Re: First flat in a looooong time

On 4/1/2025 10:20 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 4/1/2025 2:19 PM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:

>
Many years ago, when commuting each work day by bike, I got a flat now
an then, too. Most often, I just patched the tube and continued my
commute. My record was something like a bit more than seven minutes,
from removing the tire to pumping up.  Ideal conditions, sunny morning,
a a clean place to do the repair, a somewhat soft tire that I could
remove with my bare hands, an easily found small puncture and, last but
not least, a fresh repair kit from TipTop.

 While it didn't involve patching a tube, many years ago our bike club put on a family-themed event in our local large metropark. Besides a selection of rides there was a big picnic with multiple games and contests.
 One game was a "flat fixing contest." Again, no tube patching, but the contestants had to start with a deflated front tire; remove the wheel, remove the tube from the tire, re-install the tube and tire, pump the tire up to an acceptable pressure (around 100 psi in those days), install the wheel and re-set the brakes.
 The winner was the guy who was (and probably is still) considered the best bike mechanic in our area. As I recall, it was back when "Quik Sticks" were new on the market, which gave him an advantage over classic tire irons; but it was still impressive to watch. He did the job in less than a minute, IIRC.
 

On other occasions, I just
mounted a new tube and patched at home, later.

 That's my standard procedure. It's so much easier in my shop, with the necessary tools (including dowels for sanding anvils) all ready to go.
 BTW, last week I helped a young woman resurrect her mountain bike, unused for five years, so she can begin riding to work. She told me she needed new inner tubes because the old ones wouldn't hold air.
 Turns out she'd borrowed a Schrader mini pump. She didn't recognize that it didn't fit her Presta valves. So I gave her tire irons, taught her how to change a tube, and advised on buying the proper pump and a spare tube, checked over the rest of the bike, etc.
 

Pumps with single valve format (i.e., not reversible) are very old now.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971