Flint deflectors

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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Tandemist
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Post by Tandemist »

I fitted some flint catchers to one of my bikes in the 80's but since then haven't bothered.
What I do do, if I hear or see something going round in the front tyre tread, is reach down and brush my cycle mitt against the top of the tyre - I don't use those useless dangerous things called mudguards of course or they would be in the way....
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cranky
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Post by cranky »

Tandemist wrote:I fitted some flint catchers to one of my bikes in the 80's but since then haven't bothered.
What I do do, if I hear or see something going round in the front tyre tread, is reach down and brush my cycle mitt against the top of the tyre - I don't use those useless dangerous things called mudguards of course or they would be in the way....


So, once you've brushed it off the tyre, how do you then get it off your mitt ?

:)
Iain

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Tandemist
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Post by Tandemist »

Never thought of that, but I think the bits tend to fall onto the road when they hit the mitt.
Once in a blue moon I wash my mitts, but I overdid it recently when a pair got boil washed by mistake and shrunk to below children's size !!!
The colours ran a bit too !!!
Anura
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Flint Catchers

Post by Anura »

What a lot of inventiveness there is out there. Thanks for all the suggestions & I'll be reading them all more carefully when I've got more time.

I really wanted them for (a) a folder (too far to brush off things with the fingers) & (b) recumbent trike - too many wheels to puncture!

Thanks again
PW
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Post by PW »

I used to wrap a few turns of thin wire across the carrier legs (detonator leads were instantly available at any coal mine!). I stopped when Nutrak began selling kevlar armoured tyres and never bothered again.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
keepontriking
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Post by keepontriking »

I used to use them on my tubs and remember the heated debates.
ISTR they revolved around whether they pushed any sharp flints or thorns further into the tyre, and thus did more harm than good.

They come from the same era as sprint carriers - I still have one of those on my present touring bike :)
Anura
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Flint catchers

Post by Anura »

I have considered that furry stuff that you use as door draught excluders but hadn't figured a way of securing.

Regarding the Sprint Carriers, Keepontriking, it was tough in the 60s, pocket money didn't extend to spare pair of sprints, just used to use the same ones.

:lol:
thirdcrank
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Post by thirdcrank »

keepontriking

I'm wondering what use a single sprint carrier is on a modern touring bike :? (or an old-fashioned one for that matter.) I cannot imagine you carry a spare wheel :wink: I've a single (cyclo ) one in the garage somewhere. If there's a use for a single sprint carrier I've missed, I'll dig it out immediately. If there's anybody feeling jealous, a cheapo thin spanner of the sort with 12 holes in and no good as a spanner is ideal as a sprint carrier. :lol:

Anura

If you're ready to risk ignoring the safety exhortations of si and DaveP what about :idea: cable ties or our old favourite, duck tape. Let us know if you feel you have saved any tyres.
keepontriking
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Post by keepontriking »

thirdcrank wrote:keepontriking

I'm wondering what use a single sprint carrier is on a modern touring bike :? (or an old-fashioned one for that matter.) I cannot imagine you carry a spare wheel :wink: I've a single (cyclo ) one in the garage somewhere.


OK, it is a bit of an unusual reason...

I carry out a number of cycle maintenance sessions and like to take a wheel to demonstrate truing, puncture mending and the suchlike.

As I ride to the sessions I don't want to use the wheels on my bike - just in case I mess something up.

Yes, its a Cyclo one too.
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Post by thirdcrank »

In that case, a big round of sincere applause for somebody who practices what he preaches and leads by example by cycling to training sessions. 8) (After I retired one of Leeds City Council's cycling people suggested I might like to become one of their trainers. Apart from the fact that I was not remotely interested in working again, the possession of a motor vehicle was a requirement. :roll: ) If ever you should need to carry two wheels to a session and you cannot remember what you did with your other sprint carrier, I'll dig mine out for you PDQ.
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hubgearfreak
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Post by hubgearfreak »

Si wrote:Do they have weak, breakaway parts to them? Just sounds a little dangerous if they should catch on the tyre (probably worse on a treaded tyre then total slick) and suddenly stop forward momentum - a little like the old days of people not having a stop under their canti brake straddle wire.


if you look at the photo, it appears that the wire will fall out of the plastic tubes without any trauma at all :D



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PW
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Post by PW »

The wire stays connected ok. (I tried a pair about 25 years ago). The problem is that the scraper is impossible to keep off the tyre and the rubber wears through it fairly quickly. I found it better to wind a couple of turns of thin wire across the carrier legs maybe 1mm clear of the tread. You could do it with fuse wire, I used to use Mr Nobel's best detonator leads which we were issued with for surveying purposes at the pit. Think there might still be a roll at the back of the shed somewhere, I also used it for an up & down guide when building wheels in the bike frame.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
loiner
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Re: Flint deflectors

Post by loiner »

I read in a cycling mag. many years ago that a short length of leather boot lace was a good flintcatcher
May rhe wind be always at your back
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