xtrajack

I was wondering how many here fix their own flats?

Yesterday morning on my way home, I met a woman walking her bike along the MUP. She told me "I have a flat tire."
Being the gentleman that I am, I replied "We can fix that." She said " I am just going to take it to the bike shop." (Approximately 4 miles away) My mind went "Why?"

That got me to wondering, how many folks ride and don't or won't fix their flats themselves. Also, why not?

squirtdad

not me, not since I was about 8. before that either dad or the local service station did the flats

I think very few here would not fix their own.

but you bring up a good point....many casual/recreational cylists probably don't know the basics. Our admin is looking for a bike, and when she finds one, I have promised to teach her how to fix a flat.

JPprivate

Yeah, definitely. For me it was all about the right tools. Once I got a "real" wrench (not one of those small ones) and tire levers, it was easy.

sseaman

I replace tubes, but rarely repair them.

cruzMOKS

I was getting a flat every 200 miles for a while. So I was fixing a lot of flats. Now I have better tires and have had only one flat in over 4500 miles.

There is really nothing too it if you know how. And I am not the fastest one out there. Carrying a spare and switching, then patching the flat when I got home is the way I go.

Yes tire levers are needed.

xtrajack

That is my SOP.

pharasz

I came across a couple on the bike trail one weekend and the young lady had a flat. It was a fat tire and I had a road bike, but she said it was a slow leak and they had managed to ride several miles on it before it went completely flat. So I gave her a shot of my C02 and rode off into the sunset, leaving her boyfriend feeling inadequate.

bhop

I do. After having a few flats in one month, i've gotten pretty good at it. I always bring a spare tube if i'm going to be riding farther than walking distance.

dynodonn 

Since I was very young...... the LBS was across town, had very expensive labor rates, and I needed to use my bike on a daily basis.

AndrewP

If you have QR and Panaracer Pasela foldable tires, you only need a pump or CO2 to change the tube and get on your way again. With cheap bikes most people dont even have a wrench to get the wheel off.

Kojak

I carry a spare tube, tire irons, a pump and co2.

I only use the co2 when I'm in a hurry.

Anyone who rides regularly, should know how to fix a flat; it's really not that difficult.

HardyWeinberg

My wife doesn't, she calls me. She also doesn't post/read here.

If at all possible I patch in the field but I do have a spare tube. Usually it's faster for me to find the leak and crack the bead, pull the tube out there to patch w/o removing the wheel.

Ruffinit

It wasn't until I worked at a real bike shop (years ago) that I found out that they fixed them and people actually brought their bikes in to have it done... So to your question, of course. Any cyclist fixes their own flats. That goes for my tubulars too.

digger

Of course I fix my own flats! