# Why do people bother to carry puncture repair kits with them?



## Thursday guy (25 Apr 2016)

In the off chance that your tyres get punctured, would you not just use public transport?

I would lock my bike up to a nearby rack, and then catch a bus or taxi to where-ever I need to be. Do other people's tyres get punctured that often to make it worthwhile constantly carrying a repair kit?


----------



## mjr (25 Apr 2016)

Puncture kit is only a few grams so it seems worth it. Public transport is useless in most rural areas away from the biggest main roads after 5pm. Racks are also relatively rare (shops, doctors and few other places), plus you'd be letting louts attack the bike for hours.


----------



## Tanis8472 (25 Apr 2016)

10-20miles in the middle of the fens. No public transport


----------



## winjim (25 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> I would lock my bike up to a nearby rack, and then catch a bus or taxi to where-ever I need to be. Do other people's tyres get punctured that often to make it worthwhile constantly carrying a repair kit?


But then how do you get your bike back? You'd need to make another journey, what, in the car or something? You've got to repair it sometime so you might as well do it straight away. I wouldn't bother with a patch though, just put a new tube in. It only takes five minutes and you're on your way again. Then spend the time you would have spent picking the bike up patching the old tube, at home with a cuppa.


----------



## ColinJ (25 Apr 2016)

Why do people prefer to carry a lock to lock their bike up when they get a puncture, and then have to wait for transport when they could just carry a smaller and lighter puncture kit and be on their way in about 10 minutes! 

(Also, as people have pointed out above - many of us cycle to interesting places miles from civilisation where not only is there no public transport, but often no phone boxes or mobile network coverage either so no way to summon a taxi or lift.)


----------



## glasgowcyclist (25 Apr 2016)

winjim said:


> But then how do you get your bike back? You'd need to make another journey, what, in the car or something?



He buys a new one, or sends the butler back for it.

GC


----------



## slowmotion (25 Apr 2016)

You might as well fix it at the roadside or put in a spare tube. The only time I've used motorised recovery was when my fingers were too cold to function. Baroness Slowmotion rode to the rescue.


----------



## Thursday guy (25 Apr 2016)

Fair point about rural surroundings with no alternative transport. But apart from that, to me it seems unnecessary hassle to have to constantly carry the repair kit and spend time fiddling around trying to fix it outside. How often to punctures occur anyway? Surely it can't be more than once a year if you're unlucky.


----------



## Sharky (25 Apr 2016)

Always carry a repair kit and at least 1 spare tube. Would always first attempt to repair at the roadside if the hole was obvious. Using the spare straight away is OK, but if you didn't detect the cause of the puncture, you could be flat again in a few yards and with no fallback plan.

Puncture repair is one skill that you should have learned when you got your first bike and is not really a hassle. I can think of other breakdowns which would be.


----------



## Thursday guy (25 Apr 2016)

[QUOTE 4251767, member: 9609"]True story - I was once showing off my Armidillos to my brother telling him of being puncture free for over 2000 miles, best tyres ever - within the next few weeks I had two punctures - you must never ever tempt the puncture fairy, and you just did, so good luck mate - LOL[/QUOTE]

I wasn't so much tempting fate as trying to get at the question of often do people usually get punctures?


----------



## mjr (25 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Fair point about rural surroundings with no alternative transport. But apart from that, to me it seems unnecessary hassle to have to constantly carry the repair kit and spend time fiddling around trying to fix it outside. How often to punctures occur anyway? Surely it can't be more than once a year if you're unlucky.


Depends how much you ride!

And it's not only remote rural areas. If I ride to anywhere other than the two nearest towns, or anywhere after 5, I probably can't get a bus home... and by the time I take a chain of buses or wait for a taxi from a town, I could have fixed the blasted thing and ridden home.


----------



## 0lonerider (25 Apr 2016)

I always carry one and a tube


----------



## slowmotion (26 Apr 2016)

You can ride for months on debris-strewn city streets and not get one. You can ride for a week and get five. There's no logic to it...it just happens. It's probably a good idea to be vaguely prepared.


----------



## fossyant (26 Apr 2016)

Two tubes and a kit. Takes 5 minutes to change a tube. its going to take longer to lock the bike find a bus stop then get home. The kit weighs nothing. I've once had two punctures on one commute.

only idiots ride without a pump and a kit/spare tubes.


----------



## rualexander (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> I wasn't so much tempting fate as trying to get at the question of often do people usually get punctures?


About one puncture every 2000 miles these days, mostly rural riding. Always carry a spare tube and puncture repair kit, would never dream of leaving bike somewhere and getting public transport home (even if there was public transport). Worst case scenario (unrepairable problem) I would stash bike in some woods locked to a tree and try and hitch back to civilisation, and return for bike later.


----------



## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Apr 2016)

I'm trying to work out why you would carry a lock.


----------



## rualexander (26 Apr 2016)

Marmion said:


> I'm trying to work out why you would carry a lock.


To lock my bike to an immoveable object.


----------



## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Apr 2016)

rualexander said:


> To lock my bike to an immoveable object.


Why would you want to do that?


----------



## growingvegetables (26 Apr 2016)

On my inner city commute, it's (normally, 9 times out of 10) quicker for me to repair the puncture than wait for a bus.

Out on my country rides? I could dig the iron ore, smelt it into steel, and reinvent the velocipede before a bus came along!


----------



## rualexander (26 Apr 2016)

Marmion said:


> Why would you want to do that?


To deter theft.


----------



## shouldbeinbed (26 Apr 2016)

I carry skab (ono) patches with me now, it's a matter of moments to fix a puncture.

The old style (hark at me) rubber patch and rubber solution are slow and can be messy by comparison but still quicker cheaper easier and a far more practical solution than abandoning a bike to potential damage or theft, wasting time and fuel/money leaving it and going back for it all to do the same thing you'd do at the roadside.

If you drive and your car broke down, would you abandon that, hop on a bus home, call the AA or local garage from there and then get another bus back to go and meet them at the car?

Incidentally, Greater Manchester's entire Metrolink network has been down for 5 hours today, delays galore when it finally got fixed and knock on's onto other public transport.

A bike even with a puncture once or twice a year on lucky average is still a better and more direct option even in a big urban splash like Manchester.

But each to their own and all that.


----------



## Debade (26 Apr 2016)

While we have terrible bicycling infrastructure in Connecticut, USA, we do have a couple of cool things around here. One is bike racks on buses. So, it can be helpful for my local commutes if I have a flat and would prefer to fix it at home. But, as many of you have said, it is limited opportunity for many rides since I am out of the bus service area. .

But, a real cool program that has been around for a year or so is the automotive insurance company, AAA, which has offered road repair for cars (flats/dead battery/etc) for years, now offers support for bikes to AAA members. They will transport you and your bike for up to 10 miles if you have a breakdown. That may get you home or perhaps back to public transport or simply closer to a friend. 

I do carry tire changing stuff since it is fairly easy work but I also like the backup. 

Perhaps if there are any AAA members on the site, you may want to mention this program to the UK AAA company.


----------



## Colin_P (26 Apr 2016)

It is an integral part of cycling, as others have said, none at all for ages, then lots in short succesion and even rarely two at the same time. It is far better to overcome any pucture fixing phobia and get on and do it.

Fixing a puncture is also a guilt free way to have a little rest.


----------



## Milkfloat (26 Apr 2016)

Colin_P said:


> Fixing a puncture is also a guilt free way to have a little rest.



Unless you have Marathon+ tyres, then it is a full blown workout.


----------



## screenman (26 Apr 2016)

I carry spare tubes and have used them more to get Muppets who carry nothing out of trouble. Remind me what does a bus look like, and why I should get others to waste time due to being to not being able to get myself out of a simple to fix problem.


----------



## cyberknight (26 Apr 2016)

Unlit country lanes for me with no bus service to where i work or anywhere close especially at the times i commute .]With regards punctures i used to average 5-6 a year over 5000 ish miles .
The record is 3 punctures within a couple of miles ....................


----------



## Racing roadkill (26 Apr 2016)

That's the difference between a cyclist, and someone that rides a bike. A cyclist would rather down hemlock, than give in to the p*ncture fairy, a person on a bike will phone for a lift / use public transport, to get them home.


----------



## summerdays (26 Apr 2016)

Also if you carry a puncture repair kit you can lend it to those who go out without one.

I've only abandoned my bike once and that was when I had a mechanical where part of my disk brake pad jammed in the mechanism and I needed some brute force, so I continued to my nearby destination (had the intended meeting) and then got a lift back to pick up the bike.


----------



## Blue Hills (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> In the off chance that your tyres get punctured, would you not just use public transport?
> 
> I would lock my bike up to a nearby rack, and then catch a bus or taxi to where-ever I need to be. Do other people's tyres get punctured that often to make it worthwhile constantly carrying a repair kit?



Sorry. Am speechless. Await more posts on your minimalist approach to cycling.


----------



## Blue Hills (26 Apr 2016)

fossyant said:


> only idiots ride without a pump and a kit/spare tubes.


Generally agree, though I would add beginners. I am sure most of us did it when we were kids/when we began adult cycling.

I would add to the sin/idiot bin some mamils who ride with mini mini ear-ring pumps.

I do hope the OP has a smartlhone so that, if s/he has coverage they can post a help plea to cchat.


----------



## Profpointy (26 Apr 2016)

repairing puncture - 5 to 10 minutes.

Waiting for bus 20 minutes, 5 minutes arguing with bus driver why you can't take bike on bus. Phone taxi taking another 5 minutes, then another 5 minute argument with taxi man. Then spend hour and a half pushing bike home. And then, once home, spend the 5 minutes fixing the puncture you could have fixed in the first place.


----------



## raleighnut (26 Apr 2016)

Always carry at least one tube and a repair kit. I have also been known to sit in a pub fixing the tube that punctured in case I get one on the way back.
(Café stops are all very well but I'd sooner have a Pint and a Pie.    )


----------



## mustang1 (26 Apr 2016)

The mess that is public transport is the reason I ride a bike in the first place.


----------



## gavroche (26 Apr 2016)

fossyant said:


> Two tubes and a kit. Takes 5 minutes to change a tube. its going to take longer to lock the bike find a bus stop then get home. The kit weighs nothing. I've once had two punctures on one commute.
> 
> only idiots ride without a pump and a kit/spare tubes.


5 minutes to repair a puncture? You must have quite a few then. It takes me at least 15 minutes as I get very few punctures hence very little practice and I like it that way.


----------



## Profpointy (26 Apr 2016)

gavroche said:


> 5 minutes to repair a puncture? You must have quite a few then. It takes me at least 15 minutes as I get very few punctures hence very little practice and I like it that way.



maybe 5 mins to simply swap the tube; 15 if you find leak and actually fix.


----------



## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Apr 2016)

rualexander said:


> To deter theft.


----------



## rualexander (26 Apr 2016)

Marmion said:


>


Still got wheels though.


----------



## Venod (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> of often do people usually get punctures



Two yesterday both in back wheel, first one a pin hole no visble cause, patched it with self adhesive patch, second one instant deflation, a piece of glass through tyre, spare tube fitted, both holes repaired with glue and tiptop patches at home, never seen any buses to catch in the woods I was in.


