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From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: First flat in a looooong time
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2025 07:34:12 -0500
Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd.
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On 4/1/2025 10:20 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:
> On 4/1/2025 2:19 PM, Wolfgang Strobl wrote:
>>
>> Many years ago, when commuting each work day by bike, I 
>> got a flat now
>> an then, too. Most often, I just patched the tube and 
>> continued my
>> commute. My record was something like a bit more than 
>> seven minutes,
>> from removing the tire to pumping up.  Ideal conditions, 
>> sunny morning,
>> a a clean place to do the repair, a somewhat soft tire 
>> that I could
>> remove with my bare hands, an easily found small puncture 
>> and, last but
>> not least, a fresh repair kit from TipTop. 
> 
> While it didn't involve patching a tube, many years ago our 
> bike club put on a family-themed event in our local large 
> metropark. Besides a selection of rides there was a big 
> picnic with multiple games and contests.
> 
> One game was a "flat fixing contest." Again, no tube 
> patching, but the contestants had to start with a deflated 
> front tire; remove the wheel, remove the tube from the tire, 
> re-install the tube and tire, pump the tire up to an 
> acceptable pressure (around 100 psi in those days), install 
> the wheel and re-set the brakes.
> 
> The winner was the guy who was (and probably is still) 
> considered the best bike mechanic in our area. As I recall, 
> it was back when "Quik Sticks" were new on the market, which 
> gave him an advantage over classic tire irons; but it was 
> still impressive to watch. He did the job in less than a 
> minute, IIRC.
> 
>> On other occasions, I just
>> mounted a new tube and patched at home, later. 
> 
> That's my standard procedure. It's so much easier in my 
> shop, with the necessary tools (including dowels for sanding 
> anvils) all ready to go.
> 
> BTW, last week I helped a young woman resurrect her mountain 
> bike, unused for five years, so she can begin riding to 
> work. She told me she needed new inner tubes because the old 
> ones wouldn't hold air.
> 
> Turns out she'd borrowed a Schrader mini pump. She didn't 
> recognize that it didn't fit her Presta valves. So I gave 
> her tire irons, taught her how to change a tube, and advised 
> on buying the proper pump and a spare tube, checked over the 
> rest of the bike, etc.
> 

Pumps with single valve format (i.e., not reversible) are 
very old now.

-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971