Why do people bother to carry puncture repair kits with them?

[Profpointy]

repairing puncture - 5 to 10 minutes.

Waiting for bus 20 minutes, 5 minutes arguing with bus driver why you can't take bike on bus. Phone taxi taking another 5 minutes, then another 5 minute argument with taxi man. Then spend hour and a half pushing bike home. And then, once home, spend the 5 minutes fixing the puncture you could have fixed in the first place.

 

[raleighnut]

Always carry at least one tube and a repair kit. I have also been known to sit in a pub fixing the tube that punctured in case I get one on the way back.
(Café stops are all very well but I'd sooner have a Pint and a Pie. )

 

[mustang1]

The mess that is public transport is the reason I ride a bike in the first place.

 

[gavroche]

Two tubes and a kit. Takes 5 minutes to change a tube. its going to take longer to lock the bike find a bus stop then get home. The kit weighs nothing. I've once had two punctures on one commute.

only idiots ride without a pump and a kit/spare tubes.

5 minutes to repair a puncture? You must have quite a few then. It takes me at least 15 minutes as I get very few punctures hence very little practice and I like it that way.

 

[Profpointy]

5 minutes to repair a puncture? You must have quite a few then. It takes me at least 15 minutes as I get very few punctures hence very little practice and I like it that way.

maybe 5 mins to simply swap the tube; 15 if you find leak and actually fix.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

To deter theft.

 

[rualexander]

Still got wheels though.

 

[Venod]

of often do people usually get punctures

Two yesterday both in back wheel, first one a pin hole no visble cause, patched it with self adhesive patch, second one instant deflation, a piece of glass through tyre, spare tube fitted, both holes repaired with glue and tiptop patches at home, never seen any buses to catch in the woods I was in.

 

[youngoldbloke]

In the off chance that your tyres get punctured, would you not just use public transport?

I would lock my bike up to a nearby rack, and then catch a bus or taxi to where-ever I need to be. Do other people's tyres get punctured that often to make it worthwhile constantly carrying a repair kit?

Have you ever ventured out beyond the edge of town? Nearby rack ? Lots of those out beyond the city limits? Bus? - what's that? On a sunday? Taxi - cheaper to buy a new wheel. Even ambulances take 45 minutes to reach the casualty in our neck of the woods. Oh - and usually no bl---dy phone signal anyway!

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Still got wheels though.

Punctured.

 

[youngoldbloke]

On reflection, I'll qualify my post - to give the OP his due, he did post in the commuting section, so perhaps it's not for us who ride mostly out in the sticks to comment.

 

[Elybazza61]

Usually carry a couple of tubes,tyre boot and self-adhesive patches plus a pump in the rucksack for commutes,also now have a tubeless repair kit now I'm running the Sectors tubeless on the XLS commuteer.

On longer rides and club runs still carry two tubes and a mini pump and co2 inflator and still don't need an "EPS" on the bike.

For sportives I generally fix two tubes under the seat just to give me some pocket space for food and gels.

TBH I've only ever needed two tubes once on a ride and that was on a club run which took a forced detour over some particularly crappy droves on a very crappy day but they come in handy if anyone else has a bad day puncture wise and needs a spare tube.

As others have said it's only a matter of minutes to change a tube with practice and even a badly gashed tyre can be made rideable with a boot.

Oh and regular inspection can help to as sometimes the debris that caused a puncture may have been sitting in the tyre for a few days and repair and fill any cuts with super-glue or rubber patch glue;kept my supposedly puncture prone Open Paves going puncture free until the rear squared off and wore down.Still only had the one puncture at the end of it's life.

 

[fossyant]

5 minutes to repair a puncture? You must have quite a few then. It takes me at least 15 minutes as I get very few punctures hence very little practice and I like it that way.

Nope, just skill. CO2 saves quite a bit of time. Drop gears to last but one sprocket, undo QR, hold mech, drop wheel. Remove tube, check for glass/thorns, insert new tube and off you go. PS no turning the bike upside down, slows down the process.

 

[snorri]

The puncture repair kit is usually the smallest single item I carry, so not a bother at all
Although perhaps I'm not as weight conscious as some having discovered whilst lifting my bike over the door step and unpacking my panniers on return home from work one day that my colleagues had placed a hefty piece of paving slab in my pannier along with my protective clothing work gear etc. B*******

 

[rugby bloke]

PS no turning the bike upside down, slows down the process.

This is something I am starting to appreciate ... Never really thought about it with my mtb - I had been turning bikes upside down since I was a kid. Once I got my road bike with its lovely white handle bar tape I became a lot more careful. Can now fix a dropped chain without even thinking about turning it over, not had a flat on it yet but need to practice swapping a tube whilst keeping it the right way up.