Puncture repair/wheel removal + Storage

[Oritatami]

The latest edition of A to B (folding bicycle magazine) states that tyre removal is difficult because of the thickness of the tyre and inner tube. Has anyone tried removing the tyre? If the tyre and inner tube are thicker than usual then maybe they are less likely to suffer a puncture anyway. Perhaps this is another area for improvement in future A-Bikes. More flexible inner tubes and tyres would result in less rolling resistance and hence greater efficiency.

Does anyone know why they recommend in the manual that the bicycle should be stored upside down? Is that to reduce the amount of air leaking from the tyres?

Jonathan

[Binch Shin]

Hi Oritatami

Following my experience, the self replacement of inner tube is too difficult because the work requires suitable tools and repair experience. If you have both of them, the work may not be difficult.

I think the reason of the thickness is to increase air pressure of tyre.
If you adjust the pressure under 70psi, your riding will be very hard on bumpy roads like a footpath. My SUV car weigh about 1.5ton but the air pressure of tyre is only 40psi.

About the reason of the storage method, you are right !!
From Alexander Kalogroulis
---
This is only if the bike is stored for a long time. If the tyres go flat
they could be damaged. Better to stored upside down or hang it on a
hook.
---

Regards

[John]

If the front and rear wheels were the same,
then you could just carry a complete spare wheel and
install it if you get a puncture. One wheel would probably
weigh less than a tube, tire-levers and a pump,
and it would be much easier to get the bike ridable again.
Alas, the wheels are different because the rear wheel
has a sprocket. It would be nice if Version 2 of the bike
had this feature.

John

Hi Oritatami

Following my experience, the self replacement of inner tube is too difficult because the work requires suitable tools and repair experience. If you have both of them, the work may not be difficult.

I think the reason of the thickness is to increase air pressure of tyre.
If you adjust the pressure under 70psi, your riding will be very hard on bumpy roads like a footpath. My SUV car weigh about 1.5ton but the air pressure of tyre is only 40psi.

About the reason of the storage method, you are right !!
From Alexander Kalogroulis
---
This is only if the bike is stored for a long time. If the tyres go flat
they could be damaged. Better to stored upside down or hang it on a
hook.
---

Regards

[Oritatami]

감사합니다 Binch Shin, I thought that might be the case with the storage situation.

Yeah John, you've got a point there. If it is good enough for Tour de France then it is good enough for A-Bike. Perhaps it could be achieved with just a small modification of the design. A sprocket that slots into the wheel?

I see you can order an A-Bike folding pen from their website now, the same one given out at the summer launch.

Hopefully a more suitable carry bag is being developed too. Having said that, I would like to see a harness with a grabbing device that holds the A-Bike firmly on your back. When you need the bike, you reach behind, press a button, and the A-Bike is released. Just a radical concept for you to think about!

Jonathan