Catalyst wheel covers
- Thread starter KiwiGuy
- Start date
Jim Gerwing
Well-Known Member
Storm door wheel covers
Heh, Blair, I had a look at the catalyst website. No doubt they have a slick product that is priced attractively below a carbon fibre disc wheel. Because I run on disc brakes, I can use heat shrink plastic film on my rims (front and back) AND they provide an obvious benefit. Disc wheel-$1000, catalyst cover-$300, Storm door-$1.50. The cover on my back wheel has lasted two seasons with minor repairs from time to time. My front wheel cover is recent and I've had some trouble with it. The chain side came off one ride and I had to tease it out of the sprocket cluster. I press it on before each ride now but I can tell, the double sided tape won't stay bonded to the rim (possibly a drop of chain lubricant got on there. I'll be removing front and back soon but, for sure, I'll add them to my aero-arsenal next year.
Heh, Blair, I had a look at the catalyst website. No doubt they have a slick product that is priced attractively below a carbon fibre disc wheel. Because I run on disc brakes, I can use heat shrink plastic film on my rims (front and back) AND they provide an obvious benefit. Disc wheel-$1000, catalyst cover-$300, Storm door-$1.50. The cover on my back wheel has lasted two seasons with minor repairs from time to time. My front wheel cover is recent and I've had some trouble with it. The chain side came off one ride and I had to tease it out of the sprocket cluster. I press it on before each ride now but I can tell, the double sided tape won't stay bonded to the rim (possibly a drop of chain lubricant got on there. I'll be removing front and back soon but, for sure, I'll add them to my aero-arsenal next year.
Charles.Plager
Recumbent Quant
Jim: pictures?
Jim: pictures?
Jim: pictures?
Jim Gerwing
Well-Known Member
Storm door wheel covers
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Jim Gerwing
Well-Known Member
Read the instructions
The rims of your wheels have to be free space, I have disc brakes so that frees up that space. The storm door/heat shrink sheeting with double sided tape should be available at any hardware store. The covers require about six supportive pieces made of card stock or thin plastic: Valve access, computer magnet access(?), hub support-basicly a doughnut to prevent tearing when the plastic gets shrunk with a hair dryer(take brake discs off and remove sprocket cassette), you'll need one for each cover, last, hub coverage-this piece is circular, taped interior to the spokes and closes off air flow.It also approximates a doughnut but it is a thicker doughnut and it has to be cut like a Q so that it can be threaded into the interior side of the spokes.
Double sided tape is applied to one rim, I use about 32 pieces and ensure that they overlap at least a little(make sure the rim is as clean as possible). Tape the hub support doughnut to the centre of a square sheet of plastic that is big enough to accommodate the rim.
Placing the square sheet over the centre of the hub and laying over the rim is a four hand operation. It doesn't have to be tight. If you are unhappy with the lay of the sheet in the early going it can be peeled off for another go. When the sheet is seated to your satisfaction have a go with the hairdryer. I find the shrink pretty forgiving of little errors and I have also spruced up sags that appear from time to time with another application of heat. I have ripped smallish portions of a cover and taped them successfully. The Valve cover is a large piece of packing tape that I redo every so often.
Trim the excess with a sharp knife being careful not to damage the tire.
The resulting covers WORK. Having said that I have had them come off in flight so, if you use them, always check them in advance.
Back wheel will affect performance less than front wheel. Front wheel coverage is ticklish in a cross-wind.
Hope this helps,
Jim
The rims of your wheels have to be free space, I have disc brakes so that frees up that space. The storm door/heat shrink sheeting with double sided tape should be available at any hardware store. The covers require about six supportive pieces made of card stock or thin plastic: Valve access, computer magnet access(?), hub support-basicly a doughnut to prevent tearing when the plastic gets shrunk with a hair dryer(take brake discs off and remove sprocket cassette), you'll need one for each cover, last, hub coverage-this piece is circular, taped interior to the spokes and closes off air flow.It also approximates a doughnut but it is a thicker doughnut and it has to be cut like a Q so that it can be threaded into the interior side of the spokes.
Double sided tape is applied to one rim, I use about 32 pieces and ensure that they overlap at least a little(make sure the rim is as clean as possible). Tape the hub support doughnut to the centre of a square sheet of plastic that is big enough to accommodate the rim.
Placing the square sheet over the centre of the hub and laying over the rim is a four hand operation. It doesn't have to be tight. If you are unhappy with the lay of the sheet in the early going it can be peeled off for another go. When the sheet is seated to your satisfaction have a go with the hairdryer. I find the shrink pretty forgiving of little errors and I have also spruced up sags that appear from time to time with another application of heat. I have ripped smallish portions of a cover and taped them successfully. The Valve cover is a large piece of packing tape that I redo every so often.
Trim the excess with a sharp knife being careful not to damage the tire.
The resulting covers WORK. Having said that I have had them come off in flight so, if you use them, always check them in advance.
Back wheel will affect performance less than front wheel. Front wheel coverage is ticklish in a cross-wind.
Hope this helps,
Jim
Thanks Jim
Thanks for taking the time to post the photos and explain the approach you've used.
Best cost/benefit ratio around!
I haven't yet decided on whether to go with discs or caliper brakes. I currently run a disc brake on the back and a caliper brake on the front (of my rwd recumbent). But ideal world on a rwd recumbent I'd run a disc brake on the front and a caliper on the back - because while I love the power and modulation of the disc brake, I don't like the hassle of a disc brake on the drive wheel when it comes to refitting the wheel after a puncture. Transfer that to the Vendetta and a disc on the front means a disc brake on the drive wheel. Love to avoid the hassle come puncture time.
If I decide to go with disc brakes I'll definitely experiment with the option you've tested out.
In the meantime, I'd like to hear more about your experience with disc brakes.
Kind regards...
Thanks for taking the time to post the photos and explain the approach you've used.
Best cost/benefit ratio around!
I haven't yet decided on whether to go with discs or caliper brakes. I currently run a disc brake on the back and a caliper brake on the front (of my rwd recumbent). But ideal world on a rwd recumbent I'd run a disc brake on the front and a caliper on the back - because while I love the power and modulation of the disc brake, I don't like the hassle of a disc brake on the drive wheel when it comes to refitting the wheel after a puncture. Transfer that to the Vendetta and a disc on the front means a disc brake on the drive wheel. Love to avoid the hassle come puncture time.
If I decide to go with disc brakes I'll definitely experiment with the option you've tested out.
In the meantime, I'd like to hear more about your experience with disc brakes.
Kind regards...
