Rear Puncture - Fixie - Pain in the a***

charliew87
charliew87 Posts: 371
edited December 2013 in The workshop
Hi
Been commuting on a new Mango that I bought about 6 weeks ago. The last 2 mondays I've managed to pick up a rear puncture.

On my road bike I can change a flat in 5 minutes and be back on the road again.

However, on this bike I need to unscrew the bolts, undo the chain tensioner, remove the mudguards from the hub, remove the wheel, <insert normal tyre changing process here> and then put all the washers, bolts and chain tensioners back on in the order they were removed.

This is now a 20 minute job. Take it there's no quick solution to this? It's not possible to convert them to quick-release skewers, is it?
Canyon AL Ultimate 9.0

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    this is why most Fixed rear wheel tools come with a bottle opener.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,659
    And no you can't do QR on a fixed gear - the axle will slip in the dropouts. You could mount the guards on P-clips if no other mounts, for one less thing to undo/refit.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • charliew87
    charliew87 Posts: 371
    Ended up having 3 bloody punctures today!! Each one more infuriating than the last.

    Have purchased some gatorskins and hope to never have to do that ever again!
    Canyon AL Ultimate 9.0
  • jimothy78
    jimothy78 Posts: 1,407
    Don't know anything about fixies, so apologies if I'm missing something "obvious" here, but I remember when I last rode a bolt-on wheel bike it was easier/quicker to just leave the wheel in the frame, lever off the tyre and pull the tube out into the space between the rim and frame and fix the puncture with a patch. Be even easier these days with no-glue-needed patches.
  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    Stock tyres are Kenda, not known for their qualities.
    Replace them with some serious rubber by Schwalbe, Continental, Vittoria etc.
    You may have to pay for some decent kevlar-lined tyres but consider this an investment in your reputation for time-keeping at work.

    Axle-mounted mudguards are something from the 1970's. If you have no eyelets on your commuter bike (!!), P clips are a fugly way to solve the problem.
  • charliew87
    charliew87 Posts: 371
    Bought a Gatorskin for the rear tyre last night.

    Hoping the front one lasts until pay day and will then do the same on that one.

    The mudguards have eyelets on the front fork but are axle mounted on the rear.

    Annoyingly, I have to axle mount the front ones as well as the metal supports are too long and hit the frame if using the eyelets.
    Canyon AL Ultimate 9.0
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    charliew87 wrote:
    Annoyingly, I have to axle mount the front ones as well as the metal supports are too long and hit the frame if using the eyelets.
    cut them down?
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • charliew87
    charliew87 Posts: 371
    nicklouse wrote:
    charliew87 wrote:
    Annoyingly, I have to axle mount the front ones as well as the metal supports are too long and hit the frame if using the eyelets.
    cut them down?

    could do, just dont have any appropriate cutting equipment where Im living currently
    Canyon AL Ultimate 9.0
  • charliew87
    charliew87 Posts: 371
    ...so that's what those random clips are for!

    I'll try and attach the P-clips this evening.
    Canyon AL Ultimate 9.0
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    charliew87 wrote:
    nicklouse wrote:
    charliew87 wrote:
    Annoyingly, I have to axle mount the front ones as well as the metal supports are too long and hit the frame if using the eyelets.
    cut them down?

    could do, just dont have any appropriate cutting equipment where Im living currently
    find a bike shop and take cookies.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • andyrr
    andyrr Posts: 1,819
    Buy a junior hacksaw - £5 tops
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    nicklouse wrote:
    charliew87 wrote:
    nicklouse wrote:
    charliew87 wrote:
    Annoyingly, I have to axle mount the front ones as well as the metal supports are too long and hit the frame if using the eyelets.
    cut them down?

    could do, just dont have any appropriate cutting equipment where Im living currently
    find a bike shop and take cookies.

    Planet X cable Cutters for 3.99 will get through stays.
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    Cutting mudguard stays is a great way to ruin your cable cutters though. I use a cheapo bolt cutter off ebay - the sort chavs/neds stuff under their jacket for nefarious purposes.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Think you'd struggle with cable cutters on the stainless stays that come with SKS Chromoplastics. Took long enough with a hacksaw.
  • ex-pat scot
    ex-pat scot Posts: 939
    SKS mudguard stays - Park or Shimano cable cutters work fine with them
    Commute: Langster -Singlecross - Brompton S2-LX

    Road: 95 Trek 5500 -Look 695 Aerolight eTap - Boardman TTe eTap

    Offroad: Pace RC200 - Dawes Kickback 2 tandem - Tricross - Boardman CXR9.8 - Ridley x-fire
  • mlgt
    mlgt Posts: 366
    Where are you getting these punctures? Perhaps paying more attention on the road or riding less close to the kerb is advisable?

    My flatmate rides his Mash everywhere and the last time he had a puncture was 2 years ago.

    But granted. It is a pain in the bum to change things over :D
    N2 - SW1

    Canyon Endurace 9.0

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