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

[Mr. Cow]

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

I'm likely being obtuse here, but how do you change it without turning the bike upside down?

 

[Dogtrousers]

I'm likely being obtuse here, but how do you change it without turning the bike upside down?

Put bike into top gear (if rear wheel puncture), undo QR, drop the wheel out, lay bike on its side, put new tube in, pick up bike, put wheel back in.

But if you find it easier to turn the bike upside down, go ahead.

The "No turning upside down" is one of those rules that some people care about and others don't. You may scuff up your saddle or shifters if you are not careful. Back in the olden days when brake cables emerged from the top of brake levers, rather than being routed under bar tape as they are now, there was a good reason as you could kink the inner cable and make it stick inside the outer. But these days I think it's just a matter of style. (Someone no doubt will come along in a moment with a reason I don't know about)

 

[migrantwing]

Spare tube and/or a few patches. tyre lever/s and a mini pump. Five minutes at the very longest.

It's not as silly as locking your bike up and walking 30 miles (wearing cleats) to the nearest bus stop and waiting an hour for a bus that takes you another 20 miles in the wrong direction. Why ride a bike if you're going to catch a bus?

 

[fossyant]

Also, by not tipping the bike upside down, good old gravity helps the wheel drop out, and when putting it back in, the bike weight helps ensure the axel is dead centre in the drop outs.

 

[Tanis8472]

Ahem

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#49

 

[briantrumpet]

Apart from anything else, if you do rides out in the countryside, it isn't always wise to rely on mobile reception - my ride yesterday went through areas of no reception at all, let alone decent data:

From when I was about ten my brother and I used to go out on day-long rides (no mobiles in those days anyway), and we took multi-spanner, puncture-repair kit, and 2p to phone home, in case of unresolvable problems. I can't remember ever having used the 2p.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Ahem

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#49

An excellent reason to do it

 

[jefmcg]

Flat tyre in Hyde Park, London, 8.30am. 10 minutes walk to Piccadilly, where the traffic isn't moving to catch a bus. Or 15 minutes walk to the underground, and another 10 minutes getting to the platform and on a train + same at other end, 2 or 3 stops away? And much worse if you need to make a change. Fingers crossed they haven't closed Bank station due to congestion. Oh, and God help you if you want to get to Canary Wharf. On a bad day that trip (9 minutes) can take over an hour from Waterloo.

Fixing the bike, or walking the whole way are probably the quickest options even in a city with plentiful transport options and good phone signals.

 

[Colin_P]

There are of course some people who buy clothes, wear them once and throw them away, pants and socks mainly I would think.

There must also be people who use a razor once and throw it away instead of using it to the point where it rips your moosh apart before throwing it away.

And then there are those who throw a tube away without patching it...

So it is just a natural progression, as there is nowt as queer as folk.

Which must mean that someone somewhere must have thrown a whole bike away when it got a puncture.

The reality however is probably even stranger and a lot more common than we at first realise; we have all seen them, bikes or what is left of them chained up seemingly for ever, local land marks even. Are these bikes like the OP's used and chained up after getting a puncture and then either forgotten or simply left to rot or more Alternatively up and down the land there must be punctured bikes languising in sheds and garages never to be fixed and used again.

 

[snorri]

Ahem

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#49

I think that applies only to the poor souls who spent so much money on their frames that they couldn't afford mudguards.

 

[Arfcollins]

Put bike into top gear (if rear wheel puncture), undo QR, drop the wheel out, lay bike on its side, put new tube in, pick up bike, put wheel back in.

But if you find it easier to turn the bike upside down, go ahead.

The "No turning upside down" is one of those rules that some people care about and others don't. You may scuff up your saddle or shifters if you are not careful. Back in the olden days when brake cables emerged from the top of brake levers, rather than being routed under bar tape as they are now, there was a good reason as you could kink the inner cable and make it stick inside the outer. But these days I think it's just a matter of style. (Someone no doubt will come along in a moment with a reason I don't know about)

I would never lay my bike on its side as the bar ends would get scratched. So it always upside down for me. My puncture repair kit contains 2 short lengths of 2 by 4 (planed) that I rest the handle bars on to protect my 4 front lights, computer, shopping basket, bell and Airzound from contact with the tarmac or gravel. The pieces of timber were mahogany but I've changed to pine now once I realised what weight I was carrying.

 

[Arfcollins]

And then there are those who throw a tube away without patching it...

So it is just a natural progression, as there is nowt as queer as folk.

Which must mean that someone somewhere must have thrown a whole bike away when it got a puncture.

That would be in Amsterdam, I'm led to believe.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I find it much quicker and cheaper to fix it.
I can replace and be on the way in 5 minutes or less.
Bus I have to wait for it plus it costs money and being from Yorkshire I find that difficult...

 

[Karlt]

I would never lay my bike on its side as the bar ends would get scratched. So it always upside down for me. My puncture repair kit contains 2 short lengths of 2 by 4 (planed) that I rest the handle bars on to protect my 4 front lights, computer, shopping basket, bell and Airzound from contact with the tarmac or gravel. The pieces of timber were mahogany but I've changed to pine now once I realised what weight I was carrying.

I have to turn it upside down. My [crosses fingers]punctures[/uncrosses fingers] are almost always rear wheel and I cannot for the life of me put a rear wheel back in a frame unless it's upside down. I don't know why.

 

[Profpointy]

Having had a think, I reckon not bothering with a puncture kit makes sense for journeys between 1 and 2 miles . Less than a mile, it's hardly worth cycling - more than 2 miles, the long push of shame or any daft combination of bus, taxi then returning later is just too much trouble to save 50grammes. After all, you're not avoiding the repair which would be needed anyway