Flat tyre- whats the options?

RATM

Have a flat front tyre on my bike, never happened me before so am wondering whats the options. I don't have a stand so not sure if taking it off myself is an option- even it were I'd prefer a professional puts it back on in case I do something I shouldn't which later comes back to bite me

So whats the options- is there any mobile puncture repair service for bikes? Also I have breakdown insurance but am guessing this isnt covered ? Or would they typically be willing to come out and plug the hole and then inflate the tyre so I. can at least get it to a puncture repair shop ?

CJhaughey

Is it Tubed or Tubeless?
Tubed might be more of a hassle as most places won't have tubes on hand in the right size.

RATM

Couldn't tell you if they're tubeless or not, is there a way of telling from inspecting the outside, perhaps its printed on the tyre somewhere ?

Killgore Trout

What type of bike? You can't tell from the tyre, it depends on if the rims are airtight to go tubeless.

For example the spoked rims on my old Transalp weren't airtight and so needed tubes (the air escapes where the spokes are connected to the rim).

On rims that require tubes you will use a standard tyre that will say 'tubeless', but with a tube fitted.

minidazzler

RATM wrote: »

Couldn't tell you if they're tubeless or not, is there a way of telling from inspecting the outside, perhaps its printed on the tyre somewhere ?

A simple way is to look at the wheel itself, if it's spoked it's tubed, if it's a solid cast then it could be either but is likely tubeless.

RATM

Bike is a Yamaha Dragstar 650, the wheel has a lot of spokes alright so I guess it has a tube.

The other thing is that when I bought it the mechanic I got to check it out gave it the all clear except for the front tyre, which he said would likely need changing in about 1000 or 2000 miles, which would be about now.

Dooes the average tyre shop carry stock for motorbikes or is it a specialist shop I'm looking for here. Might as well replace the whole tyre now as the threads are getting low in any case

Killgore Trout

Forget about car tyre places, If you ring a bike tyre specialist they'll be able to tell you if they have the tyre and tube or not.

Where are you based? people might be able to recommend their local guy.

I have heard a few people recommend this fella http://www.paddyspitstop.com/services.html though I haven't used him myself.

RATM

I'm based in Dublin 11, at Charlestown pretty near the M50 Finglas exit

Del2005

RATM wrote: »

Bike is a Yamaha Dragstar 650, the wheel has a lot of spokes alright so I guess it has a tube.

Not necessarily. If you look at where the spokes meet the wheel if there's a big band of metal about the width of a finger sticking down from the wheel where the spokes go in it will be tubeless. If the spokes look like they go straight into the wheel then there is a tube.


If it's tubeless and you are going for new tyres you can use the aerosol cans of puncture repair to drive straight to a place that has tyres in stock. Only problem is most bike shops in Dublin close Monday.

RATM

Should also say that I rang my insurer Carol Nash who do bike recoveries for punctures as part of their breakdown assist scheme. So they'll move it from where I am to a tyre shop within a few miles (5 I guess) of me in D11

CJhaughey

minidazzler wrote: »

A simple way is to look at the wheel itself, if it's spoked it's tubed, if it's a solid cast then it could be either but is likely tubeless.

Not always, some spoked are tubeless as well.
BMW GS have tubeless with spokes, some Honda's did as well.

Hotblack Desiato

Killgore Trout wrote: »

I have heard a few people recommend this fella http://www.paddyspitstop.com/services.html though I haven't used him myself.

Paddy fitted a pair of tyres for me a few months back, before that he was at the Bike Tyre Co in the same place in Fairview but a different unit. Never a bother and always a decent price.

Hotblack Desiato

Probably a tube on that tyre OP. If it's in any way old or has been patched a couple of times already, then the best thing to do (and not expensive) is a new tube.
Years ago a friend of mine was killed when a front tyre tube blew out, he'd had the bike a few months but didn't know the front tube was more patches than tube.
The big advantage of tubeless tyres is that even if badly punctured they rarely blow out, they usually deflate slowly enough that you don't lose control.

KT10

If you're in D11 ask the recovery guy will he drop you to Cottors in Ballymount, D12. They'll probably have what you need in stock, give them a bell 01-4603807. Might take a while for them to answer the phone, they're usually very busy.

Oh, and your Dragstar is tubed IIRC.

Cienciano

If the bike is outside your house the insurance recover won't help. But if it's anywhere else, the recovery will sort you. And if they can plug it, they will. If you're out of petrol or have flat they'll fix it cos it's quicker than bringing the bike somewhere.

RATM

Just an update on this. Carol Nash are my insurer and they have subcontracted their recovery service to the AA. They arrived out and he deemed to be a slow puncture so he pumped it and said its fine to drive it to a garage. I did and it was fine for the first few miles till about Dorset St. I was heading for the lad recommended by a few on this thread -Paddy's Pitstop off the North Strand. Anyway the tyre was deflating to the point of where turning corners was pretty unstable. I probably should have got off and pushed but I got it there in the end.

I'm just relating the story for others as I don't think the AA guy gave the right advice. He also didn't check the tyre for nails or similar and that was exactly what Paddy found when he went to work on it. A stubbed nail had punctured the tyre and it was scratching the tube quite a bit. He said I was lucky not to suffer a blow out. Anyway if the same thing happened again I think I'd be insisting the AA load the bike in the van- motorbike tyres are not something you should never take ANY risks on and I took one that day when in hindsight I should have erred on the side of caution.

Anyway Paddy sorted me out with a brand new Bridgestone, he had it ready before he said he would and is a really sound guy, Ill be back to him for sure.

Green_Martian

RATM wrote: »

Just an update on this. Carol Nash are my insurer and they have subcontracted their recovery service to the AA. They arrived out and he deemed to be a slow puncture so he pumped it and said its fine to drive it to a garage. I did and it was fine for the first few miles till about Dorset St. I was heading for the lad recommended by a few on this thread -Paddy's Pitstop off the North Strand. Anyway the tyre was deflating to the point of where turning corners was pretty unstable. I probably should have got off and pushed but I got it there in the end.

I'm just relating the story for others as I don't think the AA guy gave the right advice. He also didn't check the tyre for nails or similar and that was exactly what Paddy found when he went to work on it. A stubbed nail had punctured the tyre and it was scratching the tube quite a bit. He said I was lucky not to suffer a blow out. Anyway if the same thing happened again I think I'd be insisting the AA load the bike in the van- motorbike tyres are not something you should never take ANY risks on and I took one that day when in hindsight I should have erred on the side of caution.

Anyway Paddy sorted me out with a brand new Bridgestone, he had it ready before he said he would and is a really sound guy, Ill be back to him for sure.

Good to hear you got it sorted, Paddy is bang on and will always say it as it is no bull****. I always pop into him if anything needs doing on the bike

RATM

Green_Martian wrote: »

Good to hear you got it sorted, Paddy is bang on and will always say it as it is no bull****. I always pop into him if anything needs doing on the bike

Yeah I was talking to him for a good bit, he's a real decent skin and I feel he is honest as the day is long, which is important to me in a mechanic. I'll be using him again, that's for sure. Thanks for the recommendation