Bought our ebikes today.. Finally!

[Deleted member 18083]

I'm told a flat rear tire on the Gazelle is an end-your-day event.

Indeed!

I can think of three ways of fixing a flat without removing the wheel (four if one includes a taxi ride which will work out at flagfall + $1 for every minute that you have travelled away from home - I've just made that up but it is probably close to the truth!).

The last time I was caught out (40 minutes/$ from home), I tried the following with success:

• checked for the culprit (thorn, nail, glass - none found because it was an 'inside job');
• removed the valve core (this requires a special tool);
• treated the tube to a generous dose of Slime (the bottle cap includes the valve core tool);
• refitted the valve core (Schrader 'auto' valves are easier but, of course, I have Presta);
• spun the wheel a few times (essential to seal the hole but also therapeutic for the ebiker);
• inflated with a standard 16 gram CO2 cartridge (the amount that an environmentally responsible car - assuming there is such a beast - emits every 100 metres);
• rode home.

... David

 

[DDBB]

I did not realize slime would fix a hole in an inner tube.. Good to know.. I have the Co2 inflater but sounds like I'll need to carry a bottle of slime. Presta valves are new to me (both ebikes have them).. They do seem fiddly compared to shrader valves, I'm assuming the valve stem just screws out with the correct tool? I can't find a youtube video on removing the chain guard on this Gazelle. Dealer said he'd show me how to do it though

 

[E-Wheels]

I'm told a flat rear tire on the Gazelle is an end your day event.

Not if you convert to tubeless and carry a Gaadi tube for insurance

 

[Deleted member 18083]

So far: three (taxi, Slime, GAADI) out of four quick fixes! It's wonderful having forum members in Australia awake while the US sleeps!

The last quck fix is to find the whereabouts of the puncture and then unseat the tyre in that spot and fix the hole with the patch kit that is always with you.

I've carried a GAADI tube with an earlier ebike which had Schrader (car/wheelbarrow) valves but never had need of it. Remember: you'll need to destroy the punctured tube in order to remove it from your ebike. The biggest problem, especially with ebikes, is levering the tyre off the rim - best to try at home before heading out.

It's a good idea to practise using the CO2 inflator beforehand and to take more than one cartridge with you. Spare valve cores and tyre boots (patches for the inside of a ripped tyre) are worthwhile additions to a puncture repair kit.
... David

 

[PDoz]

So far: three (taxi, Slime, GAADI) out of four quick fixes! It's wonderful having forum members in Australia awake when the US is asleep!

The last quck fix is to find the whereabouts of the puncture and then unseat the tyre in that spot and fix the hole with the patch kit that is always with you.

I've carried GAADI tubes with an earlier ebike which had Schrader (car, wheelbarrow, etcetera) valves but never had need of them.

The biggest problem, especially with ebikes, is levering the tyre off the rim - best to try at home before heading out.
... David

And number five - tie a knot in the section where the puncture is.

I love that gaadi tube!

 

[AHicks]

I did not realize slime would fix a hole in an inner tube.. Good to know.. I have the Co2 inflater but sounds like I'll need to carry a bottle of slime. Presta valves are new to me (both ebikes have them).. They do seem fiddly compared to shrader valves, I'm assuming the valve stem just screws out with the correct tool? I can't find a youtube video on removing the chain guard on this Gazelle. Dealer said he'd show me how to do it though

Don't need to carry the Slime with you. Installing it will let it do it's thing full time, many times fixing leaks you never knew you had!

Being picky about what air pressure is in my tires, I've found running that stuff let's me run much longer between the times I need to check/fill a tire as well.

 

[DDBB]

Thanks for all the replies. Armed with this knowledge and some practice, I think I'll be able to manage a rear flat on the Gazelle

 

[Bruce Arnold]

Get a Cloud 9 seat. Comfy as heck.

The Cloud 9 does it for me. Great seat. On longer rides I use bike shorts also, but for just around town, the Cloud 9 is plenty comfortable.

 

[6zfshdb]

I love that gaadi tube!

The Gaadi tube is indeed a great product. For some reason, the Shrader valve version is almost 3 times as expensive as the Presta and not readily available in the US. I had to order one from Dresden Germany for nearly $40! I found out too late that Amazon sells the Presta valve version for less than $15 :

https://www.amazon.com/GAADI-Presta...54&sr=8-1&keywords=gaadi+bike+tube&th=1&psc=1

and a Presta to Shrader adaptor for around $5 :

https://www.amazon.com/Bike-Bits-Pr...-spons&keywords=presta+schrader+adaptor&psc=1

 

[Riversurf]

For what it's worth, the store owner where I bought my ebike prefers Finish Line sealant instead of Slime, and he put it in my tubes for me. It's not that he thinks Slime doesn't work; he does think it works. But he favors Finish Line for the following reasons (BTW, I am NOT at all affiliated with Finish Line, just sharing his opinion). Based on his experience as a professional mountain bike racer -- now retired -- he noticed that Slime would harden up over time, whereas Finish Line did not. He would see this when changing out his tires, which were tubeless and therefore would give him a good view of what was going on inside. Obviously you can't see what's going on inside an inner tube without destroying it. Slime is messier and stickier to use. And although Finish Line is marketed for tubeless tires, he told me it would work just fine in inner tubes. He also has a degree in mechanical engineering -- and so does the store mechanic -- so I really trust his opinions on such matters.