Never, EVER, tempt the puncture fairies

[Duncan]

On this morning's commute, I was (stupidly) reflecting on the
recent lack of punctures I'd had.. probably due to the lack of morning/
evening rain in Sydney over the last couple of weeks, I figured.

About half way in to work, I was daydreaming through a nice
backstreet with shady trees and ran over a small branch. Whoosh goes
the rear and I coast to a stop..." what's that hissing sound? The rear
is already dead flat".. turns out the front is gone too.

Out come the two spare tubes (that's it for spares, and they're both
heavily patched) and after 5-10 minutes we're off again.

Pick up some more BMX parts in the local council cleanup, then about
200 yards down the road, 'bang!'. The rear lets go in an unpatched
region of the tube. No idea why (pinched it when changing?). So out
comes the sandpaper and glue and after a couple of goes (too hasty to
get going and not waiting long enough) we're off again.

About 3k out from work, the hasty roadside patch lets go ("swish
swish swish"). I sit in a shady park overlooking Iron Cove and redo
the patch. At least the view is nice.

Given the four tyre changes, two glue patches and rubbish
scrounging, it ended up taking me an extra hour to get into work.

I think I need to buy some new tubes.

duncan

 

[BT Humble]

Duncan wrote:
> On this morning's commute, I was (stupidly) reflecting on the
> recent lack of punctures I'd had.. probably due to the lack of morning/
> evening rain in Sydney over the last couple of weeks, I figured.
>
> About half way in to work, I was daydreaming through a nice
> backstreet with shady trees and ran over a small branch. Whoosh goes
> the rear and I coast to a stop..." what's that hissing sound? The rear
> is already dead flat".. turns out the front is gone too.
>
> Out come the two spare tubes (that's it for spares, and they're both
> heavily patched) and after 5-10 minutes we're off again.

How many patches is "heavy"? I'm going for the record, I think I have
about 7 patches on my rear tube at the moment. ;-)

> I think I need to buy some new tubes.

No, it's more fun to explore the unknown regions of excessive tube-
patching. You haven't started fitting tyre boots yet, I take it? ;-)


BTH

 

[Duncan]

On Mar 12, 1:53 pm, BT Humble <[email protected]> wrote:
> How many patches is "heavy"? I'm going for the record, I think I have
> about 7 patches on my rear tube at the moment. ;-)

Ha! amateur!

With this mornings' effort, I now have 10 on one tube and 3 on the
other.. not sure how many on the other replacement, since it's on the
bike (but I think its around the 6 or 7 mark). These are 700/23's,
too.

> > I think I need to buy some new tubes.
>
> No, it's more fun to explore the unknown regions of excessive tube-
> patching. You haven't started fitting tyre boots yet, I take it? ;-)

I thought maybe I could slice an old tube and slip it around the
outside of a good one, though. More of a sock than a boot.

duncan

 

[Bean Long]

BT Humble wrote:

> How many patches is "heavy"? I'm going for the record, I think I have
> about 7 patches on my rear tube at the moment. ;-)

I had 9 on one of my spares until I passed it on to a friend who flatted
twice on a morning bunch ride. I told him there was nothing wrong with
it, it was just well loved, but he ditched it and got a new one as soon
as he got home! It's all rubber I tells ya! As long as it still pumps up
and doesn't go bump, bump as your ride then it's OK.

I had to throw out a tube last week cos when I went to patch it it came
clean apart at the ribbing. I think it had about 7 patches. All in all
I've lost count of the total number of patches I've used but my sons
love playing with all my empty patch kit containers... there are dozens
lying around the house!

Bean

 

[Duncan]

On Mar 12, 2:43 pm, Bean Long <[email protected]> wrote:
> I had to throw out a tube last week cos when I went to patch it it came
> clean apart at the ribbing. I think it had about 7 patches. All in all
> I've lost count of the total number of patches I've used but my sons
> love playing with all my empty patch kit containers... there are dozens
> lying around the house!

I'm still looking for a volume source of vulcanising rubber glue.

I only buy the patch kits for the glue tube... cut my own patches from
really dead tubes (like the ones where the valve has ripped out).

Those patch kit patches are way too thick and stiff, IMHO.

 

[TimC]

On 2008-03-12, Duncan (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> On Mar 12, 2:43 pm, Bean Long <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I had to throw out a tube last week cos when I went to patch it it came
>> clean apart at the ribbing. I think it had about 7 patches. All in all
>> I've lost count of the total number of patches I've used but my sons
>> love playing with all my empty patch kit containers... there are dozens
>> lying around the house!
>
> I'm still looking for a volume source of vulcanising rubber glue.

The larger your source, the quicker it will evaporate!

My cement tubes always are discovered dry at the most inopportune of
times, and I do make sure the lids are on securely.

--
TimC
Weeks of coding can save you hours of planning. --unknown

 

[Aeek]

On Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:53:24 -0700 (PDT), BT Humble
<[email protected]> wrote:

>No, it's more fun to explore the unknown regions of excessive tube-
>patching.

for the ultimate challenge, cut out the reinforced valve section,
throw away the rest of the tube. Now start patching.