----------



## youngoldbloke (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> In the off chance that your tyres get punctured, would you not just use public transport?
> 
> I would lock my bike up to a nearby rack, and then catch a bus or taxi to where-ever I need to be. Do other people's tyres get punctured that often to make it worthwhile constantly carrying a repair kit?


Have you ever ventured out beyond the edge of town? Nearby rack ? Lots of those out beyond the city limits? Bus? - what's that? On a sunday? Taxi - cheaper to buy a new wheel. Even ambulances take 45 minutes to reach the casualty in our neck of the woods. Oh - and usually no bl---dy phone signal anyway!


----------



## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Apr 2016)

rualexander said:


> Still got wheels though.


Punctured.


----------



## youngoldbloke (26 Apr 2016)

On reflection, I'll qualify my post - to give the OP his due, he did post in the commuting section, so perhaps it's not for us who ride mostly out in the sticks to comment.


----------



## Elybazza61 (26 Apr 2016)

Usually carry a couple of tubes,tyre boot and self-adhesive patches plus a pump in the rucksack for commutes,also now have a tubeless repair kit now I'm running the Sectors tubeless on the XLS commuteer.

On longer rides and club runs still carry two tubes and a mini pump and co2 inflator and still don't need an "EPS" on the bike.

For sportives I generally fix two tubes under the seat just to give me some pocket space for food and gels.

TBH I've only ever needed two tubes once on a ride and that was on a club run which took a forced detour over some particularly crappy droves on a very crappy day but they come in handy if anyone else has a bad day puncture wise and needs a spare tube.

As others have said it's only a matter of minutes to change a tube with practice and even a badly gashed tyre can be made rideable with a boot.

Oh and regular inspection can help to as sometimes the debris that caused a puncture may have been sitting in the tyre for a few days and repair and fill any cuts with super-glue or rubber patch glue;kept my supposedly puncture prone Open Paves going puncture free until the rear squared off and wore down.Still only had the one puncture at the end of it's life.


----------



## fossyant (26 Apr 2016)

gavroche said:


> 5 minutes to repair a puncture? You must have quite a few then. It takes me at least 15 minutes as I get very few punctures hence very little practice and I like it that way.



Nope, just skill. CO2 saves quite a bit of time. Drop gears to last but one sprocket, undo QR, hold mech, drop wheel. Remove tube, check for glass/thorns, insert new tube and off you go. PS no turning the bike upside down, slows down the process.


----------



## snorri (26 Apr 2016)

The puncture repair kit is usually the smallest single item I carry, so not a bother at all
Although perhaps I'm not as weight conscious as some having discovered whilst lifting my bike over the door step and unpacking my panniers on return home from work one day that my colleagues had placed a hefty piece of paving slab in my pannier along with my protective clothing work gear etc. B*******


----------



## rugby bloke (26 Apr 2016)

fossyant said:


> PS no turning the bike upside down, slows down the process.


This is something I am starting to appreciate ... Never really thought about it with my mtb - I had been turning bikes upside down since I was a kid. Once I got my road bike with its lovely white handle bar tape I became a lot more careful. Can now fix a dropped chain without even thinking about turning it over, not had a flat on it yet but need to practice swapping a tube whilst keeping it the right way up.


----------



## dodgy (26 Apr 2016)

Why do fighter jet pilots carry parachutes and have ejector seats, I mean, just how often do they crash?


----------



## shouldbeinbed (26 Apr 2016)

dodgy said:


> Why do fighter jet pilots carry parachutes and have ejector seats, I mean, just how often do they crash?



Ah they can just hop onto an Airbus and come back later 

I wonder if @Thursday guy wears a helmet.


----------



## shouldbeinbed (26 Apr 2016)

youngoldbloke said:


> On reflection, I'll qualify my post - to give the OP his due, he did post in the commuting section, so perhaps it's not for us who ride mostly out in the sticks to comment.


I ride in the middle of Manchester and environs, busses aren't door to door unless you're lucky or plan your home and job accordingly, the entire Metrolink tram network was out of service for 5 hours today and what's to say you can't have a non urban commute?


----------



## Dogtrousers (26 Apr 2016)

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but the most important reason to carry spare tubes and a repair kit is to_ prevent _punctures.

If you leave them behind - you will puncture. If you take them with you - you won't.

I can see the point when riding a Brompton in town. If you get a puncture you can instantly convert yourself from a cyclist into a pedestrian with a rather cumbersome suitcase.


----------



## ianrauk (26 Apr 2016)

The reason I carry spare kit is so that I don't HAVE to get public transport *_shudder_*


----------



## youngoldbloke (26 Apr 2016)

shouldbeinbed said:


> I ride in the middle of Manchester and environs, busses aren't door to door unless you're lucky or plan your home and job accordingly, the entire Metrolink tram network was out of service for 5 hours today and what's to say you can't have a non urban commute?


Agreed, but maybe the OP is in that lucky position, so in his personal case it may not be such a stupid question . I always carry 2 tubes, puncture kit, and glueless patches, but only once have I had to use _all_ of them, and that was to help another in distress.


----------



## Karlt (26 Apr 2016)

youngoldbloke said:


> On reflection, I'll qualify my post - to give the OP his due, he did post in the commuting section, so perhaps it's not for us who ride mostly out in the sticks to comment.



My commute goes through the sticks.


----------



## Sharky (26 Apr 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> Not sure if this has been mentioned, but the most important reason to carry spare tubes and a repair kit is to_ prevent _punctures.
> 
> If you leave them behind - you will puncture. If you take them with you - you won't.
> .



Something similar happened to me. Was carrying a heavy 10mm allen key for weeks until I decided that my cranks were firmly fixed on, so took it out of my tool bag. The next day, my cranks came loose!


----------



## kernowpaul (26 Apr 2016)

I always carry a couple of spare tubes and patches, unfortunately buses don't run at the time I often commute into work and a taxi as a back up is a no go - even if you could find one it's probably cheaper to charter a helicopter from mine into the local town.

As for relying on the public transport as a back up how would you feel if your journey got cancelled because 'sorry this service is cancelled because the driver got a puncture on his cycle to work and didn't come prepared', well that's what would happen if I wasn't organised


----------



## Rooster1 (26 Apr 2016)

No busses where I ride, and a taxi would have to do some serious miles to reach me, i'd rather be self sufficient.


----------



## ManiaMuse (26 Apr 2016)

Traditional puncture repair kits I kind of agree with you, if it's cold and wet and miserable there is no chance you are going to be patient enough to let the glue set and successfully repair the puncture. Save the repair kit for when you've got a bunch of tubes to repair indoors at home (and even then I reckon only 50% of the tubes I attempt to repair actually work...).

Spare tubes though, I would never leave without at least one if I am am riding for more than a few miles + a pair of tyre levers, a small pump and a basic bike tool (useful for random fettling with brakes/gears/mudguards etc). It really doesn't take much more than 5 minutes to replace a tube once you've done it a few times (unless you have tyres that are ridiculously tight on the rim). A pair of latex gloves also takes up no room at all in your rucksack/panniers and saves you from covering your hands in oil as well.

Less than a mile away from home/work, might consider walking the rest of the way and fixing it later. But no need to get public transport.


----------



## Profpointy (26 Apr 2016)

I reckon it depends on the distance - maybe 2 miles is the most I'd ride without puncture kit and some tools. Half hour walk isn't too bad. Much further and it's a bit of a tedious push. Much less than 2 miles I'd probably walk anyway


----------



## Mile195 (26 Apr 2016)

In London, you cannot take bikes on busses at anytime, on national rail between 0700-1000 and 1600-1900, and on tubes at any time... For the 10 minutes it takes to sort out a puncture I would never not carry one. My pump is only 15cms long, and a spare tube also fits in a pocket. I carry patches too, but only in case I end up with a second puncture on a ride (This really has happened to me!). I also carry a spare chain link pin now as well as a multi-tool with a small chain breaker on it. Nothing ends a ride quicker than a broken chain, and nothing is more uncomfortable than walking 3 miles in cleats to find a shop...


----------



## Cuchilo (26 Apr 2016)

I carry a bus with me just incase .


----------



## Dogtrousers (26 Apr 2016)

Cuchilo said:


> I carry a bus with me just incase .


You'll be really sorry when you get a puncture and the driver won't let you on.


----------



## User33236 (26 Apr 2016)

Blue Hills said:


> I would add to the sin/idiot bin some mamils who ride with mini mini ear-ring pumps..



My pump, at a mere 16cm in length, saved a blokes RideLondon last year when it did a sterling job on inflating his tyre to an adequate pressure when his mates oversized one fell way short of the mark. 

I only ever travel without pump and spare tubes when I forget I transferred to another bike the previous day (or it's a Boris bike in London )!


----------



## Tin Pot (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> In the off chance that your tyres get punctured, would you not just use public transport?
> 
> I would lock my bike up to a nearby rack, and then catch a bus or taxi to where-ever I need to be. Do other people's tyres get punctured that often to make it worthwhile constantly carrying a repair kit?



No, not feasible.

Yes, it does. But I take a spare tube not a repair kit.


----------



## Pro Tour Punditry (26 Apr 2016)

youngoldbloke said:


> On reflection, I'll qualify my post - to give the OP his due, he did post in the commuting section, so perhaps it's not for us who ride mostly out in the sticks to comment.


People who live in the sticks do cycle to work...


----------



## shouldbeinbed (26 Apr 2016)

youngoldbloke said:


> Agreed, but maybe the OP is in that lucky position, so in his personal case it may not be such a stupid question . I always carry 2 tubes, puncture kit, and glueless patches, but only once have I had to use _all_ of them, and that was to help another in distress.


We're second guessing now tho. Even with a bus stop 25 feet from my front door and both tram and bus stops directly outside my workplace giving me an albeit indirect and relatively costly door to door service, I clearly see and appreciate the benefit of being able to repair my bike and be on my way, all done and dusted in matter of minutes more than our OP does. They would appear to have a luxury of enough free time to attend to their chosen aftermath and a confidence that their bike will still be there and no less damaged when they return to it, that others of us maybe don't.

Like I said before tho, each to their own.


----------



## slowmotion (26 Apr 2016)

Marmion said:


>


The frame looks quite substantial.


----------



## rualexander (26 Apr 2016)

Marmion said:


> Punctured.


I carry a repair kit.


----------



## Sheffield_Tiger (26 Apr 2016)

OP
You said the P word
You may want to buy a kit urgently. The fairy has you in her sights.


----------



## EthelF (26 Apr 2016)

I could lock up my bike, traipse to the nearest public transport, and make my way to my destination (bearing in mind that punctures invariably occur at the furthes point from home, destination, station and bike shops), then get said public transport back to the nearest stop, traipse back to where I left my bike, hope it's still there, then, what, walk the bike home, and fix the puncture there?
Or I could add c500g to my 20kg all weather commuting bike setup (including panniers containing clothes and my lunch), and fix any puncture at the roadside in 10 (front wheel, little cursing) to 20 minutes (rear wheel, Alfine hub, language that would make any passing sailor blush).
I hope that answers your question.


