Annoying wind and tire warmers

[Jim 'smooth' Brewer]

Did anyone else have trouble getting their tires up to temp w/warmers last Sat? I'd borrowed Vinnie's warmers that have temp gauges and couldn't get them over 70 deg C. :-(

So I finally used my brain and looked at my wheel with the wind going through it while sitting on the stand. The aluminum spokes were working like a radiator and sucking any head put into the wheel right out. So I put the bike cover on (covering the wheels) and the temp came up 10deg.

Dwayne and I remembered TyreSoks guy (Richard Larude or someone like that) who sold warmers with separate blankets to go around them that covered the entire wheel. I guess he knew what he was doing - although they were an absolute pain to put on and take off.

So any thoughts on what we should do the next time we race in a wind tunnel? I sure wish I could find an old set of those TyreSoks blankets, just in case. :-)

[DingleBerns]

Mine don't even go past 70 degrees C. My rear was at like 50 degree C but the front was at 70....

I saw Clarkie do the same thing, just threw some blankets over both of his tires, seems to have worked. Nice work Clarkie in ROR!

[froth]

I managed to get my tires semi warm, even with the wind(SV's are smaller, with less mass to heat), but when I got to pre grid, they seemed to have cooled straight down. I used the simple solution, ride slowly, but it didn't get me a very good finish. How do you keep them warm once the heaters are off, and the race hasn't begun?

[jplracing]

I had the same problem. We took a table, laid it on its side to block the wind and temp seemed to come up. However, wasn't able to get them to wear the needed to be.

Joe

[Hotrod]

and sucking any head put into the wheel right out

Wow!

*struggles to keep eyes averted from Jims pit, walks swiftly past*


:lol:

[polar x]

My "new" woodcrafts would not get up to temp, BUT my old PD's got nice and toasty, as did Franks Shitty(read cheap) Suckas (whatever the hell they are called).

I am not to impressed with the woodcrafts though Joe has spoken to Eric and they seem to be addressing the problem. I hope its just a problem with ours and not something more product line oriented.

PD's RULE!!!

[dave.gallant]

My Woodcraft Tire Bakers get my tires hotter than anything before or since. They are the only warmers I have used where I can get the rim up above 100 degrees on a cool day.

No matter what though, if it is windy, you have to block the wind blowing by the rim. You guys have been racing long enough to know that...

[benfoxmra95]

I am unimspressed with the woodcrafts, I have a brand new set that I got a week before our race. And the money I have in them in unjustifiable.

During the weekend I switched back to the "fuel moto" warmers I paid a measly $279 for and the did exactly what they were supposed to do.

I don't know about the rest of you but I have about effen had it with tire warmers.!!!!

They only last an effen year if they do work right then you have to send them back for repairs. And then spend another effen $200 on top of the effen $400+ you paid for them when they were new, to get them fixed.

Eff this!!! I literally have around $1500+. Dolllars invested in tire warmers over the past 3 effen years.

I propose a no tire warmer rule for the whole club on race day.

[polar x]

My Woodcraft Tire Bakers get my tires hotter than anything before or since. They are the only warmers I have used where I can get the rim up above 100 degrees on a cool day.

No matter what though, if it is windy, you have to block the wind blowing by the rim. You guys have been racing long enough to know that...

Dave with the design of the woods they have a nice big over lay that protects the rims, with that said, the warmest I could get my tires was 140 front and 150 rear with them sitting on them for hours. Where as my PD's were 170 and 175 in just under an hour. There is no reason that these woodcraft warmers should not be able to get hot enough in the wx we had. Hell it was not even that cold. we have had colder for openers that's for sure. I just hope they fix them. They seem well insulated and I like the design, but for the money they cost they should be better out of the box in my opinion.

[dave.gallant]

Wow. Do you guys have new ones or something different than I have? Mine are adjustable but are not digital, and don't have those fancy external boxes I see on some warmers...??

[jplracing]

Dave,

They were the new design that woodcraft came out with this year (standard not digital)

Chris may be bitching a little too much (what else is new 00--00 ). Personally I think he got a bad set. My personal sets were having problems getting the fronts to temp, but the rears were fine.

As Chris mentioned, I spoke with Eric, explained the problem and sent them back. I would trust he will get it resolved and have them back to us soon

Joe

[dave.gallant]

Dave,

They were the new design that woodcraft came out with this year (standard not digital)

Chris may be bitching a little too much (what else is new 00--00 ). Personally I think he got a bad set. My personal sets were having problems getting the fronts to temp, but the rears were fine.

As Chris mentioned, I spoke with Eric, explained the problem and sent them back. I would trust he will get it resolved and have them back to us soon

Joe

Ah yes, so there seems to be problems with the new ones then. Thats too bad, because mine and Kurt Hall's can get too damn hot if you are not careful.

Another thing I thought of - My PDs used to not get as hot as they should when I ran them on low wattage generators. It wasn't a big problem but did confuse me until I figured out the culprit. I later found that my Tire Bakers/Woodcraft ones would actually "click" when the current was too much for whatever cord and genset I was on and would barely even turn on. I now make it a point to put my tire warmers on a heavy gauge short extension cord now, and I am sure it doesn't hurt that I power them with a 10K watt diesel generator...:)

[bluedevil]

I had absolutely no prob with my Chicken Hawk Poles (With a Champion Checker Autopart 3500w generator) getting to temp and I did nothing about the wind hitting the rim or made any special arrangements.... I was thinking about converting to the Woods this year.. but maybe Ill wait a bit... They cost a bundle to have more than 1 complaint on the same day... Wind like that is rare on race day but the one time you need them, you want them to be there for ya....

I have to agree with Ben though... I love my CH's but I have had them in 3 times now... in going on 6 yrs, but I have to say, Im comletely happy with the quality and level of service Ive received everytime Ive needed them....