mostly clean asphalt.

[augidog]

5-7HEAVEN: check this out...i recently switched tires, a decision i had made after my run up the mountain, because i feel the tire-in-tire robs too much everything from the ride.

and turns out my outer tire (the downhiller skin) had places you could see thru...luckily the "inner" tire held firm.

i think if i'd been on anything rougher than basic asphalt, i'd have been putting my spare on.

btw-pretty quiet here, you guys been doing anything?

[Hawaii_Ed]

5-7 is tweaking his setup, mine was right on, and then I snapped the rear mounting bolts. Have been busy with Halloween and have not repaired it yet. Will do it this week!

[5-7HEAVEN]

Still tweaking, the bike that is.

No longer using tire-in-tire. I just got used to fixing flats. I also pick up less flats riding the highways and streets than bikepaths.

My GP60 engine literally grinds itself into the treads when I'm having carb problems. Engine dies. After several pullstarts. engine roars to life and grinds a groove in the casing. After ten stalls, I have ten DEEP grooves in the tread.

Then if roller engagement is too deep, the engine will dig a groove down to the threads at every inch or so.

So now I'm using Staton's old-style single rear strut on left side and threaded rod and locking adjustment on right side. Also using BMP's quick-release skewer to stabilize the channel.

I carry a screwdriver in my pocket to adjust the carb "on the fly".

I'm gonna try fabbing an oversize knob that would fit over the carb adjusting screw. That way I can just reach back and tweak the idle while riding down the flats.

[Hawaii_Ed]

think I am pretty much ready to go again!

[5-7HEAVEN]

Doing a testride using 1.5" HARD RUBBER friction roller. Hopefully that will keep from chewing up the rear tire.