----------



## EthelF (26 Apr 2016)

Oh, and I do not carry a lock on my commute as I keep one at work. My lock weighs at least four times as much as my inner tube, pump and tyre levers.


----------



## mjr (26 Apr 2016)

Debade said:


> While we have terrible bicycling infrastructure in Connecticut, USA, we do have a couple of cool things around here. One is bike racks on buses.


Yeah, we're not allowed those because the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency hates bikes



> Perhaps if there are any AAA members on the site, you may want to mention this program to the UK AAA company.


The first A is American, so it's just AA here. I don't think they offer cycle recovery, but competitor ETA does: https://www.eta.co.uk/breakdown/bicycle/



Racing roadkill said:


> That's the difference between a cyclist, and someone that rides a bike. A cyclist would rather down hemlock, than give in to the p*ncture fairy, a person on a bike will phone for a lift / use public transport, to get them home.


Again with the Judean People's Front schtick. Doesn't it get boring, splitting a minority into smaller ones?



mustang1 said:


> The mess that is public transport is the reason I ride a bike in the first place.


Literally true in my case - I wouldn't trust the school buses to get me to exams...



ManiaMuse said:


> A pair of latex gloves also takes up no room at all in your rucksack/panniers and saves you from covering your hands in oil as well.


I don't see the point. My nails just rip them in no time, so then my hands are covered in oil plus cornflour from the gloves, which is an even worse mess. Easier to keep some wet-wipes in the bag and clean up afterwards.



EthelF said:


> fix any puncture at the roadside in 10 (front wheel, little cursing) to 20 minutes (rear wheel, Alfine hub, language that would make any passing sailor blush).


I recognise that problem of Shimano hub gears - after 20 minutes, I've probably just about got the rear wheel off. Sturmeys are far simpler, but even then I prefer to try patching without removing the wheel.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz33ozlTvdo


----------



## MontyVeda (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Fair point about rural surroundings with no alternative transport. But apart from that, *to me it seems unnecessary hassle to have to constantly carry the repair kit* and spend time fiddling around trying to fix it outside. How often to punctures occur anyway? Surely it can't be more than once a year if you're unlucky.


Have you ever seen a puncture repair kit? They're a lot smaller than a car battery you know. Why would carrying something the size of a flapjack be 'unnecessary hassle'? If you're holding it in your hand for the duration of your ride i imagine it could be hassle, but most sensible people would put it in a pocket or saddle bag. I have a few self seal patches and a square inch of sandpaper tapped beneath my saddle. Can't remember the last time i used it... but it's handier to have it with me than at home.


----------



## Dayvo (26 Apr 2016)

Marmion said:


> People who live in the sticks do cycle to work...



People who live in the sticks drive tractors.


----------



## screenman (26 Apr 2016)

mjray said:


> I don't see the point. My nails just rip them in no time, so then my hands are covered in oil plus cornflour from the gloves, which is an even worse mess. Easier to keep some wet-wipes in the bag and clean up afterwards.



I wear latex gloves for work and never put my nails through, maybe you have the wrong size gloves. Also what cornflour? unpowdered is the way to go.


----------



## Tim Hall (26 Apr 2016)

Racing roadkill said:


> Must resist......... Ah nuts.
> 
> View attachment 126176


What do those pictures mean?


----------



## ufkacbln (26 Apr 2016)

Members of the opposite sex stop and ask if they can help you



Have I invented "P*nct*re dating?


----------



## ufkacbln (26 Apr 2016)

screenman said:


> I wear latex gloves for work and never put my nails through, maybe you have the wrong size gloves. Also what cornflour? unpowdered is the way to go.



Sorry to get "serious"

Latex allergy is a real issue and many of the powders act as irritants and sensitisers exacerbating the issues

If you go down this route - unpowered nitrile gloves


----------



## ufkacbln (26 Apr 2016)

Tim Hall said:


> What do those pictures mean?



Mean the pictures what?


----------



## mjr (26 Apr 2016)

screenman said:


> I wear latex gloves for work and never put my nails through, maybe you have the wrong size gloves.


Most of them say "one size" but it's more likely because my nails are pretty hard and damage walls and other bits of buildings if I'm not careful. Even thicker lab gloves don't last long if I'm doing the sort of tasks which require holding things with my fingertips, as most cycling repairs do. It's only oil or dirt, so I just wipe it off after and wash when possible.


----------



## Glow worm (26 Apr 2016)

I always carry a pump, a repair kit and one inner tube, plus wet wipes for the clean up. 
I'm a bit of a plodder so any extra weight on board doesn't bother me, especially as I'm normally carrying at least a large pair of binoculars, a Thermos, wet weather clothes and drinks


----------



## Sheffield_Tiger (26 Apr 2016)

I find that if you carry a bank of CO2 cylinders, in an emergency you can strap them to your bicycle clips and use them as a jet pack to get home


----------



## youngoldbloke (26 Apr 2016)

Out in the sticks dock leaves make good protection if you have to handle the chain.


----------



## Sheffield_Tiger (26 Apr 2016)

youngoldbloke said:


> Out in the sticks dock leaves make good protection if you have to handle the chain.


And when you've run out of patches you can stuff the tyre with them too!


----------



## mcshroom (26 Apr 2016)

I also ride to work along a route with no public transport. As I already have a change of clothes, a lock (for keeping the bike from blowing over in our cycle shed), and my lunch on the bike then I can't see much point in not carrying some puncture stuff.


----------



## EltonFrog (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> In the off chance that your tyres get punctured, would you not just use public transport?
> 
> I would lock my bike up to a nearby rack, and then catch a bus or taxi to where-ever I need to be. Do other people's tyres get punctured that often to make it worthwhile constantly carrying a repair kit?



In the four years that I have been reading this forum this post is without a single shadow of a doubt the most pointless, inane and idiotic question I have thus far read. I can't believe the thread had gone to six pages.


----------



## screenman (26 Apr 2016)

CarlP said:


> In the four years that I have been reading this forum this post is without a single shadow of a doubt the most pointless, inane and idiotic question I have thus far read. I can't believe the thread had gone to six pages.



7


----------



## raleighnut (26 Apr 2016)

screenman said:


> 7


And a half.


----------



## Vantage (26 Apr 2016)

Unlike many of their owners, my vittoria voyager hypers act like a homing beacon to the pf and so I carry at least 2 spare tubes along with the p kit levers and pump. 
My latest visit was twice on an 11 mile route to Urmston from Bolton along ncr55 on Monday. No buses on that route really. Plus the added benefit that the chances of my bike still being were I left it despite using every lock on the planet are zilch. 
I'd rather carry my bike loaded with bricks than leave it for a bus.


----------



## jonny jeez (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> In the off chance that your tyres get punctured, would you not just use public transport?
> 
> I would lock my bike up to a nearby rack, and then catch a bus or taxi to where-ever I need to be. Do other people's tyres get punctured that often to make it worthwhile constantly carrying a repair kit?


Are you being serious?

you think its easier to leave the bike, pay for transport then come back and what, collect the bike in a car?

You're messing right?


----------



## gavroche (26 Apr 2016)

I hardest part is putting tyre back on in my opinion, the rest is fairly quick.


----------



## fossyant (26 Apr 2016)

Has the OP been back. Not carrying a kit can also mean missing meetings on a commute. Wonder where he lives with ample public transport and a taxi on hand. Not outside of inner London ?

I started carrying CO2 as that took changes down to 5 minutes as pumping up the tyres can take time. I had changed my route that included a glass strewn shared cycle path (old rail line) which meant a sturdier tyre also. 

Weekend rides, I rarely ever punctured, but it's always good to have spares as the odd numpty you could help...


----------



## Rickshaw Phil (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Fair point about rural surroundings with no alternative transport. But apart from that, to me it seems unnecessary hassle to have to constantly carry the repair kit and spend time fiddling around trying to fix it outside. *How often to punctures occur anyway? *Surely it can't be more than once a year if you're unlucky.


Since starting my current job just over a year and a half ago, 3 punctures out on the road (1 x faulty tube, 1 x shard of glass 1 x hawthorn) and 3 at work (all faulty tubes). I'm another of those rural commuters so again, public transport isn't really an option.

A repair kit and a tube or two take up so little space and weight I don't understand what the issue is with carrying them.


----------



## summerdays (26 Apr 2016)

I've had two in the last year or so, one on a ring road that I don't think had many buses at that time ... And one up a mountain (definitely no buses even at the foot of the hill!)


----------



## Pat "5mph" (26 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> I wasn't so much tempting fate as trying to get at the question of often do people usually get punctures?


Well, on sturdy, well inflated, daily inspected for debris tyres maybe once a year.
If I'm walking distance from home/work/friends sometimes I don't carry a repair kit. Got one at work though, obviously many at home, and all my friends cycle, so they will have one to give me.
Roadies on skinny tyres will have more punctures i guess.
Any distance over 5 miles I will carry spare tube, patches, pump, multitool + chain tool and spare links.


----------



## Saluki (26 Apr 2016)

I live in Cornwall. I'm not sure that there is public transport in the county. I might be wrong but I've not seen a bus yet.
It takes 5 minutes to change an innertube, if that. 6 or 7 mins to patch a hole and be back on the road. I always carry a patch kit, Co2 kit too as I'm lazy and hate pumping. Oh, I carry a small mini pump too.


----------



## Tim Hall (26 Apr 2016)

Pat "5mph" said:


> Roadies on skinny tyres will have more punctures i guess.


Hmm, that's interesting. A skinny tyre will have a long thin contact patch. Won't that have a lower chance of encountering something sharp than a wide contact patch of the same area. Add to that the likelihood that a skinny roadie tyre is going to be at a higher pressure than a big hybrid tyre, then the contact patch will be smaller anyway. On the other hand the big hybrid tyre might be a thick puncture resistant job, while the skinny roadie tyre is an object made of gossamer and fairy wings with all the puncture resistance of a breath of fresh air. I dunno.


----------



## slowmotion (26 Apr 2016)

Tim Hall said:


> Hmm, that's interesting. A skinny tyre will have a long thin contact patch. Won't that have a lower chance of encountering something sharp than a wide contact patch of the same area. Add to that the likelihood that a skinny roadie tyre is going to be at a higher pressure than a big hybrid tyre, then the contact patch will be smaller anyway. On the other hand the big hybrid tyre might be a thick puncture resistant job, while the skinny roadie tyre is an object made of gossamer and fairy wings with all the puncture resistance of a breath of fresh air. I dunno.


Good points. The other possible advantage of skinny tyres is that the riders of them tend to be acutely aware of the road surface (grooves etc) and so might be expected to spot more fairy material compared to bigger-tyred riders. Well, it's a thought.


----------



## Pat "5mph" (26 Apr 2016)

slowmotion said:


> Good points. The other possible advantage of skinny tyres is that the riders of them tend to be acutely aware of the road surface (grooves etc) and so might be expected to spot more fairy material compared to bigger-tyred riders. Well, it's a thought.


Ermm, I do look where I'm cycling 
Anyhoo, twice an inner exploded on me (tear of the valve), once at home, once about 30 miles from home, miles away from any main road.
Without a spare tube I would have been in trouble!


