Lightening puncture repair

Pootling home quite happily on Friday and suddenly [these thngs always happen suddenly don’t they]

The back wheel starts to rumble and bounce badly giving me the tell tale signs of a lack of pressure and impending flat.

Dismount and inspect.

Ahh Found the bugger! Bloody hedge trimmers!

And here he is removed.

Big Sucka ain’t he! The real life personification of one of my favorite Jo Burt Pictures:

So the reason for the post. If you happen to have a single speed road bike with big bolts to hold the wheels in place instead of QR skewers then you [like me] probably don’t carry a ruddy great spanner / wrench round with you. So repairs and not replace are the name of the game.

Highway Munky How To:

Remove part of the tyre from the rim that the offending thorn has entered. Pull out the tube and identify the exact area:

Now patch it, you can use standard repair kits but I prefer to use Super patches from Park Tool. So much quicker and easier.

And when applied it should look something like: [i had to use 2 as the thorn had clearly had a party and abused my tube]

Now to re inflate, I don’t know about you but I find standing at the side of the road using a hand pump in what can only be described as embarrassing and a waste of time. So I go for one of these.

Air Gun with Co2 cartridges [quite cheap when you get staff rate at your LBS] reinflates in 10 seconds. Jobs a good un!

Back on the road 15 mins not bad.

Besieged

It must be my turn, that’s it it’s my turn. In the world of cycling there is a big wheel (imagine the wheel of fortune) and when it lands on you that’s it. It’s your turn and their ain’t nothing you can do about it.

That’s right folks puncture season is upon us once again, the trail gods have seen fit to send forth their legions of thorns, nails and various other spiky things out to get me.

I arrive at work yesterday, sat at my desk and me colleage says

“rob, do you know your front wheel’s flat?”

“bugger”!

Change it out no major drama other than this being the 4th tube this month and not a single incident in the previous few.

Get up this morning late! jump on the bike and flat again (same tire)

Missed a thorn! I got his big mate out yesterday but this little bastard was well hidden to do his dirty work.

Repair tube.

This little thorn thought he’d throw one last insult at me and break off as I tried to get him out so a tiny bit of him is still sticking through & I cant find / get at the other end to pull him back out!

“Gggrrr”

Duct tape on the inside of the tire should hold him off for now but he’s still there niggling away, he’s messing with my mind!

Will he cause another flat, when when will it happen???

Damn those ninja thorns!