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Whay are bicycle tires so damn expensive?



 
 
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  #41  
Old September 15th 11, 08:52 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
thirty-six
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Posts: 10,049
Default Why are bicycle tires so damn expensive?

On Sep 15, 3:06*am, "T°m Sherm@n" ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 9/13/2011 5:21 AM, Çhâlõ Çólîñã wrote:

T°m Sherm@n wrote:


Çhâlõ Çólîñã wrote:


Bicycles work very nicely for their purposes. *Compare a bicycle that
has been ridden daily for thirty years and has consumed less than its
own original purchase price as maintenance, with a car meeting the
same criteria.


Why would anyone want a car to last 30 years (except for nostalgia)?


Because it costs six months to a year of a working person's income
perhaps? *How much of your hard-earned do you want to devote to the
purchase of cars? *I use my dishwasher almost every day, but I don't
want to devote a quarter of my gross revenue to it.


Well, in general I would not want to use a 30 year old car as a daily
driver, no matter its condition.

Compared to modern cars, those of 30 years ago had much weaker engines
*and* poorer fuel economy,


Like the 55mpg VW Rabbit Diesel?


The old Diesel Golf I (Rabbit) could barely get out of its own way,
while the current Golf TDI matches it in fuel economy (upper 40 mpg
range is more realistic for both cars), while having more cargo and
passenger space, much stronger acceleration, better brakes and handling,
much better rustproofing [1], much lower emissions and noise, etc, etc, etc.

Or the Honda Civic that got over
50mpg in the early eighties, but doesn't now even in its hybrid
form?


That early 1980's Honda Civic would not meet current emissions standards.

http://www.mpgomatic.com/2007/10/16/...age-1978-2007/


I have seen big increases in unsafe and unnecessary engine power over
the last 30 years, but I have not seen any significant increases in
fuel economy.


Specific fuel economy (normalized to either power or vehicle weight) has
improved significantly, along with much better drivability. *Good
riddance to the carburetor, not to mention the "tune-up" that has been
made obsolete by electronic engine management, which performs a
"tune-up" several times per second.


And you have cup holders?


No one really wants an obsolete vehicle, although H-D riders think they do.

[1] *In my experience the Golf I would rust out in less than 15 years in
the upper Midwest.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
I am a vehicular cyclist.


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  #42  
Old September 16th 11, 12:48 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
T°m Sherm@n
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Posts: 813
Default Why are bicycle tires so damn expensive?

On 9/15/2011 2:52 AM, thirty-six wrote:
On Sep 15, 3:06 am, "T°m Sherm@n"""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
[...]
Specific fuel economy (normalized to either power or vehicle weight) has
improved significantly, along with much better drivability. Good
riddance to the carburetor, not to mention the "tune-up" that has been
made obsolete by electronic engine management, which performs a
"tune-up" several times per second.


And you have cup holders?


My Honda NHX110 has a cup holder in the glove box. None on the Honda
Deauville, however.

The instantaneous fuel economy on the Deauville reads between 65 and 75
mpg at an indicated 55-60 mph (on a "tight" engine with break-in oil).

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
I am a vehicular cyclist.
  #43  
Old September 16th 11, 12:51 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
T°m Sherm@n
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 813
Default Why are bicycle tires so damn expensive?

On 9/15/2011 2:40 AM, thirty-six wrote:
On Sep 13, 11:21 am, wrote:
T°m Sherm@n wrote:

Çhâlõ Çólîñã wrote:


Bicycles work very nicely for their purposes. Compare a bicycle that
has been ridden daily for thirty years and has consumed less than its
own original purchase price as maintenance, with a car meeting the
same criteria.


Why would anyone want a car to last 30 years (except for nostalgia)?


Because it costs six months to a year of a working person's income
perhaps? How much of your hard-earned do you want to devote to the
purchase of cars? I use my dishwasher almost every day, but I don't
want to devote a quarter of my gross revenue to it.

Compared to modern cars, those of 30 years ago had much weaker engines
*and* poorer fuel economy,


Like the 55mpg VW Rabbit Diesel? Or the Honda Civic that got over
50mpg in the early eighties, but doesn't now even in its hybrid
form?

http://www.mpgomatic.com/2007/10/16/...age-1978-2007/

I have seen big increases in unsafe and unnecessary engine power over
the last 30 years, but I have not seen any significant increases in
fuel economy.

Chalo


A non-catalyst vehicle can lean out to 22:1 . With catalyst
enforcement, lean-out is typically 16:1 Dual charge and direct inject
systems can partly overcpome the problem. Catalysts also steal power
during their heat-up period.


The smog reduction is worth the losses caused by the catalytic converter.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
I am a vehicular cyclist.
  #44  
Old September 16th 11, 03:01 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
thirty-six
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,049
Default Why are bicycle tires so damn expensive?

On Sep 16, 12:48*am, "T°m Sherm@n" ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 9/15/2011 2:52 AM, thirty-six wrote:

On Sep 15, 3:06 am, "T°m Sherm@n"""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" *wrote:
[...]
Specific fuel economy (normalized to either power or vehicle weight) has
improved significantly, along with much better drivability. *Good
riddance to the carburetor, not to mention the "tune-up" that has been
made obsolete by electronic engine management, which performs a
"tune-up" several times per second.


And you have cup holders?


