Q:so my tire is a 700x23c victoria tire.It is worped a little.I have felt it and there is a little buldge in it.will it explode on a ride?should I get a new tire?

It will depend where the bulge is. If it is on the side close to the rim it could be just from the tire not being seated on the rim properly. Deflate and re-seat the tire on the rim. If the bulge is any place else replace the tire replace it. A bulge is caused by the cords in the tire being broken.

Q:Is there anyway to prevent it? Does this happen to automobile tires too?

If you are doing an over view of Italy - you may want to consider a few days less in Rome and a few days more in Florence. Florence could be easily viewed as Florence city or Florence - Tuscany. I always encourage family and friends to stay in the countryside so that they can get a different feel of Italy and Italians. A vacation rental home, or an agriturism offers a wonderful opportunity to drive around and visit the smaller towns, markets, and do a little exploring on your own. Not to mention the fact that Tuscany offers a wide range of vineyards!

Q:I want to get my tires siped if it really works to improve traction on ice and snow. Does it really work?

You could get sipes cut in the tires, and it might help a little, but the rubber compound is still too dense and will not grip icy surfaces. You need a specific winter tire for good winter performance. Bridgestone Blizzak, Yokohama Ice Grip, etc... You still have to slow way down for snow, but at least you'll have a better safety margin with proper tires.

Q:is there anybody out there that has the balloon tires and just for normal riding will i really feel a difference?considering the townie balloon tires over regular tires..?thanks mike.....

I have an Electra Straight 8 with the 3 wide tires and they eliminate the vibrations that one would feel from road irregularities. However these are the only tires I have ever had on it. I switch from 2" balloons and 1" racing tires on my recumbent bike and I have noticed these differences. The 2" tires allow me to run a lower pressure without damaging rims (around 50psi). If I was to run this low a pressure on the narrower tires the rims would be damaged by any large bumps or rocks I might run over, therefore they must be run at 90psi. The lower air pressure is what gives you a smoother ride. The lower pressure may make your bike slower rolling but unless you actually racing you probably wont notice it. Many riders will ride 100 miles with their tires at 50psi just for the comfort and don't feel slowed at all, some even say they are faster. I really don't see any need to run a tire over 1.5" or 38mm wide if you are riding on the road. The 2"ers I have are nice and comfy, they make feel better when I ride in the winter and may encounter ice but I don't think I will buy tires this wide again. They feel a little squirrelly when I go into a turn at high speed but I have not lost control of the bike yet. I would recommend that if your tires are 1.5"(38mm) or larger you can probably ride safely at 50psi (check the sidewall to be sure). This will make your bike ride smoother and give you more traction.

Q:Anyone know where to get a great prices on New Tires in Seattle?

I don't know about in Seattle proper, but if you run north to Blaine there is a tire shop called Border Tire that has some very good prices. In Seattle, look at Walmart, Les Schwabs, and Discount Tire. From what I hear, Discount Tire carries some tires that are seconds, or blems. Blems have something not quite up to standard about them, I have not been able to see it most of the time, but they sell for alot less and are just as good a tire, they will not release anything unsafe from the factory. Sams Club and Costco are good as well, if you have a membership. If you are not looking for a special tire they might have what you need for reasonable. (specialLoad Rated, Speed Rated, Touring, etc.) Call around, check prices. Make sure you get a price that is complete. Schwabs is good about quoting that way, installation, stems, balancing, and disposal. Some of the others are not as good if you do not ask for it. I point this out because you are asking for great prices, so I assume money is.limited if not tight.

Q:I am really tired.

Actually I usually am, But not today Luckily. And the weird thing it is early, and I go to bed late. I hate feeling tired in the day time, I feel all gross. And Headaches are the worse.! :)

Q:I recently bought a Kinetic Kurt trainer- I wanted to buy a training tire so it would be quieter and not wear out my good rear tire. The guy at REI told me I might as well go with a regular tire, use my normal tube and just buy a cheepo tire. Is he right? Is there a reason why I might want a trainer specific tire?

Interesting question but I believe that if you consider the physics of a trainer you'll find that there will be little wear on the tire when you're using the trainer. What causes wear on a tire is the rubbing together of the road surface and the tire as it rolls, leans in turns and reduces your speed when braking. Remember that the only points of contact between your bike and the road surface are the tires. Of course, the rougher the surface of the road the more wear will occur. When you're on a trainer the tire is in constant contact with the generally smooth surface of the trainer and there's minimal friction between the two round objects turning at the same speed so tire wear is minimal. In a trainer there's no leaning in the turns, no braking, and no rubbing between a rolling tire and a static road surface. The biggest single reason for using a different tire would be the noise issue. The more aggressive the tread design the more noise it'll make on the trainer or on the road. I think that for the most part, if your good tire were a smoother tread, any wear occurring while it was in the trainer would be negligible over the long haul.

Q:I hear that you‘re not supposed to air up a tire when It‘s cold so what do you do If a tire needs air and It‘s cold out?

That is completely back-***-wards. The tires are supposed to be inflated cold. But cold is not referring to the temperature outside. It means the tire has not been driving for more than a mile before the pressure is checked and corrected. Air expands when heated, so hot tires will have higher pressures than cold tires.

Q:mud tires

I know the Rubicons came with 31 tires, and there seems to be room for more. But if you don't trim, say for like a 33 tire, you wont be able to flex the suspension a lot without rubbing on something.

Q:Hi, I have a 2005 Buick Lesabre Limited. I have two different size tires on my car. The front end is 215/70/16 and the rear has 225/60/16 . Having two different tires an issue? What is the correct tires?

Usually having two different size tires front and back is no big deal if the rotating circumference is within 3% of each other. However, the tires that you have right now is 4.5% different. I recommend you change them.