not as prepared as I thought

Last night I went cycling, with my partner, on our tandem trike.

After a few miles we got a puncture. Bugger, I thought,
haven't one of those for ages.

Still, like all well prepared cyclists, I carry a spare
tube, and tools. This particular spare tube was brand new.

So I got my beloved stimson levers from my ages old stimson
repair kit, the old tube was removed, tyre checked, new tube inserted.

I went to pump it up with my Xefal X4, and failed.
I have deep campag 'V' section rims on my rear wheel,
and the pump wouldn't quite connect nicely with the
quite short amount of valve stem that was showing.

No problem I thought, I'll just repair the old tube.
I know that works.

Hole was easy to find, and I roughened the area
with the sandpaper from my repair kit (not the stimson one).

Found a patch, undid the top from the glue, squeezed...

.... nothing. The tube was empty, although barely used.

I assume all the solvent had evaporated.

I went for the tube of glue in the Stimson kit.

.... same result.

Panic was setting in.

I eventually pushed enough valve stem through that I managed to get "some air"
into the new tube, and that got us.

But you might have thought that with a fresh tube and two puncture
repair kits I was well prepared ... !

BugBear

On 23 Jan, 16:09, bugbear wrote:
Last night I went cycling, with my partner, on our tandem trike.

After a few miles we got a puncture. Bugger, I thought,
haven't one of those for ages.

SNIP

But you might have thought that with a fresh tube and two puncture
repair kits I was well prepared ... !

* *BugBear

1) I can recommend Park self-adhesive patches.

2) If you have deep section rims on any wheels, have long valve stem
inner tubes in all your spare kit, even if you go out on skinny rims.
This saves the panic when you realise that you've picked up the wrong
spare. I too have learnt by experience. ;-)

David Lloyd

"bugbear" wrote in message
...
Last night I went cycling, with my partner, on our tandem trike.

After a few miles we got a puncture. Bugger, I thought,
haven't one of those for ages.

Still, like all well prepared cyclists, I carry a spare
tube, and tools. This particular spare tube was brand new.

So I got my beloved stimson levers from my ages old stimson
repair kit, the old tube was removed, tyre checked, new tube inserted.

I went to pump it up with my Xefal X4, and failed.
I have deep campag 'V' section rims on my rear wheel,
and the pump wouldn't quite connect nicely with the
quite short amount of valve stem that was showing.

No problem I thought, I'll just repair the old tube.
I know that works.

Hole was easy to find, and I roughened the area
with the sandpaper from my repair kit (not the stimson one).

Found a patch, undid the top from the glue, squeezed...

... nothing. The tube was empty, although barely used.

I assume all the solvent had evaporated.

I went for the tube of glue in the Stimson kit.

... same result.

Panic was setting in.

I eventually pushed enough valve stem through that I managed to get "some
air"
into the new tube, and that got us.

But you might have thought that with a fresh tube and two puncture
repair kits I was well prepared ... !

BugBear


Been there and done that!!!!!

I always buy new "glue" every year before I go off on my Spring/early summer
travels. And I discard the old tubes even if unopened.

To be honest I also inspect and usually discard my "old" patches as well if
they looked a bit over travelled!

Even though my history of punctures on my Velocepanther3 is only one with over
4000 miles on the clock ( last week). But I have picked up 3 punctures on my
trailers in the last 2 years --- 1 on my BoB Yak and 2 on my carry freedom
Y(L) -- both on unprotected tyres.

However I am always quite amazed how effective the repair system is and how
well it works every time.

For one season I decided to try some of those "self adhesive" patches -- (
over 4 years ago) I repaired a puncture with one patch in tippling rain ( it
is always raining) and it got me to the ferry on time but was flat the next
morning and I had to walk off the ferry and do a proper repair. I used the
self adhesive once more, on the same trip, in rain, with the same sort of
result -- ok -- but deflated overnight.

Funnily enough I only threw away the small pack of self adhesive yesterday!


--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

David Lloyd wrote:
On 23 Jan, 16:09, bugbear wrote:
Last night I went cycling, with my partner, on our tandem trike.

After a few miles we got a puncture. Bugger, I thought,
haven't one of those for ages.

SNIP

But you might have thought that with a fresh tube and two puncture
repair kits I was well prepared ... !

BugBear

That's the p*nct*r* fairy for you, wait a long time, give you a false
sense of security, and then give you a Big problem. It is also her way
of saying no matter how well prepared you are, she will always get you.


1) I can recommend Park self-adhesive patches.

I have read mixed reviews about these, but never tried them myself.

2) If you have deep section rims on any wheels, have long valve stem
inner tubes in all your spare kit, even if you go out on skinny rims.
This saves the panic when you realise that you've picked up the wrong
spare. I too have learnt by experience. ;-)

I agree here, if you have two similar bikes, try and standardise any
common components between the two. e.g. when I bought I ridgeback, it
had the same wheel size and gears as my Trek. The Trek rear wheel is
currently on my ridgeback, with a newer wheel on my Trek.

bugbear wrote:
Last night I went cycling, with my partner, on our tandem trike.

snip

But you might have thought that with a fresh tube and two puncture
repair kits I was well prepared ... !

If you'd have looked about, for example behind the bike, you'd have
found a couple of p*ncture fairies as high as kites!

Quoting bugbear :
I eventually pushed enough valve stem through that I managed to get "some air"
into the new tube, and that got us.

In extremis, I'm told you can pack a tyre with grass and it beats walking.
--
David Damerell flcl?
Today is Sunday, January - a weekend.

Quoting Martin Dann :
I agree here, if you have two similar bikes, try and standardise any
common components between the two. e.g. when I bought I ridgeback, it
had the same wheel size and gears as my Trek. The Trek rear wheel is
currently on my ridgeback, with a newer wheel on my Trek.

I think with the fifth bike I might actually be in a position where I have
one fewer wheel in service than the possible maximum, but I still don't
have much luck with this one. :-)
--
David Damerell flcl?
Today is Sunday, January - a weekend.

David Lloyd wrote:

1) I can recommend Park self-adhesive patches.

So can I. They stick far better than the previous generation of "glueless"
patches. Still carry a convention kit as well, though.

~PB

David Lloyd wrote:

2) If you have deep section rims on any wheels, have long valve stem
inner tubes in all your spare kit, even if you go out on skinny rims.
This saves the panic when you realise that you've picked up the wrong
spare. I too have learnt by experience. ;-)

I saw some valve extenders in EBC a couple of months ago and considered
getting a couple. Anyone used them?

--
Don Whybrow

Sequi Bonum Non Time

"The POP3 server service depends on the SMTP server service,
which failed to start because of the following error: The
operation completed successfully." (Windows NT Server v3.51)

Don Whybrow typed


I saw some valve extenders in EBC a couple of months ago and considered
getting a couple. Anyone used them?

I had a valve extender (not EBC) in my toolkit until it was lost by
partner. Worked fine.

Long-stemmed inner tubes are harder to find and come in fewer sizes,
unfortunately.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.