Timing!

**ManDownUnder** · 16th July 2007, 15:01

No - not the vale or sprking type timing... I'm talk maintenance here.

Riding to work on Friday, I knew my rear tyre was developing a nice wee flat spot where the tread used to be. The tread was gone and I was just getting a few more kms out of it before I replaced it...

So I'm riding along and every time I touch paint on the road it feels like I'm on grease. I'm reasonably experienced so the loss of traction on paint isn't unfamiliar but this was mosr greasy. Like riding on mrables greasy... so... coming up to a red light I though I'd better check the pressure.

Hopped off walked around the back and kicked it - all fine ... except for the steel showing through where the rubber should have been showing through.

hmmm... that's bad.

Bite the bullet - off to cycletreads for a new rear tyre, I can have the new BT021 for $320 or the BT020 (identicle to the one on the bike) for $280- they're clearing them out...

So I saved $40 and got a damned good tyre - with grooves and rubber all the way around! A nice change. A few 100kms left on the old tyre but that was absolutely it.

So - and here's the timing bit - the nice chappie at CT noticed the brake pads on the rear are a bit thin too. I measured them after I got one home. 0.35mm of pad material left before I was metal on metal... VERY CLOSE. $40 on pads, free fitting of the tyre and pads and I was out of there.

I laughed all the way back. It's not too often you get a couple of consumables wear out at almost exactly the same time like that.

**jrandom** · 16th July 2007, 15:05

I do hope you wheeled the RF back down to the bottom of the driveway and said goodbye to your old tyre with a proper burnout.

...

You didn't, did you?

Heathen.

**vifferman** · 16th July 2007, 15:28

Originally Posted by ManDownUnder

It's not too often you get a couple of consumables wear out at almost exactly the same time like that.

Actually, I think it's more to do with the pads being easier to check with the wheel off. If the pads had had say, 1.5 or 2mm left, even though they still had X amount of wear left, you would've still called them toast and replaced them. Happened when my tyres were last changed too (front pads, I think) and the time before (back pads on the VTR).

**ManDownUnder** · 16th July 2007, 15:36

Originally Posted by jrandom

I do hope you wheeled the RF back down to the bottom of the driveway and said goodbye to your old tyre with a proper burnout.

...

You didn't, did you?

Heathen.

No ... sorry sir... I can assure you though - sprks would have literally flown. Them steel cables was seeing the light of day - and not just a little bit...

Originally Posted by vifferman

Actually, I think it's more to do with the pads being easier to check with the wheel off. If the pads had had say, 1.5 or 2mm left, even though they still had X amount of wear left, you would've still called them toast and replaced them. Happened when my tyres were last changed too (front pads, I think) and the time before (back pads on the VTR).

I hear what you're saying but no... these were literally GONE at the same time. Was very neatly done.

I'm glad too. My bike doesn't enjoy the most regular wash regime so the pile of crap built up on and around the disk caliper was quite impressive. I'd hate to have to do it myself... and the poor wee chap at CT (Speedy?) was up to his wrists in... "greasy sooty shite" (it's a technical term).

I have to stress I took the pad home and measured the amount of pad thickness left - it was quite literally 0.35mm according to Mr Mitutoyo