----------



## dave r (26 Apr 2016)

4000-5000 miles a year, 3 or 4 puncture a year. Most rides out in the sticks, 30-40 miles from home and no public transport equals a long walk home. In town lock bike up and abandon it to continue on foot or public transport, get back to it the following day to find all thats left is the frame, the local yobs have stripped it overnight. The op is having a LARF.


----------



## Thursday guy (26 Apr 2016)

Blue Hills said:


> Sorry. Am speechless. Await more posts on your minimalist approach to cycling.



Haha I didn't realise quite the fuss this would cause. Most people I see cycling around town don't seem to be carrying anything more than themselves when cycling. I have to say this place and the reaction here is quite fascinating to me as a casual rider.


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

dave r said:


> 4000-5000 miles a year, 3 or 4 puncture a year. Most rides out in the sticks, 30-40 miles from home and no public transport equals a long walk home. In town lock bike up and abandon it to continue on foot or public transport, get back to it the following day to find all thats left is the frame, the local yobs have stripped it overnight. The op is having a LARF.



I was actually thinking of leaving the bike outside for a few hours rather than overnight, at least until you are back from work/meeting, before going back to pick up the bike. 

Unless your bike is worth more than £800 and/or you have a bad lock, I don't think you would have much issue with having it parked in a reasonably busy space for that amount time during the day in most cities.


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

User46386 said:


> .
> 
> Most people I know carry inner tubes and punctures are very arbitrary, you could have 2 on a ride then not have any for ages. You just dont know. I think your winding people up here.



Winding people up?

This place is quite funny. You ask a plain question and get treated with deep suspicions. At first I thought it was just jokes and banter, now it seems some are genuinely quite offended. I hate to be blunt, but maybe some people here should learn to be a little less sensitive and realise that there's a world of cyclists beyond their small serious community, people who are quite 'casual' in their approach to cycling, who don't pack repair kits and are ready to fix a puncture on the go. 

Around where I live, public transport is decent. I wouldn't say excellent though. But if I do have a puncture, I wouldn't hesitate to lock it up besides a rack and take the bus/train to where I need to be, or even push the bike with me for the rest of the journey, rather than spend 20 mins outside potentially in the wind and rain fiddling around with the tyres and get bike grease on me.


----------



## shouldbeinbed (27 Apr 2016)

EthelF said:


> to 20 minutes (rear wheel, Alfine hub, language that would make any passing sailor blush).



Genuine question, what are you doing that it takes so long with an Alfine hub?

Do you use a 2mm Allen key in the little rotator slot to loosen off the cable tension & unhitch it & same getting it back on? It's as quick as hoiking a derailleur out of the way but Shimano do tend to expect you to know the slot is there.


----------



## shouldbeinbed (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Winding people up?
> 
> This place is quite funny. You ask a plain question and get treated with deep suspicions. At first I thought it was just jokes and banter, now it seems some are genuinely quite offended.* I hate to be blunt, but maybe some people here should learn to be a little less sensitive and realise that there's a world of cyclists beyond their small serious community, people who are quite 'casual' in their approach to cycling*, who don't pack repair kits and are ready to fix a puncture on the go.
> 
> Around where I live, public transport is decent. I wouldn't say excellent though. But if I do have a puncture, I wouldn't hesitate to lock it up besides a rack and take the bus/train to where I need to be, or even push the bike with me for the rest of the journey, rather than spend 20 mins outside potentially in the wind and rain fiddling around with the tyres and get bike grease on me.


You tend to find the more committed/interested/enthusiastic types on web forums though.

I don't subscribe to the elitist 'cyclist vs person on a bike' bollocks in the slightest but if you think being equipped to change a puncture mid ride makes me some sort of bike snob, then guilty as charged.

This place is a positive Mecca of calm and acceptance of occasionally daft questions and strange notions to enthusiasts compared to other bike forums.

What were you expecting this place to be if not a place for people who are adept and keen enough to perform the most simple repair task on a bike and one which is an occupational hazard when riding, rather than go to the extra time and cost inconveniences that comes along with bailing out at the first sign of a minor problem to deal with.


----------



## Blue Hills (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Winding people up?
> 
> This place is quite funny. You ask a plain question and get treated with deep suspicions. At first I thought it was just jokes and banter, now it seems some are genuinely quite offended. I hate to be blunt, but maybe some people here should learn to be a little less sensitive and realise that there's a world of cyclists beyond their small serious community, people who are quite 'casual' in their approach to cycling, who don't pack repair kits and are ready to fix a puncture on the go.



I think if I were you I would be inclined to take some of the advice on this thread.

You could have fixed a puncture in less time than it has taken you to pore over this thread.

Or don't take the advice and report back on your experiences with your system.


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

shouldbeinbed said:


> You tend to find the more committed/interested/enthusiastic types on web forums though.
> 
> I don't subscribe to the elitist 'cyclist vs person on a bike' bollocks in the slightest but if you think being equipped to change a puncture mid ride makes me some sort of bike snob, then guilty as charged.
> 
> ...



Haha where did you get the idea that I thought people are snobs for being able to fix a puncture? 

There's no 'elitist cyclist vs person on a bike bollocks' apart from maybe your own imagination. What I actually said, is that I find it hilarious some people here could have such an enclosed mindset to think someone is winding others up just because they asked a simple question about what people carry with them on rides.

It's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that some cyclists, probably most by my guess, don't constantly carry repair kits with them and therefore wouldn't fix a puncture on the spot if they had one. I'm not surprised in a cycling dedicated forum that most here are capable of repairing on the spot. What I am surprised about, is the level of detachment from reality that some here have displayed.


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

Blue Hills said:


> I think if I were you I would be inclined to take some of the advice on this thread.
> 
> You could have fixed a puncture in less time than it has taken you to pore over this thread.
> 
> Or don't take the advice and report back on your experiences with your system.



Well my experience so far is that *touch wood*, I have not been in a position to have to fix a puncture.

Fair point though, it's all mostly decent advice by the looks of how easy it is to fix a puncture. I can see the benefits of what people have said about spending 20mins fixing the fault over attempting to catch a bus/train, especially if public transport is shoddy and/or your route is isolated. Personally, my commutes are within town, so I never have to worry about finding a rack to lock up and then catching a bus or walking to my destination. Maybe this makes me very privileged judging by other people's experiences of riding through woods, middleofnowhereshire and nightmare bus drivers. I wouldn't be able fix a puncture within a reasonable amount of time, so that factors into my current plan.


----------



## summerdays (27 Apr 2016)

Everyone has different approaches, and it is a sad fact of life that a number of bikes are laying in sheds and garages for months or years because their owners don't know how to fix a puncture. 

I know it takes a while and practice to improve, and I'm not at the point where it's very fast for me but I have noticed the time to fix a tyre reducing .. Luckily the fairy is very nice to me normally and picks on others mostly!


----------



## Firestorm (27 Apr 2016)

A bloke at work takes his bike to an LBS when he gets a puncture.
He does 50 plus miles a week , often going out 3 times on a Sunday, counts 15 minute spins round the block.
When asked about his bike, he doesn't know its colour or whether the front forks are suspension or not.
As someone said earlier, there are all sorts


----------



## screenman (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Haha I didn't realise quite the fuss this would cause. Most people I see cycling around town don't seem to be carrying anything more than themselves when cycling. I have to say this place and the reaction here is quite fascinating to me as a casual rider.



Not all people live in a town bubble. In fact the nearest town to me is 11 miles away.

Also where is this 20 minutes to repair a puncture bit coming from? 5 minutes tops to change a tube and inflate and be back on your way.


----------



## Bazzer (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Well my experience so far is that *touch wood*, I have not been in a position to have to fix a puncture.
> 
> Fair point though, it's all mostly decent advice by the looks of how easy it is to fix a puncture. I can see the benefits of what people have said about spending 20mins fixing the fault over attempting to catch a bus/train, especially if public transport is shoddy and/or your route is isolated.* Personally, my commutes are within town, so I never have to worry about finding a rack to lock up and then catching a bus or walking to my destination.* Maybe this makes me very privileged judging by other people's experiences of riding through woods, middleofnowhereshire and nightmare bus drivers. I wouldn't be able fix a puncture within a reasonable amount of time, so that factors into my current plan.



Even a cursory glance through the forum would have shown you that the cyclists here have a very wide range of rides, whether used for work, commuting, social or any combination of the three. And a rudimentary knowledge of life outside a town should have made you aware that a lot of people do not have access to adequate public transport.


----------



## vickster (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> I was actually thinking of leaving the bike outside for a few hours rather than overnight, at least until you are back from work/meeting, before going back to pick up the bike.
> 
> Unless your bike is worth more than £800 and/or you have a bad lock, I don't think you would have much issue with having it parked in a reasonably busy space for that amount time during the day in most cities.


I had a £400 bike stolen from a busy street in the middle of London on a sunny Sunday afternoon so I do t get your theory on value or location. Luckily I was 5 minutes from London Bridge station and the bike was insured. I stupidly used a cable lock while I popped into a bike shop for 10 minutes

There's no way I could change a tube in 5 minutes but some evidently can. In fact I really struggle at the roadside, so when I'm able to cycle I pay £18 a year to ETA to rescue me and also when I ride alone, I'm rarely more than a mile from a station. I do carry the means to fix though, tube not repair kit. I've never repaired a tube, life's too short and mostly my tubes seem to end up with big holes and beyond repair


----------



## dave r (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> I was actually thinking of leaving the bike outside for a few hours rather than overnight, at least until you are back from work/meeting, before going back to pick up the bike.
> 
> Unless your bike is worth more than £800 and/or you have a bad lock, I don't think you would have much issue with having it parked in a reasonably busy space for that amount time during the day in most cities.



Here, like most cities, it doesn't matter how good your lock is if they want it they'll take it, they will use a battery powered angle grinder or cutter to break the lock, all the lock does is slow them down a bit. There are places here I wouldn't leave a bike. Even leaving a bike for a few hours risks people stripping components off the bike.


----------



## dave r (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Haha where did you get the idea that I thought people are snobs for being able to fix a puncture?
> 
> It's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that some cyclists, probably most by my guess, don't constantly carry repair kits with them and therefore wouldn't fix a puncture on the spot if they had one. I'm not surprised in a cycling dedicated forum that most here are capable of repairing on the spot. What I am surprised about, is the level of detachment from reality that some here have displayed.



I've been cycling for over 40 years, I was a club cyclist for over 25 years, I'm still in touch with a lot of my old club mates, the majority of the people I've cycled with carry enough tools to deal with most emergencies. Yes there are people who are ill equipped, but in my experience they are in the minority.


----------



## Vantage (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> I was actually thinking of leaving the bike outside for a few hours rather than overnight, at least until you are back from work/meeting, before going back to pick up the bike.
> 
> Unless your bike is worth more than £800 and/or you have a bad lock, I don't think you would have much issue with having it parked in a reasonably busy space for that amount time during the day in most cities.



