What's your plan for a flat tire 10 miles from home?

Huffy is less expensive unless you need a Presta Valve. The tradeoff is their tube ends don't snap together. At least mine didn't. I've used both the Huffys and the Gaddi's. I think they would work as permanent tubes, but I take them out.

 
Only had to call for help once in almost 11,000 miles. Motor failure over 6 miles from my van on a 100 degree F heat index day. At 65 when that happened, I took some health precautions and called my wife to go get my van. I made it two miles to a gas station to meet her on that dead fat bike, then headed directly to the cold Gatorade cooler. I've picked up a couple thorns on rides, and luckily only had to buy air once at a quickie mart. Cost $1.50 to fill the bike tire and that got me back to my van.
 
2) Realistic - I realize this could happen, this is how I've prepared. But, luckily, it's never happened.

I've had some slow leaks on previous bikes, where I'd find a gas station or car wash air pump and top off the tire to get home. But I don't recall ever having a tire go totally flat.

However, there is always a good deal of debris on the bike lanes and I'm venturing further from home on my eBike, so I replaced both OEM tubes with Slime Extra Strong Self-Sealing tubes as a preemptive measure. The Slime tubes feel about twice as thick as the tubes that came in the bike. Took me about 1/2-hour in garage with all the right tools and cold beer close at hand.

Extra-Strong Bicycle Tubes | Slime – Slime Products

These are no ordinary bicycle tubes! Slime's extra-strong bicycle tubes stop flats for 2 years because there is Slime sealant inside. These heavy-duty bicycle tubes are available in all common bicycle tire sizes. Schrader and Presta valve options too.
shop.slime.com shop.slime.com
 
My simple rule... Be Prepared.

Fix it yourself... unless Medivac is required. 😉
 
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Somewhere between 1 and 2 I guess. My preparation consists of having tires with significant flat protection. So far, so good. 2nd level preparation: lock the bike to something, get a ride home, put the rack on the Subaru, go pick up the bike. I've got a Gaadi tube around here somewhere for the CCS, don't have one for the Scorpion.
 
#3 Had it happen more than once, but several years ago. Fixed it on the road with patches I carried in my small tool kit. Worst bike breakdown was the time a derailer fell off, screwed up chain, back wheel wouldn't move. Was going to lock the bike to a post and walk or catch bus to phone, but didn't have a lock! Only way to walk was to carry the back tire up in the air. Finally two bikers stopped and managed to at least get the chain out from the back tire so the tire would roll. Walked a long way to a phone and called a neighbor to come pick me up and drive me to my car which was a long way away. Now I always carry a lock, phone and change for the bus with my tool kit. But hopefully my tubeless tires will keep me going. Also I use to ride before work and was about six miles from my car when a new chain broke (on a different bike) - I had to walk to my car and was an hour late to work. Like the guys above wrote, I've watched some YouTubes on chain repair and now carry a 9-1 tool that has a chain tool. They suggested if you have to turn the bike into a single speed just to get home, do that, if you can't repair.... will hope I don't need to learn that skill.
 
cldlhd said:
When you guys say tyraps do you mean zip ties? My e-bike isn't due to ship until September 15th but I'm looking into how I'm going to deal with this issue. On my current bike I'm usually not off road much and I'm not far from home so worst case if I get a flat I figure I can call Buddy with a pickup truck and throw it in back there. With my e-bike I figure I'll be going on farther rides so I do want to plan a little more.
Click to expand...

ty-rap is a brand of a cable tie.
 
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IMG_2825.jpg


Middle of nowhere on the way to the source of the Mississippi.

Repair included:

swarm of biting mosquitos

thunderstorm

visit from landowner with pistol prominently on the seat of his pickup truck

mother bear about 200 yards away

became fast friends with the initially unhappy landowner, he lent me a needle nose to pull the offending piece of wire from the tire

never know what a bike ride will bring your way!
 
Coolbob said:
2) Realistic - I realize this could happen, this is how I've prepared. But, luckily, it's never happened.

I've had some slow leaks on previous bikes, where I'd find a gas station or car wash air pump and top off the tire to get home. But I don't recall ever having a tire go totally flat.

However, there is always a good deal of debris on the bike lanes and I'm venturing further from home on my eBike, so I replaced both OEM tubes with Slime Extra Strong Self-Sealing tubes as a preemptive measure. The Slime tubes feel about twice as thick as the tubes that came in the bike. Took me about 1/2-hour in garage with all the right tools and cold beer close at hand.

