Puncture and tube change how long?

setanta159

have always dreaded the moment and tonight it came. Puncture necessitating replacing tube. I took wheel off, tyre off, changed tube, replaced tyre and mini-pumped it up to a decent level to get home. It took approx 35 minutes and was an excruciating experience although I did feel a 'eureka' moment when I finally got the tyre back on. I don't ever want to get too proficient at this for obvious reasons but am interested in how long it 'normally' takes.

JonathanAnon

I can do it in about 15 minutes at home. It's an awkward job which I've had to do about 5 times in the last year... particularly when they cut the hedges.. I'm a mad impatient person, but it's something you just have to take your time with. When I tried to rush once, I put a tyre lever straight through a new tyre... I wasnt fun to be around that day..

But its just like everything else, the more you do it, the better you get at it. First time I did it, it took ages. Wait til you break your chain, now that is a pain in the a$$.

DirkVoodoo

setanta159 wrote: »

have always dreaded the moment and tonight it came. Puncture necessitating replacing tube. I took wheel off, tyre off, changed tube, replaced tyre and mini-pumped it up to a decent level to get home. It took approx 35 minutes and was an excruciating experience although I did feel a 'eureka' moment when I finally got the tyre back on. I don't ever want to get too proficient at this for obvious reasons but am interested in how long it 'normally' takes.

I hope you did not forget the most crucial step of checking the tyre for the cause of the puncture? Otherwise you will more than likely be getting quite proficient at tube changing.

I don't think you need to worry about time, unless you are fighting against fading light or stuck in bad weather. It varies with different rim and tyre combos, how cold your hands are, how many levers you just snapped. I wouldn't really consider it a skill that needs honing like reassembling a rifle in boot camp. Knowing the steps to follow, which you do (almost), is enough.

short circuit

In 35mins, you should be able to do an entire peloton ... In 15mins and entire team ...

Watch me do it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbC3Zkgq4dc

Lumen

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

I wouldn't really consider it a skill that needs honing like reassembling a rifle in boot camp.

This is my speed lever. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My speed lever is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my speed lever is useless. Without my speed lever I am useless. I must wield my speed lever true. I must change punctures faster than my enemy, who is trying to beat me in commuter races. I must change my flat before he changes his. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my speed lever and myself are defenders of my country, we are the masters of my enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.

Anyway, I reckon it is possible to change a flat in about 2 mins with CO2. I've seen it done that quickly on a club ride by someone who runs a bike shop.

I think the fastest way is to leave the tyre on the rim, and the rim on the bike, just swapping the tubes over the skewer without actually removing the wheel.

I use a more "take everything apart, put back together" approach which probably takes me about 5 mins.

It's also quicker if your tyre has been taken on and off a few times.

ROK ON

Big +1 on speed levers. If you do a lot of cycling and don't own one you are an idiot.
They are cheap and save a lot of stress and hassle.

Recent CO2 canister convert. Now big fan.
Again not that expensive but invaluable. I changed a puncture on the side of a mountain in driving rain on sunday. I reckon lever and canister saved me 20mins of additional grief.

Don't leave home without them.

ROK ON

@LUmen.
How is it possible to change a tube leaving the wheel on the bike.

Please show me how.

Lumen

ROK ON wrote: »

@Lumen. How is it possible to change a tube leaving the wheel on the bike.

I think I saw it done with a rear puncture.

It's more a case of not completely removing the wheel, basically popping it out of the dropout and swapping the tube. The advantage is that you don't have to rest the bike on it's components or upside down on the saddle.

km991148

Think he must mean pulling the skewer out and slipping the tube through the gap.. sorry if thats not the case, but I had to re read it as well..!

EDIT: Too late.. sorry!

iregk

ROK ON wrote: »

How is it possible to change a tube leaving the wheel on the bike.

You need a scissors and a roll of sellotape. Careful with the scissors though and be sure to get an adults permission before using them.

Bluefoam

ROK ON wrote: »

Big +1 on speed levers. If you do a lot of cycling and don't own one you are an idiot.
They are cheap and save a lot of stress and hassle.

Recent CO2 canister convert. Now big fan.
Again not that expensive but invaluable. I changed a puncture on the side of a mountain in driving rain on sunday. I reckon lever and canister saved me 20mins of additional grief.

Don't leave home without them.

It only takes a couple of mins to change a tyre. Tools needed: fingers, spare tube

BTW. Is this a road thread or an mtb thread? Which parts should I ignore. Mods, can you please split this tread into speed to fix a road puncture, speed to fix an mtb puncture & changing a puncture on a fixie and avoiding slack chain...

Yes, I did say fixie instead of fixed gear, sue me.

BostonB

Last time I had one on the MTB I pulled out the spare tube only to find I bought a tube with the wrong valve, in that my pump wouldn't fit it. Doh. Had to patch the old tyre. Took 10 mins. That said it still on the bike, so worked fine. The MTB tubes are so bulky is nearly easier just to carry patches.

kennyb3

After 3 punctures in a week (on schwalbe blizzard sport tyres - puncture resistant my backside) im defo going to invest in some C02, longest part at moment is the pumping back up with a rubbish hand pump

setanta159

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Wait til you break your chain, now that is a pain in the a$$.

You have just cranked up my mental stress levels a few extra notches....up until now I've never worried about breaking my chain, in fact I've never even thought about it........but now.... :eek::D

godihatedehills

I did one in about 5 minutes the other day.

......and if I can do it in 5 minutes, ANYONE can.

seamus

setanta159 wrote: »

You have just cranked up my mental stress levels a few extra notches....up until now I've never worried about breaking my chain, in fact I've never even thought about it........but now.... :eek::D

Get one of these and worry no more.

My MTB's wheels are a nightmare. I think the rims are extra deep or something. Absolutely cannot get the tyre off without using two tyre levers. A speed lever alone cannot conquer these yokes. Getting the tyre back on takes about ten minutes of sweating and pushing and pulling and separating the skin on your thumb from the nail and three tyre levers. Then you try to pump it up and you realise that you've pinched the tube with one of the tyre levers and you have to start again. I have to use metal levers on it, I've broken at least ten plastic ones.

My road wheels by comparison are a dream. I can even reseat the tyre without the tyre lever. Replaced one in a very relaxed 5 minutes on Monday, though I was using a track pump.

I do seem to waste a lot of time trying not to get myself too dirty.

I don't think you need to worry about time, unless you are fighting against fading light or stuck in bad weather.

When it does happen, the best thing to do is resign yourself to the fact that you're going to be late, ring work/the missus to tell them you're going to be late, and then you can relax and get on with it. Rushing it to to avoid being late will make it take twice as long, it's been scientifically proven.

tomasrojo

The worst thing is getting a puncture in a bad neighbourhood. That usually necessitates, in my experience, walking to a better neighbourhood trying to conceal that you have a puncture by lifting the rear of the bike up by the saddle.

A broken chain is more quickly mended in my experience. If you replace the chain every 3000km or so you probably won't get one anyway. I do carry a mutltool with a chain breaker though, just in case.