No! No! It cannot be!

[Grog]

last time I took my bike in for a service the lbs removed (and presumably threw away) the valve covers. I was kind of annoyed but not surprised since I had been to a 'learn to change a tyre' session at that same shop and knew that the guy considers valve covers ultra uncool

Hey, they're about 16 grams... Makes a huge difference on hills!!!

Because I always end up loosing them anyway and am too lazy to take them off every time I pump my tires (i.e. every day), I probably will not put them back on! (As if I knew where they are...)

A bike stand would be nice, especially for any transmission work (cleaning, lubing, adjusting...). Hope you get one on your birthday. I'll ask for one at mine... but it's in December!!

[Lise]

CC--that is an incredible story. I shudder. So what is a "boot"? Please explain, or help us find a link to the repository of this knowledge here on TE! Thanks!

[DrBee]

Corsair - that is unreal! I can just imagine the cussing! Wow!

[Tiffanie]

CC--that is an incredible story. I shudder. So what is a "boot"? Please explain, or help us find a link to the repository of this knowledge here on TE! Thanks!

please!

[Fredwina]

A boot is something that you stick in between your tire and tube when then the tire has big enought cut that the tube will poke through when inflated. Cut up FedEx envlopes or Folded Dollar bills work.Some people cut up old tires. Park also sells a commerical patch. It looks like a Giant sized gluesless patch.

[DebW]

A boot is anything you can put inside a tire to keep the tube from poking out
of a slit in the tire. Possible objects could include (gleaned from old posts here):

a small section of an old tire
a dollar bill
a gu pack
wrapper from Powerbar, etc
cardboard
single-edged razor blade and duct tape

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...highlight=boot
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...highlight=boot
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...highlight=boot

I wonder if there are any leaves or other natural material strong enough to boot with? Anybody ever tried?

[Trekhawk]

Another tip to help keep those spare tubes safe is to carry them in the box they come in. Got this tip from Ned Overend who says its the best way to stop other stuff in your pack or bag poking a hole in a new tube and the box makes a great boot if required.

[Lise]

Another tip to help keep those spare tubes safe is to carry them in the box they come in. Got this tip from Ned Overend who says its the best way to stop other stuff in your pack or bag poking a hole in a new tube and the box makes a great boot if required.

Ahhh....very wise. Plus which, the Bontrager box has a great illustration and instructions about changing the tire. I'm buying a new one today.

[CorsairMac]

Another tip to help keep those spare tubes safe is to carry them in the box they come in. Got this tip from Ned Overend who says its the best way to stop other stuff in your pack or bag poking a hole in a new tube and the box makes a great boot if required.

or what I do is cut off one side of the box and put that and the tube in a baggie. That way I've got a description of the tube, the tube itself, a potential boot in the cardboard, and I can carry it all in a jersey pocket if I need to.

I used a dollar bill yesterday and the guy at my LBS thought I was kidding when I said I knew some ppl carry their money in their wallets but I prefer to carry mine in my tires. He looked very chagrined when he brought my ripped up dollar to me, he had never heard of a boot and had a not a clue what I was joking about. He ripped the dollar up when he was taking the old tire off! Course, then he wanted me to put in back in the tire and show him and a couple of the other guys how it worked.

[Lise]

That is so cool. Thanks for teaching me that.

Update: So I washed the ...um...what'd'ya call it...gear part...I really need to study my bike book. Anyway. I got the grease off that, although not off the chain, turned the bike upside down (so easy with the Bianchi, it is SO light!), and ... nearly broke the light, oops... put the chain back on, cleaned my hands, off I went for a great hard ride, except--

the chain was making this rubbing, clacking noise after a few miles, and I thought, CRUD! I BROKE IT! (can you tell this is a bit of a theme in my life?) So I rode to LBS, fully prepared to leave the bike there for repairs, and the guy (not John, not Dennis, don't know his name...) said, "You've got it in an extreme gear. That's hard on the bike." I guess when I was trying to get the chain down to the smallest cog, I goofed up the gears, and didn't get it back right. He played with it and evened it out, and the Green Hornet rides like silk again.

You know, it's really hard to learn if you're not willing to look ...well... ignorant sometimes! Now I get to really learn my gears. I've been a right hand girl, never using those little levers on the left, just don't know what they're for. I get to become intimately familiar with my bike.

I will say once again how much I love this beautiful bike. It's so smooth, so fast. What a joy. I'm off to ride it to volleyball. Ciao, bellas!

[DebW]

I used a dollar bill yesterday and the guy at my LBS thought I was kidding when I said I knew some ppl carry their money in their wallets but I prefer to carry mine in my tires. He looked very chagrined when he brought my ripped up dollar to me, he had never heard of a boot and had a not a clue what I was joking about. He ripped the dollar up when he was taking the old tire off! Course, then he wanted me to put in back in the tire and show him and a couple of the other guys how it worked.

CM, it's a good thing you booted that tire with a $1 and not a $20 or $50.

[maillotpois]

CC--that is an incredible story. I shudder. So what is a "boot"? Please explain, or help us find a link to the repository of this knowledge here on TE! Thanks!

A "boot" is a section of old tire, or clif bar wrapper or something you can use to support a tire that's got enough of a hole in it that the tube might poke out or become damaged if you didn't protect it with a boot.

Cut up old tires into 2 injch lenghts and stick a few of these in your saddle bag to use as a boot. (They go inside the tire where the hole or cut is).