Had a trip ruined at the weekend with a puncture. It happened on Sunday afternoon and with nothing open that day or on Monday with the bank holiday (that we could find) I had to be recovered home and then wait for somewhere to open to get a repair.
If I had the kit at home I could do it myself and would have been back on the road, albeit about 6 hours behind schedule.
First - getting the bike off the ground. There is no centre stand but I have a Tommy Jack for the back wheel but nothing for the front. A centre stand for the bike is £140, but would that do and are there alternatives?
Second - getting the wheel off. That is just use the tools I have and bang the spindle through, or am I missing something?
Third - getting the tyre on and off. What tools do you use?
Fourth - any recommendations re tubes and should I also do a repair in the tyre itself with one of those kits you can buy off eBay?
Fifth - anything else you can suggest or think of?
Thanks
Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
Re: Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
If out on the trail I just lie the bike on it's side, at home I use a DRC hydraulic lift thingy (about £50-£60).
Out riding I carry..
An 6mm Allen key which is all I need to remove the front wheel
A cut down 30mm spanner which is all I need to remove the back wheel (I use a socket at home)
Three pro-motion tyre levers (the small ones), at home I use the nice big levers I was given by my Dad years ago but Pro-Motion make some nice forged ones.
A valve pull through device (excellent way of preventing bashed knuckles)
Small bottle of shower gel (from a hotel)to use as bead lube
A pair of nitrile gloves to prevent getting hands or riding gloves dirty
A 21" inner tube (can be used in the back wheel as a "get you home" trick)
A couple of CO2 cartridges and adapter for quick tyre inflation
A mountain bike pump for intial inflation is strapped to the frame.
At home or within reach of the Land Rover I have a 12v compressor.
Getting the spindles out, I always keep them well greased to make this easier but if desperate I use a long allen key as a drift and find a handy rock to hit it with. This will get the spindle out far enough to grab the other end and pull it through.
Tip: when removed, slide the wheel spindle into the end of your exhaust so it doesn't get covered in mud.
I use heavy duty tubes but my spare is a standard tube as its smaller to pack and seems to work better when shoe horned into an 18" tyre as it's thinner and stretchier so less like to overheat/chafe.
Breaking beads on tyres is easy at home as I stick the tyre under the foot of my highlift jack and use the weight of my Land Rover to pop the tyre off the bead. This is a 4x4 tyre but the technique is the same...
A more conventional method at home is to use a big G-Clamp.
On the trail I find this is rarely needed as by the time you have noticed the puncture you will have ridden a short distance which invariably breaks the bead anyway, if not ride slowly until it does.
And I tend not to repair tubes as they are not that expensive at the end of the day and heavy duty rubber bands cut from old inner tubes rank alongside cable ties, WD40 and Duct Tape as must have tools :laugh:
But the best repair patches I have used over the years are the Cure-C-Cure ones (I think they are marketed by Weldtite these days)
Hope that helps!
- KGrHqRhIE9rZ8Z5qMBPgYF-19wQ60_12.jpg (42.2 KiB) Viewed 1891 times
An 6mm Allen key which is all I need to remove the front wheel
A cut down 30mm spanner which is all I need to remove the back wheel (I use a socket at home)
Three pro-motion tyre levers (the small ones), at home I use the nice big levers I was given by my Dad years ago but Pro-Motion make some nice forged ones.
A valve pull through device (excellent way of preventing bashed knuckles)
Small bottle of shower gel (from a hotel)to use as bead lube
A pair of nitrile gloves to prevent getting hands or riding gloves dirty
A 21" inner tube (can be used in the back wheel as a "get you home" trick)
A couple of CO2 cartridges and adapter for quick tyre inflation
A mountain bike pump for intial inflation is strapped to the frame.
At home or within reach of the Land Rover I have a 12v compressor.
Getting the spindles out, I always keep them well greased to make this easier but if desperate I use a long allen key as a drift and find a handy rock to hit it with. This will get the spindle out far enough to grab the other end and pull it through.
Tip: when removed, slide the wheel spindle into the end of your exhaust so it doesn't get covered in mud.
I use heavy duty tubes but my spare is a standard tube as its smaller to pack and seems to work better when shoe horned into an 18" tyre as it's thinner and stretchier so less like to overheat/chafe.
Breaking beads on tyres is easy at home as I stick the tyre under the foot of my highlift jack and use the weight of my Land Rover to pop the tyre off the bead. This is a 4x4 tyre but the technique is the same...
- c6e4e158-d026-1de9.jpg (58.36 KiB) Viewed 1891 times
On the trail I find this is rarely needed as by the time you have noticed the puncture you will have ridden a short distance which invariably breaks the bead anyway, if not ride slowly until it does.
And I tend not to repair tubes as they are not that expensive at the end of the day and heavy duty rubber bands cut from old inner tubes rank alongside cable ties, WD40 and Duct Tape as must have tools :laugh:
But the best repair patches I have used over the years are the Cure-C-Cure ones (I think they are marketed by Weldtite these days)
Hope that helps!
Re: Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
1 - Depending on where you are you could use bits of dry stone walls so long as you put them back, last resort would be to lay the bike down on its side but this makes it hard to align the wheels and all the gubbins that go along with them. There are short marathon stands available that locate in holes in your bashplate to raise the front or the rear depending on which wheel you need to take off. This is used in conjunction with your sidestand.