Why only more than £800?
When I bought my Dawes Vantage 4 years ago it cost me £412 and took me 2 years to pay that loan off. That was it's sale price down from the rrp of £600.
The current frame and fork I'm using now set me back £140 and that'll take another couple months to pay off. 
£800 is fairytale amounts of money to some people in that I'm unlikely to ever see that in my hand. A pringled wheel would see my bike resigned from duty for a few weeks at least due to cost. And cost doesn't always come into it.
I have a fondness for my bike despite its low financial worth. It's been the biggest pain in my a$$ lately and at one point I considered just getting rid of it but no amount of money could replace it. I built it. It's a one off. Mine. 
It's a bit like the choice between a 1950's VW Beetle and the latest Ferrari. The Ferrari may be faster, quieter, comfier and to some people nicer looking, but the old VW Bug has character. That can't be bought.
Then there's the fact that even the Kryptonite New York lock which is reputed to be the best in the business can be defeated in around 5 mins or less with an angle grinder. Busy areas make no difference as few people nowadays will attempt to stop a thief due to personal safety concerns.
I'd rather sit in the pi $$ing hail fixing a hole in my inner tube than risk it to some lowlife scumbag who sells it for his next coke fix.


----------



## EltonFrog (27 Apr 2016)

Nine pages of this buffoonery!


----------



## Rickshaw Phil (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Winding people up?
> 
> This place is quite funny. You ask a plain question and get treated with deep suspicions. At first I thought it was just jokes and banter, now it seems some are genuinely quite offended.* I hate to be blunt, but maybe some people here should learn to be a little less sensitive and realise that there's a world of cyclists beyond their small serious community, people who are quite 'casual' in their approach to cycling, who don't pack repair kits and are ready to fix a puncture on the go. *
> 
> Around where I live, public transport is decent. I wouldn't say excellent though. But if I do have a puncture, I wouldn't hesitate to lock it up besides a rack and take the bus/train to where I need to be, or even push the bike with me for the rest of the journey, rather than spend 20 mins outside potentially in the wind and rain fiddling around with the tyres and get bike grease on me.


That's quite rude. The comments aren't about being a "small serious community" it's about having been there, gained the experience and wanting to pass it on so others don't have to learn the hard way.

When I was new to cycle commuting (3 miles from the edge of town to near the centre) I was a "casual" cyclist and didn't take along anything for repairs to the bike. After all, how often do you pick up a flat? After one ride which turned into a walk because both tyres punctured I changed my mind and now carry something on all but the shortest trips.

Even on that in-town trip the bus wouldn't have been a convenient alternative as the routes radiate from the town centre so after walking to a stop I'd have had to travel into the centre and change to another bus out again , much quicker to walk from where the bike became unridable.

If locking the bike up and retrieving it later works for you then that's fine. Most riders would rather complete the jouney with their bike that's all.


----------



## Blue Hills (27 Apr 2016)

dave r said:


> Here, like most cities, it doesn't matter how good your lock is if they want it they'll take it, they will use a battery powered angle grinder or cutter to break the lock, all the lock does is slow them down a bit. There are places here I wouldn't leave a bike. Even leaving a bike for a few hours risks people stripping components off the bike.


An unfortunate truth well restated. Hopefully i will be ok as around london i use a bike that looks like nowt (though it is my favourite) and now always use 2 d locks on it. With london's crowded bike racks there will always be something the angle grinder would be more productively used on.** I never left my cannondale out of sight in london, locked or not. I know someone who popped into the old on yer bike shop near london bridge for 5 mins in the rush hour and came out to find his d-locked carbon bike gone.

** fair to assume that folk using an angle grinder will only nick one bike?


----------



## EltonFrog (27 Apr 2016)

User said:


> Will you be popping back at 11 pages?



I may well do, but if there's any justice or divine intervention the thread won't reach 11 pages.


----------



## shouldbeinbed (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> I wouldn't be able fix a puncture within a reasonable amount of time, so that factors into my current plan.



Which is a whole different scenario to your rather bizarre out of context initial question and makes more sense of your ludicrous reply to me a few posts upthread.

You could have started a thread in the beginners section and asking how difficult or easy is it to fix a puncture?

anyway here have a look at this video and random links to the whole 11 worth of kit you'd need to set you up with a simple bicycle skill for life, get an old innertube or two and; I'd recommend; some park tools tyre levers and glueless patches and have a go. Trust me you can get capable in the time it'd take you to wait for a bus.

Video on how to fix a puncture




Links, based on very positive personal experience of using the items, to all you need to be able to do it:

patches and levers: http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do?method=view&n=3561&p=33320&d=124&c=4&l=2&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base&utm_campaign=Puncture Repair Kits&gclid=CO2ko86qrswCFY4y0wodbPcG2Q

Mini pump easily capable of 100 PSI + at the roadside and without killing you http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak-pocket-rocket-pump/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&sku=5360098338&kpid=5360098338&utm_source=google&utm_term&utm_campaign=UK_PLA_Accessories&utm_medium=base&utm_content=mkwid|sQn2G2plJ_dc|pcrid|71714696822|pkw||pmt||prd|5360098338uk


Theres any number of youtube how to's that cover fixing a puncture with time and other stuff at home or using the more faffy old style rubber patches and rubber solution in a squeeze tube kits.

hope that helps.


----------



## Globalti (27 Apr 2016)

I've just read the first post and am surprised at the acrimony it's created.

My attitude to punctures are that they are a good excuse to stop for a breather and a yarn, and a minor irritant that is easily sorted if you are competent and properly equipped. This means carrying tyre levers, a spare tube and a pump or CO2 cylinder. In case those fail I also carry a second CO2 cylinder and some sticky patches. If all fails or something breaks, I would either phone home for a lift or get walking and hope a cyclist comes along, or hitch a lift. I would NEVER abandon my bike as it would certainly be stolen and I'd feel a prat walking around in cycling gear without a bike.

I used to find hitch-hiking was easier if I had my climbing rope on view as people could see the purpose of my trip; I've never had to hitch with a bike but I'm willing to bet I'd get a lift very quickly from someone in an estate car, a van or a Land Rover.


----------



## shouldbeinbed (27 Apr 2016)

Globalti said:


> I've just read the first post and am surprised at the acrimony it's created.



to be fair the acrimony only arrived after several pages of people suggesting; on a cycling forum of all places; that fixing a puncture isn't that difficult a task, and started to get the comeback that (paraphrasing here) we're all niche oddballs who are doing it wrong when theres a perfectly good bus service available, even if there isn't.

I don't think it is unreasonable for someone posting, outside of the beginners section of a cycling forum, about choosing to temporarily abandon their bike for something as simple as a flat tyre to have a puncture repair kit suggested to them as a good idea.


maybe you could chip into the sum of knowledge and help @Thursday guy out with a bit of constructive advice to improve his cycling mojo?

edited to read better after dave r liked it.


----------



## MontyVeda (27 Apr 2016)

Firestorm said:


> *A bloke at work takes his bike to an LBS when he gets a puncture.*
> ...


Someone I know goes to an LBS to get the tyres pumped up! They also (according to them) went 'berserk' when said LBS started charging £1 for the service. 

...then there's the tool i use to work with who took his back to halfords (under warranty) because it had a flat tyre and kicked off when told that the warranty doesn't cover punctures.


----------



## I like Skol (27 Apr 2016)

What an interesting thread! I cannot imagine anybody who regularly travels more than a mile or two by bike not travelling with the means to fix a puncture. I have carried repair stuff from a very young age and as soon as I began to travel more than a mile or so from home. I am surprised that no one has drawn the parallel with driving and spare wheels. I would have been stranded and massively delayed at least a dozen times in the 25yrs I have been driving if I hadn't the tools and ability to change a flat tyre. Same for riding to work, have never been late due to a puncture on the 10 mile ride although there have been quite a few in my 5yrs of cycle commuting.
Not being prepared for a puncture is a gamble. You might get away with it for a long time as they are a random event and I suppose, statistically, some people will never have one. But I think anyone that rides even half regularly will thank themselves for carrying the repair kit the second time it happens.
I also take full kit if out with the family for a summer Sunday ride. It would really spoil the day if one of the bikes were disabled by a mere puncture during a ride out for a pub lunch. The cry of 'Daddy, you're super and saved the day again' is far preferable to 'Why do you bring us out on these shoot bikes and ruin our weekend!'
Think about it!


----------



## Truth (27 Apr 2016)

If he had the three year "Bike Care Plan" with Halfords he could have bought an inner tube from them and they would have put it in for him  ! Everything bought from them is fitted free they told me if you have this ...........


----------



## Globalti (27 Apr 2016)

The laws of statistics will always prevail and the more bikes there are in your group, the more likely you are to be delayed by a puncture or a mechanical. One of several reasons why I gave up mountain biking was the frustration at having to wait ages while ill-prepared members of the group had their badly-maintained bikes fixed or their tyres pumped by other, better-prepared members. To turn up for a group ride ill-equipped and rely on others to fix your bike is downright bad manners.

For me, one of the joys of cycling is the knowledge that you've got the fitness, the bike, the kit and the nutrition to be self-sufficient while out in the middle of nowhere.


----------



## mjr (27 Apr 2016)

Tim Hall said:


> Hmm, that's interesting. A skinny tyre will have a long thin contact patch. Won't that have a lower chance of encountering something sharp than a wide contact patch of the same area. Add to that the likelihood that a skinny roadie tyre is going to be at a higher pressure than a big hybrid tyre, then the contact patch will be smaller anyway.


But that smaller contact patch pushes down with higher pressure, so if you do run over a fairy present, there's more chance that it will go through.



Thursday guy said:


> Most people I see cycling around town don't seem to be carrying anything more than themselves when cycling.


A patch kit and mini pump will easily fit in a pocket, or even if no pump is carried, it's only a short walk in most towns to a petrol station with a pump - although many advise against using them on bikes, plenty of people do.



shouldbeinbed said:


> Do you use a 2mm Allen key in the little rotator slot to loosen off the cable tension & unhitch it & same getting it back on? It's as quick as hoiking a derailleur out of the way but Shimano do tend to expect you to know the slot is there.


That bit may be, but then there's the brake reaction arm, the chainguard holder and all the other stuff that Shimano hub gears often seem to have hanging on the axle.



Globalti said:


> To turn up for a group ride ill-equipped and rely on others to fix your bike is downright bad manners.


Not always. Some groups are quite happy to say "only a bike is needed" and the guide and/or back-marker carry common tools and spares. If people keep coming, then it's preferred that they carry suitable spares and ideally mini tools and levers which they may need on their solo rides to/from the start/finish, but there's not that much point in everyone carrying duplicate full toolkits, or letting obtaining those tools and spares being a barrier to starting riding, is there?

A few weeks ago, one of the riders who has been there far longer than me found that he hadn't the correct-size spare tube for his new bike... I didn't hear anyone suggesting it was bad manners. 



Thursday guy said:


> Personally, my commutes are within town, so I never have to worry about finding a rack to lock up and then catching a bus or walking to my destination.


Where is this utopia with working public transport, plentiful cycle parking throughout town and no thieves?


----------



## EthelF (27 Apr 2016)

shouldbeinbed said:


> Genuine question, what are you doing that it takes so long with an Alfine hub?
> .



I get rear punctures rarely enough to forget each time what I did the previous time, so there is much faffing about!


