My First Flat

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

Phil, some will argue but my opinion is that with good tires and correctly
installed tubes, flats are extremely rare. I can easily fix a flat. I carry
spare tubes, hand pump, tire levers etc - and have never used them in years
of recumbent riding. Same with the guys I ride with.

I suggest that you had an early flat because a tube was pinched, a spoke
head protruded, bad rim strip or some other mechanical fault.

I also suggest tires with Kevlar bands for extreme puncture resistance.

My point is that your effort is best spent getting to the root cause of the
flat. You might ask the shop to look for any obvious problem in the wheels
or tires, but if none is found, just put in a new tube and write off that
first flat as a fluke.

On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 19:14:25 -0500, jim h wrote:

Phil, some will argue but my opinion is that with good tires and correctly
installed tubes, flats are extremely rare. I can easily fix a flat. I carry
spare tubes, hand pump, tire levers etc - and have never used them in years
of recumbent riding. Same with the guys I ride with.

I suggest that you had an early flat because a tube was pinched, a spoke
head protruded, bad rim strip or some other mechanical fault.

I also suggest tires with Kevlar bands for extreme puncture resistance.

My point is that your effort is best spent getting to the root cause of the
flat. You might ask the shop to look for any obvious problem in the wheels
or tires, but if none is found, just put in a new tube and write off that
first flat as a fluke.

Good advice BUT as rare as flats are it is best to be prepared to fix them on
your own - even four miles are a long walk with a bike, as I learned when I
left my repair kit at home because it was just a short ride............

"jim h" wrote in message ...
Phil, some will argue but my opinion is that with good tires and correctly
installed tubes, flats are extremely rare. I can easily fix a flat. I
carry
spare tubes, hand pump, tire levers etc - and have never used them in
years
of recumbent riding. Same with the guys I ride with.

And others (like me) have flats for approx. every 60 miles. It depends a lot
of your roads. But then again - we mostly get beer in glassbottles, not cans
around here (Denmark)

I suggest that you had an early flat because a tube was pinched, a spoke
head protruded, bad rim strip or some other mechanical fault.

It has happened to me, but mostly its flintstone or glass in the tire.

I also suggest tires with Kevlar bands for extreme puncture resistance.

Good advice, but learn to fix flats anyway - If not for anything else, then
for the above mentioned reasons.

My point is that your effort is best spent getting to the root cause of
the
flat. You might ask the shop to look for any obvious problem in the wheels
or tires, but if none is found, just put in a new tube and write off that
first flat as a fluke.

Not nescessary - my tubes carry 10-15 patches before they hit the bin. It's
not the tubes fault that the stonechip get's through the tyre.

Regards,
Torben

Hi Phil,

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.

I found the following book useful for general bike repair and
maintenance:

--------------------
Bicycling Magazines
"Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair"
by Jim Langley
--------------------

For web sites you might look at:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/flats.html

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQGP2.shtml

http://home.comcast.net/~jeffnapier/...bsite/flat.htm

Terry

In article , says...
Phil, some will argue but my opinion is that with good tires and correctly
installed tubes, flats are extremely rare. I can easily fix a flat. I carry
spare tubes, hand pump, tire levers etc - and have never used them in years
of recumbent riding. Same with the guys I ride with.

And I guess I have to be the first to argue with that opinion. Jim, you must live in an
extremely idealistic and protected world. Statements such as yours are an invitation for a
visit by the p*nct*re fairy. It is true that you can avoid almost all flats simply by not
riding a bike. It that your secret?

Sure, you can with proper precautions, avoid pinch flats, and 'snake bite' types of flats.
Kevlar belted tires help against cuts. Avoiding all the 'seeable' road hazards is also
possible. But even the newest 'bestest' kevlar tires will not stand up to all of the detritus
that litters the roadways that I have to travel.

My usual flat involves embedded glass or wire. It works its way into the tread, through the
kevlar cord and eventually has its way with the tube inside. Once in a great while, I will hit
a large glass shard that will slice through several layers of kevlar and not only destroy the
tube but the tire as well.

--

Cletus D. Lee
Bacchetta Giro
Lightning Voyager
http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -

Well, hopefully someone will actually answer your question in here ;-)
When I lived in Nashville, the router I rode almost guaranteed one flat per
week. Since moving
to Tampa, it has been one flat per month if that.
I ride anywhere from 30 to 50 mile rides daily, and there isn't a chance in
hell I am going to go out without
the tools and knowledge to fix a flat. I don't think they have a triple A
for bikes? With that in mind, here is some advice.

First of all, make sure you are airing your tires up to spec. If you are
running them low, you will likely see more flats, snake bites, etc.
If you do get a flat, taking the tire off is usually the easiest part.

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.

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.

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. When you put the tire
back on, don't use the tire tools. You will likely scar the tube and have
another flat. Also, massage the tire/tube around as you fit it to work out
any kinks, or you will get a snake bite flat.

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.

And I know I still haven't answered your question, but it will help down the
line. If you would like more help, let me know. I would be happy to explain
it over the phone, rather then typing it all out. Oh, finally, the bike
repair shop will likely answer this question for you and show you how to fix
the flat if you ask them.





"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

Having a flat on a 'bent is really no different from having one on an MTB or
any other bicycle.

The point I'm trying to make is that you could have ANYONE, who knows how to
fix a flat, show you how to do it. However, if you don't practice it
several times and it takes you 6 months to get your next flat, you'll
probably have to go through the learning curve again.

Good luck.

--
Lewis.

..........................
"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

On Tue, 7 Oct 2003 19:14:25 -0500, "jim h" wrote:

Phil, some will argue but my opinion is that with good tires and correctly
installed tubes, flats are extremely rare.

Congratulations, but that's just nuts. You clearly do not live in
goathead country. Here, even all the slime and kevlar in the world
won't solve the problem.

That being said, I've certainly noticed quite a difference depending
on tire configuration. I used to run Panaracer 1-1/8" tires at 100
lbs. Got flats all the time. At least one a week. I switched to
Panaracer Tecnova II 1" tires at 125 lbs. and have only had one flat
in about 500 miles, and that was caused by walking my bike through
what turned out to be a large goathead patch.

The best way to learn to change tires efficiently is to find an expert
and have them show you. Look for a bicycle maintenance class if you
can.

-- Robert

I've always liked "Anybody's Bike Book" by Tom Cuthbertson, for bike repair
stuff. The author assumes that you are not especally well-versed about the
technical aspect of repairs and bikes, so he explains things clearly and in
simple terms. Drawings accompany instructions as well. This book has
always worked quite well for me (well, when Wayne's not around to help...)

Diane and Wayne
RANS Screamer, Haluzak Horizon, GRR
"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