How fast to change a flat??

[Absent Husband]

Hey all,

Was on my way to meet Lotte and a few others the other morning when I
got a flat - my first 'on the road' flat in over a year!! Not sure why
the puncture gods deigned to turn their gaze my way, but oh well...

Anyway, all told it took me 15min to completely effect the change -
from the initial "Oh fsck!", to the final pump of air into the new tube
and clipping in to be back on my way...

So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
What's your fastest ever??

Cheers,
Abby

 

[Peter Signorini]

"Absent Husband" wrote:

> Anyway, all told it took me 15min to completely effect the change -
> from the initial "Oh fsck!", to the final pump of air into the new tube
> and clipping in to be back on my way...
>
> So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
> What's your fastest ever??

Well, back in the good ol' 80s, when I had softer, loosish tyres, stronger
fingers and more frequent flats I could do a tube swap, from braking to
leg-over, in about 5 minutes.

These days it's so long since I've had a flat on the road I've almost
forgotten what to do! And does that Zefal frame pump still work?? I'd rank
the Vittoria Randoneur Cross tyres the 'all time best puncture proof tyre' -
never flatted on the road, two pinches while changing them, they're mighty
tight on my rims.

--
Cheers
Peter

~~~ ~ _@
~~ ~ _- \,
~~ (*)/ (*)

 

[Boostland]

"Absent Husband" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hey all,
>
> Was on my way to meet Lotte and a few others the other morning when I
> got a flat - my first 'on the road' flat in over a year!! Not sure why
> the puncture gods deigned to turn their gaze my way, but oh well...
>
> Anyway, all told it took me 15min to completely effect the change -
> from the initial "Oh fsck!", to the final pump of air into the new tube
> and clipping in to be back on my way...
>
> So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
> What's your fastest ever??
>
> Cheers,
> Abby
>

I usually allow 15 mins for a flat when I am riding to racing or somewhere I
have to be on time.

If I am in a rush I can do it under 5 mins if I have a spare tube and there
is no cuts or stuff embedded in the tyre etc.

The pump makes a big difference in time if you use one of those tiny little
pocket ones, I have a Zefal HP pump and find I can get around 120 psi in
around a min of furious pumping.

 

[asterope]

Hey all,

Was on my way to meet Lotte and a few others the other morning when I
got a flat - my first 'on the road' flat in over a year!! Not sure why
the puncture gods deigned to turn their gaze my way, but oh well...

Anyway, all told it took me 15min to completely effect the change -
from the initial "Oh fsck!", to the final pump of air into the new tube
and clipping in to be back on my way...

So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
What's your fastest ever??

Cheers,
Abby

15 minutes... just to get the bloody tyre off!! hehehe no, thats not *completely* true.
maybe 15-20 to get the thing changed and inflated again. because im a total wooz.
and around 10-15 minutes in total for a MTB.

 

[Snuffy]

I think the biggest factor is my teeny weeny little road pump. The tube change on the roadie is mega-fast-don't-need-tyre-levers style. It's the 10^9999 pumps that are required with the teeny weeny pump that slow me down. None the less, my tube change is still fast enough that on the ATB, my mates commented at the regroup pont "You got a flat?? That was a quick change"

 

[Bean Long]

asterope wrote:
> Absent Husband Wrote:
>> Hey all,
>>
>> Was on my way to meet Lotte and a few others the other morning when I
>> got a flat - my first 'on the road' flat in over a year!! Not sure why
>> the puncture gods deigned to turn their gaze my way, but oh well...
>>
>> Anyway, all told it took me 15min to completely effect the change -
>> from the initial "Oh fsck!", to the final pump of air into the new
>> tube
>> and clipping in to be back on my way...
>>
>> So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
>> What's your fastest ever??
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Abby
>
> 15 minutes... just to get the bloody tyre off!! hehehe no, thats not
> *completely* true.
> maybe 15-20 to get the thing changed and inflated again. because im a
> total wooz.
> and around 10-15 minutes in total for a MTB.
>
>
One of our group had a flat last week. We all stopped to check his
technique. He had the wheel and tyre off in about 30 seconds (just one
tyre lever) and quickly whipped out the dud tube. New tube in and tyre
on by hand (I have the same tyres but find them a lot stiffer than they
seemed to be in his hands!). Whole thing done in just over 5 minutes by
my recollection. Personally... I sometimes seem to take forever and
often break a tyre lever in the process!

--
Bean

"I've got a bike
You can ride it if you like
It's got a basket
A bell that rings
And things to make it look good
I'd give it to you if I could
But I borrowed it" Pink Floyd

Remove "yourfinger" before replying

 

[Shane Stanley]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Absent Husband" <[email protected]> wrote:

> So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??

I find it depends a lot in how much time you have. If you're running
late it always takes a lot longer...