----------



## Globalti (27 Apr 2016)

Last week we spent a couple of days happily wandering around Amsterdam while dodging thousands of bikes. A bicycle has such a different value and meaning in the Netherlands that I'm pretty sure people have two or more and keep them chained up at the ends of the bus, train or tram routes that they use regularly. We also saw many bikes wrecked and abandoned, probably because people had moved home, forgotten where they left their bikes or just lost interest when the bike broke or had a puncture. We saw a video of a grab pulling dozens of bikes out of the canals, which the Dutch say are 3 metres deep - 1 metre water, 1 metre mud and 1 metre bikes.


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

Bazzer said:


> Even a cursory glance through the forum would have shown you that the cyclists here have a very wide range of rides, whether used for work, commuting, social or any combination of the three. And a rudimentary knowledge of life outside a town should have made you aware that a lot of people do not have access to adequate public transport.



Yeah, hence why I said, 'personally', to indicate that its own experience. I am quite aware of life existing beyond good public transport served towns and cities.


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

Globalti said:


> *I've just read the first post and am surprised at the acrimony it's created.*
> 
> My attitude to punctures are that they are a good excuse to stop for a breather and a yarn, and a minor irritant that is easily sorted if you are competent and properly equipped. This means carrying tyre levers, a spare tube and a pump or CO2 cylinder. In case those fail I also carry a second CO2 cylinder and some sticky patches. If all fails or something breaks, I would either phone home for a lift or get walking and hope a cyclist comes along, or hitch a lift. I would NEVER abandon my bike as it would certainly be stolen and I'd feel a prat walking around in cycling gear without a bike.
> 
> I used to find hitch-hiking was easier if I had my climbing rope on view as people could see the purpose of my trip; I've never had to hitch with a bike but I'm willing to bet I'd get a lift very quickly from someone in an estate car, a van or a Land Rover.



Haha, tell me about it. How on earth did a question about carrying repair kits cause such a fuss? You can never underestimate some people's determination to start a fight over a nothing. I suppose it's healthier to let loose the ego rage on an internet forum than out on the roads.


----------



## Globalti (27 Apr 2016)

For me the web forum is a virtual pub, a place for gossip and that gentle joshing humour that the British do so well. For others, it's a place to demonstrate your impeccable PC credentials by shooting down anybody who dares to post anything vaguely contentious or that doesn't fit your view of the world. These people are as censorious as the supposedly open-minded students who ban speakers whose views they find too controversial. The most common form of patronising pseudo-academic put-down (I had this one thown at me a few days ago) is: "Where is the study that proves your point?"


----------



## MontyVeda (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Haha, tell me about it. How on earth did a question about carrying repair kits cause such a fuss? You can never underestimate some people's determination to start a fight over a nothing. I suppose it's healthier to let loose the ego rage on an internet forum than out on the roads.


You're just having a sulk because almost all of the replies weren't... 

"you're absolutely right... that's the last time I carry a puncture kit... taking bus fare instead never crossed my mind, thank you Thursday Guy!"


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

shouldbeinbed said:


> to be fair the acrimony only arrived after several pages of people suggesting; on a cycling forum of all places; that fixing a puncture isn't that difficult a task, and started to get the comeback that (paraphrasing here) *we're all niche oddballs who are doing it wrong when theres a perfectly good bus service available, even if there isn't*.



Hmmm.....Where did I say that? 

Would love it if you could find the quote. You do seem to have a bizarre interpretation/imagination of what other people say.


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

Globalti said:


> Last week we spent a couple of days happily wandering around Amsterdam while dodging thousands of bikes. A bicycle has such a different value and meaning in the Netherlands that I'm pretty sure people have two or more and keep them chained up at the ends of the bus, train or tram routes that they use regularly. We also saw many bikes wrecked and abandoned, probably because people had moved home, forgotten where they left their bikes or just lost interest when the bike broke or had a puncture. We saw a video of a grab pulling dozens of bikes out of the canals, which the Dutch say are 3 metres deep - 1 metre water, 1 metre mud and 1 metre bikes.



Interesting. The Dutch do seem a lot more relaxed about their approach. No helmets, etc. I suppose that's what better cycling infrastructure brings.


----------



## Bazzer (27 Apr 2016)

So if your personal experience is [commuting_]"... within town, so I never have to worry about finding a rack to lock up and then catching a bus or walking to my destination."_ but you are also "_....aware of life existing beyond good public transport served towns and cities." _why ask the fatuous question in your start to this thread?


----------



## Thursday guy (27 Apr 2016)

mjray said:


> Where is this utopia with working public transport, plentiful cycle parking throughout town and no thieves?



Going off my experience of having ridden in London, Cambridge, Manchester, Bristol. Ironically, the hotspots for thieves as I understand


----------



## EltonFrog (27 Apr 2016)

User said:


> That may, or may not, be so. The bit I don't understand is the need to comment about a thread you don't want to participate in.



Who said I don't want to participate? I don't understand why you don't understand, nor much do I care why you don't understand.


----------



## Milkfloat (27 Apr 2016)

CarlP said:


> Who said I don't want to participate? I don't understand why you don't understand, nor much do I care why you don't understand.



You wrote that just to try and get the thread to 11 pages


----------



## cyberknight (27 Apr 2016)

Glad i didnt have a puncture at 5 .30 this morning , about -2


----------



## I like Skol (27 Apr 2016)

cyberknight said:


> Glad i didnt have a puncture at 5 .30 this morning , about -2


I had mine on my last working day of 2015, on my way to work at 5.30 in the morning. Luckily it was a bit warmer then and with the spare tube and pump I carry I was sorted and back on my way in around 10 minutes at the most.......


----------



## shouldbeinbed (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Hmmm.....Where did I say that?
> 
> Would love it if you could find the quote. You do seem to have a bizarre interpretation/imagination of what other people say.





Thursday guy said:


> I have to say this place and the reaction here is quite fascinating to me as a casual rider.





Thursday guy said:


> Winding people up?
> 
> This place is quite funny. You ask a plain question and get treated with deep suspicions. At first I thought it was just jokes and banter, now it seems some are genuinely quite offended.* I hate to be blunt, but maybe some people here should learn to be a little less sensitive and realise that there's a world of cyclists beyond their small serious community,* people who are quite 'casual' in their approach to cycling, who don't pack repair kits and are ready to fix a puncture on the go.



you missed the crucial word

*PARAPHRASING.*

you really should read your own thread, its rude even for a troll not to.

and you should read other peoples contributions to it too, I let this one slide earlier but since you're back on the offensive.



Racing roadkill said:


> That's the difference between a cyclist, and someone that rides a bike. A cyclist would rather down hemlock, than give in to the p*ncture fairy, a person on a bike will phone for a lift / use public transport, to get them home.





Thursday guy said:


> There's no 'elitist cyclist vs person on a bike bollocks' apart from maybe your own imagination.



adios, thread set to ignore as you're clearly a timewaster.


----------



## Brandane (27 Apr 2016)

A modern day "puncture repair kit". You _might_ also need a pair of plastic tyre levers, but even still you aren't exactly going to need a trailer to carry it around with you, @Thursday guy


----------



## cyberknight (27 Apr 2016)

I like Skol said:


> I had mine on my last working day of 2015, on my way to work at 5.30 in the morning. Luckily it was a bit warmer then and with the spare tube and pump I carry I was sorted and back on my way in around 10 minutes at the most.......


Indeed , just a pita when it is sub zero , at least it was light not like the double pinch flat i had on unmarked roadworks when i had one tube and it was so cold the glue wasnt working ............lesson learned


----------



## Globalti (27 Apr 2016)

A few years of mountain biking will teach you the skill of replacing a tube quickly; punctures are more frequent and sometimes happen in exposed windy places or worse, shady humid places where the Caledonian Luftwaffe lurks waiting to bite you....


----------



## Tin Pot (27 Apr 2016)

Thursday guy said:


> Haha, tell me about it. How on earth did a question about carrying repair kits cause such a fuss? You can never underestimate some people's determination to start a fight over a nothing. I suppose it's healthier to let loose the ego rage on an internet forum than out on the roads.



Next, ask people what they wear on their heads...


----------



## dave r (27 Apr 2016)

I like Skol said:


> I had mine on my last working day of 2015, on my way to work at 5.30 in the morning. Luckily it was a bit warmer then and with the spare tube and pump I carry I was sorted and back on my way in around 10 minutes at the most.......



My last puncture was in February on Withybrook Lane between Shilton and Withybrook, the cause was hedge cutting.


----------



## dave r (27 Apr 2016)

Tin Pot said:


> Next, ask people what they wear on their heads...



You trying to start world war three?


----------



## Gravity Aided (28 Apr 2016)

I carry a puncture kit and a spare tube with me, because sometime I use the commuting bicycle for short range tours, and want to have things already on the bike if I want to go cycling.


----------



## Origamist (28 Apr 2016)

I don't bother with a puncture repair kit, I just strap a F&R wheel to my back. Takes 10 secs to swop them over and I'm back on the road.


----------



## youngoldbloke (28 Apr 2016)

Used to do it all the time


----------



## martint235 (28 Apr 2016)

Never, ever carried a puncture repair kit. And to be honest, anyone willing to ride a tyre with a tube patched by me really needs locking up for their own safety. In fact even if I've put a new tube in, you'd be pretty mad to ride it. I ride them cos I have to.


----------



## clid61 (28 Apr 2016)

Cant believe this thread has gone this long without a blowout


----------



## Truth (28 Apr 2016)

BANG !!!!!


----------



## Dogtrousers (29 Apr 2016)

This thread has an inflated sense of its own importance.


----------



## vickster (29 Apr 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> This thread has an inflated sense of its own importance.


Or a deflated sense?


----------



## Arjimlad (29 Apr 2016)

I have been resisting posting but every time I see the title it goads me. I carry puncture repair equipment because I cycle ten miles into work mostly on country lanes away from all public transport routes and I do not wish to carry a heavy lock with me or have to walk five miles to work or to home, and I have had occasional punctures over the years. Sorry for posting on this already long thread but it feels cathartic to have done so and the thread title will no longer annoy me now.


----------



## raleighnut (29 Apr 2016)

What really 'gets to me' about this thread is that someone could go out on a ride and not be prepared for a small inconvenience and expect somebody else to 'bail them out' if a problem occurs.


----------



## Thursday guy (29 Apr 2016)

raleighnut said:


> What really 'gets to me' about this thread is that someone could go out on a ride and not be prepared for a small inconvenience and expect somebody else to 'bail them out' if a problem occurs.



Haha, 'gets to me'?

Lighten up mate


----------



## DRHysted (29 Apr 2016)

This is a wind up thread isn't it? I couldn't imagine someone locking up something and trying to find alternative transport just because they've had a puncture. 
Personally I don't have a choice, there is no public transport running when I'm commuting or near where I'm commuting, so it's repair or long walk. 
Regarding the occurrence of punctures, last year I had 2, so far this year 16 (it's proving a bad year so far).


----------



## Sharky (30 Apr 2016)

youngoldbloke said:


> Used to do it all the time


I've done that as well.


----------



## screenman (30 Apr 2016)

Sharky said:


> I've done that as well.



Me too. I think it might be an age thing.


----------



## potsy (30 Apr 2016)

I think for the type of riding the OP is talling about he'd be better off fitting some solid 'Tannus' tyres or an equivalent.

