The answers to all your technical questions, including increasing grip from a front tyre, fixing a cracked frame plus a step-by-step guide to servicing your Fox Float shock
Your questions answered
pressure points
I’ve been running 28psi in my front tyre – a 2.6in Michelin Wild Enduro – and have been struggling for grip. Obviously, the wet conditions we’ve had haven’t helped, but I’m debating whether I can go down to a lower pressure. I weigh about 17 stone and my wheels aren’t exactly designed for big impacts.
Jon McDonald, via email
The Wild Enduro is a great tyre with bucketloads of potential grip, even in mucky conditions. Tyre pressures come down to personal preference – how you like them to feel, the type of terrain you ride, as well as the widths of your rim and tyre. If we assume you have a fairly wide rim (say, 28-30mm internal) then you should be able to get away with lower pressures on the front. We’d suggest trying 25psi for starters, given your weight. If you’ve got narrower rims, you may need to go for 26-27psi instead.
Especially in situations where there’s minimal grip, you should aim to run the lowest pressure you can while still maintaining tyre stability in higher-load situations. If you find that at 25psi your tyre feels vague in corners, then up the pressure a touch. If there’s plenty of stability and still not quite enough grip, drop down to 24psi (a digital pressure gauge is a cheap and worthwhile investment). We’re only talking about adjusting by one or two psi at a time because the feel of bigger-volume tyres can change noticeably with just small differences in pressure. If you’re worried about pinch punctures, then consider running a tyre insert. This will protect the rim a little, and some types bolster tyre stability too, allowing even lower pressures.
Chain reaction
I’ve got what I think is a crack in my carbon frame, near the rear pivot on the chainstay. I’m absolutely gutted because the bike was a 40th birthday present to myself three years ago and was (and still is!) my dream bike. I’ve not ridden it since I noticed the crack – because the bike is out of warranty, I’ve just stuck to my roadie. Any ideas? Allan Nightingale, via email
What a nightmare! Fortunately, all hope is not lost – there are a couple of ways to salvage the situation. But first off, are you sure the carbon tube is cracked? Frames with paint or lacquer can look damaged when it’s actually just a hairline crack in the coating. Investigate this properly before taking either of the following steps.
Your first option is to replace the broken part. The bike’s manufacturer may still have an old chainstay in stock that they can sell you. Failing that, you’ll require a bit of luck and some time spent trawling eBay or Gumtree. Someone out there with the same bike may have cracked a different section of the frame and could be looking to sell the remaining parts. Obviously, this carries some risk. Not just the usual second-hand buying concerns, but also that the crash that caused their damage could have compromised the part you’re after too.
The other option is carbon repair – this is often (though not always) possible, and should leave the chainstay structurally sound, if not aesthetically identical. There are several companies across the UK offering this, so there’s likely to be one not too far away. If the bike has sentimental value, then the cost of repair may well be worth it. They may also be able to help with ascertaining whether it’s a coating or carbon crack.