Punctures on Sportive?

[Broadside]

Some good advice on the posts above. I would add that the camaraderie on Sportives is great. Whenever I have stopped for any reason every person that passes checks to see that you are ok and don't need help. Get used to changig the tubes yourself but if you run into trouble just shout for help and you will find many willing volunteers.

Good luck with your ride, if you're anything like me you will find the events very rewarding.

 

[jimboalee]

Sportive, Audax, CTC ride or club run; if you flat, you fix it yourself.

You ARE expected to be able to do this.


The CTC DO NOT have an emergency phone number to call so a van comes out to fix your bike ( like the AA or RAC ).
They reckon
1/ a person who buys a bicycle should have the knowledge and ability to repair their bike; and
2/ If it too bad to fix on the roadside, bikes are light enough to push to the nearest railway station.

 

[jimboalee]

When I bought my Pug in 1975 ( aged 15 ), my LBS man's dear wife asked me "Do you know how to repair a puncture?".
"yeh, I think so" I replied.
She picked up a pin off the counter and stuck it in my front tyre.
"Repair that then" she said with a broad smile.

 

[zacklaws]

With my sense of humour, I would have:-

Examined the pin, said "I can not see anything wrong with it, look I'll show you" and then stuck it into another tyre in the shop, Said "Goodbye" and walked off with my new bike

 

[alecstilleyedye]

electrical tape is good in case you get punctures due to rim tape failure. if you haven't recently put good quality rim tape on yourself, it's worth packing a small roll of said tape.

 

[rb58]

Can't emphasise enough checking the tyre really carefully if you do puncture. Something will have caused the flat in the first place and you need to deal with that before you inflate another tube, otherwise you'll quickly run out of tubes.

With regards CO2 cannisters or a pump, I personally prefer a pump as cannisters are a one shot solution. If you only carry cannisters and you mess up re-inflating, or get another flat, you're stuffed. Whereas a pump you can use over and over.

On the weight front, I'd have thought the weight difference was so marginal as to not be worth worrying about.

Cheers

 

[Fattman]

Having been bitten in the wotsit I *never ever ever* leave without tube+pump+levers! Particularly drawn to the subject as I, too, have an Allez Sport Double and I can vouch for the fact that it does not confer particular puncture resistance!

I have a trophy water bottle from a Sportive which I use as my toolkit on shorter (<50mile) rides - looks tidier than a saddle bag and is easily found each ride cos it's in the 2nd bottle holder on the bike.

On Sportives I take 2 inners (lightweight, simply cos they're smaller), a Lezyne glueless patch kit, 2 levers and a minipump. This fits in the back pocket (room for 2 bottles on the bike), and on the (wet) 70 mile Burgess Hill Springtime Classic in March I used both tubes and the patch kit! No fun trapped in the rain 35 miles from your car, further from home...

 

[RedBike]

I don't know why but there always seems to be loads of riders with punctures on Spotives. Something you don't see happening in races/ audaxs.

I assume its something to do with people dragging bikes out of garages that haven't been ridden for years.

Take a C02 canister and a set patches in a jersey pocket. They will weigh nothing.

 

[HLaB]

I don't know why but there always seems to be loads of riders with punctures on Spotives. Something you don't see happening in races/ audaxs.

I assume its something to do with people dragging bikes out of garages that haven't been ridden for years

My guess is exposure; you're just exposed to more riders and its a longer distance.

There will also be rider with bike that are not in shipshape condition (low psi's) and perhaps also cycling harder which can lead to snake bites.

(Then there's ACRE and carpet tacks )

 

[ChrisKH]

electrical tape is good in case you get punctures due to rim tape failure. if you haven't recently put good quality rim tape on yourself, it's worth packing a small roll of said tape.

+1. Great for other purposes as well, like sticking together a light casing that has spectacularly exploded after a minor collision, fall, etc. Been there, bought the book.

 

[jimboalee]

I don't know why but there always seems to be loads of riders with punctures on Spotives. Something you don't see happening in races/ audaxs.

I assume its something to do with people dragging bikes out of garages that haven't been ridden for years.

Take a C02 canister and a set patches in a jersey pocket. They will weigh nothing.

It is strange why this is.

At a guess;

Audax riders are generally older and wiser and know how to look after their bikes, including rim tape and rolling tyres on without pinching tubes.

Race boys generally have a Dad or team members to advise and teach these things.

Sportive riders are generally young and self taught, or know as much as can be read on internet forums.
They rely on bog standard rim tape, believing it is fully sufficient when older and wiser cyclists know it's not and needs to be reinforced with a couple of layers of Gaffer tape or replaced with real stuff ( Jante Velox ).
They probably use some ingenious 'lazyman's' tool to roll a tyre on, which is NOT how it should be done. It sould be done by hand - and checked for correct seating before inflating.

 

[Fnaar]

I don't know why but there always seems to be loads of riders with punctures on Spotives. Something you don't see happening in races/ audaxs.

S'funny, I've done two sportives, and was surprised that I didn't see any punctures on either one!

 

[Chiefwiggum]

Rode the Chilterns Challenge last year, first challenge / sportive type ride I had done, the suggested equipment list said two inner tubes plus a repair kit. I used both tubes (flinty country lanes!) and lost about 40 minutes in total. Practice swaping tubes and don't underestimate how much they can disrupt your rythem and hack you off. Having said that try to relax and roll with it, poop happens. Just don't panic as other riders go passed, some will stop and other assistance, don't be proud if you're struggling the advice can make all the difference. On my second puncture a guy stopped, could see my frustration and offered to cycle the final 25 km together, offering moral support and company. This we did and it helped us both a lot, we both completed the ride, whereas at the time I was about to throw my bike in a hedge and he had lost touch with the group he was in and was losing heart.

 

[abrooks100]

So think Im sorted! Got my small compacted saddle bag and have managed to cram in the following;

*Saddle Bag:
-Small pump that also takes a CO2 canister
-1 x spare inner tube
-self adisive patches
-sand paper
-chalk
-2 x tyre levers
-small multi tool
-spanner

*2 x water bottles 500ml to fill with Carb powder drink

*5 x Carb Gels

Anything I am missing that people would class as essential for a Sportive?

I just need to spend some time tonight practicing replacing the tubes & cleaning my bike.

Would you advise a quick spin on the turbo trainer the night before?

 

[Fnaar]

Anything I am missing that people would class as essential for a Sportive?

A family pack of jelly babies