how long does it take you to fix a puncture?

[martint235]

About 15 mins if I get it right first time. I do have a knack of being able to fix a puncture only to have it spectacularly blow up to 70 miles later (Whitstable). I managed the same on LEL notable for the fact that a mechanic fixed it for me sparking a conversation with a fellow cyclist: "Hey I had to fix my own puncture", mechanic "So did he. That's why we're now doing it again".

 

[Old jon]

Last one took 40 minutes, I had three deep cuts in the tyre, each one with its own sharp nasty embedded. And it was bloody cold.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

I have to just take my time. Any attempt to rush it ends in mistakes and frustration. I give myself 15-20 mins.

 

[Spoked Wheels]

This thread reminds me if I should bother with Marathon plus tyres for the winter. The weight of those tyres has always stopped me in the past.
I'm okay fixing punctures in good weather..... under 30 minutes for sure but with cold hands or in the rain the task is undoubtedly a pain in a**

The thought of having to fix a puncture in the rain / cold and in the middle of nowhere puts me off from riding to places I enjoy. I did not enjoy my ride to the New Forest on Saturday precisely because of concerns of having a puncture and my hands were freezing already.
Any good deals on Marathon Plus ATM?

 

[winjim]

It happens so rarely that I've never bothered timing myself. I would imagine about 5 minutes?

 

[Thomk]

One finds mending punctures such a bore. Usually just buy a new bike.

Must be expensive when your car runs out of petrol.

 

[summerdays]

It can take me 30 mins to an hour, the hardest bit is often getting the tyre back on ... if it's new or cold. By the time the tyre is worn and starting to get visits from the fairy then it usually slips on and off fairly easily!

 

[mjr]

It's a ten minute job if the cause is obvious and I can patch it without removing the wheel from the bike (I find there's rarely a good place to lean the bike or stand it inverted - there's a reallly useful bikes video on youtube if you've not seen how to do this before). It's quicker but messier if I decide to pay the £3 penalty of using an Aldi puncture sealant canister and it holds.

Other tips: when it's raining, bus shelters and covered cycle parks are your friends. Bonus if they've got a light in. It's worth having a detachable front light or a phone torch app to fix them by.

However, I've recently found that some Vredestein butyl tubes are very shiny and tough so they won't rough up enough with sandpaper and two types of patches (self-adhesive and old-school) have failed to stick to it. I've dumped a sealant canister into it but that's rather annoying. Anyone else had this problem?

 

[Deleted member 35268]

Forget tyre levers (plural), btw.

Get one of these puppies. Crank Bros Giant Lever

Tyres come off like spreading butter. Honest.
A Good pump is also key to a good turn a round, this Leyzne is superb. It has a flexible hose, much better than a push on jobbie. Not cheap though.

And the Aldi Tyre Gel is a nice backup if you really are in a hurry.

 

[MissTillyFlop]

A long time. I am very bad at it and very scared of doing it.

 

[hopless500]

The removing tyre and fixing puncture part is relatively quick and painless. The getting the bloody tyre back on, on the other hand, is not. By myself I have to use a tyre lever/s to get it back on which means I have a 1 in 3 chance of it not being re-punctured. If it takes the full 3 goes, it takes rather a long time as my hands progressively tire.
However, using guile, cunning, strength and (on a 2nd attempt having re-punctured it with the lever on the 1st solo attempt) an additional pair of helping hands from @Hill Wimp earlier this year. it popped on beautifully.

 

[G3CWI]

I went on a MTB ride ages ago with some real experts guiding a group. They were keen to showcase their skills. One of them got a puncture. He and his mate gathered us around for their masterclass; "time us!" they said. And so we did. But things did not go as they had hoped. And after 30 minutes those of us left watching were sniggering while they were going more and more red.

 

[subaqua]

[QUOTE 4019994, member: 9609"]certainly worth taking a little time at the beginning of the job to mark the tyre relative to the rim and remember which way round the inner tube comes out, then at least when you find the hole you know exactly where to look for the culprit.[/QUOTE]
Does everybody not line up the makers name with the valve ? Or is that my OCD just manifesting itself in YET ANOTHER way.

 

[Spinney]

It not only takes me some time, it usually involves a lot of bad language as well...

 

[Milkfloat]

Does everybody not line up the makers name with the valve ? Or is that my OCD just manifesting itself in YET ANOTHER way.

Only REAL cyclists do this. I have been known to take a tyre off and refit it because I forgot to line the name up correctly.