My Honda NHX110 has a cup holder in the glove box. *None on the Honda
Deauville, however.

The instantaneous fuel economy on the Deauville reads between 65 and 75
mpg at an indicated 55-60 mph (on a "tight" engine with break-in oil).

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
I am a vehicular cyclist.


How long do you think it is gonna take you to break it in? Remember
that all you are doing is bedding the rings to get good running
compression. All you need is a dry day, little traffic, and a healthy
disrespect for speed limits. After about two hours of snapping from
WOT to closed and back, that cupholder should become worthless. Upper
cylinder lubricant as well. Just don't forget the leathers.
  #45  
Old September 16th 11, 03:10 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
thirty-six
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 10,049
Default Why are bicycle tires so damn expensive?

On Sep 16, 12:51*am, "T°m Sherm@n" ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 9/15/2011 2:40 AM, thirty-six wrote:



On Sep 13, 11:21 am, *wrote:
T°m Sherm@n wrote:


Çhâlõ Çólîñã wrote:


Bicycles work very nicely for their purposes. *Compare a bicycle that
has been ridden daily for thirty years and has consumed less than its
own original purchase price as maintenance, with a car meeting the
same criteria.


Why would anyone want a car to last 30 years (except for nostalgia)?


Because it costs six months to a year of a working person's income
perhaps? *How much of your hard-earned do you want to devote to the
purchase of cars? *I use my dishwasher almost every day, but I don't
want to devote a quarter of my gross revenue to it.


Compared to modern cars, those of 30 years ago had much weaker engines
*and* poorer fuel economy,


Like the 55mpg VW Rabbit Diesel? *Or the Honda Civic that got over
50mpg in the early eighties, but doesn't now even in its hybrid
form?


http://www.mpgomatic.com/2007/10/16/...age-1978-2007/


I have seen big increases in unsafe and unnecessary engine power over
the last 30 years, but I have not seen any significant increases in
fuel economy.


Chalo


A non-catalyst vehicle can lean out to 22:1 . *With catalyst
enforcement, lean-out is typically 16:1 *Dual charge and direct inject
systems can partly overcpome the problem. *Catalysts also steal power
during their heat-up period.


The smog reduction is worth the losses caused by the catalytic converter.

--
Tºm Shermªn - 42.435731°N, 83.985007°W
I am a vehicular cyclist.


The smog forming gases can be excluded through careful temperature and
pressure control of the combustion chamber and exhaust ports. It's
complicated stuff which is the concern of engine development
engineers, but it's certainly possible to have a clean exhaust without
the go-po sucker. No cat also reduces CO2 emmisons.
  #46  
Old September 16th 11, 04:01 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected][_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,594
Default Whay are bicycle tires so damn expensive?

they are not expensive. i currenlty have michelin speedium folding
tires that I spent $7 a piece for. No doubt that they are crap, at
30tpi and 290 grms. However, i ride just as fast with them as with
michelin pros. I'll get about 2000 miles out of my speediums until I
decide that they are too crappy for a member of the oligarchy such as
myself. Then I'll buy michelin krylons or lythiums, or vittoria
rubinos from pro bike kit, or chain reaction cycles for less than $30
each. Of course, i will not be able to tell any difference, but I'll
tell myself that I ride faster, because on previous year those tires
sold for $30 to $50 a piece.

You can get durable tires for less than $20 bucks if you look around.
I weigh about 200lbs and get plenty of service from them and keep up
with carbon fiber, campy record and hand made silk tires made by
Versailles nymphs.

so, tires are not expensive unless you get the ones marketed as hand
made young, castrated, Vulcans, with saliva from virgin Siberian
sables, fed w a diet of blue label johnny walker marinated lobster and
truffles grown in tyrannosaurus dung.

Even those tires can go for a lot less when you get them as previous
year products from probikekit.

Unless you can prove that you go at least 2 mph faster and that is
important in your life, get the cheapest tires and stop whinning.


On Sep 6, 6:33*pm, Ronko wrote:
Why are bicycle tires so expensive? If I buy a set of 4 Michelin tires
for my care, that's about $500-$600; let's call it $550 (I haven't
checked lately). I usually get about 40,000 miles. I use Michelion
ProRace3 on my bike, usually about $80 for 2 on sale. I may get
1,300 miles from them, they're sticky but not particularly long
wearing. So 40,000 / 1,300 is 30.8. *Multiplying the $80 by 30.8
gives $2,464; or about 4 times the cost of the car tires. Of course I'm
getting 4 tires f$

  #47  
Old September 16th 11, 04:54 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Dan O
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6,098
Default Why are bicycle tires so damn expensive?

On Sep 15, 4:48 pm, "T°m Sherm@n" ""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
On 9/15/2011 2:52 AM, thirty-six wrote:

On Sep 15, 3:06 am, "T°m Sherm@n"""twshermanREMOVE\"@THI
$southslope.net" wrote:
[...]
Specific fuel economy (normalized to either power or vehicle weight) has
improved significantly, along with much better drivability. Good
riddance to the carburetor, not to mention the "tune-up" that has been
made obsolete by electronic engine management, which performs a
"tune-up" several times per second.


And you have cup holders?


My Honda NHX110 has a cup holder in the glove box. None on the Honda
Deauville, however.


I knew a guy who routed his windshield washer line into the glove box
as a beverage dispenser.

snip

 




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