Extra-Strong Bicycle Tubes | Slime – Slime Products

These are no ordinary bicycle tubes! Slime's extra-strong bicycle tubes stop flats for 2 years because there is Slime sealant inside. These heavy-duty bicycle tubes are available in all common bicycle tire sizes. Schrader and Presta valve options too.
shop.slime.com shop.slime.com
Click to expand...
I was wondering if you can feel a difference in how it rides with the thicker tubes, I doubt it but just curious. I was thinking about something like that but I have the Schwalbe Moto X's coming on my bike and will be riding mostly on pavement and light gravel trails. Not sure I'm going to really want to tear into the tires and swap the tubes out when the bike is brand new but maybe. More importantly what kind of beer?
 
xerxez said:
I'm interested if you are

1) Optimistic - i'm not worried. There's no need to plan.
2) Realistic - I realize this could happen, this is how I've prepared. But, luckily, it's never happened.
3) Experienced - This happened to me, this is what I did.
4) Procrastinating - I realize this could happen, but I haven't found a great option and still have it on my to do list.


I'm #4. I'm hoping you can help me with a low-tech simple back-up plan.
Click to expand...
Tannus Armour https://tannusamerica.com/products/tannus-armour
 
6zfshdb said:
#3. Replaced the damaged tube with a Gaadi split tube without removing the rear wheel. Afterward, I replaced both tires & tubes with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires and Schwalbe slime filled downhill tubes. No flats since.

I now carry spare Gaadi & standard type tubes, patch kit, compact tire pump, Co2 inflator, spare tube valves & tool, tire bead tools and a kit of chain & electrical repair parts.
Click to expand...
Wish they made those for 26x 4 fat-tires. I carry compressed air and sealent. Seriously considering tubeless.
 
I've been here with a rear blow out that made the bike impossible to ride. I was about a mile from home, so we did the one mile walk of shame.

If I had been further, it would have been a phone call to the wife asking here to bring the van. Or, worst case, call a flat bed wrecker and have it (and me) delivered to the house.

I'm never in an out of service area, so no concerns there.
 
I was wondering if you can feel a difference in how it rides with the thicker tubes, I doubt it but just curious. I was thinking about something like that but I have the Schwalbe Moto X's coming on my bike and will be riding mostly on pavement and light gravel trails. Not sure I'm going to really want to tear into the tires and swap the tubes out when the bike is brand new but maybe. More importantly what kind of beer?
Click to expand...

@cldlhd

Given that my bike weighs about 59lbs (with cable lock, multi tool, water bottle and rack bag) I'm probably just imagining it, but the wheels do feel heavier. It's not an objectionable sensation, they just seem to have a bit more mass and seem slightly less bouncy. My bike has no suspension, so it actually feels like an improvement.

I don't have a mechanic stand for my bike so clamped a short broom stick to my work table in the garage and slipped the top frame tube near the headset over the broom stick and let the rear wheel stay on the floor. I did the front wheel first since it was the easiest. I then slipped the broom stick under my rear rack with the chain and hub shift cable toward the bench. I unbolted the rear wheel and removed the chain, so I could partially remove the rear wheel, leaving the shift cable attached to the rear hub and performed the tube-ectomy from the other side of the wheel.

It was really easy to do, especially with access to all the tools necessary as well as an air compressor. My bike came with CTS Metropolitan Palm Bay tires and so far I like them. Max inflation is 65lbs and I'm running 50 front and 55 rear. It was a 1 beer project.

Flats happen, and I was debating between carrying a spare tube, or patch kit, pump, or CO2 when I thought I'd take a preemptive approach and just ride, relax and quit worrying about having a flat. If I do ever have one, I'll just call my wife or a buddy for a ride home.

Now to the important business, beer! A local restaurant added Gerst Amber Ale to their menu, so I gave one a try. It has become my 'go to' beer when I want something with a bit more flavor than a Miller, Coors, Miller Lite, Amstel Lite, etc. It's brewed in Nashville and can be a little hard to find, but it hits the sweet spot for me between a 'generic' beer and many craft beers that try to hard to be unique and overpower your tastebuds. If you are able to try it, let me know what you think!
 
3). I try to be self sufficient when biking. Always carried a spare tube, pump, tire irons and tool kit. Once I got two flats on the same ride but had only one tube. The second flat was only a half mile from home so no big deal. Now I carry two tubes. On more the one occasion I’ve used a tube for someone stranded in the country. I’ve also adjusted seat posts that were to low, fixed broken chains and adjusted shifters all on the road for fellow bikers.
 
Saratoga Dave said:
As noted above, that Gaadi tube is one of the best things a rear hub drive owner can carry with him or her... as long as you remember a knife so you can cut the leaking tube in half to get it out. Remember you still have to feel around inside the tire to make sure there’s nothing sharp in there to puncture the new tube, but this gets you back on the road quickly without having to take the wheel off at all. A real confidence builder. Google it if you’re not familiar with what it is.
Click to expand...

An excellent point. Although I carry a pocket knife wherever I go, a bike tube is a whole lot easier to puncture than it is to cut. It's also in an awkward position inside the tire and difficult to grip. After my first attempt to knife cut the tube, I now carry a single edge razor blade in my patch kit.
 
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