--
Shane Stanley

 

[rooman]

if you use gas you can get it down to around 45 sec to a min and a half...my record is 1min 10..have 2 friends who consistently do a tube replace, check, fit and inflate in 45-50 secs...blink and you miss it!

we had six flats on the 210Klm ( it was 221 actually)ATB this year and no real delay whatsoever, the whole group stopped, a min or so max each time and it was no different than a few extra traffic lights or some slow traffic...chance to have a drink and a jam sandwich in peace...

there are some good classes held around the traps at some LBSs and BuGs to learn proper technique, suggest those in need toddle along and have some fun...strong fingers not always needed , but decent rims and folding tyres do help...beaded tyres can be a behaitch tho!

 

[DaveB]

Absent Husband wrote:
> So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
> What's your fastest ever??
>

My fastest was in a triathlon. Tyre off quickly with no tyre levers.
Tube out and replaced within a minute. I carry a pump in spare water
bottle and pumped it up in about a minute. Reckon start to finish was
less than 4 mins. I was wrapped and powered off with a heap of energy.

50 metres later I noticed a funny noise from the rear tyre. I realised
I'd twisted the tube. Started to pull over but too late - BANG!!!! I
only carry one spare tube when racing and no repair kit so then it was a
long walk back to transition.

DaveB

 

[Bleve]

Bean Long wrote:

> One of our group had a flat last week. We all stopped to check his
> technique. He had the wheel and tyre off in about 30 seconds (just one
> tyre lever) and quickly whipped out the dud tube. New tube in and tyre
> on by hand (I have the same tyres but find them a lot stiffer than they
> seemed to be in his hands!). Whole thing done in just over 5 minutes by
> my recollection. Personally... I sometimes seem to take forever and
> often break a tyre lever in the process!

One of the tricks is to make sure you have the bead fully pushed in to
the middle of the rim (in car tyre jargon "breaking the bead all the
way around") before you start to remove (or refit) the tyre.

 

[PiledHigher]

DaveB wrote:
> Absent Husband wrote:
> > So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
> > What's your fastest ever??
> >
>
> My fastest was in a triathlon. Tyre off quickly with no tyre levers.
> Tube out and replaced within a minute. I carry a pump in spare water
> bottle and pumped it up in about a minute. Reckon start to finish was
> less than 4 mins. I was wrapped and powered off with a heap of energy.
>
> 50 metres later I noticed a funny noise from the rear tyre. I realised
> I'd twisted the tube. Started to pull over but too late - BANG!!!! I
> only carry one spare tube when racing and no repair kit so then it was a
> long walk back to transition.
>
> DaveB

I've done it twice in a race situation, reckon on 2-3 minutes with a
CO2 cartridge. No tyre levers, just push the beads to the middle all
around, then push up and away from the stem. Roll both beads oof.

 

[neverclimbed32]

Peter Signorini wrote:

I'd rank the Vittoria Randoneur Cross tyres the 'all time best puncture proof tyre' -never flatted on the road, two pinches while changing them, they're mighty
tight on my rims.


Ditto
Never picked up a flat with those tyres, but god are they hard to get off the rim. I'd reckon 15 min to get it off the rim, 15 min to get it back on. Realise you've just pinch flatted your new tube. 15 min to get it off the rim, 15 min to get it back on. Realise you've just pinch flatted your new tube. 15 min to get it off the rim, 15 min to get it back on. Realise you've just pinch flatted your new tube.15 min to get it off the rim, 15 min to get it back on. Realise you've just pinch flatted your new tube.

Repeat ad nauseum.

 

[Tamyka Bell]

Absent Husband wrote:
>
> Hey all,
>
> Was on my way to meet Lotte and a few others the other morning when I
> got a flat - my first 'on the road' flat in over a year!! Not sure why
> the puncture gods deigned to turn their gaze my way, but oh well...
>
> Anyway, all told it took me 15min to completely effect the change -
> from the initial "Oh fsck!", to the final pump of air into the new tube
> and clipping in to be back on my way...
>
> So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
> What's your fastest ever??
>
> Cheers,
> Abby

It once took Mark and I about 20 minutes just to get it
pumped up again. Which was when I looked down at the
discarded tube, and started laughing at Mark for putting the
punctured one back in the tyre...

T

 

[Ken Pisichko]

Absent Husband wrote:
> So just wondering - how long do YOU normally take to change a flat??
> What's your fastest ever??
>
> Cheers,
> Abby
>
>
I didn't know changing tires could become some sort of competition for a
"personal best time ever" award , but since you asked...

With my loaded IBEX trailer and tools packed in it the flat-fixing time
could be up to 30 minutes. The trailer weight was about 35 kg and the
bike was about the same with loaded panniers. Here at home without any
touring rig on the bike and facing a flat tire, the fastest time was
about 10 seconds - the time it took to dismount from the bike with the
flat and to mount another one beside me ;-)

I do hope this has been useful to you and to the readers.

Ken, Canada