How to quick repair a puncture?

rich_r

Pedelecer
Jun 23, 2017
89
32
50
North Yorkshire
I have used specialized armadillo tyres or schwalbe smart sam plus green guard both combined with slime filled tubes.
...
When I started my commuting to work I naively set off on the tyres that came with the bike and punctured daily on the off road route.
I have to say that I haven't had a single puncture in several hundred miles on my current Specialized Trigger Sport tyres, despite riding through hedge cuttings and on rutted towpaths. Incidentally they are the tyres that came with the bike. It's just that I spent a bit more money on this bike than I used to!
 

Jimod

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 9, 2010
1,065
634
Polmont
I got my bike for passing my 11+. I had it until I was 16. i had loads of punctures, but i don't remember ever buying a tube. In fact I never visited a bike shop in the entire time I had it.
You had a 'John Bull repair outfit' ;)
 
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Wingreen

Pedelecer
Jul 28, 2015
194
59
Anglesey
Dealing with punctures is considerably easier if you carry a Gaadi Double Ended Inner tube. No need to take the wheel off. Saved me a lot of trouble and got me home a couple of times. In fact, happened to me yesterday but I cant quite fathom out why I got the puncture in the first place. No sign of anything sharp in the tyre. I was wondering (as I was at the bottom of a VERY steep, long, hill) whether a puncture can ever be the result of excessive braking, generating a huge amount of heat?
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,807
30,379
Yes, and a John Bull printing kit. do you remember them?
Sadly, yes :) I'm old. I qualify for my bus pass soon. :)
Also yes, and I qualified for a bus pass 21 years ago!

That's not special though, in London fully half the population qualifies for a bus pass. Can't even pay with cash on our buses now.
.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,130
8,230
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West Sx RH
With no visible tyre damage or object causing a P, then probably suspect a pinch puncture. Quite often small twin slit type damage or as I have had just one mall slit, sometimes at the side of the road/trail they can be a devil to spot for patching.
 

Wingreen

Pedelecer
Jul 28, 2015
194
59
Anglesey
With no visible tyre damage or object causing a P, then probably suspect a pinch puncture. Quite often small twin slit type damage or as I have had just one mall slit, sometimes at the side of the road/trail they can be a devil to spot for patching.
Ah. OK - thanks. Presumably this sort of "pinch puncture" could happen, even though I had done a good 500 miles (not in one day though!) on that tube and tyre?
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,130
8,230
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West Sx RH
Pinch's occur when the tyre bottoms as in the name the tube is pinched between said tyre bottoming and the inner rim. Can be due to low or lower tyre psi or hitting a pot hole,kerb edge or rough uneven surface quite often found on of off road.
Pinch's can occur anytime during a tube/tyres life no matter how many miles.
 
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fmm1000

Pedelecer
Mar 9, 2014
30
22
56
Obviously ideally you need be able to mend a puncture and I carry a spar inner tube, stick on patches, tyre levers, and a good quality mini pump.

However as I commute to work I want as few punctures as possible and ideally none at all.

I have found the best puncture resistant tyre systems combined with a slime filled inner tube to be very effective.

I have used specialized armadillo tyres or schwalbe smart sam plus green guard both combined with slime filled tubes.

In just under 20,000 miles since 2011 I have had no punctures, zilch zero. 16 miles of my 26 mile return journey to work is off road with all the hazards you find there and I weigh 100kg and carry two full panniers on a rear rack. I ride all year.

When I started my commuting to work I naively set off on the tyres that came with the bike and punctured daily on the off road route.

This sounds as the right sokution for me.
Amazing with so many miles without a puncture.
What is the slimed filled inner tube you use called.
I think that is the one I will buy.


How often do you change your tires.
I road one year or 1000 miles on my Road bike Scwalbe Durano Plus tires with 600 meters of gravel road every day without a puncture. Then suddenly I had two punctures within a week. Could this be because of tire wear?
I have now replaced the old Dorano Plus with a new one.

If I have started this thread before I bought these I guess I would have bought the Marathon instead.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,130
8,230
60
West Sx RH
With rear P's I gently lay the bike over as I have panniers nicely secured so time consuming removing to turn bike on end. With the wheel in situ remove the tyre from one side of the rim and then take out the tube to repair.
 
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Danidl

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2016
8,610
12,256
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Ireland
This sounds as the right sokution for me.
Amazing with so many miles without a puncture.
What is the slimed filled inner tube you use called.
I think that is the one I will buy.


How often do you change your tires.
I road one year or 1000 miles on my Road bike Scwalbe Durano Plus tires with 600 meters of gravel road every day without a puncture. Then suddenly I had two punctures within a week. Could this be because of tire wear?
I have now replaced the old Dorano Plus with a new one.