No worries about ever having a puncture then 

Personally I hardly ever go anywhere without my repair stuff, maybe when I go to the shop which is a one mile round trip, but anything over that I just wouldn't feel comfortable, and coming from someone who has maybe one (maximum two) flats per year.


----------



## coffeejo (30 Apr 2016)

potsy said:


> coming from someone who has maybe one (maximum two) flats per year.


That's terrible, potsy. That's one or two punctures per mile.


----------



## Pat "5mph" (30 Apr 2016)

coffeejo said:


> That's terrible, potsy. That's one or two punctures per mile.


You beat me to it! 
Aren't we sooo cheeky?


----------



## Mr. Cow (30 Apr 2016)

Do people bother repairing tubes? I find it too fiddly... easier to carry 2/3 tubes and just replace it in the event.

I never came a cropper with this except the other day, I had replaced no less than 3 tubes with each one the valve disintegrating. Must have been a bad batch. Luckily I was about a 20 minute walk to a LBS. If I was finishing a late or a night shift I would have been buggered as the shop would have been shut.

Needless to say I now carry 3 different brand tubes just in case.. And a few pairs of latex gloves to avoid getting oily hands.


----------



## Mr. Cow (30 Apr 2016)

fossyant said:


> PS no turning the bike upside down, slows down the process.



I'm likely being obtuse here, but how do you change it without turning the bike upside down?


----------



## Dogtrousers (30 Apr 2016)

Mr. Cow said:


> I'm likely being obtuse here, but how do you change it without turning the bike upside down?


Put bike into top gear (if rear wheel puncture), undo QR, drop the wheel out, lay bike on its side, put new tube in, pick up bike, put wheel back in.

But if you find it easier to turn the bike upside down, go ahead. 

The "No turning upside down" is one of those rules that some people care about and others don't. You may scuff up your saddle or shifters if you are not careful. Back in the olden days when brake cables emerged from the top of brake levers, rather than being routed under bar tape as they are now, there was a good reason as you could kink the inner cable and make it stick inside the outer. But these days I think it's just a matter of style. (Someone no doubt will come along in a moment with a reason I don't know about)


----------



## migrantwing (1 May 2016)

Spare tube and/or a few patches. tyre lever/s and a mini pump. Five minutes at the very longest.

It's not as silly as locking your bike up and walking 30 miles (wearing cleats) to the nearest bus stop and waiting an hour for a bus that takes you another 20 miles in the wrong direction. Why ride a bike if you're going to catch a bus?


----------



## fossyant (1 May 2016)

Also, by not tipping the bike upside down, good old gravity helps the wheel drop out, and when putting it back in, the bike weight helps ensure the axel is dead centre in the drop outs.


----------



## Tanis8472 (1 May 2016)

Ahem 

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#49


----------



## briantrumpet (1 May 2016)

Apart from anything else, if you do rides out in the countryside, it isn't always wise to rely on mobile reception - my ride yesterday went through areas of no reception at all, let alone decent data:












From when I was about ten my brother and I used to go out on day-long rides (no mobiles in those days anyway), and we took multi-spanner, puncture-repair kit, and 2p to phone home, in case of unresolvable problems. I can't remember ever having used the 2p.


----------



## Dogtrousers (1 May 2016)

Tanis8472 said:


> Ahem
> 
> http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#49


An excellent reason to do it


----------



## jefmcg (1 May 2016)

Flat tyre in Hyde Park, London, 8.30am. 10 minutes walk to Piccadilly, where the traffic isn't moving to catch a bus. Or 15 minutes walk to the underground, and another 10 minutes getting to the platform and on a train + same at other end, 2 or 3 stops away? And much worse if you need to make a change. Fingers crossed they haven't closed Bank station due to congestion. Oh, and God help you if you want to get to Canary Wharf. On a bad day that trip (9 minutes) can take over an hour from Waterloo.

Fixing the bike, or walking the whole way are probably the quickest options even in a city with plentiful transport options and good phone signals.


----------



## Colin_P (1 May 2016)

There are of course some people who buy clothes, wear them once and throw them away, pants and socks mainly I would think.

There must also be people who use a razor once and throw it away instead of using it to the point where it rips your moosh apart before throwing it away.

And then there are those who throw a tube away without patching it... 

So it is just a natural progression, as there is nowt as queer as folk. 

Which must mean that someone somewhere must have thrown a whole bike away when it got a puncture. 

The reality however is probably even stranger and a lot more common than we at first realise; we have all seen them, bikes or what is left of them chained up seemingly for ever, local land marks even. Are these bikes like the OP's used and chained up after getting a puncture and then either forgotten or simply left to rot or more Alternatively up and down the land there must be punctured bikes languising in sheds and garages never to be fixed and used again.


----------



## snorri (1 May 2016)

Tanis8472 said:


> Ahem
> 
> http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#49


I think that applies only to the poor souls who spent so much money on their frames that they couldn't afford mudguards.


----------



## Arfcollins (1 May 2016)

Dogtrousers said:


> Put bike into top gear (if rear wheel puncture), undo QR, drop the wheel out, lay bike on its side, put new tube in, pick up bike, put wheel back in.
> 
> But if you find it easier to turn the bike upside down, go ahead.
> 
> The "No turning upside down" is one of those rules that some people care about and others don't. You may scuff up your saddle or shifters if you are not careful. Back in the olden days when brake cables emerged from the top of brake levers, rather than being routed under bar tape as they are now, there was a good reason as you could kink the inner cable and make it stick inside the outer. But these days I think it's just a matter of style. (Someone no doubt will come along in a moment with a reason I don't know about)



I would never lay my bike on its side as the bar ends would get scratched. So it always upside down for me. My puncture repair kit contains 2 short lengths of 2 by 4 (planed) that I rest the handle bars on to protect my 4 front lights, computer, shopping basket, bell and Airzound from contact with the tarmac or gravel. The pieces of timber were mahogany but I've changed to pine now once I realised what weight I was carrying.


----------



## Arfcollins (1 May 2016)

Colin_P said:


> And then there are those who throw a tube away without patching it...
> 
> So it is just a natural progression, as there is nowt as queer as folk.
> 
> Which must mean that someone somewhere must have thrown a whole bike away when it got a puncture.



That would be in Amsterdam, I'm led to believe.


----------



## kevin_cambs_uk (2 May 2016)

I find it much quicker and cheaper to fix it.
I can replace and be on the way in 5 minutes or less.
Bus I have to wait for it plus it costs money and being from Yorkshire I find that difficult...


----------



## Karlt (2 May 2016)

Arfcollins said:


> I would never lay my bike on its side as the bar ends would get scratched. So it always upside down for me. My puncture repair kit contains 2 short lengths of 2 by 4 (planed) that I rest the handle bars on to protect my 4 front lights, computer, shopping basket, bell and Airzound from contact with the tarmac or gravel. The pieces of timber were mahogany but I've changed to pine now once I realised what weight I was carrying.



I have to turn it upside down. My [crosses fingers]punctures[/uncrosses fingers] are almost always rear wheel and I cannot for the life of me put a rear wheel back in a frame unless it's upside down. I don't know why.


----------



## Profpointy (2 May 2016)

Having had a think, I reckon not bothering with a puncture kit makes sense for journeys between 1 and 2 miles . Less than a mile, it's hardly worth cycling - more than 2 miles, the long push of shame or any daft combination of bus, taxi then returning later is just too much trouble to save 50grammes. After all, you're not avoiding the repair which would be needed anyway


----------



## al78 (10 May 2016)

On my commute to work there is no suitable public transport, so if I didn't have the ability to repair a puncture at the roadside it would be a long walk home, which is what nearly happened one evening when I got a puncture a couple of miles from work so decided to walk the rest of the way and fix it at work. This I did and in the evening went home as normal and two miles later the tyre went down again. Walked to a suitable spot near a house with an outside light (so I could see what I was doing) and replaced the tube again. A mile down the road it went down again, yes it was a buried flint that I couldn't feel with my fingers that had now pierced my last tube. Still five miles from home I had no option but to walk, which is not ideal on a very dark country lane. After half a mile or so an estate car came past me then pulled in front of me and stopped. The driver asked if I was ok and I explained the problem. He very kindly offered to give me a lift home which I accepted gratefully. It turned out he was a keen cyclist himself. When I got home I found the flint in my tyre and managed to get it out with the help of some pliers, it was very well embedded in and difficult to remove. It had only just barely managed to penetrate the Marathon Plus smartguard layer, which is why I couldn't feel it previously.


----------



## Starchivore (11 May 2016)

I can't imagine repairing one at the side of a road, but then I'm not very practical.

it seems most sensible to take a spare tube and a pump and levers. Then you can always repair the tube at home later, at your leisure. Even then I'll consider detouring to the nearest station


----------



## jarlrmai (11 May 2016)

spare tubes, levers, co2 cartridges always in the bag, even if I don't need it someone else might.


----------



## Tail End Charlie (11 May 2016)

Mr. Cow said:


> I'm likely being obtuse here, but how do you change it without turning the bike upside down?


I carry a strap or bungee with me. Hook the bike up to a gate, fence, street name sign, whatever. Makes getting the wheel in and out much easier and stops the saddle etc getting scuffed.


----------



## screenman (11 May 2016)

Tail End Charlie said:


> I carry a strap or bungee with me. Hook the bike up to a gate, fence, street name sign, whatever. Makes getting the wheel in and out much easier and stops the saddle etc getting scuffed.



Seems you are not the only one,


----------



## fossyant (11 May 2016)

Karlt said:


> I have to turn it upside down. My [crosses fingers]punctures[/uncrosses fingers] are almost always rear wheel and I cannot for the life of me put a rear wheel back in a frame unless it's upside down. I don't know why.



Practice. Right way up is easier !


----------



## fossyant (11 May 2016)

[QUOTE 4262221, member: 9609"]How long do the tubes of glue last when opened? and is there a best by date on the patches etc (I have never looked)

I once went to repair a puncture at home, and the tube that had maybe only been used once or twice before was completely empty, could it have all evaporated out? that incident has always been a minor mystery to me.[/QUOTE]

6 months to a year. I tend to patch at home, but carry a full un-opened tube just in case sh** happens, which isn't often, but it once did when I was supposed to be home to go to a formal dinner - two punctures and two tubes used.


----------



## Pat "5mph" (11 May 2016)

Tail End Charlie said:


> I carry a strap or bungee with me. Hook the bike up to a gate, fence, street name sign, whatever. Makes getting the wheel in and out much easier and stops the saddle etc getting scuffed.


Great idea! I carry a strap too, useful for many things, but it never occurred to me to use it that was, cheers for that tip.


----------



## briantrumpet (11 May 2016)

Sunday - lovely day for a bike ride. 55 miles into a ride, 3 miles from earlier cake stop... pssshhhhh ... flat front tyre.

Fortunately I had a puncture repair kit. Unfortunately I'd left the tyre levers at home.Fortunately I'd brought a friend with me who'd brought a tyre lever. Unfortunately the hole was where the valve goes into the tube, and a patch would have been useless. Fortunately I had two spare inner tubes
and we were on our way in 5 minutes, and no more problems for the remaining 38 miles home. 

