My First Flat

Single tool is possible Crank Brother Speed Lever, which generally works
well. Since I changed to Stelvios, I added 3 regular strong plastic tire
levers to my kit. The speed lever just won't do it with very tight tires.

It is good to practice taking the wheel and tire off and replacing them in
the comfort and safety of home. Just figuring out how to lay the bike in a
stable position and pulling back the derailleur to release and insert the
wheel is just as important as how to replace or patch a tube. A tip: take
your new spare tubes and put them in a grocery sack with some talcum powder
and shake and bake the tubes. The talc is a good lubricant. Put the powder
covered tubes in a plastic zippy bag for your road kit.

Since we are both at geezer age taking along the trifocals in your kit if
you normally wear single vision is a good idea. Tough to fix a flat if you
can't see it.

Pumping up a tire with a bike frame pump can be tough. I can't hold the
tire/valve/pump head with one hand while pumping with the other to get up to
riding pressure. I have to lay the wheel on the ground and put a spacer
under the pump head -so it doesn't rip the valve off- so I can get enough
muscle behind the pump to get 120 psi.

A Tour Easy isn't a wallyworld bike. Don't be afraid to go back to your LBS
and have them demonstrate the whole procedure for you. It's a lot easier to
do it after seeing a demonstration.

Also, most flats seem to be on back tires. Learn how to reach behind the
seat and use the palm of your riding glove to brush crap off of the tire
before glass can work its way through the tire.

Good luck, and once you learn how fix a fl*t, I hope you never have to apply
the skill.

snip
Taking the tire off usually requires just one tire tool, don't know the
name
of it. After getting the tire off, be SURE to check for thorns, glass,
steel, etc. inside the tire. I simply rub my finger around the inside of
it.
I'm sure someday I'll get cut doing this as someone is surely to note. If
you don't, you are going to get a flat down the road again.

snip

to Tampa, it has been one flat per month if that.

I had two in 8 months, both on the same day, same place.

I ride anywhere from 30 to 50 mile rides daily,

But I am riding along a bus route so I can always hop on the bus if I
don't wanna patch the tube. The buses have bike racks.

and there isn't a chance in
hell I am going to go out without
the tools and knowledge to fix a flat.

Certainly true for me away from the bus route, IE out of town, etc

I would highly recommend you take an extra tube
(or two if your bent has different size tires).

Save the old tube, take it home and patch it.

You may end up with
two flats then your toast.

I couldn't believe it the other day, TWO flats at the same time.
Here's the deal... the street-sweeper guy did a lousey job. His bin
must have ben full because he swept well, but deposited all the glass
and puncture vine burrs eveing across the road, not just in the gutter
as before. These drivers like to finish their route early, then ask
for an over-time route (doesn't matter how long it ACTUALLY took to do
his route).

I'm sure someday I'll get cut doing this as someone is surely to note.

So noted. I have thrust puncture-vine (Goat Heads) into my fingers
doing that, as well as glass, but I still do it.

After you have fixed the flat on the tube, or replace it, you generally put
some air in the tube to keep it from getting pinched.

Just one/two pump strokes, or so. Any more and it will work against
you.

massage the tire/tube around as you fit it to work out
any kinks, or you will get a snake bite flat.

If you have schraeder valves (like a car), then make sure it is
standing perpendicular to the rim when done. Don't try to push it up
straight if it isn't, instead grasp the tire in one hand and the rim
in another and rotate the tire on the rim just enough to straighten
the valve stem.

Also, when you think you are ready to inflate, put a cap on the valve
stem, and *push* it into the rim, but not all the way. This gives
clearance for the tire bead to fit *under* the thick base of the valve
stem. Otherwise the tire bead won't seat properly.

Next, gently hold the rim and slowly spin it. Watch the molded raised
line on the tire, just outside of the rim. Use it to make sure the
tire is even on the rim all the way around. If it is too far in or
out at some point, grasp that spot on both sides of thetire with your
thumb and forefinger, pinch it together, rock it back and forth, pull
on it a bit if necessary till it gets even.

Also, if you get into longer rides, you need to carry
a toolset with you. A few extra links for the chain,
a chain tool, etc.

Minimize the use of the chain stuff by routinely lubing the chain.
Mine needs it about every week/50 miles.

GeoB

"iLiad" wrote in message . ..

I would highly recommend you take an extra tube (or two if your bent has
different size tires).
The reason is it is fast, easy, and you can't always find the hole that
caused the flat. But, bring a tube repair kit as well. You may end up with
two flats then your toast.

After 2 large holes in the tire on my Aero from flats, I now carry a
tire and two tubes. The reason I carry the tire & tube is to save
changing time. I can strip the tire and tube & replace the old tire &
tube without the worry of finding what caused the flat. I don't like
fast moving vehicles making noise while I try to find a leak; I
usually do the hard work at home the next day.

I was riding a century and cut the tire where the tire would not hold
the tube in the tire with a good boot. I had to walk 5 miles when a
very very nice person gave me a ride to my car which was 25 miles
away. The next weekend I had to pay a person $10 to give me a 35 mile
ride after riding 60 miles and walking 2 miles uphill. After that, I
started looking at Airfree tires but then do not have 650 sizes yet;
maybe next year or the next after the 559 is available.