 

[BT Humble]

Duncan wrote:
> On Mar 12, 1:53 pm, BT Humble <[email protected]> wrote:
> > No, it's more fun to explore the unknown regions of excessive tube-
> > patching. You haven't started fitting tyre boots yet, I take it? ;-)
>
> I thought maybe I could slice an old tube and slip it around the
> outside of a good one, though. More of a sock than a boot.

My brother had that technique recommended to him by his local tyre
service guy, when he had a queue of 7 flat tyres to fix on his and his
kid's bikes. Apparently if you do that as well as filling the tube
with snot you stand a chance.

He lives in Boorowa, NSW, also known as "Bindiitown".


BTH

 

[BT Humble]

Bean Long wrote:
> BT Humble wrote:
> > How many patches is "heavy"? I'm going for the record, I think I have
> > about 7 patches on my rear tube at the moment. ;-)
>
> I had 9 on one of my spares until I passed it on to a friend who flatted
> twice on a morning bunch ride. I told him there was nothing wrong with
> it, it was just well loved, but he ditched it and got a new one as soon
> as he got home! It's all rubber I tells ya! As long as it still pumps up
> and doesn't go bump, bump as your ride then it's OK.

And to think that I used to throw them away when they had 5 patches on
them! Shame on my wastrel former life!

> I had to throw out a tube last week cos when I went to patch it it came
> clean apart at the ribbing. I think it had about 7 patches. All in all
> I've lost count of the total number of patches I've used but my sons
> love playing with all my empty patch kit containers... there are dozens
> lying around the house!

I'm still looking for a source of those little 10mm round patches. I
was at an LBS once who sold me 2 dozen of them off a roll, and one can
usually get the rubber cement in decent-sized tubes at auto parts
stores (it comes with the refills for tubeless tyre repair kits).

Here's a trick that you probably already know: If you need to remove
an existing patch (for instance if you got a new puncture right on the
edge of it, or if it's leaking) It'll come off quite easily if you
first heat it up with a match or cigarette lighter.

I made a beginner's mistake a couple of months ago - I'd just put the
5th patch on Aaargh's rear tube and inflated it, when I noticed that
the tube was emerging from between the rim and sidewall (I hadn't
seated the bead correctly).

I got to within about 5cm of the valve stem before it went bang. ;-)


BTH

 

[BT Humble]

Duncan wrote:
> I'm still looking for a volume source of vulcanising rubber glue.
>
> I only buy the patch kits for the glue tube... cut my own patches from
> really dead tubes (like the ones where the valve has ripped out).
>
> Those patch kit patches are way too thick and stiff, IMHO.

See above, you can get a reasonable-sized tube of it at auto parts
stores, near the tubeless tyre repair kits.

I think I also found a toothpaste-sized tube of it at a $2 shop once,
but I'm not entirely sure.


BTH

 

[TimC]

On 2008-03-12, BT Humble (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> I made a beginner's mistake a couple of months ago - I'd just put the
> 5th patch on Aaargh's rear tube and inflated it, when I noticed that
> the tube was emerging from between the rim and sidewall (I hadn't
> seated the bead correctly).
>
> I got to within about 5cm of the valve stem before it went bang. ;-)

Funny. That's one of my first memories of gplama.

"Stop! STOP!" <bang>

--
TimC
When the revolution comes, we'll need a longer wall. -- Tom De Mulder

 

[Boostland]

"Duncan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:d371c827-3028-418a-8944-5e8d0b3b6054@s19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...
> On Mar 12, 2:43 pm, Bean Long <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I had to throw out a tube last week cos when I went to patch it it came
>> clean apart at the ribbing. I think it had about 7 patches. All in all
>> I've lost count of the total number of patches I've used but my sons
>> love playing with all my empty patch kit containers... there are dozens
>> lying around the house!
>
> I'm still looking for a volume source of vulcanising rubber glue.
>
> I only buy the patch kits for the glue tube... cut my own patches from
> really dead tubes (like the ones where the valve has ripped out).
>
> Those patch kit patches are way too thick and stiff, IMHO.
>
>

I buy strips of these from Maurice Mathe cycles in Adamstown Newcastle.

<
http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/Cure-C-Cure-Feather-Edge-Patches-Narrow-Profile-Fisaw06cc60.aspx >

They are very small, thin and virtually disappear on the tube once
installed, I get them for around $3 for a strip of 6.

I buy tubes of glue off him as well for around $3 a medium sized tube, he
has larger ones but generally the larger ones only last as long as the
smaller ones as they dry up towards the end.

I can't remember the last time I actually bought a complete puncture kit, it
must have been 10 years or more as I am still using the last box it came in
so my glue tube does not get crushed.

I also keep cut up strips of Zefal rim tape just incase I get a tear in the
tyre and need to repair on the road side.

