NomadGal's Year on the Road

[NomadGal]

I am a free woman again!!!
Now down to the nitty gritty before I leave.
Checking the valves again, (not looking forward to taking the top off again, but I don't want anymore surprises!)
Changing the oil, and putting my new Shinko 705s on (I am going to cheat, I'll take of the wheels, but decided pay someone to do it! Breaking the bead is no fun
Got the corrugated plastic for inside the Pelicans, hopefully my idea will work......
Last Friday I had a wonderful surprise, namely a couple of wow Christmas presents from JettnJim: an Olympus Stylus camera, water and shock proof, and a Lawrence XOG GPS. I can even insert a SD card with music into it and listen while riding. Not sure if I will like that, seeing as I prefer silence, but to have Debussey Vivaldi or any other mellow music in the back ground while riding seems like it might be fun. Thanks so much Jim, can't wait to post new pics!



I've always slept in luxury on my 30x72x3 ALPS mountaineering pad, but the last couple of months I've ended up on the ground before the night was halfway done. I suspected the valves, but had no way to check it. Turns out there were two miniature leaks in the seam. ALPS lived up to their lifetime warranty, and I'm being shipped a brand-new pad! Yay!
Even though I like the idea of traveling light, I like the idea of sleeping well better
If the memory card for the Olympus comes in before Sunday (ordered it online, way too expensive in the stores), then my day of departure will be the 13th, if not then Monday or Tuesday.

[TwilightZone]

>"(I am going to cheat, I'll take of the wheels, but decided pay someone to do it! Breaking the bead is no fun "

Well, breaking the bead is no fun, but if you're riding alone, in back country, you really need to be able to change a tire/tube, by yourself. Gotta pursue the skills so it becomes mostly 'automatic'. Using lube and tire irons, the beads will come off (with a little persuasion).

Emergency lube - Windex or WD-40.

[just jeff]

Good advice! If you can do it at home using just the tools you carry on the bike, you are all set to do it in the field.
Best Regards....justjeff

[NomadGal]

Originally Posted by just jeff

Good advice! If you can do it at home using just the tools you carry on the bike, you are all set to do it in the field.
Best Regards....justjeff

Thanks for the advice, I know I need to be able to do it on my own, and I might be able to do the front tire, but the back I've tried and got nowhere. I did buy a mini crowbar to see if I can break the bead with it. Also just remembered trying it with a horseshoe clamp. We'll see if I can come up with the energy to do this........

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[NomadGal]

Also, you guys have no idea what it is like being stuck in a woman's body without the luxury of brute strength! I've seen men cuss and sweat trying to take a tire off, and barely making it! Yeah..... Watching them was not really encouraging :p

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[tommu56]

Originally Posted by NomadGal

Also, you guys have no idea what it is like being stuck in a woman's body without the luxury of brute strength! I've seen men cuss and sweat trying to take a tire off, and barely making it! Yeah..... Watching them was not really encouraging :p

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You just have to pull your skirt up a little and show some more leg and there will be guys all over helping

tom

[just jeff]

Some tires seem to stick to the rim much more than others. The KLR seems to be one of the easier rims I have found to break beads on. It may help to wedge a flat screwdriver between the tire and rim edge, then put the tire bar in along side and pry the tire away from the lip of the rim to break the bead. Tire changing is really more about technic than brute strength. You CAN do it!!!
I also like your C clamp idea. That should work too.
Regards....justjeff

[Feyala]

When I go to change a tire, first thing is to remove the valve stem, so I'm not fighting air pressure. Then I tend to just stand on the tire and dig my heels in near the rim, bouncing up and down a bit to break the bead.. never had a problem on front or rear with the DR. I walk in a circle around the tire that way, eventually it gives way. You can also use the tire spoon to give a bit of leverage, but really imo it's down to weight and pressure. There's definitely a technique to it, and it's worth learning before you get a flat out in the woods. The harder part for me is re-mounting the tire without getting pinch flats, which requires a bit more finesse (and a bit of air, but not too much, in the tube). Obviously if you run stiffer tires, the entire process will be more difficult than with soft ones.

One thing I do when I change my tires is check out the play and feel of the wheel bearings and clean out any junk that's made it into or around the hub. I wouldn't have somebody else do mine because I'd miss out on this, and I'm not too eager to experience a wheel bearing locking up at speed...

Keep us posted how that 705 holds up! I've gone with one of these which should be a teeny bit more dirt friendly than yours, but wear better than the knobbies I've been putting on. We'll see!

[bk brkr baker]

Please , keep the screwdrivers away from tires , with or without tubes !

Bead-breaking made easy 101.
Get you hands on a simple , lightweight device called "The Bead Popper ". This device was invented by a friend of mine who was a hell on wheels AHRMA roadracer that for a name on his leathers went with Grandpa. He's also the guy that put a trip to Alaska firmly in my head, knocked that out in '06.
Anyway the bead popper is a pretty simple plastic wedge with a handle to bang on .You use it with a hammer or a suitably shaped rock. Place the tool against the tire at the rim and bang it down after a couple of times your tire will be loose , do it to the other side and continue in the normal manner.The tool weighs 2 or 3 ozs.

[mhild]

Originally Posted by bk brkr baker

Please , keep the screwdrivers away from tires , with or without tubes !

Bead-breaking made easy 101.
Get you hands on a simple , lightweight device called "The Bead Popper ". This device was invented by a friend of mine who was a hell on wheels AHRMA roadracer that for a name on his leathers went with Grandpa. He's also the guy that put a trip to Alaska firmly in my head, knocked that out in '06.
Anyway the bead popper is a pretty simple plastic wedge with a handle to bang on .You use it with a hammer or a suitably shaped rock. Place the tool against the tire at the rim and bang it down after a couple of times your tire will be loose , do it to the other side and continue in the normal manner.The tool weighs 2 or 3 ozs.

I've tried to use this device you're talking about, and beat on it until my hand hurt, and the bead was still as tight as it was when I started. I ended up using a device that looks like a C-Clamp, and it works great. It's made for this purpose, but there's no reason a regular C-Clamp wouldn't work.

[smash81]

[TwilightZone]

>"Tire changing is really more about technic than brute strength. You CAN do it!!!"

I have fought a lot of tires in my younger days... now at age 60, I've discovered that if you're working too hard with a tire, you're using the wrong technique. In your travels, see if you can find some tire-changing experts (i.e. ones where changing a tire is not a fight), ask them to guide you and show you particulars of how it's done.

If you end up riding Baja, Alaska, (or wherever)... you need to have the skills, otherwise you need to ride where you can get help or with a partner.

[kitsune06]

Nomadgal, I just found your RR and I've read it all the way through. I keep dreaming of doing a touring trip, either solo or with my partner, and your story makes it seem that much more possible for me. Thanks! :)

[NomadGal]

Guess what??
I decided to take you'alls advice and try to change the tires myself.
I figured I'd better start with the front tire which should be easier than the rear.
Before I did however, I wanted to change the oil while the engine was still warm. I had just gotten back from Lowe's to buy a C-clamp (6 inch one).
The oil change went smooth, and I found only a minute amount of metal slivers in my oil filter. It seems like my engine is thoroughly flushed out now.
Then I took off my cases, guards, seat and tank so I could check my valves soon. I figured this way the bike is lighter and there won't be that much weight on my skinny little jack.
Obviously my reasoning was rather faulty, for as soon as I tried to put the jack on the front, so I could remove the wheel, my whole bike started spinning around on the stand, and the rear wheel was lifting up as well. Darn! not enough weight in the back now.



Good thing my friend had a heavy brick in the yard! I filled the holes up with some smaller bricks, and also hung the cases back on with bungee cords.
Now the jack went on smoothly and the front lifted up.
Taking of the wheel went easily.

Once I had the wheel off, I let out the air and removed the valve, and grabbed my handy dandy C-clamp.................
Yippee! An $11 bead-breaker!



Taking the tire off was slow going, and I'm afraid I scratched my rim up a bit. The darn tire irons kept slipping off the rim, I had a hard time getting them wedged between the tire and the rim, and will not be surprised to see the palm of my hands blue tomorrow!



I finally got the first side off, and after a few calls to Jim managed to get the tube out and the other side.
It might sound silly, but I got confused all of a sudden as to which way the other side should come off, i.e. same side or the other first so the rim dropped into the tire.


Yay!! tire off!

After blowing up my tube to make sure I didn't pinch it, I washed it and powdered it again.



Then things really started smelling nice in the garage as I powdered the inside of the rim (after having cleaned it first), and the rims of the tire.

I have to admit that putting the tire back on was fairly easy, well...... after the first few minutes.

Then I spend a fairly long time pumping up the tire to 40 psi waiting for the bead to break. Never heard anything pop, but I think it just seated itself quietly. I removed the pump only to have all the air whoosh out!!
Forgot to put the darn valve back in! Grrrrrrrrrrr......
I took a break before getting her pumped up again with my little hand pump.
Getting the wheel back on was a piece of cake.


Yay! Did my first tire.
I am so not gonna tell how long all this took me, but needless to say, the rear tire will have to wait till tomorrow!
Hope my hands won't be too sore.

[tommu56]

Don't worry about time it is finishing the race that matters!!!!!!