If I have started this thread before I bought these I guess I would have bought the Marathon instead.
1000 miles seems light to me for a quality city bike tyre. For what I would have termed road racing bikes, with thinner wheels and tyres I would not know.
 

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,435
1,259
Surrey
This sounds as the right sokution for me.
Amazing with so many miles without a puncture.
What is the slimed filled inner tube you use called.
I think that is the one I will buy.


How often do you change your tires.
I road one year or 1000 miles on my Road bike Scwalbe Durano Plus tires with 600 meters of gravel road every day without a puncture. Then suddenly I had two punctures within a week. Could this be because of tire wear?
I have now replaced the old Dorano Plus with a new one.

If I have started this thread before I bought these I guess I would have bought the Marathon instead.
I bought slime smart tube self sealing inner tubes either from Halfords or the internet.

I have a 650b crank drive Haibike and a 26inch wheel rear hub Oxygen.

At first I put scwalbe smart sam plus green guard tyres on the mountain bike. The rear smart sam plus lasted 3800 miles but did eventually fail with the side wall splitting where it meets the rim of the wheel. I replaced with another smart sam but noticed that it might fail in the same way where the tyre meets the rim although it had not done so at about 1700 miles.

I saw that specialized were offering a new specialized crossroads armadillo clincher tyre in 650b size and thought I would give them a try having previously found armadillo tyres to be pretty much bullet proof.

I fitted a pair on January 4th 2017 and they have travelled 1156 with no issues. They are also available in 26inch. They are proving to be very hard wearing with only slight wear showing on the rear. They are not as wide 1,9" compared with the smart sam's that can be bought in either 2.1" or 2.25"

The smart sam plus tyres have better grip for more technical or slippy off road situations, although the specialized tyres are getting me through over and down everything I come across on my off road route to work that in places includes demanding technical single track with some jump of steps.

If you want more grip off road go for the smart sam plus's. If you want complete indestructibility get a set of specialized armadillo's.

I notice that the smart sam plus tyres are being offered at chain reaction for £17.99 at the moment.

As a curve ball specialized have a mountain bike tyre called "Fast Track" that is more off road orientated and can be special ordered from evans cycles with armadillo protection.

I change my tyres when they wear out/fail but I do inspect them as the miles increase when I wash the bike.
 
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fmm1000

Pedelecer
Mar 9, 2014
30
22
56
I want to buy the Gaardi Tube as well but my local dealer says he can not get it from his distributer in my wheel size.

Does any one of you know where I can get the Gaardi Tube for my Ebike Road bike.
My wheel size is 25-622 (28x1.00-700x25c)
 

BigG

Pedelecer
Oct 5, 2016
122
53
72
Co Durham
I want to buy the Gaardi Tube as well but my local dealer says he can not get it from his distributer in my wheel size.

Does any one of you know where I can get the Gaardi Tube for my Ebike Road bike.
My wheel size is 25-622 (28x1.00-700x25c)
Try sending the size to Y-Frame discounts via Amazon.... I did for my bike and they were very helpful.
 

footpump

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 19, 2014
713
75
75
ive done nearly 1800 miles on stock kendas but with slime added, then I get 2 slow punctures (thorns) but I have now had 4 mystery punctures which is a small tear about 8 mill long on the inner spoke side of tube, but can see nothing obvious with the wheel this only seems to happen when I use turbo mode so 17mph max on the flat. which might be straining the tube ?
been using Halfords own brand £3 tubes going to try a thicker maxis tube.

got a puncture again saterday I hilly mile from home,no walk mode.
just went on pavement,engaged throttle and had a bumpy ride back
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,807
30,379
I have now had 4 mystery punctures which is a small tear about 8 mill long on the inner spoke side of tube, but can see nothing obvious with the wheel
There's either something sharp like grit embedded in the rim tape or a spoke is protuding beyond a nipple head and piercing the tape. Probably best remove the rim tape, check all the spoke nipple heads if they are against the tape, and if necessary replace the tape if in any doubt.
.
 

Ianbristol

Just Joined
Jul 21, 2017
3
2
59
Bristol
I have started using A brand of inner tube called GAADI. They are a long single tube and sealed at both ends. So not a continuous loop !

This means you can put them on to a wheel without needing to get in between the wheel and rear frame. All you need to do is take off one side of the tyre, fit the tube and that's it.

Halfords do them for about a tenner. I've used them on my old Kudos King and more recently on my Oxygen CTB. Love them and although they cost a bit more, well worth it in my view. A tenner for s bike that costs 1-1.5 k isn't expensive.

I also keep a can of tyre repair foam in my panniers in case I need it.