As mentioned in Part II, I installed the new tube on the front tire and installed the headlights. However, I noticed my rear rim was rubbing against the frame.
I decided today (10/16) to look at it since it was fairly decent outside. The biking season is coming to a quick close (as mentioned in my previous post, as well) but it doesn’t hurt to do some maintenance.
After turning the Pinnacle upside down, sure enough. The tire was rubbing in one spot, as the rim wasn’t installed completely proper. On each revolution of the wheel, the tire would rub the frame. It had rubbed slightly in the sidewall, but not too bad. Just imagine if I didn’t check!
After getting the rim off (the nut came off easier), I decided to go ahead and tear the tire down and replace the tube with the new, 48mm valve tubes.
This actually was a good decision. While the CST tube was holding air fine, there were the infamous but somewhat usual stress marks around the valve. The tube went into the trash. From my experience, if the valve appears to be stressed, the tube isn’t worth reinstalling. It’ll eventually crack off or start leaking.
I’ve got my fingers crossed that these new, 48mm tubes (made in India by another company) don’t have the same valve problem that the CST tube have.
The tire mounted good and things look good. Now time to reinstall it on the bike.
This is where things turned south. While I’ve had the rear rim off myself before and have had varying success in reinstalling it, it just wasn’t wanting to agree with me today.
Then the derailleur derailed itself and fell off the bike. Things weren’t going as intended.
So, I slid the rear wheel back on and buttoned things up. Unfortunately, it appears the Pinnacle isn’t wanting to cooperate with me. At least it was at the end of the season, where I’m busy and the days are too short and too cold to ride anyways. And I have other things to worry about, too.
So until the Pinnacle project continues, this is it. Next Spring the Pinnacle’s replacement will be here, so I’m not sure how much farther the Pinnacle project will go until that time.