The moral: take a friend with you who remembers to take the right stuff. Or even better, take the right stuff yourself.


----------



## slowmotion (12 May 2016)

Arfcollins said:


> I would never lay my bike on its side as the bar ends would get scratched. So it always upside down for me. My puncture repair kit contains 2 short lengths of 2 by 4 (planed) that I rest the handle bars on to protect my 4 front lights, computer, shopping basket, bell and Airzound from contact with the tarmac or gravel. The pieces of timber were mahogany but I've changed to pine now once I realised what weight I was carrying.


 Oh dear! You could have gone the extra distance for some baulks of _Lignum Vitae_...
http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/top-ten-heaviest-woods/


----------



## tyred (13 May 2016)

Always unless I'm only going a mile or two.

As I often ride 3 speed bikes, I just remove one side of tyre in situ, remove the tube and patch the tube without taking the wheel off but I don't get many punctures anyway.


----------



## Tanis8472 (13 May 2016)

Erm, how do you know where the puncture is? Just curious


----------



## summerdays (13 May 2016)

Tanis8472 said:


> Erm, how do you know where the puncture is? Just curious


Look for what caused it... there is often a dirty great thorn sticking out or a piece of glass!


----------



## briantrumpet (13 May 2016)

summerdays said:


> Look for what caused it... there is often a dirty great thorn sticking out or a piece of glass!


And if you don't find anything obvious, there might well be something (like a tiny piece of flint or glass) embedded in the rubber that only protrudes into the inner tube when it's inflated.... so while the tyre's off the rim, squeeze it all the way round while looking for anything stuck deep in the rubber. I remember one time puncturing two new inner tubes because I didn't check the tyre carefully like this.


----------



## si_c (15 May 2016)

Had 5 punctures yesterday. Only one spare tube. Had to patch each bloody one, but that's why I take a puncture repair kit.


----------



## simongt (15 May 2016)

Wise move si_c; spare tube plus outfit. You just never know - ! Hark briantrumpet's wise words about carefully checking the inside of the tyre for nasty sticky out things BEFORE installing new tube / fixed tube. Just don't wizz your fingers round too quickly, or they may end up with a 'puncture' too - !  Been there, done it, got the t-shirt - !


----------



## alecstilleyedye (15 May 2016)

spare tube + park patches here. had a puncture on the way to work on thursday, so the spare tube went in and the punctured tube repaired at lunchtime so i had a spare for the return leg.

the spare turned out to be a horrid lifeline/yaw which are a bugger to inflate, so the repaired vittoria tube went back in, and a spare new vittoria tube is now in the tool kit on the commuter…


----------



## doog (15 May 2016)

Somewhere in the Pyrenees






Somewhere south of Dijon





My personal favourite.....Cholet or somewhere


Hardly commuting I know but always better safe than sorry...


----------



## Willam (20 May 2016)

Those that carry Co2 how do you fit the inner tube without first inflating it a little, as I find that the tube needs a little air to fit it easier?
I find the pumping the longest part of a repair, so considering changing to Co2.

I have to say about the OP, their question sounds as if they have never even been on a bike, even on slow day it only takes 15 minutes to repair, most of that time being the pumping, which is probably less time it would take to walk to the nearest bus stop, or wait for a taxis, not to mention the cost.


----------



## martint235 (20 May 2016)

Willam said:


> Those that carry Co2 how do you fit the inner tube without first inflating it a little, as I find that the tube needs a little air to fit it easier?
> I find the pumping the longest part of a repair, so considering changing to Co2.
> 
> I have to say about the OP, their question sounds as if they have never even been on a bike, even on slow day it only takes 15 minutes to repair, most of that time being the pumping, which is probably less time it would take to walk to the nearest bus stop, or wait for a taxis, not to mention the cost.


Small frame pump. Then CO2 once the tyre is back on the rim. It's also useful for finding the puncture


----------



## marzjennings (20 May 2016)

Willam said:


> Those that carry Co2 how do you fit the inner tube without first inflating it a little, as I find that the tube needs a little air to fit it easier?
> I find the pumping the longest part of a repair, so considering changing to Co2.
> 
> I have to say about the OP, their question sounds as if they have never even been on a bike, even on slow day it only takes 15 minutes to repair, most of that time being the pumping, which is probably less time it would take to walk to the nearest bus stop, or wait for a taxis, not to mention the cost.


I find I can blow enough air into the tube with my mouth to avoid pinching it when fitting.


----------



## Tim Hall (20 May 2016)

Willam said:


> Those that carry Co2 how do you fit the inner tube without first inflating it a little, as I find that the tube needs a little air to fit it easier?
> I find the pumping the longest part of a repair, so considering changing to Co2.
> 
> I have to say about the OP, their question sounds as if they have never even been on a bike, even on slow day it only takes 15 minutes to repair, most of that time being the pumping, which is probably less time it would take to walk to the nearest bus stop, or wait for a taxis, not to mention the cost.


You just put your lips together and blow. (I find I can get enough air into a tube to help fitting by puffing some air in from my very own lungs)


----------



## Willam (20 May 2016)

martint235 said:


> Small frame pump. Then CO2 once the tyre is back on the rim. It's also useful for finding the puncture



Oh right, I was thinking it was one or the other. And yeah a pump would also be needed for repar, think I may just stick to the pump, if I'm carrying it anyway. Thanks


----------



## martint235 (20 May 2016)

Willam said:


> Oh right, I was thinking it was one or the other. And yeah a pump would also be needed for repar, think I may just stick to the pump, if I'm carrying it anyway. Thanks


You will see the light when you use CO2. A second to inflate and to the correct pressure. I can't get 125psi out of a pump other than the track pumps at home


----------



## Willam (20 May 2016)

martint235 said:


> You will see the light when you use CO2. A second to inflate and to the correct pressure. I can't get 125psi out of a pump other than the track pumps at home



Wow didn't realise you could get that kind of pressure out of co2!

I struggle to get mine past 60psi with my pump. And that nearly kills me.
My tryes only need 80psi so co2 should mangage that no problem then.

Just had a quick look and the Lezyne control drive co2 may mean no pump is needed for part inflation/ finding repair?

Think a new purchase may be about to happen


----------



## mjr (20 May 2016)

marzjennings said:


> I find I can blow enough air into the tube with my mouth to avoid pinching it when fitting.


And do you like the taste of road dirt? 


martint235 said:


> You will see the light when you use CO2. A second to inflate and to the correct pressure.


A lifetime of scarring when you freeze the canister to your fingers by holding the wrong bit 


martint235 said:


> I can't get 125psi out of a pump other than the track pumps at home


125psi? You must have balls of steel!


----------



## martint235 (20 May 2016)

mjray said:


> And do you like the taste of road dirt?
> 
> A lifetime of scarring when you freeze the canister to your fingers by holding the wrong bit
> 
> 125psi? You must have balls of steel!


Used to run 23mm at 145psi. I'm getting old


----------



## marzjennings (20 May 2016)

User said:


> I was imagining a clean new tube here.


Yes, correct. I usually switch out the punctured tube for a new one and fix the old one when I get home.


----------



## mjr (20 May 2016)

marzjennings said:


> Yes, correct. I usually switch out the punctured tube for a new one and fix the old one when I get home.


And that fixing includes washing the valve?


----------



## marzjennings (20 May 2016)

mjray said:


> And that fixing includes washing the valve?



Sort of as the whole tube will get wiped down before going back the in the pack for the next ride.


----------



## fossyant (20 May 2016)

martint235 said:


> Used to run 23mm at 145psi. I'm getting old



I ran 18mm at 120/130 PSI for TT's. I'm getting even older.....


----------



## fossyant (20 May 2016)

mjray said:


> And do you like the taste of road dirt?


What's wrong with dirt. Try getting cow poo in your face and mouth as the club mate you are following rides through a sloppy dollop.

Don't try MTB then.... you supplement your food with dirt.


----------



## mjr (20 May 2016)

fossyant said:


> What's wrong with dirt. Try getting cow poo in your face and mouth as the club mate you are following rides through a sloppy dollop.
> 
> Don't try MTB then.... you supplement your food with dirt.


I wouldn't follow anyone without mudguards that closely or leave my mouth open. Never understood MTBing except as a shortcut either.


----------



## fossyant (20 May 2016)

mjray said:


> I wouldn't follow anyone without mudguards that closely or leave my mouth open. Never understood MTBing except as a shortcut either.



Even in summer !! That's when the poop covered me. We carried on for a few hours.

MTB - oh you need to try it.


----------



## mjr (20 May 2016)

fossyant said:


> Even in summer !! That's when the poop covered me. We carried on for a few hours.
> 
> MTB - oh you need to try it.


Tried it a couple of times. Still don't get it.

Mudguards should be used even in summer for that sort of reason. Mouth closed in summer or I eat too many flies.


----------



## fossyant (20 May 2016)

mjray said:


> Tried it a couple of times. Still don't get it.
> 
> Mudguards should be used even in summer for that sort of reason. Mouth closed in summer or I eat too many flies.



Ah you need to move into the Peaks for MTB, or Cannock, Wales, anywhere with real hills. 

Eating flies are additional food on the go.


----------



## martint235 (20 May 2016)

fossyant said:


> Ah you need to move into the Peaks for MTB, or Cannock, Wales, anywhere with real hills.
> 
> Eating flies are additional food on the go.


Nah MTBing is best where there are no real hills!!! SE London, Oxleas Wood, you can pretend you're really good at MTB without the risk.


----------



## HLaB (20 May 2016)

To the OP Some people p'ture often it depends on a lot of things: where you ride, conditions, weight, tyres etc. Touchwood personally I don't p'ture often for the distance I do but it never conveniently happens at a bus stop and I wouldn't want to leave my bike to the local scrotes/ thieves for something that only take 5mins to repair. Personally I dont carry a repair kit (the glue always goes off/ leaks before I get a chance to use it). I carry a spare tube or two (depending on distance), tyre levers and a pump. In the event of a p'ture, it only takes a 5-10 mins to get a tyre off, check it (find out what caused it and remove it; if you can't find it and there's two holes in your tube, its probably a 'snake bite' aka a 'pinch' p'ture and not a foreign object p'ture), swap in a good tube, refit the tyre and pump it up (some use CO2 to make the reinflation even faster). In the unlikely event of three p'tures in one ride I also carry some Parks self adhesive patches which saves time messing about with glue.


----------



## Levo-Lon (21 May 2016)

mjray said:


> Tried it a couple of times. Still don't get it.
> 
> Mudguards should be used even in summer for that sort of reason. Mouth closed in summer or I eat too many flies.




mtb = mud and fun..insects are a bonus..

mudguards are more for keeping dry..i use the term dry very loosely..
Plus mudguards clog up...they look crap too..


----------



## Levo-Lon (21 May 2016)

As for punctures..i run tubeless and tubed..always cay a pump and repair kit..spare tube on the road bike.
i hate walking with a bike


----------



## cycle_bug (5 Jun 2016)

I've had a puncture once this year. I patched it, but upon discovery ordered four new tubes from Wiggle. My new contingency plan is to carry at least one of the tubes, tyre levers and a mini pump. I would then patch the other tube at home and keep it as a backup!


----------

