# Do the puncture repair aerosols work?



## abbie (18 Sep 2010)

I did an charity ride today (my first organised event) and was unlucky in having two punctures.

I had taken a spare tube and a repair kit so for the first puncture managed to get going again quickly using the new tube. The second puncture an hour later meant I had no spare tube left so repaired the first tube. It had four holes in it, as one was plugged another was found etc. The second tube just had two holes so got that patched up and finished the ride having to keep pumping air into the tyres.

Now I checked the tyre after the first puncture and could find nothing lodged in the wall so think it was just bad luck. I've learnt today that one spare tube is not enough but wondered if the repair aerosols are worth having also?


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## Norm (18 Sep 2010)

I've used them in the past but they are bigger, less reliable and relatively heavy compared to a spare inner tube or a puncture repair kit. IMO.


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## Doug. (18 Sep 2010)

abbie said:


> I did an charity ride today (my first organised event) and was unlucky in having two punctures.
> 
> I had taken a spare tube and a repair kit so for the first puncture managed to get going again quickly using the new tube. The second puncture an hour later meant I had no spare tube left so repaired the first tube. It had four holes in it, as one was plugged another was found etc. The second tube just had two holes so got that patched up and finished the ride having to keep pumping air into the tyres.
> 
> Now I checked the tyre after the first puncture and could find nothing lodged in the wall so think it was just bad luck. I've learnt today that one spare tube is not enough but wondered if the repair aerosols are worth having also?


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## Doug. (18 Sep 2010)

Yes.
Doug.


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## abbie (19 Sep 2010)

Thanks for advise, I picked a can up today in decathlon so should same situation arise I will give it a whirl.


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## kewb (19 Sep 2010)

wreck tubes ,

once used that tubes no longer going to accept air making them an expensive  repair on a relative cheap fix .


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## abbie (19 Sep 2010)

kewb said:


> wreck tubes ,
> 
> once used that tubes no longer going to accept air making them an expensive repair on a relative cheap fix .



I won't use it as a replacement for a repair but in a situation like yesterday where the tube was riddled with holes and I just wanted to make the last few miles back this would have made things much easier. I ended up throwing both tubes away as when I looked at them today one had a long rip along the seam and the other looked like a patchwork quilt and still needed more plugging.


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## HLaB (19 Sep 2010)

I've never used them my self but they seem to be one hit. Say in your case Abbie you had patched the tube and used the aerosol but the tyre went down again (as you say there was 4 holes) you wouldn't have any more gas  unless it was one of the combi type, pump/aerosol.

OT, you say the tube had two small holes in it, I'm guessing thats a 'snake bite' (pinch p'ture) its normally caused by underinflated tyres and hitting a pothole or something that caues the tube to get pinched between the rim and the tyre. This leaves no trace other than the holes.


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## kewb (19 Sep 2010)

i know one guy who used slime in all his kids tyres to save repairing punctures , never quite worked out though .


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## screenman (20 Sep 2010)

I used it on my cross bike for 5 years I put it in at the beginning of the season and never had a flat, at the end of each year when the tyres came off you could see a lot of white dots where the sealant had worked. Around here we have a lot of hawthorne hedging and it seems to work well for those types of punctures. I still manage to get air in my tyres using a track pump when needed.


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## Fran143 (20 Sep 2010)

Yep, I have used them and Lilds are going to be selling them in the next few weeks at £2.99 good time to try them.


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## davefb (20 Sep 2010)

Fran143 said:


> Yep, I have used them and Lilds are going to be selling them in the next few weeks at £2.99 good time to try them.



:-/ , think i'll get some,, just 'broke my duck' on friday evening and had my first puncture ( about 300miles riding )..

then 2nd on the way in this morning .. I've had a *really* good look , but couldnt see any obvious marks.......

can't *really* bring myself to get new tyres , since they're so new , so got some 'slime insert thing', ie 8 quid for a bit of plastic ..

just glad in both cases i could 'limp' to base and didnt have to change inners in the rain


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## HLaB (20 Sep 2010)

davefb said:


> :-/ , think i'll get some,, just 'broke my duck' on friday evening and had my first puncture ( about 300miles riding )..
> 
> then 2nd on the way in this morning .. I've had a *really* good look , but couldnt see any obvious marks.......
> 
> ...




Dave, just a wild guess but some cases folk after getting a p'ture don't pump their tyres back up to the reccomended pressure and suffer from a subsequent p'ture (two small holes) caused by the underinflated tube getting 'pinched' between the wheel rim and tyre (commonly known as a snake bite) this leaves no obvious marks in the tyres.


