# sister getting into cycling/changing flats



## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

.....which is fun, as I don't have any cycling family members. Her leased horse retired, and cycling is her substitute for horseback riding. She's very enthusiastic.

Anyway, she texted me yesterday from her LBS and asked, "Should I get tubeless? I can't change flats."

Rather than explaining via text that flats aren't such a big deal, I just said, "Don't worry- a guy will stop and help." 

She responded "LOL- I just told the owner that and he said that's true."

I got a flat two weeks ago on my ride home from work, and waved off the first guy who stopped to help. But by the time I got the Co2 pump thing out, I couldn't get it to work (been carrying it for a decade or so, saved it for races but never used it.) So I gave up and accepted the assistance, and learned what I did wrong.

The other guy- another cyclist- even tightened the bolts for me. 

Chivalry is not dead, which is nice, but at the same time I might be faster at changing flats if this didn't happen!


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## joeinchi (Sep 24, 2010)

Yes, experience is the best teacher ... but that's definitely a nice aspect of cycling. I also yell "You good?" to male cyclists who stop roadside.

FYI - You may want to check the pressure of the new tire. CO2 leaks a bit quicker than air. Personally, I deflate a CO2-filled tube once I get home and inflate with my floor pump for peace of mind.

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Large molecules and short frames - VeloNews.com


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## Randy99CL (Mar 27, 2013)

Christine said:


> I got a flat two weeks ago on my ride home from work, and waved off the first guy who stopped to help.
> The other guy- another cyclist- even tightened the bolts for me.


You must be attractive. My female friends who are overweight and/or not gorgeous tell me they're mostly ignored.

But that's a whole 'nother can 'o worms.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

I'm hardly traffic-stoppingly attractive, and even less so when sweating and dressed in mismatching, old cycling clothes! Like Joe said, I think it's more of a cyclist thing than a woman thing. I too will ask male cyclists if they're good or need stuff. Nice to be able to help once in a while! We're vulnerable as a group, so we do need to stick together.

That's interesting about Co2, my tire was getting a bit mushy after that and I was a little worried that I messed up yet another flat fix, but pumped it up and it's fine now :thumbsup:


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## joeinchi (Sep 24, 2010)

Nice to hear.


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## il sogno (Jul 15, 2002)

As long as she's riding on a well traveled route she should be fine. It is a good idea for her to know how to change a flat tho. Either that or have a some taxi phone numbers on her cell phone.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

If she gets tubeless she'll expect them to work all the time, with no air loss. Ain't gonna happen. I feel tubed tires are simpler, and cleaner to work on; both pluses for neophytes.

If she can't/won't change out blown tubes, then she should at least stock the requisite parts, and pump, when she rides. Then yes; go ahead and wait for someone to roll by. But WHEN they roll by will be unpredictable.


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## love4himies (Jun 12, 2012)

I love chivalry. I got a flat once and a guy, who happened to be the owner of a LBS, going the other way stopped and changed my flat. Now I carry a tube and small pump (as well as a cell phone). I know HOW to change a tire, I just find it hard to take the tire off and put it back on, but maybe it's the type of tires (Gatorskins).


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

I did tell her to at least carry the needed tools. She thanked me for saving her the $200 or so she would've spent on the tubeless kit!

My flat-changing time is getting better, not quite good enough to do it without the levers. My weakness seems to be the valve stems- would change the tire, and it would rip at the base. Guess those little screw things are necessary? That might be the step I skipped.


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## joeinchi (Sep 24, 2010)

There are a lot of little things you can do to avoid such mishaps. Linus from Performance Bike covers most of them in this excellent How To:


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## joeinchi (Sep 24, 2010)

love4himies said:


> I know HOW to change a tire, I just find it hard to take the tire off and put it back on, but maybe it's the type of tires (Gatorskins).


Yes, Gatorskins are tough. For removal, get your tire lever wedged in there and push FIRMLY. 

As to getting that sucker back on, it takes everyone A LOT of work to mount Gators. However, I just learned of this trick shared by another RBR member. Essentially, you need to keep the mounted bead "centered" to provide as much slack to get the other bead over the rim.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

Christine said:


> I did tell her to at least carry the needed tools. She thanked me for saving her the $200 or so she would've spent on the tubeless kit!
> 
> My flat-changing time is getting better, not quite good enough to do it without the levers. My weakness seems to be the valve stems- would change the tire, and it would rip at the base. Guess those little screw things are necessary? That might be the step I skipped.


Some wheel/tire combinations you simply cannot do bare handed. Campagnolo rims and just about any tire for example will require tire irons unless you have Godzilla mitts.

Tubeless can seal minor pinhole leaks...but anything larger and odds are you're going to have to make a mess and shove a tube inside anyway.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

_Yes, Gatorskins are tough. For removal, get your tire lever wedged in there and push FIRMLY. _

Shucks, I was hoping this advice would involve fire :lol:


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## obed (Jan 12, 2014)

of course Christine is attractive, everywhere except in the PO section.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

All in the eye of the beholder  There's nothing pretty about PO except the freedom to exchange ideas.


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## dir-t (Oct 14, 2005)

I stopped to help a 20-something year old woman deal with a flat tire out on the trail one day. I had to donate a tube to her and then my wife caught up to us and offered up her CO2 cartridge (I had yet to start using them). The girl thanked us both and suggested that we stop in at the microbrewery near the trailhead where she worked so that she could buy us drinks. As luck would have it I was coming down with some sort of illness and felt like crap by the time we finished riding. 

My sense of chivalry isn't that refined but a do believe in karma.


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## Christine (Jul 23, 2005)

Another flat on the ride home Monday evening, 4 miles from home. Because my sister was waiting at the house, I didn't want to bother with it, so I called my husband. Figured it was faster to be picked up than to change it myself!

Turns out she showed up just as he was leaving, so I got the sag wagon with the both of them! Her car has plenty of room.

In any case, waited until last night to change the flat. I was instantly defeated by the bolts- couldn't get them to budge, and went upstairs to mope about this. John came downstairs and showed me a great method- put the wrench in position then step on it, put your body weight on the handle and _voila._ Worked great!

Okay, so the wheel came off and I got the tube out, new one in, re-set the bead.....or so I thought. Pumped it back up and the bead was popping out all over the place. WTF?!! John said to deflate, re-insert the bead, re-inflate. Did that.

Then the tire had bulgy spots, aarrrgghhh. Never saw that before. John said to inflate to 85lbs or so, let the tube settle. Very weird, hearing the crackling sound of a tube setting itself. 

Putting the wheel back on- gah!!! Can't get this thing straight!! John reminded me that it's a track bike, and that you need to move the hub horizontally in the dropouts until it's where it needs to be. Ah! I'm used to the hardtail with the quick-releases and the easy dropouts.

Rode in today and it was wonderful. No problems. But I feel so stupid. This is the price of having guys changing flats for you every time :blush2: Oh well, I learned a few things :idea:

(Been spoiled with this bike/tires- rarely does it get flats. This was a pinch flat from slamming into a small curb. Hence lack of practice!)


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## Alfonsina (Aug 26, 2012)

I have gatorskins on this year and I haven't had a single flat out on the road, that makes me nervous LOL, previous years would have been at least several flats at this point (about 4k)and be well practised. As I suspect these are a ***** to mount, it is even more worrying LOL, last year I had 4000s on and I could change a tube with my hands, but I got plenty of opportunities. 
The gators have made a believer out of me and I am getting a new set each year if this is how well they do.


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