You'll probably find that cheap lights are fine in most conditions if you slow down a bit (not so good at 20mph), until an oncoming car comes down the road with full beam on and utterly screws your night vision. Try your local Tescos, see if they have their £8 torches on sale - they're bright. Or if you have a head torch or anything that can be used as one, you might see if looking directly at drivers encourages them to dip. And if you close one eye as they approach, they'll only dazzle the other one
Got squeezed
- Thread starter Holdsworth
- Start date
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david1701
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Bude, Cornwall
thanks for that I'll give it a go
OP
OP
Holdsworth
Guru
- Location
- Crewe, Cheshire
Well that's the tube changed successfully without pinching the thing against the rim, harder then it looks!!! If am to commute by bike morrow I will need to get a couple of tubes from the LBS to keep in the event of another visit from the p******* fairy
I often find it helps to put a little air into the tube to give it some shape before I put the tyre back on. Doesn't need much, just enough to stop it getting trapped against the rim wall.
Once I've got the tyre back on the wheel I let it down again and go round the wheel pinching the tyre so that both beads are in the central "well" section of the rim, checking that I can't see any tube
OP
OP
Holdsworth
Guru
- Location
- Crewe, Cheshire
I think that is was what I neglected to do this morning and is part of the reason why the tube pinched. It could also be down to using the levers to get the last stretch of tyre back onto the rim, very hard to do and I had to use the levers facing backwards to hook onto the beading to get it back in. I am sure there is technique to getting that last bit on but I obviously haven't a clue
I think that is was what I neglected to do this morning and is part of the reason why the tube pinched. It could also be down to using the levers to get the last stretch of tyre back onto the rim, very hard to do and I had to use the levers facing backwards to hook onto the beading to get it back in. I am sure there is technique to getting that last bit on but I obviously haven't a clue
Depends a lot on the tyre and the rim: some are tighter than others. But you can improve your chances by, after you've got one side on, pushing the bead into the "well" all the way round to give yourself some slack before attempting the other side.
Oh, and plastic tyre levers tend to be a lot less brutal than the old metal ones were
david1701
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Bude, Cornwall
Mad at urage
New Member
- Location
- Just N of Cardiff
Tyre fitting:
Check tyre for directional indicator, make sure you put it on the wheel the right way around!
Put first tyre bead in the centre of the 'well' on one side and rest that on the ground so that the weight of the wheel keeps the tyre bead in the well. Pull the rest of that side of the bead over the rim.
Part inflate the inner tube (check the repair is still holding) and with the valve-hole uppermost, place the side of the tube opposite the valve, into the tyre (this ensures that you don't pick up more dirt and cause another puncture). Ease the inner tube around and place the valve through its hole. Check the valve is square (ease the tube around gently if necessary).
Starting at the opposite side to the valve place the second bead into the 'well'. With the valve away from you, ease the sidewall in, pushing the bead into the well as you go. Once it starts to get stiff to push the bead over, place the valve-side of the tyre on the ground and starting again from the opposite side push the bead deeply as possible into the well.
At this point it is sometimes necessary (depending on the tyre cross-section)to deflate the inner tube again.
Continue pushing the sidewall in, from opposite the valve towards the valve; each time getting a little more of the bead over the rim. Be sure to push on the sidewall and not on the tyre tread (especially with studded tyres!), lifting the wheel with your fingers slightly. Working this way and aiming to get all of the bead into the centre of the well below the tube, will eventually result in the bead pushing over the rim without levers* to pinch it. It also means that the tube is pushed repeatedly up and away from the lip and bead, avoiding pinch punctures on inflation.
Inflate tyre to over-pressure (not too much!) and bounce it on the ground a few times#. This will help seat the bead and so centre the wheel in the tyre. Deflate to required pressure before riding.
*Tyre levers are often necessary to remove the first few inches of bead after breaking it away from the rim when removing the tyre, because you can't get your fingers in there to pull.
#Omit this step if in a hurry at roadside repair, but ensure the bead is seated correctly before any long ride.
Check tyre for directional indicator, make sure you put it on the wheel the right way around!
Put first tyre bead in the centre of the 'well' on one side and rest that on the ground so that the weight of the wheel keeps the tyre bead in the well. Pull the rest of that side of the bead over the rim.
Part inflate the inner tube (check the repair is still holding) and with the valve-hole uppermost, place the side of the tube opposite the valve, into the tyre (this ensures that you don't pick up more dirt and cause another puncture). Ease the inner tube around and place the valve through its hole. Check the valve is square (ease the tube around gently if necessary).
