Rene HERSE Cycles tech info.

[Retrorockit]

I'm not racing anybody so I don't need to get too technical. Just knowing which direction things are moving is enough for my purposes.
But I did create some increase in coasting resistance by going to a front freewheel setup. Not because there was much of an advantage, but because it was a huge improvement on the Ebike and my pedaling/shifting routine needs to match when I switch bikes. I can get some back by removing the 72POE freewheel and going to the standard 36POE White ENO. But I know what the Kojaks did for the bike, and if there's more of that to be had I'll take it. I tried 26x2.5 Maxxis Hookworms, and was unimpressed with the traction and the weight. I call them the "Clown Shoes". I expect the Rat Traps to be better than both of those tires at both ends of the spectrum. That would justify the expense in my mind. As retired mechanic with 50 years experience I can usually sort out the mechanical BS for myself. I earned my living doing exactly that.
The only thing that costs more than doing it right the first time, is doing it right the 2nd time.

 

[Woz]

Randonneur would be not-racing, but long unsupported rides. The classic brevets are 200,300,400,600, and 1200 km rides. The general idea is a bike that can go the distance, in comfort, at speed.

Call me pedantic.

The above reads a little ambiguous to me. We had a bit of a "debate" about this on the specific thread. We could say largely recreational and not competitive, and most certainly not necessarily purposely built for an organised Audax / Brevets event.

Any light touring, over any distance, at any speed you so wished, and meandering would be equally true.

 

[Retrorockit]

This is just one of the reasons Randoneuring is not popular in my area.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

This is just one of the reasons Randoneuring is not popular in my area.
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You don't ride submerged or in the wet bits

 

[Woz]

Can Sir David Brailsford get involved in this thread with marginal gains, excel sheets, watt meters and hell let's get Zwift in on it too then we don't need to deal with these pesky worms?

 

[Retrorockit]

You don't ride submerged or in the wet bits

They wander around at night. Warning up on the pavement is not uncommon. A woman got eaten by an alligator a couple miles from where I live (suburbs not country at all) walking her dogs by a canal. That was in broad daylight. Dogs as in 2x American Pitbulls.
I actually did submerge the motor on my Ebike. Riding in the street no less. Turned a corner riding the crown of the road where it was shallow, and it started getting deeper, and deeper. Turning around would have been a foot deeper than that, so I saw it through. I had just torn down the motor a week before so it was actually sealed up pretty good. No damage. It was perfectly dry when I rode out that way. I revised my route to avoid that area.
Riding around you're probably OK put bedding down in a tent could have consequences.

 

[Retrorockit]

These guys make house calls.
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[Retrorockit]

Back to Rene Herse tires. It seems that people who have tried RH tires seem to agree that something significant is going on there. I suspect that this is something that they discovered during testing. It was not a product of the Theory, Calculation, Production engineering process. I'm sure that there is an explanation for it. But I'm not sure anybody knows exactly what that is at this time.
As far as the cost of the tires- I've purchased 2 more wheelsets, and 2 more sets of tires, and brake rotors and cassettes for each trying what "everybody" knew" worked. None of it did very much for me. Huge compromises for little if any gain. So this is actually looking like quite a bargain to me.

 

[Canuk]

Sounds like someone from the Jan Hein marketing dept trying to convince us to buy the tyres and the book...

I've always been sceptical of the Herse 'reproductions', they do tend to look a bit sh#t compared to an original (my Belgian mate has one, it looks beautiful but rides like a big comfy armchair, #fast it is not). The guy is clearly trying to market the 650b fast tourer to death. Unfortunately gravel bikes have beat them to the punch and 700c has become the standard. Gravel bikes being a LOT more practical than a prescribed tourer with funny wheels. Get fooled by the hype and faux science all you like, pay £100 for a set of tyres but no one is seriously buying into the claims. If there was any real world advantage every single pro rider would have switched long ago.

Fat tyres imo are a passing fad. 23-28mm roll extremely well, and would you take tyre advice from a guy who claims a front bar bag is a substitute for an aerodynamic fairing!?

Me either...

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Sounds like someone from the Jan Hein marketing dept trying to convince us to buy the tyres and the book...

I've always been sceptical of the Herse 'reproductions', they do tend to look a bit sh#t compared to an original (my Belgian mate has one, it looks beautiful but rides like a big comfy armchair, #fast it is not). The guy is clearly trying to market the 650b fast tourer to death. Unfortunately gravel bikes have beat them to the punch and 700c has become the standard. Gravel bikes being a LOT more practical than a prescribed tourer with funny wheels. Get fooled by the hype and faux science all you like, pay £100 for a set of tyres but no one is seriously buying into the claims. If there was any real world advantage every single pro rider would have switched long ago.

Fat tyres imo are a passing fad. 23-28mm roll extremely well, and would you take tyre advice from a guy who claims a front bar bag is a substitute for an aerodynamic fairing!?

Me either...

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