Tripple Whammy of bad luck and a healthy dose of regret

Got-to-get-fit

1) Got a puncture 3 mile into my 12 mile commute on the way home.

2) Fixed the Puncture.......Hooray! Broke the tubes valve....boo! couldnt blow tube up. :x

3) Looked in saddle bag realised i'd left my spare tube at home....Grrrrrrr! :oops:

Question........when i got home i got on the wiggle website and bought one of them cans of instant tyre repair - it repairs the puncture and inflates the tyre all in one go....Hey Presto! Has anyone out there used this tyre repair stuff ...is it any good...have i just wasted 7 quid? :roll:

Also bought 2 new inner tubes as well.

For those of you that want to know ....i phoned work and they sent someone in a van to pick me up and drive me home so all was not lost. :oops:

drenkrom

I've used the tire-repair-in-a-can thing when out MTBing and it does work. I don't know if you're talking about a bike-specific product or not. We used the good old one for your car tires. On asphalt, I could feel the weight of where it had accumulated in the tube, so it gave very little hickups on every wheel revolution. All in all, it works well as a backup. You just have to remember to tote it around, just like spare tubes.

i personally plan my route to and from work so I'm always as close as possible to the nearest bike shop, just for those mornings I forget the spares. Of course, that's not always too close. At least it happened at night. That kind of adventure in the morning tends to wreck my mood until I can get back out on the bike and make those pedals pay.

domtyler

I would say ultimately that you have wasted ??7. Better to buy decent tubes and learn how to use a puncture repair kit properly for a permanent solution.
________
M-CLASS

Got-to-get-fit

I bought some Scwallbe? tubes and the can of tire weld thingy turned up this morning.

I would prob not use it if i was traveling home - i would just change the tube or repair the puncture. However it is vitaly important that i get into work on time so if i pop a tube on the way to work i need smoething thats gonna get me going in just a few mins.

How long do you think it usually takes to change a tube ....assuming you know how to do it properly ......i had loads of trouble getting the tyre off and back on and even then im sure i had the tube twisted....in all it took me about 50mins and a liberal amount of swearing and stalking around like a mad man. Is this average (it was the back wheel as well so slightly trickier) or should i be doing it in about 10 min

drenkrom

Take an old tube and practice when watching the TV. When I was doing competitive triathlon (in which outside assistance is strictly forbidden) I had it down to 1min47sec. with CO2 cartridges. That was from the moment i took the wheel off the the moment the quick-release was closed. Needless to say, now I can change a flat in my sleep. Your tires will have an influence. Some are super-easy to open up and some seem sealed. I had a pair of Vittorias I could open up with two fingers. With a little practice you can definitely get under 10mins. One way to make it easier to place the tube is to put a little bit of baby powder inside you clincher. Tubes will not stick that way. It also lets your tire rotate around your tube, which helps to prevent pinch flats.

Plus your wheels will smell baby fresh!

sqwerl_mk2

you haven't wasted 7 quid. they work well and if you get a puncture in the p1ssing rain or somewhere you don't really want to have to stop and repair, don'tr have time, etc. then they get you back on the road quickly

chewa

I think it should be fine. I dont use it as I always tend to carry at least 2 spare tubes and a repair outfit. However I have written off a rear tyre when I couldn't be bothered stopping again to fix a puncture in the midst of winter.

Only time I've tried the sealants is with a slime filled tube.

iIgot a puncture, it reinflated ok then later that day blew out with a noise not unlike a very wet fart! Very embarrassing as I was going along George Street at the time.