Starting at the opposite side to the valve place the second bead into the 'well'. With the valve away from you, ease the sidewall in, pushing the bead into the well as you go. Once it starts to get stiff to push the bead over, place the valve-side of the tyre on the ground and starting again from the opposite side push the bead deeply as possible into the well.
At this point it is sometimes necessary (depending on the tyre cross-section)to deflate the inner tube again.
Continue pushing the sidewall in, from opposite the valve towards the valve; each time getting a little more of the bead over the rim. Be sure to push on the sidewall and not on the tyre tread (especially with studded tyres!), lifting the wheel with your fingers slightly. Working this way and aiming to get all of the bead into the centre of the well below the tube, will eventually result in the bead pushing over the rim without levers* to pinch it. It also means that the tube is pushed repeatedly up and away from the lip and bead, avoiding pinch punctures on inflation.
Inflate tyre to over-pressure (not too much!) and bounce it on the ground a few times#. This will help seat the bead and so centre the wheel in the tyre. Deflate to required pressure before riding.
*Tyre levers are often necessary to remove the first few inches of bead after breaking it away from the rim when removing the tyre, because you can't get your fingers in there to pull.
#Omit this step if in a hurry at roadside repair, but ensure the bead is seated correctly before any long ride.
OP
OP
Holdsworth
Guru
- Location
- Crewe, Cheshire
OP
OP
Holdsworth
Guru
- Location
- Crewe, Cheshire
I have discovered the cause of the last flat, a small (3-5mm) shard of green glass wedged in the tyre
This might have been what caused the very first p******* this morning and not a pothole as I first thought.
The second one was deffo my fault though, not putting the tyre back on correctly and pinching the tube.
I will definitely take the above advice on changing the tube properly. I will see how pushing the bead into the centre well to help with getting the rest over the rim, I have always found that I get close to the end and there is a tough section that is very stubborn to go into the rim without force, it seems to hang quite a lot over the last bit of the rim.
This might have been what caused the very first p******* this morning and not a pothole as I first thought.
The second one was deffo my fault though, not putting the tyre back on correctly and pinching the tube.
I will definitely take the above advice on changing the tube properly. I will see how pushing the bead into the centre well to help with getting the rest over the rim, I have always found that I get close to the end and there is a tough section that is very stubborn to go into the rim without force, it seems to hang quite a lot over the last bit of the rim.
Mad at urage
New Member
- Location
- Just N of Cardiff
Just keep going back to the other side and getting the wheel further into the tyre, especially down the sides as you work towards that last bit (and make it even both sides otherwise you lose the slack you have built up).
DrSquirrel
Guest
I got a "pinch flat" from hitting a pothole on Blizzards too! (but 25c)
mgarl10024
Über Member
- Location
- Bristol
I think that is was what I neglected to do this morning and is part of the reason why the tube pinched. It could also be down to using the levers to get the last stretch of tyre back onto the rim, very hard to do and I had to use the levers facing backwards to hook onto the beading to get it back in. I am sure there is technique to getting that last bit on but I obviously haven't a clue
The video I saw a while back was
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4
, recommended by someone else on here. When fixing my first puncture, I remembered his technique when I couldn't get the last bit of the tyre on, and whilst I don't have Marathon Plus's, it worked a treat for me.
If short on time, watch from about 3:10 onwards.
Mad at urage
New Member
- Location
- Just N of Cardiff
It's a good illustration of the basic technique, I like the use of toe-straps to help holding the tyre, although I've never needed it.
"I'll start at the valve, it doesn't matter where you start" I disagree with: The valve sits in the hole in the middle of the well, so it prevents the bead there from going right into the middle of the well; that is why I always end at the valve (you can also push the valve back as you ping the last of the bead over - it's the most-likely place for catching the tube otherwise). But hey, he's a professional (?) I'm just a commuter.
It certainly shows how you start making slack whenever it tightens up. See how easily the first bead popped over? The second bead is no smaller and the rim hasn't grown whilst you fitted it, so no reason to use any levers.
"I'll start at the valve, it doesn't matter where you start" I disagree with: The valve sits in the hole in the middle of the well, so it prevents the bead there from going right into the middle of the well; that is why I always end at the valve (you can also push the valve back as you ping the last of the bead over - it's the most-likely place for catching the tube otherwise). But hey, he's a professional (?) I'm just a commuter.
It certainly shows how you start making slack whenever it tightens up. See how easily the first bead popped over? The second bead is no smaller and the rim hasn't grown whilst you fitted it, so no reason to use any levers.
