RadNomad
Senior Retro Guru
Wasn't sure which section to put this, but it's a road story so here we go..
Yesterday, crack of dawn, met up with my roadie friend intending to enjoy a nice road ride. After 7km roadie got a flat.
1st attempt: Tried a Topeak stick on patch, just to try them out. = Flat tyre (can’t handle the pressure).
2nd attempt: Fitted friend’s new spare tube. Comes with installation piece to extend the valve for deep carbon rim but friend’s pump wouldn’t fit over his larger diameter extention! Used my mini pump. = Flat tyre (pinched new tube with tyre lever).
3rd Attempt: Hmm two knackered tubes! Patched the spare tube and tried lower pressure = Flat tyre (air leak at the extension piece, try as we might, not fixable).
4th Attempt: Back to original tube, only 4 patches of dubious effectiveness left so we used all 4 patches to reinforce the sealed area, bound with insulation tape robbed from a light fitting. = Flat tyre.
5th Attempt: 4 cable ties robbed from computer mount, zipped each side of the puncture then zipped again into S-shape. = Success! Bike can be ridden normally with the repair scarcely noticeable.
After 20 mins of riding and 1+ hour of fixing we rode to a cycle shop and while the bike got new Continental tubes with decent long valves, we went for fried noodles.
Lessons learned:
a) Make sure the tools/pump/spare tubes fit the bike!
b) Stick on patches are useless compared with the good old [and effective] vulcanizing patches with glue, chalk and a little bit of sandpaper. Of course patches are anyway a second chance emergency but if you’re carrying any they’d might as well work.
c) Carry a few small cable ties. They weigh nothing and make a superb emergency puncture fix.
d) Never give up!
Yesterday, crack of dawn, met up with my roadie friend intending to enjoy a nice road ride. After 7km roadie got a flat.
1st attempt: Tried a Topeak stick on patch, just to try them out. = Flat tyre (can’t handle the pressure).
2nd attempt: Fitted friend’s new spare tube. Comes with installation piece to extend the valve for deep carbon rim but friend’s pump wouldn’t fit over his larger diameter extention! Used my mini pump. = Flat tyre (pinched new tube with tyre lever).
3rd Attempt: Hmm two knackered tubes! Patched the spare tube and tried lower pressure = Flat tyre (air leak at the extension piece, try as we might, not fixable).
4th Attempt: Back to original tube, only 4 patches of dubious effectiveness left so we used all 4 patches to reinforce the sealed area, bound with insulation tape robbed from a light fitting. = Flat tyre.
5th Attempt: 4 cable ties robbed from computer mount, zipped each side of the puncture then zipped again into S-shape. = Success! Bike can be ridden normally with the repair scarcely noticeable.
After 20 mins of riding and 1+ hour of fixing we rode to a cycle shop and while the bike got new Continental tubes with decent long valves, we went for fried noodles.
Lessons learned:
a) Make sure the tools/pump/spare tubes fit the bike!
b) Stick on patches are useless compared with the good old [and effective] vulcanizing patches with glue, chalk and a little bit of sandpaper. Of course patches are anyway a second chance emergency but if you’re carrying any they’d might as well work.
c) Carry a few small cable ties. They weigh nothing and make a superb emergency puncture fix.
d) Never give up!