Fixed my first puncture!

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Cathryn

Legendary Member
Now I KNOW that this isn't a big achievement and I should have been able to do this years ago (call myself an independent cycling gal?) but today I fixed my first punture by myself. My travelling personal mechanic (known as the husband) is walking the Pennine Way (ugh) and I took myself off on a mini tour in the Dales and got my first puncture in Skipton.

All I can say is THANK YOU Cyclaire....I bought mine last week online, it arrived Friday and it's the best thing EVER!!!! Seriously, if you haven't got one (especially if like me you don't have much upper body strength)...get one!!!
 

wafflycat

New Member
Another vote for Cyclaire Plus (different to Cyclaire)here - same reason - no upper body strength and using a 'normal' pump, I can't get enough aire in the tyres if I have to when away from home.
 
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Cathryn

Cathryn

Legendary Member
I think mine's plus actually. It ROCKED, seriously, Wafflycat!! And all the men stood round admiringly as I fixed the aforementioned puncture were well impressed with it. Actually, I think they were admiring the pump rather than my dirty, lycra'd nself, unfortunately.
 

frog

Guest
Sorry to disagree Cathryn but it is a big thing. I know blokes who still get other people to fix their punctures or they just dump the tube and put another one in without even trying to fix the damn thing. <Raises hat in respect> You get a 'Well Done!' from me :biggrin:

I bought a Cycleaire a few months ago. I've moved onto 26 x 2 tyres which need 60 psi and my mini pump just left me absolutely gutted and still another 20+ psi to go. Deflated a tyre at home and blew it back up with the Cyclaire. Vast improvement, actually had enough strength in my arms to raise them in victory when I'd finished :ohmy:

Waiter! A big slice of 'virtual cake' for the young lady over there :ohmy:
 
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Cathryn

Cathryn

Legendary Member
frog said:
Sorry to disagree Cathryn but it is a big thing. I know blokes who still get other people to fix their punctures or they just dump the tube and put another one in without even trying to fix the damn thing. <Raises hat in respect> You get a 'Well Done!' from me :biggrin:

I bought a Cycleaire a few months ago. I've moved onto 26 x 2 tyres which need 60 psi and my mini pump just left me absolutely gutted and still another 20+ psi to go. Deflated a tyre at home and blew it back up with the Cyclaire. Vast improvement, actually had enough strength in my arms to raise them in victory when I'd finished :ohmy:

Waiter! A big slice of 'virtual cake' for the young lady over there :ohmy:


Thank you SO much. I was feeling a bit sheepish, like I'd made too much of my puncture triumph, so thanks for your very gallant comments!!! Hugely appreciated.
 

alecstilleyedye

nothing in moderation
Moderator
well done missus! i always carry a spare tube out on the road, but also patches as well (just in case), and i'd rather fix a tube when i get home and reuse it, what with the emphasis on recycling these days etc, than throw a tube away for the sake of a fixable nick.
 

elleigh

New Member
Well done Cathryn. Can you come around to mine now and fix a few for me please :ohmy:

I hate doing them and I am really slow at it and often get myself into a right fuddle!
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Well done! Never be coy about the first time you master anything - remember that those who scoff, if there be any, are those who've simply done it so often that they've forgotton what the first time was like. (or who have never actually done it, but don't like to admit it!:blush:)

The Cyclaire does seem to be well thought of. I have a Road Morph pump, which operates like a mini track pump, and I find that also works better for me than a pump requiring arm power alone - the morph braces against the ground so I can use my (considerable) weight to pump it...
 

bonj2

Guest
frog said:
Sorry to disagree Cathryn but it is a big thing. I know blokes who still get other people to fix their punctures or they just dump the tube and put another one in without even trying to fix the damn thing. <Raises hat in respect> You get a 'Well Done!' from me :blush:


er... that is still 'fixing' the puncture...
Seriously, who bothers faffing around with puncture repair kits these days?
It's more trouble than it's worth - what with having to find where it is with a sinkfull of water, dry it while remembering where it is, putting that glue on and then cleaning it off again because it's dried too much while you're picking at the rubber patch trying to get the back off, and then putting some more on only to find the rubber patch has fallen on the floor somewhere... grrr!!!
And even then the patch isn't half as secure as a new tube, in my experience you're far more likely to get a 'puncture' on the site of an existing patch than in a new place.
Isn't it only something we all learnt when we were kids purely so we could say we knew how to do it but then never bother with as adults?

But well done Cathryn if you've bothered to do it and it's worked...
 

bonj2

Guest
frog said:
Sorry to disagree Cathryn but it is a big thing. I know blokes who still get other people to fix their punctures

but apparently there's also some people that take it into a bike shop and WAIT A WEEK for it...
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
bonj;45218][quote name= said:
without even trying to fix the damn thing. <Raises hat in respect> You get a 'Well Done!' from me :blush:


er... that is still 'fixing' the puncture...

[/quote]

No, strictly, that's fixing the flat tyre. Fixing the puncture is mending the innertube.

Seriously, who bothers faffing around with puncture repair kits these days?

Most people I know, who don't want to just throw an otherwise fine tube away, either for economy, or just to avoid waste.

And even then the patch isn't half as secure as a new tube, in my experience you're far more likely to get a 'puncture' on the site of an existing patch than in a new place.

Perhaps only if you don't do the repair properly. Not my experience anyway...
But well done Cathryn if you've bothered to do it and it's worked...

Here, here![/b]
 
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Cathryn

Cathryn

Legendary Member
Shamefaced, I admit I fixed the flat tyre instead of the puncture, but hey, it was cold, rain was threatening and it was still a big deal for me. The inner tube is going to be patched tonight, so it still counts as a puncture repair job for me!!

I feel seriously liberated by yesterday's triumph....how funny!!
 

bonj2

Guest
Arch;45235][quote name= said:
frog' said:
Sorry to disagree Cathryn but it is a big thing. I know blokes who still get other people to fix their punctures or they just dump the tube and put another one in[/b'] without even trying to fix the damn thing. <Raises hat in respect> You get a 'Well Done!' from me :blush:

No, strictly, that's fixing the flat tyre. Fixing the puncture is mending the innertube.



No, strictly, it's not the tyre that's even flat, it's the innertube, so you can't fix the tyre as it doesn't need fixing*. The term 'a puncture', aswell as meaning the actual hole in the tube, can also be used to mean the event of having a puncture, i.e. the problem with the bike. The problem with the bike is that you've "had a puncture". Therefore fixing this problem involves the whole process of taking the wheel off, taking the tyre off, replacing the tube and putting it back together.



*unless the tyre is warped which happened to me a bit ago and I got a new tyre)
 
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