jaxgtr

jaxgtr

This was my issue locally. I could a few different sizes in 48mm, but nothing in 60mm.

seypat

I wholesale products made from steel for the construction industry. Here are the prices increases since the first of the year from one of my vendors.
Jan. 1st 11%
March 1st 9-15% depending on the category
April 1st 9%
May 15th 9% 25% on one category
June 28th 18%
If I haven't bought a particular sku from them this year, I can't order it. It's allocated to their customers that are purchasing that sku consistently.

The USA manufactured vendor had a 15% increase in February and a 10% increase in May. They have another increasing coming at the end of this month. Still around 20% more than the imports. If they have something in stock, it's 2 weeks from order placement/confirmation to date of shipment. This is on a item that is prewrapped/skid quantity that only requires a label for shipping. I just tried to order some parts for a tool from them. One part is on backorder through the end of August. I found one on Ebay for double the price. You do what you have to do to keep going.

seypat

Last month I had a large retailer with lots of branches throughout the USA call me looking for 2 skids of a commonly used item there was a shortage of. That company is large enough to be purchasing direct from manufacturers. I told them to look for the next size up or the next bigger gauge wire. The next day, one of my vendors called me. He said they got a container in with 2 skids of that Item. He gave me first dibs before he offered them to the rest of his customers across the USA. I called the retailer that was looking for them. Told them to call me within 30 minutes if they were interested. If they didn't I would tell the vendor I didn't need them.( I had loaded up on that item 2 months before) They didn't call back. I called the vendor after 30 minutes. They were sold to someone else within 15 minutes after I called him. The retailer then called me back 3 hours later wanting to purchase them after all. "It's too late. They were sold 15 minutes after the deadline I gave you."

I think the point that the OP(and myself also) is trying to make here is this. The current state of things is like a waterfowl swimming on a body of water. You look at them casually and they look relaxed and effortless going along. But under the surface, their legs are really working hard to keep them from going under.

Warbird21

Stupid new guy tube question. I've had two flats in a couple of weeks, both rear tire. I think I found the source, a little sliver of wire I must have missed on the 1st flat fix. My local shop is selling me these tubes at about $7/tube, which seems reasonable .
Bike: Salsa Warbird
Tire: Schwalbe Sammy Slick

Do a variety of slightly similar tubes fit this tire? If so, what is the range?
Are there more durable tubes?

I threw my first flat tube out, should I be fixing/reusing them?

prj71

The range is covered on the pic you show of the tube. 32-50c.

32 translates to 1.26" and your tire is 1.35" but tubes can expand and work on tires larger than the tube size.

Sy Reene

yes, there are tubes that you can get that are likely a bit smaller. That seems like a large range on the tubes you have. For some 35 tires I have I bought a small supply of these a couple years back. These however would likely be no more durable than the tubes you were using.

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...e/rp-prod18906

seypat

You could also use a 27" with the same ranges stated in inches. 32 is about equal to 1 1/4".

ThermionicScott 

Absolutely YES. Buy a REMA patch kit or two, make sure you wait for the glue to dry (this is counter-intuitive but important) before applying the patch.

I wonder if my patched tubes will have resale value soon.

Iride01 

The lack of cargo containers in China is a real thing. Cargo ships have been off loading here and going back to China empty so they don't have to wait to be reloaded with full containers here that are bound for China. So our local exporters here have product sitting in containers at the the docks. Many of them with perishable product in them rotting away.

So while China needs containers to ship, they ought to just come back and get the containers that are sitting here in our ports waiting to go. I'd hope this isn't some of their odd tactics to curb imports to China.

WorldIRC

I was just able to scoop up a few Continental Race Light 28 tubes from my LBS...and for only $12CDN. They have about 170 in stock, and they are not on the retail floor along with the other tubes.

Branko D

Can't find Vittoria Corsa Speed tires at all on Bike24 or other big EU retailers, where they are in stock prices are higher by about 10 Eur. Many other tires not available, assumed there were general issues with supply from Asia.

