My Very important advice to all newbies!

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

even more important if you have a brompton. they are infamous for incredibly difficult first tyre change (i'm sure they use some sort of glue / sealant in manufacture). my tyres now come off easily but the first one happened at the weekend, in the sleet and cold. whilst i a confident bike mechanic, it was a shock, how hard to get the tyre off was. so yeah, whilst it seems like simple advice, even expreienced riders should take note and make sure, that the new, bike has no surprises in store.

 

[Jane Smart]

Ideally get someone to spray water over you while you change the tube in the dark .
Might as well make the training realistic :-)

Banjo that cracked me up!!

 

[Randochap]

Good advice, Sam. Also agree you shouldn't wait until you get a flat on a rainy night (as Banjo warns, this is when they happen most often) to learn the ropes.

I hope my "Fix a flat" page (incl. video) linked from the Velo Garage section might be helpful -- as Sam says though, don't just refer, practice.

And, when that flat (or other mechanical) happens on a dark, rainy night, it's handy to have a helmet lamp, in addition to your on-bike lighting, to see what you're doing.

The other thing to consider is tyre/rim combo. Some result in very tight fit that's very hard to unseat.

 

[palinurus]

And, when that flat (or other mechanical) happens on a dark, rainy night, it's handy to have a helmet lamp, in addition to your on-bike lighting, to see what you're doing.

Especially if you have dynamo lighting, else its spin the wheel like mad and work in short bursts illuminated by the standlight.

 

[longers]

Head torches are very good indeed at this time of year for helping with these sorts of situation. Recommended.

 

[fossyant]

I'll second the Michelin ones - use these at home. Decathlon own ones, in bright green are also excellent....I use these for the commute (or my colleagues do..........) Park I believe are very good too.

I'm well versed with fixing fairy visits - about 5 mins on the road, although most of my tyres are hand/thumb 'fit-able' - don't like tyres that need levers to fit.......

 

[rh100]

I have some plastic levers which I thought were good. They worked fine on the MTB, have a little prong to depress the valve to let air out and a sanding block molded onto them for the chalk.
Then I had to take the tyre off the hybrid when I got it, a 700x35 tyre, and snapped the thing straight away. So now need to get a new set. Good tip about the head torch aswell - will have to get one.
I found with the MTB getting the tyre off wasn't the problem - it was getting it on again - it just wouldn't sit right with one part sinking to far below the rim. Even the guy at the LBS had trouble with it. Was glad to see the back of the MTB TBH - even though the tyre on the hybrid is tougher to get on and off - it was a releif that it just went into place first time. Now I just need to get used to presta valves with keep letting all the air out when pumping up.

I tend to take my time to get it right - no point rushing the job and having to do it again.

 

[Randochap]

Especially if you have dynamo lighting, else its spin the wheel like mad and work in short bursts illuminated by the standlight.

I leave nothing to chance. In addition to my dynamo lighting, I have a battery-powered LED backup (the kind of light that many people believe is all you need) ... and the helmet lamp.

However, the standlight* on the generator-powered Edelux would last long enough after riding for a bit for me to change a tube and is, again, brighter than a lot of the lights you see people using as a main headlight.

*For those who are unfamiliar, a standlight is a secondary light, powered by the charge stored in a capacitor in the light. It will stay lit for several minutes after it is charged.

 

[Bay Runner]

I have found it's all about presure. Keep checking it and you have less change of getting p*****re

 

[Tynan]

fixed my manliest flat on the verge of the Green Man roundabout in the dark in a blizzard with the Exposure front light held in my teeth, lovely and bright but it makes you dribble a lot

It took some time, as I finished a bloke walked past and said @I bet that didn't take you long'

practice really makes perfect, went a long time up to a month ago with no flats and had got seriously bad at it, no spare tube, only a couple of gone bad patches and barely a smear of glue, and no sand paper, check your kit init. I had some year old weldit? patches, all black, that had lost all their stick

 

[The Jogger]

I'm going to do a bike one day maintenence course. Last time my wife's sirrus had a broken valve, rear wheel. I got the wheel off but couldn't get it back on and even the new tube had a bulge in it. I ended up bringing it into the bike mechanic in work!
I actually dread the thought of a puncture, I don't think about it when i'm out!

 

[chris667]

The other thing is, make sure your tyres are pumped up enough before you go out, as if there's not enough air you'll be more puncture prone. And one other beginner's thing, sort of an extension of what's already been said. Make sure you know how to fasten and unfasten a quick release. It's amazing how many people don't. An unfastened wheel is properly dangerous.

 

[dodss]

When I was doing Triathlons I invested on a plastic tyre lever tool which fits on the rim and extends to the wheel spindle ,when set up you whiz it round to release one side of the tyre. Worth looking out for,I'm still not that quick though,seen some quick guys who are all arms and elbow in a bit of blur.Bit of liquid soap in a small bottle in the tool kit to put on the wheel rim helps to replace that final bit of tyre.

 

[harry dunn]

Use folding tyres not wired ones, carry 2 spare tubes, fix the punged ones when you get home using park patches forget the old puncture kits , as for tyre levers ive got some made from recycled milk bottles ( honest) bought them 20 yrs ago still going strong .
The extending lever is called a SPEED STICK , dont know if you can still get them.

 

[kewb]

once tore a city jet off with my bare hands to repair a puncture in pouring rain on isolated road , tried repeating it at home and there was no chance of it moving
those things are tough .