Puncture Repair help

Swaine55

hey,
i got my first puncture on my new bike and want to repair it myself. All the videos on youtube show tyre levers being used. Also the valve i have on my bike is not like the old ones and needs some sort of new attachment for my pump.
So do i need to buy tire levers aswell as the repair kit?
and does this new valve mean i cant pump my bike up at the petrol station?

Thanks.

papac

Tyre levers are a good investment imo. Good metal ones with the hooks that go around the spokes. Generations of cyclists have improvised though. The back of a fork (or three) is a popular alternative.Put tyre on with hands only-no levers-generally.
By the sound of it you have Presta valves now which you cannot pump at a garage.Pumps like this
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/3332115/Trail/searchtext%3EBIKE+PUMP.htm
fit in your pocket and do both types. If you have skinny tyres you need a high pressure one. A pressure guage is good.

One of these at home
http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/3334168/Trail/searchtext%3EBIKE+PUMP.htm
is a great idea going forward.

Not neccessarily recommending these exact pumps(though they might be fine and Argos have a good returns policy ime). Just showing the types.

If you have skinny tyres you must keep em really hard or you will get pinch flats all the time.

penexpers

papac wrote: »

Tyre levers are a good investment imo. Good metal ones with the hooks that go around the spokes.

I used metal ones before and I wrecked a tire so I wouldn't recommend them. The best levers I have used are the Park Tool ones.

http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=17&item=TL%2D1

papac

I used metal ones before and I wrecked a tire so I wouldn't recommend them. The best levers I have used are the Park Tool ones.

I have used good metal tyre levers for decades on countless tyres and never damaged anything. I suppose what I meant was to avoid cheap plastic rubbish.

paddyduc

You have presta valves. Your local bike shop should have an adaptor that allows you to pump at stations.

Ryaner

papac wrote: »

I have used good metal tyre levers for decades on countless tyres and never damaged anything. I suppose what I meant was to avoid cheap plastic rubbish.

I find that the plastic ones are less likely to leave marks on the rim with those really stubborn tyres. I do have a good quality set of TopPeak ones and their are some really crappy ones out there.

blorg

+1 the metal ones can scrape rims, good plastic ones are the way to go, as effective as metal ones but less likely to do damage.

A Speed Lever makes changing a puncture very easy, it helps get the tyre back on as well as off. It has a lifetime warranty but I have snapped one on a particularly recalcitrant tyre so carry some solid plastic levers as a backup.

Bear in mind that some tyre/rim combinations can just be a lot tighter than others, some of my tyres I can get off with one lever and back on with my hands, others require a protracted struggle with the Speed Lever and 2 other levers.

Swaine55

yeah i bought that mini pump papac sent the link to. (Not blaiming you) It was useless, it is presta compatible, yet it does not fit my presta valve properly and air just pumps out around the valve, so there is not enough pressure in the tires, as in hardly any at all. However it seems like im not doing something right.

papac

i bought that mini pump papac

Oops. I am feeling a bit bad now. Some cheaper pumps have a reversible rubber washer- I think. Afair you have to unscrew the knurled knob-take out the insert and turn it around for the different types of valves.Maybe you have done that. I have not used one of these for ages so I am not 100% sure-maybe somebody else could advise.

I'd say most cheap mini pumps are only really a get you home job-you will probably not get great pressure out of them but it sounds like you are getting none.

Looks like I am outvoted on the metal tyre levers-I must just have a delicate touch.:)
FWIW I have a track pump from halfords-their own brand.Cost 17 euros a couple of years back and it works well still.

Turbulent Bill

I have a Topeak Peakini mini pump on the bike, has worked fine to get me home whenever I've punctured. As papac said this has a reversible washer for Schrader or Presta valves. For tyre levers I just use the ones on my Park Tool multi tool, which are part of the tool holder and very sturdy.

You'll need a track pump for home use too, the Topeak Joe Blow series is very good (despite the dodgy name).

abcdggs

+1 you definitely need a track pump with a pressure gauge. with a mini pump you'll get the tyres hard to the touch but you really need the gauge to ensure they are at the correct pressure. if they're not pumped correctly you run the risk of getting a pinch flat

Sheldon Brown
Pinch Flat

A hole in an inner tube caused by getting the tube pinched between the rim and a hard, sharp object, such as a rock, curbstone or the edge of a pothole.
Pinch flats (also known as "snakebites" because there are usually two small holes in the tube, as if made by the fangs of a snake) are usually caused by carelessness or riding under-inflated tires. They can also be caused by the use of a tire which is too narrow for the weight it is asked to carry.

If the tire is too soft, or too narrow, it is easy for it to bottom out when striking an obstruction.

If the tire is hard enough and plump enough to carry the weight, the air will keep the tube from being pinched between the rim and the road hazard