Pffffft - it's a puncture

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scouserinlondon

Senior Member
So last night I rode over the pin from a clothes tag that had obviously been discarded by a south london shoplifter. 'puncture proof' tyre obviously deflated pretty quickly and I found a nice LBS in Clapham who replaced the tube for about a tenner.

My question, what do you hardcore cyclists do about punctures? For example do you just carry a spare tube and tyre levers so you can get home and fix the inner tube later, do you even bother fixing inner tubes in these consumerist times, is there some other high tech approach I don't even know about?

Cheers.
 

garrilla

Senior Member
Location
Liverpool
Spare + repair Kit + mini-pump

I wil swap tubes, which usaully takes < 5 mins. But, on occasion, there has been a need to have back-up such as 3 or 4 weeks ago I snapped the valve off the spare, which meant an attempt at repairing the tube in the rain.

When I get home any tube that can be repaired is repaired, the rest get re-used in some other way.
 

thomas

the tank engine
Location
Woking/Norwich
scouserinlondon said:
My question, what do you hardcore cyclists do about punctures? For example do you just carry a spare tube and tyre levers so you can get home and fix the inner tube later, do you even bother fixing inner tubes in these consumerist times, is there some other high tech approach I don't even know about?

Cheers.

I've got a little back bag which has a spare inner tube, leavers, lock, lights and a mini allen key set.

If I get a puncture I'll just change the tube and then either fix it or bin it. I'd really only bin it if it wasn't repairable...even then I feel bad so stick it in a box somewhere encase it comes in handy :rolleyes:

edit: Oh, I have a pump attached to my bike.
 

XmisterIS

Purveyor of fine nonsense
I have a little toppeak saddle-bag that can be unclipped in a matter of seconds - it contains: 1 spare tube, 1 set of tyre levers, 1 parktool, 1 puncture repair kit, 1 credit card, 1 mobile phone, £2 or £3 in cash.

It's amazing what you can fit into a tiny saddlebag!
 

thomas

the tank engine
Location
Woking/Norwich
XmisterIS said:
It's amazing what you can fit into a tiny saddlebag!

My old mini pump used to have a secret compartment in the handle, where you could stick a few quid in. At one point I thought my bike frame had cracked as it was always creaking and rattling - turned out it was just the money bouncing up and down.
 

swee'pea99

Squire
I bought a mini pump with the idea I'd carry it every day, but in the event I just couldn't be shagged. Now I just hope I don't get too badly stranded - mostly I seem to get littluns, and make it home or to work before they go right down.
 
thomas said:
turned out it was just the money bouncing up and down.


I had similar. Every time I pedaled there was a tingling sound, a little like the chain touching the the front mech. I change gear but it was still there. Get of the bike, look at the mech, nothing doing and indexing seems to be good. Get back on the bike, there it is again. Strange I thought, maybe a weight issue on the BB but why such a tingling noise. Anyway, each night for about 3 nights I had the bike on the stand trying to work out the problem but could never find it.

Eventually it clicked that I had started keeping my keys in the back of the jersey and these were the jingling sound.
 

XmisterIS

Purveyor of fine nonsense
I think that there must be some unfathomed law that governs both umbrellas and spare inner tubes - you know how when you carry an umbrella it never rains? Well, let me tell you about the one, single, solitary time I forgot my spare inner-tube .... :rolleyes:
 

Mr Pig

New Member
Spare + repair Kit + mini-pump

Yip. Just swap the tube but carry a repair kit just in case. The Armadillo tyres I use are very hard to puncture but I've also had a staple get trough them. I was blessed in that I was nearly home and it lost air slowly.

I also carry: Leatherman Wave multi-tool, chain tool, quick-link, Allan keys, small flat-blade screwdriver, a few chain links, two tyre levers, spare gear cable and a few large cable ties in the seat post.
 
No p*nctures this year although at the moment the rear can't puncture anyway,so that cuts out a 75% chance.

Im trying to go through the year without a p*nct*re.

Mr P do you carry a spare chain?

I don't like the new chains now as you cant seem to split them without weakening them.
 

Matty

Well-Known Member
Location
Nr Edinburgh
I still have spare inner tubes with me - but since switching to marathon+ figure, I wouldn't be able to do a roadside fix, impossible to get the tyre off/back on again!

Agree that, if I leave the spare inner tube behind, guaranteed p*.
 
Yeah I still carry spares but im trying all sorts of things to prevent punctures.Also thought of putting sealant in the inner tube.My inner tubes are 4x thicker anyway and I use Armadillo's.
 
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