Tire changing stories

One day I'm out riding and I run into a friend unexpectedly.  We ride together for a bit until he gets a flat.  He has no tube but does have air of some kind.  I'm going to be late for an appointment if I don't get moving so I give him my (only) spare tube and ride on.  Not ten minutes down the road I flat and have to flag down the next pickup truck that goes by for a lift home.

Always carry two tubes.

Just a few weeks ago I pulled a major bonehead move.  I did not realize I had forgotten to put my saddle bag back on the bike after I resassembled it following flying back from a race.  I flatted and hopped off the bike.  Reached for the saddle bag and found nothing.  D'oh!

Always carry a cell phone to call for a ride.

I recently was traveling and brought my bike with for something to do at night.  So off I go on what is hoped to be an easy 15 mile ride through some nice flat roads in Louisiana.

8 miles in I hit a railroad track and POP there goes the rear tire.  No big deal I have tubes, pump etc and a few minute break from the wind would be nice.  Fix it up and cant seem to get any good air pressure with the little hand pump that I carry (need to get CO2).  So I get about 60-70 lbs and figure to cut the ride short and go on a different more direct route back to my hotel and deal with the air pressure another day.  No such luck, 1 mile later Pop! another train track and low air pressure and I go to the bag and realize the #2 tube that I bought was still in the bag in my trunk somewhere. Son of a $%^$%!  I have a cell phone but do not know anyone in Lake Charles Louisianna so I start walking the bike.  I walk 1/2 mile to  Cracker Barrel and ask one of the server ladies if she can watch it for me while I run back to the hotel to get my car.  Did not feel comfortable asking for a ride or flagging anyone down while in spandex - Lake Charles is more of a pick-up truck kind of place.  So my 15 mile ride turned into a 9 mile ride brick workout with a 4 mile run back to the hotel.

Ended up being a pretty good workout but not at all what I had planned - I now always check to ensure that I have 2 tubes before the start of any ride.  (Still have not bought CO2)


I have a question though -- being new to this I seem to get an inordinate amount of flats, how often do you flat?

Havent been riding long but i havent had a flat yet, and if i were to get one i really dont know how i would fix it. Should i go to the lbs and just look like a dummy and ask them to show me or what?

Go to Youtube and search for the "bike wizard" or "tire change".  That bike wizard is a cool guy.  He's changing a mountain bike tire, but he shows you all of the important stuff for any bike.  I'm sorry, I can't direct link because we are not allowed Youtube at work.

My story is that I changed my first flat (after watching the wizard 2-3 times), put the wheel back on and began pumping up my tire.  Suddenly, there was a gun-shot-like noise and my newly changed tire went flat.  Called the bike shop and they said that I had pinched the tube between the rim and bead of the tire.  Ooops.  Do as the bike wizard says and apply baby powder to the tube and then check all around the rim before inflating fully.  I scared the crap out of the guys who were painting the house next door.

Edited by Mrs. brown_dog_us 2009-08-07 12:14 PM

If you shop there regularly, or if you go in to buy some spare tubes, then yes, I would ask them for help.  They'll gladly show you.

If you ride in, ask for a demo, and ride out....well, that would be a little lame.

And a follow up question (if I may):  New to this also, got about 40 miles on my new bike.  I see everyone referring to carrying a tube (or two).  Doesn't anyone try to patch the flatted tube - or do you ALWAYS just throw a new tube on?

:confused:

Mel

I patch my flat tubes once I get back home and throw it back on the bike. It's so much easier and faster to just throw on a whole new tube when you're out on a ride rather than try and find the hole and patch it and whatnot.