Bike Paint Man Makes a Statement

I have this cool sister-in-law who sends me links she thinks I may find interesting. Not being a rabid cycling web surfer, she often finds stuff I haven't seen in my own online stumblings.

I have no desire to restart the ever-smoldering debate on helmets and helmet laws on this web site. Do what you want. Preach what you want. Quote whatever statistics you want. I don't care. Since even mentioning helmets seems to restart cranky debates, please know that if you must opine about it in the comments, knock yourself out, but I am staying out of this one. My sister simply found this interesting and so do I, so here's a link or you could also click the image below to go to the article.

I haven't been meeting many Monday deadlines over the past couple of months. Life and family trumps blog, which is as it should be, I know. Just the same, I hope to be getting my blogging groove back soon.

Does Bike Paint Man Speak to You? What does he say?

R A N T W I C K

Retirement Planning

Hey, this is yet another call to my always insightful if sometimes strange (talk about the pot calling the kettle black) cycling readers. I've been summer commuting on the same tires for almost three years, possibly more. I am crummy at keeping track of such things. They are Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase(s). I have been very pleased with them.

The sidewalls are in fine condition, but there are a number of decent cuts or cracks in the centre of them:

I know I am inviting the flat gods to rain bad fortune down upon me, but I haven't flatted once in all that time, which included a few longish (60-80 km) highway trips. So, should I continue to tempt fate or would you think there's a little life left in these still? I lean toward treating tires like I do cars... ride them until they fail completely. Trouble is, I don't want to experience that complete failure on a big ol' downhill stretch.

As always, thanks for letting me use you as sounding boards... I didn't want to leave this earth-shattering discussion in the hands of strangers!

Try to Stay Pumped,

R A N T W I C K