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## davefb (20 Sep 2010)

HLaB said:


> Dave, just a wild guess but some cases folk after getting a p'ture don't pump their tyres back up to the reccomended pressure and suffer from a subsequent p'ture (two small holes) caused by the underinflated tube getting 'pinched' between the wheel rim and tyre (commonly known as a snake bite) this leaves no obvious marks in the tyres.





put em to 80 .... ( max85 for tyre..)


of course, that was nice and easy with the stand pump,,its a bit tiring getting above 30 with the small-bike-one ... but i'm gunna try


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## PpPete (20 Sep 2010)

The cans are OK as a get you home fix for a low pressure tyre. I've used them to sort a mate's MTB when he had no spare tubes or 15mm spanner for his wheel nuts. 
On a road bike - forget it.


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## kewb (20 Sep 2010)

Fran143 said:


> Yep, I have used them and Lilds are going to be selling them in the next few weeks at £2.99 good time to try them.





27th of this month acording to site 

£2.49 .


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## abbie (20 Sep 2010)

Both were 'snakebite' punctures. Tyre pressure was fine before setting off but the second puncture could well have been due to insufficient pressure as using the pump on my bike it's hard getting enough pressure in. 

My neighbour has some fab gismo he checks my tyres with but was thinking of investing in my own to be more self sufficient. Could anyone recommend a decent track pump that doesn't cost the earth? I'd like a good compact pump for on the bike too but all the ones I've seen recommended have been £25ish which seemed a bit steep.


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## the_mikey (20 Sep 2010)

£25 isn't bad for a track pump, I'd rather spend £25-£30 than struggle with something cheaper, that said, the most reliable cheap pump I have is one of those long old fashioned hand bicycle pumps with a short green tube that screws onto the presta valve, I bought it for £2 in a supermarket, works perfectly every time!


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## davefb (20 Sep 2010)

i got one from clas ohlson , its' okay, but annoyingly to use presta it has a metal connector to stick on.... DOH, they had another which had two seperate 'holes' to use instead  .

http://www.clasohlson.co.uk/Product/Product.aspx?id=152286515
thats the one i got, 15 quid..

i mean, its okay,, but i got it as it can pump up 'everything' (the other didnt) , but to pump the thing it'll be used for 99% of the time,, i need to stick the adapter on!!


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## potsy (20 Sep 2010)

abbie said:


> Both were 'snakebite' punctures. Tyre pressure was fine before setting off but the second puncture could well have been due to insufficient pressure as using the pump on my bike it's hard getting enough pressure in.
> 
> My neighbour has some fab gismo he checks my tyres with but was thinking of investing in my own to be more self sufficient. Could anyone recommend a decent track pump that doesn't cost the earth? I'd like a good compact pump for on the bike too but all the ones I've seen recommended have been £25ish which seemed a bit steep.



I got one of these last year highly recommended,and at £22 delivered not a bad price either.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=4949


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## BSRU (20 Sep 2010)

abbie said:


> Both were 'snakebite' punctures. Tyre pressure was fine before setting off but the second puncture could well have been due to insufficient pressure as using the pump on my bike it's hard getting enough pressure in.
> 
> My neighbour has some fab gismo he checks my tyres with but was thinking of investing in my own to be more self sufficient. Could anyone recommend a decent track pump that doesn't cost the earth? I'd like a good compact pump for on the bike too but all the ones I've seen recommended have been £25ish which seemed a bit steep.



One of these for 20,
http://www.evanscycl...r-pump-ec008558


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## abbie (20 Sep 2010)

Thanks for track pump links.

In terms of a compact pump that I could keep on the bike has anyone tried this one:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Topeak_Mini_Morph_Pump/5360022931/#more


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## StuartG (20 Sep 2010)

Kevlar tyres should dramatically reduce the chances of getting a puncture - especially two. Unless you are a TT specialist well worth the extra dosh on the tyre. Saves a lot on tubes and wet and cold repairs.


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## abbie (21 Sep 2010)

After umming and ahhing all night about whether it would be better to get a track pump or good manual pump (can't justify both at once) I have just ordered this track pump http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Topeak_Joe_Blow_Sport_Track_Pump/5360013205/

Is it wrong how excited I am about a pump?


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## alasdairgf (21 Sep 2010)

abbie said:


> After umming and ahhing all night about whether it would be better to get a track pump or good manual pump (can't justify both at once) I have just ordered this track pump http://www.wiggle.co...ump/5360013205/
> 
> Is it wrong how excited I am about a pump?


I got the very same recently (for a quid more at LBS). No, excitement is the appropriate reaction I believe: a few folks here have said that owning one of these is the defining characteristic of a 'cyclist'. (Reckon of they saw my bike they'd reconsider, TBH.)


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## Fran143 (21 Sep 2010)

kewb said:


> 27th of this month acording to site
> 
> £2.49 .




Bonus, even better.


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