Friday was overcast and dark, but I thought it would be a good idea to test out the new Panaracer Rampage tires and the reinstalled Solos headset. There was a good, cool wind blowing from the East, so I had a brisk headwind to work against along Kahekili. Still, I managed a higher maximum speed along this run with less effort than usual owing to the much lower rolling resistance of the new tires. I went into the turn up to WCC hotter than usual, but the tires easily held in the deep leaning turn. The climb up the Chicken Trail went fine. The traction on the new tires was very good. The stiffer knobs climbed up the rooty sections better than the Michelins did. On the road, the laps went easier. I was able to generally use one higher gear than usual on the climbs. Backtracking up the Chicken Trail on the way back home, I found there was more tire spin on the steep debris-strewn initial section, and full-spin loss of traction on the moonscape climb. That is a difficult section anyway – if the traction is good, the legs usually can’t manage the climb anyway. I think the new tires are great, but I need to get used to their behavior and adjust my riding to them. The headset was solid and drag-free.
D = 15.35 km (9.54-miles), Vavr = 17.5 km/h (10.9 mph), Vmax = 41.5 km/h (25.8 mph), T = 53-minutes
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