Try it , dont buy it and pack it

[DiddlyDodds]

Two years ago when I started cycling again I had not changed an inner tube for over 20 years but in my own head I thought "how hard can it be".
So off I went to the shop and away I came with a new inner tube which I put in my saddle bag, hoping I would not have to use it.
With good fortune I have not used it for two years until yesterday when I got a puncture in the back tyre and to make the experience worse it was raining.



Mistake 1. As they are not folding tyres they were harder than I thought to get on and off

Mistake 2 didn’t take enough time to find if there was anything left in the tyre (stone, glass, thorn etc)

Mistake 3 my wheels have a deep rim so when you put a STD 32mm valve in less than 10 was visible so the pump would not fit on.

Mistake 4 Rushing due to the rain

After 30 mins of fighting the short valve got the tyre inflated only to last less than 200yrds before going flat again (found the glass in the tyre later on)

SO

Anyone new don’t buy it and pack it away, try it, use it, practice with it

I had to get a friend out in a car to get the bike back home, a visit to the local bike shop for tubes with a 60mm valve and a day of “tyre on – tyre off” practice.

Luckily it happened 6 miles from home so not a major problem but I will be prepared next time.

 

[Norm]

Luckily it happened 6 miles from home so not a major problem but I will be prepared next time.

I had one on Wednesday, just under 3 miles from home. It was about 8pm and raining.

I metaphorically tossed a coin between taking 45 mins to walk home and taking 20+ mins to repair it then 10 mins to ride home.

I walked, that tyre is still flat, I took another bike on Thursday and Friday.

 

[steve52]

20 mins to repare,??? i can now get the tyer checked new tube fitted inflated and back on in under 5mins

 

[Smokin Joe]

And if you buy one of those stupid combined Co2/manual pumps find out just what a crock of shoot the manual bit is before you put it in your saddle pack, don't wait to try it by the roadside on a wet day when three Co2 cartridges have failed and you find the hand pump is only good for 30psi.

Only a fool would make that mistake

 

[User269]

I had one on Wednesday, just under 3 miles from home. It was about 8pm and raining.

I metaphorically tossed a coin between taking 45 mins to walk home and taking 20+ mins to repair it then 10 mins to ride home.

I walked, that tyre is still flat, I took another bike on Thursday and Friday.

In a similar situation I just rode the bike slowly. Faster than walking, slower that cycling on inflated tyres. It was raining and I just thought "so what if I have to buy a new wheel afterwards?" Max 8mph, and the wheel was fine.

 

[Norm]

20 mins to repare,??? i can now get the tyer checked new tube fitted inflated and back on in under 5mins

If you want a pissing contest, me too. And I can spell tyre.

However, in the cold, dark and wet with City Jets, nowhere to check for leaks and no tools for removing the tyre. And the glue usually needs a couple of minutes to dry properly - which, of course, it can't do when it's pissing with rain.

In a similar situation I just rode the bike slowly. Faster than walking, slower that cycling on inflated tyres. It was raining and I just thought "so what if I have to buy a new wheel afterwards?" Max 8mph, and the wheel was fine.

This was a pretty catastrophic fail, WW, from fully inflated to completed flat in under 100m, with a loud hissing on the way.

 

[MacB]

If you want a pissing contest, me too. And I can spell tyre.

However, in the cold, dark and wet with City Jets, nowhere to check for leaks and no tools for removing the tyre. And the glue usually needs a couple of minutes to dry properly - which, of course, it can't do when it's pissing with rain.

This was a pretty catastrophic fail, WW, from fully inflated to completed flat in under 100m, with a loud hissing on the way.

you old cheapskate, use a new tube every time, you can then store the punctured ones with the intent of doing a mass repair session at some point. In reality the scuzzier amongst us will eventually just bin these 'once punctured' tubes. The more conscientious will pass them on to folks who don't mind repairing tubes.

 

[Norm]

I'm in the middle of fixing it at the moment. The piece of glass I pulled out was around 7mm long and shaped to penetrate anything up to Chobham armour. Sadly, I also picked up at least two (that I have found so far ) pinch punctures as it went down.

I quite like fixing tubes, as it's a good guage how well the tyres resist punctures. This is the first repair in this tube, having done about 600 miles.

 

[gbb]

Been caught in similar circumstances...
I'll often buy innertubes from the carboot, only new ones of course, and usually only pay £1 each. (i got two brand new, boxed, long valve tubes for £2 ) MTB innertubes usually go for 50p
Anyway, i'm waffling. Some tubes are'nt boxed, one i got i wrapped up and slid in my saddlebag. 6 months later, punctured, no problem....fitted the 'new' innertube...but it wasnt, it looked new but had been punctured in a previous life.
Ah well....i actually like repairing at the roadside. 5 to 10 minutes (hopefully in the sun)

 

[JonnyBlade]

Thank the Lord for slime tubes

 

[Holdsworth]

This is what happened to me a few weeks ago on the way to work. I had no prior experience of changing tubes so I was totally unprepared. I had a flat about 2 1/2 miles from home so I stopped at the nearest farm entrance to change the tube. It was dark-ish and raining lightly so it was not an easy or pleasant task to do.

It took me 20 odd minutes to change the tube, the tyre was a pain in the **** to get off and on and my hand slipped a few times and cut my knuckles!!! I inflated the tyre and set off again only to have the tyre come off the rim and pinch the tube 200 yards down the road. I decided it was best to set off back home instead trying again as I only had one tube left and no repair kit with me.

When I got round to fitting the last tube later in the evening, it went on alright but then got a shard of glass in the tyre 1/2 mile in. So without anymore tubes I had to keep off the biek u for a few days until I could get to the LBS to buy some more.