Tubeless tyres!!

A couple of weeks ago I decided to try tubeless tyres on the new bike as it has tubeless compatible wheels. 

Tyres and all the kit ordered and fitted, setting them up didn't take long and they seemed to be working ok.

That is all is fine until they lose a bit of pressure. Which at that point the seal between the tyre and wheel starts to leak sealant.

The 1st time it happened was due to a puncture and no matter what I did roadside it wouldn't inflate and stay up.

20 minutes later I put a tube in and rode home.

Removed the tyre at home, patched the hole, and tried again.

Advice was to over inflate to seal the rim then add sealant.

Over inflating the tyre found another small hole but the sealant seemed to seal it.

The tyre stayed up overnight so the next morning I went out again.

100yds up the road and flat again and sealant leaking! Back home and try again.

Tyre off again, small hole patched while off, inflated to 80psi and left overnight.

Checking again the next morning  found it still up, so added sealant and headed out.

This time it did seem to be holding pressure, until about 40km into the ride.

After about 4 times of inflating and riding about 5km I gave up and put a tube in again.

That held up and got me home.

Again tyre off, cleaned and reseated and out again for a local ride.

Squidgy feeling at about 20km and the puncture sealed ok but leaking around the rim again!

Bike has been sat in the shed since Thursday, mainly due to packing boxes at home ready to move, but also as I have ordered some alcohol cleaner to give the tyres and rim a good clean before seating them.

Online research has said that this is one reason they may not be sealing.

We shall see what happens!

 BCQ ride 7

Monday 14th November 2022

BCQ locations
266 Sulgrave

After a few days of mucking about trying to get my new tubeless tyres fitted with various degrees of success, I decided to head out on one of the numerous routes I've been planning since first looking at this challenge.
I enjoy the planning of routes while sat at home when I don't have the time to go out.
Many I will likely not ride as planned, but it gives a good idea of where the locations are, if they can be done in a loop from train stations and can they be done in the areas that the ALC meets have been planned in for the following year. 

I had a route planned that took in Sulgrave and Souldern in a 100km loop but decided to just head for Sulgrave and back as it was lunchtime and still a bit foggy out.

I took the lanes on the south side of the A5 out of Milton Keynes through Passenham, Deanshanger, Whittlebury and past Silverstone.
Usual English rolling countryside around here, just gradual up and down all day. The rear tyre seemed to hold pressure up until I rode down a rough lane near the Sulgrave control where it started to deflate.
I pumped it up and rolled down to the control.

Sulgrave Village

This challenge is interesting as I have come across things I've never heard of and have googled various things after finding controls and wondering what they were about.

The tyre held pressure for about 5km before it needed pumping up again. 2km down the road it was flat again and as I stopped for the 5th time at Towcester I decided to put a tube in.
I then just headed south down the A5 as that was the quickest way home.

Kilometres Cycled – 70.16
Checkpoint locations Visited – 1

Total KM Cycled – 440.15
Total Checkpoint locations Visited – 13

 BCQ ride 6

Saturday 5th November 2022

BCQ locations
172 Aldbury
162 Whipsnade
153 Wing

As I had a free morning due to Dawn taking her mum over to Aylesbury for an appointment, I decided to do a train assisted ride and head 5 stations down to Tring and ride back home.

I only live 1km away from the station so I dropped down the hill and had an uneventful ride over to Tring. The weather was changeable as I rolled out of the station but didn't need my coat.
The first control at Aldbury was only 2km from the station and quickly found, it had started to rain a bit more so I put the jacket on. The short sharp uphill towards Ashridge straight away had me sweating.

Some lovely lanes around this bit of the Chilterns, a couple of busyish roads but mostly routed through quieter lanes and a bit of the Icknield Way bridleway got me to Whipsnade Tree Cathedral and the 2nd control location of the ride.

Icknield Way near Whipsnade

Whipsnade Tree Cathedral

It was still raining as I dropped past the zoo and down Bison Hill (a well known climb for local cyclists) and onto the next control location at Wing church.
My route zig-zagged me through various villages and a couple of short stretches on busier roads under the Great Train Robbers bridge

Train Robbers Bridge Cheddington

Then up past Ascott House (one of the many Rothschild properties in the area) and onto the busy A413 through Wing and the church.

Wing Church

The last leg took me through the villages SW of Milton Keynes and then onto the redway cycle paths to get home.

Kilometres Cycled – 60.88
Checkpoint locations Visited – 3

Total KM Cycled – 369.99
Total Checkpoint locations Visited – 12

 BCQ ride 5

Wednesday 2nd November 2022

BCQ locations
264 Castle Ashby

Again as I was off work and awaiting a phone call I kept the ride local, heading north towards Castle Ashby (close to Northampton).

Forecast was good, but windy again for the day and it wasn't too bad on the way out.
I headed across the top of Milton Keynes towards Olney and down to Castle Ashby in quick time even though it's a bit of a rolling route.
The location of the BCQ was right on the edge of their estate shopping area, I've often stopped here at The Buttery café as they give cyclist discount. They are not here anymore but have moved a few miles away to Great Billing.

Castle Ashby

I rode over to Great Billing to the above mentioned café and the coffee and cake were lovely as always.
On leaving Billing I found the aforementioned headwind, it slowed me down a lot as I crawled up the hill and it was against me all the way home. Hence why the ride over felt good.

Kilometres Cycled – 57.92
Checkpoint locations Visited – 1

Total KM Cycled – 309.11
Total Checkpoint locations Visited – 9

BCQ ride 4

Monday 31st October 2022

BCQ locations
265 Stoke Bruerne

This morning I decided to ride up the canal towards Stoke Bruerne for the BCQ location at the waterways museum there.
Although the café here is less than 10 miles away I somehow seem to only have been there once before. perhaps it's because it's so close to home.

As I now have a touring / "gravel" bike (well it's got 38mm all terrain tyres on it 😄) I decided to ride up the towpath all the way there.

Glorious sunshine meant lovely views of the countryside and a change to be there instead of fighting traffic on the busy roads nearby.

The wildlife was out and about all around, although the floating bloated sheep had seen better days!

I did inform the waterways guy who I saw while I was at the café.

The "Café" was actually The Boat Inn on the canal-side opposite the museum, they sell great coffee, cake and sausage rolls if you go there for the BCQ or just a look around.

Kilometres Cycled – 34.53
Checkpoint locations Visited – 1

Total KM Cycled – 251.19
Total Checkpoint locations Visited – 8