Fixing a flat on a rod-brake English roadster

Gary Young said:

I'm helping a friend fix up an old rod-brake English
roadster (Triumph brand). Just repairing a leak in the
rear tire was a major ordeal -- I disconnected the
indicator chain and then removed the axle nuts, fender
stays and axle adjuster from the axle. Then I had to take
apart the chain because the last owner had shortened it so
that there was no room to move the wheel forward in the
track-style fork ends. Even then I couldn't get the rim
out past the stirrup until I removed the brake blocks. Is
there something I'm missing? A quick release of some kind?

Nope, these are a notorious hemhorroid when it comes to
wheel removal.=20 Be glad it doesn't have a chain case!

I've heard of folks just removing the left side axle nut and
prying the=20 stays apart far enough to get a new tube over
the end of the axle.

Sometimes, it makes more sense with one of these to patch
the tube in sit=
u.

Quoted message said:

The rim/tire is 28"/735mm.=20

Nope, 635.

Quoted message said:

Can I get away with using a 27" tube?=20

This will work in a pinch, but considering how much trouble
it is to=20 change, I think it would be worthwhile to get
the correct size.

See: sheldonbrown.com635Open ↗

I've got a lot of info on this type of bike at:

sheldonbrown.comenglishOpen ↗

Sheldon "Roadsters" Brown +-------------------------------------------------------
---------+
| People are more violently opposed to fur than leather |
| Becaue it=92s safer to harass rich women than motorcycle
| gangs |
+-----------------------------------------------------------
-----+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts Phone 617-244-
9772 FAX 617-244-1041 harriscyclery.comharriscyclery.comOpen ↗ Hard-to-find
parts shipped Worldwide captainbike.comcaptainbike.comOpen ↗
sheldonbrown.comsheldonbrown.comOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Is there something I'm missing?

You don't have to remove the wheel to patch a tube. Just
pull a bit of it out and patch it. Phil Brown

Gary Young said:

I'm helping a friend fix up an old rod-brake English
roadster (Triumph brand). Just repairing a leak in the
rear tire was a major ordeal -- I disconnected the
indicator chain and then removed the axle nuts, fender
stays and axle adjuster from the axle. Then I had to take
apart the chain because the last owner had shortened it so
that there was no room to move the wheel forward in the
track-style fork ends. Even then I couldn't get the rim
out past the stirrup until I removed the brake blocks. Is
there something I'm missing? A quick release of some kind?

The rim/tire is 28"/735mm. Can I get away with using a 27"
tube? Does
Mr. Tuffy make anything in the right size?

A 28x1-1/2 x 1-5/8 tube is best. (Maybe a 700-40 but those
are mostly presta.) Next time, don't separate the chain.
Slide the wheel forward, derail the chain and then pull the
wheel back.

Unlike the front brake return clips on the fork blades, your
rear clips on the chainstays are slotted. When the wheel is
forward, press the stirrup closed, under the rim, until you
can pop the ends out of their slots and let the stirrup drop
down out of the way ( It pivots - don't disconnect
anything). Now you may withdraw the wheel, noting that most
roadster mudguards will need a little coaxing ( translation=
yes, pull on it).

Lube your axle nuts, reinstall the wheel and slide it
forward. Now reconnect the stirrup in its slots. Place the
chain on the sprocket and pull the wheel back. Tension the
chain and tighten the axle nuts.

Practice practice practice. Some riders prefer to pull the
tube out from under the tire for a patch without moving the
wheel at all.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1
April, 1971

Quoted message said:

The rim/tire is 28"/735mm. Can I get away with using a 27"
tube? Does
Mr. Tuffy make anything in the right size?

I recently fixed a roadster flat with a Kenda 700x38-43
designated tube. This tube fit inside the tire very
well, and I didn't need to stretch the tube at all to
fit over the rim.

-Vee