2 - Next time you are at home take the wheels off for practice and make sure all lubed and greased up where necessary - the wheel spindles should just push out
3 - Good set of tyre levers - Buzzetti etc
4 - Carry spare tubes put the spare in. Carry a puncture repair kit and repair when back to base, pump (hand and or electric), I use pre-glued repair patches on all tubes for the motorbike and my mountain bikes and all work well - Scabs are available from most mountain bike shops
5 - Something to help ease the tyre back on without pinching the tube - tyresoap is great but dries up after a while - I just use whatever is available - grease, WD40 etc, but a small container with slippy stuff in would help immensely
Lastly and most important - go and practice so that it becomes natural when out on the road
2 - Next time you are at home take the wheels off for practice and make sure all lubed and greased up where necessary - the wheel spindles should just push out
3 - Good set of tyre levers - Buzzetti etc
4 - Carry spare tubes put the spare in. Carry a puncture repair kit and repair when back to base, pump (hand and or electric), I use pre-glued repair patches on all tubes for the motorbike and my mountain bikes and all work well - Scabs are available from most mountain bike shops
5 - Something to help ease the tyre back on without pinching the tube - tyresoap is great but dries up after a while - I just use whatever is available - grease, WD40 etc, but a small container with slippy stuff in would help immensely
Lastly and most important - go and practice so that it becomes natural when out on the road
Re: Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
Two brilliant replies, what a great forum 
YBR125 > KLE500 + KLE650 Versys Tourer
Re: Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
You're welcomeThrottled wrote:Two brilliant replies, what a great forum
Re: Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
I also had a rear puncture on Sunday whilst trail riding with TRF guys.
Although I had a spare tube, I just patched it on this occassion as it was a small compression puncture caused by running the pressures too low to get increased grip in the gnarly stuff.
In all honesty I had the whole job done and dusted in under 30 mins, just using my KTM toolkit, a set of levers and bike puncture repair kit + CO2 canisters. I dont have (or wish to have a centre stand) so as there was no suitable prop close by I just did it on its side and when reassembling a couple of the onlookers gave the bike a quick lift while I spread the pads and shoved the spindle back in
If the worst had happened and I had no kit with me (unusual)I have breakdown recovery as part of my insurance, but didn't want to waste 2 hours waiting for assistance to turn up and waste a great days riding.
Although I had a spare tube, I just patched it on this occassion as it was a small compression puncture caused by running the pressures too low to get increased grip in the gnarly stuff.
In all honesty I had the whole job done and dusted in under 30 mins, just using my KTM toolkit, a set of levers and bike puncture repair kit + CO2 canisters. I dont have (or wish to have a centre stand) so as there was no suitable prop close by I just did it on its side and when reassembling a couple of the onlookers gave the bike a quick lift while I spread the pads and shoved the spindle back in
If the worst had happened and I had no kit with me (unusual)I have breakdown recovery as part of my insurance, but didn't want to waste 2 hours waiting for assistance to turn up and waste a great days riding.
R1150GS
Montesa 4Ride
KLX 250
Suzuki Beamish
2011 Nature Rally - Bronze Award
Montesa 4Ride
KLX 250
Suzuki Beamish
2011 Nature Rally - Bronze Award
-
peterekins
- Posts: 789
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:26 pm
Re: Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
Has anyone tried the aerosol foam stuff, i bought some but never, so far had to use it.
Re: Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
Great advice, I use three tyre leavers, one to lock the bead and work your way around, but never grab more than 4 fingers distance as you move the leavers around, so with one at your 12 o'clock and then the other two going clockwise, as you pull the leavers over, the middle one will become lose, which you take out to leap frog the lead leaver and so on ( if your struggling then your doing it wrong ), as suggested, practice at home and make sure your spindles are well greased up ( I use marine grease, as it stands up to the water allot better )
I also carry a small spray bottle of Windowlene to lubricate the tyre rim, as it drys to a powder so saves on french chalk.
I always use 4mm tubes which helps prevent on compression punchers, and carry a 18 and a 21, but must people only carry a thin 21 as it will fit both, but if you use a 21 in the rear your only going to have to change it again or it will double up in the tyre.
Tyre slim is great stuff for small punchers and in my experience it has done its job before you know you've got a puncher. ( you only find out when you change the tube or tyre ).
As for the bike, if you can get a centre stand from ebay I would, but in the mean time, if its the rear, then a felled tree is always good, and the front, lean the bike against a tree with the side stand out, so your making a tri-pod with tree, rear wheel and stand ( right hand lock on and the tree trunk sit in the neck between the tank and the bars .
Or you can just lay the bike down, but I'm not a big fan of that :unsure:
You tube has load of instructional clip on tyres
I also carry a small spray bottle of Windowlene to lubricate the tyre rim, as it drys to a powder so saves on french chalk.
I always use 4mm tubes which helps prevent on compression punchers, and carry a 18 and a 21, but must people only carry a thin 21 as it will fit both, but if you use a 21 in the rear your only going to have to change it again or it will double up in the tyre.
Tyre slim is great stuff for small punchers and in my experience it has done its job before you know you've got a puncher. ( you only find out when you change the tube or tyre ).
As for the bike, if you can get a centre stand from ebay I would, but in the mean time, if its the rear, then a felled tree is always good, and the front, lean the bike against a tree with the side stand out, so your making a tri-pod with tree, rear wheel and stand ( right hand lock on and the tree trunk sit in the neck between the tank and the bars .
Or you can just lay the bike down, but I'm not a big fan of that :unsure:
You tube has load of instructional clip on tyres
Re: Puncture repair kit - what do I need?
Imho, only to be used as a last resort, as its a bugger to get the tyre off, and your speed if highly reduced, and for tubeless you have to throw the tyre,where you may have been able to repair . just my opinionpeterekins wrote:Has anyone tried the aerosol foam stuff, i bought some but never, so far had to use it.
