@Lynet (flashy name, btw): Valve should slide straight out of the valve hole. Looks pretty snug though, and might need a little extra force.

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Bianchi-Campagnolo

Hi,



Just for information, all Veloflex tyres (including their open tubulars) share the exact same callicot protection.
It may however be wider as the tyre grows wider compared to the Carbon model but that's about it.
IMHO the best way to protect yourself from puncturing tyre like these is to age them properly for about six months.
While that doesn't mean you could ride through all kinds of debris it does mean that instead of puncturing for no obvious reason with a factory fresh tyre, say every other 500km or so, you'd now ride them basically untill their end of life without a single puncture.
Such is my experience and that's the feedback I recieve from other riders as well. Aging make a world of difference.

Mileage will vary from rider to rider and I won't want to make statistics on this. Still, that being said, the upper end Conti tyres are better equiped against urban debris with their Vectran anti-puncture layer but it does come at a premium.
Not the Vectran layer's fault, just this stupidly harsh casing they use.



To be honest I'm not so sure it's all that safe. Most mineral spirits like these aren't but I haven't looked this one up yet on MSDS.

@ Ohpinchy: I wouldn't get too particular on what brush to use. A cheap acid brush about the same width of the rim will do just fine. Forget about syringes and finger in bag techniques. Too many nutters on YouTube if you'd ask me.
I'd also advise to buy Mastik One in tubes, not cans unless you're planning on serving an entire team or have an incredible amount of wheels to glue up somehow.....
Cans don't last too long, maybe three years at most once they've been opened. Solvents flash off whilst the can is open and since it's a cement you'll never close that can and have it airtight again as there always be that inevitable layer of cement on the cans' rim and its lid which allow the solvents to further flash off as it's sitting idle.

Ciao,

_________________
Being a snob is an expensive hobby.

cycle-basar.de is a really good place to buy Mastik one, if you are in Europe. They sell the tubes for 1,90 euro, which is the lowest i have seen:
http://www.cycle-basar.de/Reifen-Schlaeuche/Zubehoer/Vittoria-Mastik-One-Schlauchreifenkleber-Tube.html - I just ordered 20 of them

They also have a good selection of tubulars at decent prices, both Challenge, Vittoria and some Veloflex.

Shop is only german language though, but you can always use the search field.

Hi,

Can't seem to find any Veloflex there though but thanks for the tip anyway.

Ciao,

_________________
Being a snob is an expensive hobby.

@Lynet, nice find!

No, the valves are not threaded-in or anything. I have a lot of former World Tour Nemesis wheelsets in my collection. You will find that a lot of those 'northern classics' specialty wheelsets are actually really old. They often get used over and over, season after season. Accordingly, sometimes the valves get corroded and 'stuck'.

Once you pull-off the old tire, except for the valve itself, get a pair of lock-jaw pliers and give the valve a good twist. I am sure that it will come away quickly. If it doesn't, you can try to use a penetrating oil. Just be sure to clean the rim really well prior to re-gluing a new tire.

Well I rode my Aeolus 3 tubs with 22mm Conti gp4000 today and I've got to say it felt good. They felt light, really nice and light, and my last wheels were Am. Classic sprint 350's so they weren't beasts.

I like the feel of the tubulars. as long as I don't get constant flats, and I don't think I will, I'll stay. It wasn't a blow your mind difference, and I don't think people that don't ride alot and are very picky would not even notice, but I liked it.

I wouldn't recommend them like I said for the casual cyclist. Not with as hard as I found them to be to mount. And I asked because I saw 3 pairs of tubulars at my shop being mounted for customers, and they charge $60 a wheel, and I wouldn't do that. So for most people that just want to go out and ride I would recommend clinchers all day every day.

But I liked them. Definitely gave me a project and made me feel cool to do it myself.

Can you guys tell me which are better brakes. I have the cork bontrager ones and yellow swiss stop. I used the cork today in dry conditions and was impressed by their braking and I have used the yellow on aluminum rims and thought they stunk.

For carbon rims, seems Reynolds Blue are getting popular.
Also, keep an eye on Swissstop Black Prince, only just released but they have a good pedigree.
Not sure what Bontrager policy is regarding warranty if these pads are used with the Aeolus wheels.

yeah, I think for warranty I have to use the cork, but how are they going to find out you know? Good point though, I hadn't thought about that. Nor had I heard of the new swiss stops.

Personally, I still prefer Corima cork pads for carbon rims (all carbon rims, no matter who makes them). I don't think there is any magic to the Corima compound, I suspect that other cork pads are the same. I have to add, I don't mind the blue Shimano pads, either.

Ok, two questions.

1. Should I remove all the glue remaining in the braking surface or will braking itself remove it. I was a little worried that if I continue to brake with glue on the carbon it will scratch the braking area.

2. Since the wheels are very wide, the brakes contact at an angle, since they har to be set open so wide. So when I depress the levers the tops or the brake pads ouch first, and u set normal light raking, will be the only part touching. Is this a problem? Will they just wear at an angle?

use some acetone on a cloth to completely remove the glue from the braking tracks, do not leave glue on them

if the pads aren't making full contact under normal braking force i'd probably remove a bit of the material to increase the contact area

@Geoff

I solved it the other night. Used a hairdryer to soften the glue in the area a bit. Srewed on a valve-top-thing and gave it a few light blows with a hammer. Worked like a charm. And yes, they might be old, I'm thinking 2010'ish.

I'm scared to use acetone. In really picky about looks and when I first glued them I tried acetone with xylene and it touched the sticker logos and immediately removed one. I guess I could try again with a atop or something to not touch the sticker.

As for the hammer, if these wheels get anymore complicated ill try that

Hi,

I'll repeat it once more for the umpteenth time, you do not use acetone to remove rim cement. Be it on rim beds or braking surfaces. It's useless.

You could use diesel oil, household petrol, white spirit (Stoddard solvent in the USA) or Schwalbe's magic potion but acetone just plainly flashes off too fast to be effective.
You do use acetone for degreasing rims including braking surface after all cement is removed. It does not even have to be acetone for as long it it degreases thouroughly.
Nobody wants grease on a braking surface. (or a rim bed)
You don't want any residue of rim cement there either as it will reduce braking efficiency, will go into your pads and both will end up being glazed by heat and end up to be much harder to remove.

If you must remove a sticker you could use xylene and some stickers do react to acetone as well. And other chemicals. Others are pretty much inert to chemical attack.
Point is that you probably don't want those stickers to be flooded with a chemical tsuriname so you better make sure they're protected.
And so should you for that matter.......

Ciao,

_________________
Being a snob is an expensive hobby.

depends how much glue, for the stray smudge some acetone on a cloth takes it off fine, but i agree it is certainly not for removing any significant amount

if i've been messy and got more glue on the brake track i use isopropyl alcohol, needs a bit more care as it strips decals and is not good for some plastics - as i discovered when i thought it'd be good for cleaning my grubby bar tape!


btw i keep meaning to ask, do you know who has best prices for veloflex online in belgium/netherlands? in uk there seem to be fewer resellers and more expensive!