GP5000 TL still in stock at usual prices, maybe made in Germany helps with availability in the EU. Bought a couple of pairs, got them on my training wheelset.

Switched all the bikes to tubeless, so tube prices I don't know about. Other minor stuff went up in price, though. Noticed 11 speed DA chains are now 45 Eur, last year was buying them under 40 Eur.

BobA

Ah, I just bought a used dropbar road bike. I bought used as it has been over 30 years since I last owned a dropbar road bike and I wasn't sure how I would adapt. Tires on it are 700-23, which I recently replaced as their age was unknown and they were splitting. LBS said the tubes were good enough to reuse.

The thing is, many of you are talking about flats as a seemingly regular occurrence, tire damage or tube pops. I'm not sure what I might expect, are those of you 200-500 miles per week folks? I'm at just a few times a week, 8-26 miles each ride, mostly road (I try to avoid poor road surfaces) but some paved trail. As they are Giant S-R2 from 2012, I suspect not tubeless. I'm wondering if I should pickup a few tubes. What would a casual rider expect as far as flats go? Thanks.

jaxgtr

doesn't really matter the distance, flats happen. I got one one time after I did some work on the bike and rode it around he neighborhood for a test ride. There was a house having the roof replaced and I ended up getting a roofing nail in my side wall because the company did not sweep the road with their rolling magnet. Several of the neighbors got them too in their car tires. People were less than pleased with this company. I am not at all sure how the nails got that far away from the house honestly, but it is what it is. Several of the neighbors started talk of filing a claim in court against them, but the company ended up paying them for their out of pocket cost....I got $8 for a new tube.

jay4usc

im now glad I stocked up in the beginning of the pandemic. I have enough tubes and tires to last me a couple years and I ride about 7k miles a year.

wesley77803

The road conditions and tires really make a difference. Went for a ride for the first time in months last weekend. About 6 miles into a 10 mile ride I hit something and put a slit in the tire and tube. Patched it on the road and made sure the patch was over the slit in the tube. The last three blocks home were a challenge as the tire went mostly flat again.

Back in the day (early 90s) on Indiana roads I used to get flats every other week (approx one per 200 miles, Trek Matrix CD-4, 20 mm tires) changed to Kevlar belted tires and the flats went away.

For a single bike I would want at least 3 spare tubes and would carry a spare tube and a patch kit with me on a ride. The other two spares are so I don't have to patch a tube after a flat before the next ride. How many times you patch a tube before you throw it out is a personal matter. I used to start thinking about getting rid of a tube at the fourth patch.

SoSmellyAir

Obviously the roofers got into a firefight with their nail guns, and some nails missed their targets and ended up on the road in your neighborhood.

Warbird21

I ordered these tubes via Amazon, my local shop was indeed out. They sure look smaller than I had, visually, will they work?

jaxgtr

Well they are are smaller on the large end of he sizing, but they should be fine.

Warbird21

Thanks, the significantly smaller size threw me off.

ThermionicScott 

At the risk of belaboring the point, now's the time to get good at patching, in case you need to stretch the tubes you have even further...

himespau 

That's a skill I need to learn. I have a bunch of patch kits, but have never used them. Heck, a year or 2 ago was the first time I've ever had to get my boot out and use it to get home. Was sure glad I had it.

prj71

No need to learn how to use a patch kit. Just peel and stick. With these I have no clue why anyone would mess with glue and patches.

https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Pre...s%2C221&sr=8-5

GhostRider62

Vulcanized patches last forever. These have a limited life. That is why.

prj71

Nah. They work for a long time. Have left them on for years in the past with no adverse effects. After having patched a tire on a ride, I've left one of these patches on the tube. Eventually the tire wore out and had to be replaced and the patch was still working perfectly.

If you use too little glue, don't clean the tire properly, or allow moisture to get in between a vulcanized patch it will not hold. Plus the glue has a shelf life.