Do I dare...

[GW's Motorized]

I'm considering riding my bike I to town this weekend. It's about 20 min there in a car on the highway, so I'm guessing it's about 40 to an hour on my bike. I'd take the back roads and ride at about 3/4 throttle the whole way.

I don't think it's a great idea but I want to try it at some point

 

[michael whiteman]

Just take your cell phone to call a friend if you have any trouble. Question is.............do you trust your engine to run for an hour each way? Everything else is a "what if ?" No guts, no glory.

 

[GW's Motorized]

I trust my engine, I just don't exactly trust my wheels and fuel capacity to run that far. It would be about 20 miles each way. I think I'll stick to in town for now.

 

[DAMIEN1307]

I trust my engine, I just don't exactly trust my wheels and fuel capacity to run that far. It would be about 20 miles each way. I think I'll stick to in town for now.

Especially so since you have a battery that is not quite up to par at the moment.

 

[michael whiteman]

Fill up your tank and ride around the block a hundred times to see how many minutes it takes to run out of fuel. From this you'll know if you can make it to the next town. You're in serious trouble if you don't trust you wheels to last an hour without a breakdown. C'mon, really?

 

[darwin]

If I don't have confidence my bike will be reliable on a 50 mile ride I'm not riding it. Fix the issue/s. Walk of shame is tough in the summer. Doesn't mean Murphy won't show up.

 

[GW's Motorized]

Fill up your tank and ride around the block a hundred times to see how many minutes it takes to run out of fuel. From this you'll know if you can make it to the next town. You're in serious trouble if you don't trust you wheels to last an hour without a breakdown. C'mon, really?

That's why I think I'll wait. The bike sat for a while and the spokes lost tension. I retensioned them, but I'm not sure how well. I did it by feel with a spoke wrench, no gages to tell the tension.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

You can get a spoke tension tool off eBay or Amazon for around $20. You can also get a basic truing stand fairly cheap. Helps to eliminate death wobbles. A dishing tool is a good thing to have as well; it'll help in keeping both wheels centered in the frame.

 

[ImpulseRocket]

That's why I think I'll wait. The bike sat for a while and the spokes lost tension. I re tensioned them, but I'm not sure how well. I didnit by feel with a spoke wrench, no gages to tell the tension.

I've been tightening spokes by hand my entire life with just a wrench. Trued my fair share of wheels too. You don't need fancy tools.

As for your trip. Do it. Just have a viable backup plan.

 

[Sidewinder Jerry]

I've been tightening spokes by hand my entire life with just a wrench. Trued my fair share of wheels too. You don't need fancy toola.

There's a big difference between someone that's done it for years with a feel for it and a beginner. I bought a stand, wrench, dish tool, and tension tool for around a $120. All are very basic nothing fancy about them. With the tools I use, I can generally get a wheel within 1 mm of movement both vertical and horizontal.