In Baton Rouge, we practice changing tires with experienced bikes at a
practice site.

WOW!!!!! Did I get a lot of great stuff about tire repair. I thanked some
of you with a private note but decided it would be better to do it this way.
It's really neat how many of you spent time to help this old geezer out. I
hope you all have hundreds of flat free miles.
Phil
"pjclarkesq" wrote in message
news:_GGgb.59360$%h1.43588@sccrnsc02...
Had the first flat on my new Tour Easy. Luckily I was only about 2.5
miles from home. Still...a long walk for an old guy (be 70 next spring)
pushing a big long Tour Easy. So I guess I better learn how to fix flats
again. Haven't had to do that since I had my first bike back in the
1940's....a big old balloon tired bike with nothing but a "New Departure"
brake to complicate taking off the rear wheel.

Can anyone recommend a bike repair manual clear enough for a mechanically
inept guy to understand that will help me get that rear wheel off and
safely
back on? I watched the guy at the bike repair shop but he got the wheel
off
so fast I couldn't keep up with what, precisely, he did to get it off.
I'd
appreciate any suggestions.

Phil

Ha, I knew I'd stir up a hornets' nest. Yes, everyone should know how to fix
a flat. In 45 years of biking I've repaired a few. But a flat on a new bike
isn't normal and probably means something was wrong.

I knew the 'goathead thorn' people would jump in, too. What the heck are
those things? Somebody give me a link to a picture.

On Wed, 8 Oct 2003 17:04:43 -0500, "jim h" wrote:

I knew the 'goathead thorn' people would jump in, too. What the heck are
those things? Somebody give me a link to a picture.

http://www.goatheads.com

-- Robert

Well, it was great to share. And probably one of the longest threads on here
for a while that didn't include some threats and bashing. Would like to see
more of it in the future.....


;-)


"pjclarkesq" wrote in message
news
WOW!!!!! Did I get a lot of great stuff about tire repair. I thanked
some
of you with a private note but decided it would be better to do it this
way.
It's really neat how many of you spent time to help this old geezer out.
I
hope you all have hundreds of flat free miles.
Phil
"pjclarkesq" wrote in message
news:_GGgb.59360$%h1.43588@sccrnsc02...
Had the first flat on my new Tour Easy. Luckily I was only about 2.5
miles from home. Still...a long walk for an old guy (be 70 next spring)
pushing a big long Tour Easy. So I guess I better learn how to fix
flats
again. Haven't had to do that since I had my first bike back in the
1940's....a big old balloon tired bike with nothing but a "New
Departure"
brake to complicate taking off the rear wheel.

Can anyone recommend a bike repair manual clear enough for a
mechanically
inept guy to understand that will help me get that rear wheel off and
safely
back on? I watched the guy at the bike repair shop but he got the wheel
off
so fast I couldn't keep up with what, precisely, he did to get it off.
I'd
appreciate any suggestions.

Phil

I had three flats in 99 for my first year of recumbent riding. Got used to
pulling that 35x700C tire off and having fun. My last flat for that year was
in July and I had no flats in 2000 so I felt good.
2001 came in and I went for broke with a Specialized Nimbus EX (armadillo
kevlar belt) in the rear and Snafu Rim Job (20x1.95 130 PSI) front tire. Rode
it with no problems in the spring and shipped my recumbent to Korea.
The year in Korea came and went with no flats, not even when I rode about
250 meters across glass strewn trails. I was feeling bullet-proof!
Came back last year and the concept of getting a flat was fading away.
July, 2003 my 4 year streak was celebrated with a flat...on the front! A thorn
went through the front tire and I pulled out my pump, spare tube and bike tools
and noted I had a flat. A week later, I was greeted with a front flat again!
Rim tape failure so I took care of that.
August came along and, you guessed it... another front tire flat! Ran
over a roofing staple so I was really eating up the tubes. Early September
greeted me with another front tire flat caused by a thumb tack. The month was
not over so I had to take the front tire out again with another thumb tack!
4 years without a flat and 5 FRONT tire flats in 3 months. The Nimbus EX
rear tire has not flatted in almost 4 years (I put it on Feb 2000) It is
really, really worn and will be replaced for the spring riding season. Maybe I
should hang it up with a gold ribbon on it for flat-free performance.
The comment about quality tires, I needed some humor to brighten up my day!
I have flatted Michelin, Specialized, Raleigh, Tioga, Snafu, Avocet and others
with no problem. You roll the dice and take your chances.

John H
Finding tumb tacks in N TX

Now I'm afraid to ride. I'm sure the Puncture God will punish me. I will
get 5 years worth of overdue flats in the next month. :-)


Maybe I've actually had lots of flats but the experiences wer so traumatic
that I repressed the memories...

Thanks. Yeah they do look menacing. Not a problem for me - they can't
survive a Minnesota winter. You guys in the South just need to have someone
drive ahead of you and spread weevils on the road.


"Robert Stevahn" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 8 Oct 2003 17:04:43 -0500, "jim h" wrote:

I knew the 'goathead thorn' people would jump in, too. What the heck are
those things? Somebody give me a link to a picture.

http://www.goatheads.com

-- Robert