 

[Boostland]

"TimC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2008-03-12, BT Humble (aka Bruce)
> was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>> I made a beginner's mistake a couple of months ago - I'd just put the
>> 5th patch on Aaargh's rear tube and inflated it, when I noticed that
>> the tube was emerging from between the rim and sidewall (I hadn't
>> seated the bead correctly).
>>
>> I got to within about 5cm of the valve stem before it went bang. ;-)
>
> Funny. That's one of my first memories of gplama.
>
> "Stop! STOP!" <bang>
>
> --
> TimC
> When the revolution comes, we'll need a longer wall. -- Tom De Mulder

My father was pumping up his tyre using my ~ 18 year old Zefal track pump, I
told him to inflate to around 120 to 130 max psi, he was complaining it was
getting hard to pump, I asked what pressure he had and he said 100.

I said keep going, he said the tyre feels rock hard, I said it will feel
pretty hard but he really needs to get to at least 120 for the road surface
we were going to race on.
He kept going and said I am nearly at 120 but I can't seem to get a lot more
in as it is really really hard to pump.

At this stage I started to get a little worried as it should not be that
hard to pump with my Zefal as it could inflate to 240 psi, I said give me a
look and when I looked at the pressure gauge it was reading 12 bars or
around 170 psi, I said holy **** and went to remove the pump from the valve
to let some out.

As I reached over to do this, the thing exploded off the rim, the tube was
destroyed but some how the tyre survived with only a little mark on the
bead.

I gave him those tyres when he started racing as I had put quite a bit of
wear on them, and he managed to get serveral months training and racing on
them before he retired them for some new ones, I am now using them in their
nearly worn out state on my track bike for training and spare wheels.

 

[DaveB]

Boostland wrote:
> As I reached over to do this, the thing exploded off the rim, the tube was
> destroyed but some how the tyre survived with only a little mark on the
> bead.
>

It's very entertaining watching someone else have that happen, hey BR
riders?

DaveB

 

[thefathippy]

On Mar 12, 2:02 pm, Duncan <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mar 12, 1:53 pm, BT Humble <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > How many patches is "heavy"? I'm going for the record, I think I have
> > about 7 patches on my rear tube at the moment. ;-)
>
> Ha! amateur!
>
> With this mornings' effort, I now have 10 on one tube and 3 on the
> other.. not sure how many on the other replacement, since it's on the
> bike (but I think its around the 6 or 7 mark). These are 700/23's,
> too.

pffft. I've had patches in the teens, and know someone who laid claim
to 17 on the tube - he was an even bigger tightar5e than me! Mind
you, you can fit more on mtb tubes, ten on a roadie tube is pretty
impressive.

Tony F
www.thefathippy.com

 

[Bean Long]

Boostland wrote:

> As I reached over to do this, the thing exploded off the rim, the tube was
> destroyed but some how the tyre survived with only a little mark on the
> bead.

Ouchies! On tube popping stories... crit race last night a guy in
B-grade turned his tyre inside out coming round a corner. There was a
loud bang that caught everyone's attention... I thought it was a gun
shot. He came down like a sack of the proverbial but noone else in the
bunch was adversely affected (surprisingly). He was more than a bit sore
though!

 

[Trev Baylis]

I'm allways getting punctures myself.
I never know weather it is better to fill the tube with a liquid sealent or just keep repairing them.

I'd sooner have a solid rubber tyre, but the ride wouldn't be so good.

 

[obakesan]

Mate

here where I am (Finland) they bloody sprinkle tiny flakes of blue stone all
over the footpath for grip in the spring time (when the slush freezes
overnight)

This seems to get caught in the finer tread grooves and then works its way
through. I've had more punctures in 6 months than I've had in my entire life
before.


In article <[email protected]>,
Duncan <[email protected]> wrote:
> On this morning's commute, I was (stupidly) reflecting on the
>recent lack of punctures I'd had.. probably due to the lack of morning/
>evening rain in Sydney over the last couple of weeks, I figured.
>

it would be more acceptable if the icy conditions were not actually created by
the way they 'clear' the paths

mumble


See Ya
(when bandwidth gets better ;-)

Chris Eastwood
Photographer, Programmer
Motorcyclist and dingbat

please remove undies for reply

 

[Duncan]

Christ.. I promise never to speak ill of them again.

Friday last week a colleague comes in to work with a sad face. "I've
broken it!"... he managed to crack a lug on his headtube going home
the night before; no face plants, just some strange creaking noises.

Then that arvo going home, I get another flat.. no probs.. see a hole
in the sidewall so slip in a sheet of plastic I keep handy for just
such occasions.

Half way home, the chain breaks... the connector link (which I must
admit, is a few chains old) has snapped in two. No injuries, call the
sag wagon.

Sunday night, I change the tyre over and notice that my rim is about
to fail big time; there's a 1/2-inch tear along the walls adjacent to
one spoke hole (ie: the floor of the rim is peeling off the walls),
and several other spoke holes have hairline cracks propagating from
them. Not entirely unexpected, the rim has probably done 30k .. and
I've been a bit too aggressive with the spoke tension.

On the upside, I built my first rear wheel last night. A nice shiny
open pro rim onto a new hub I've had lying around. Dished and trued in
a hacked-together wooden stand. It survived this morning's ride in,
staying true.. I'll check it again tonight.

duncan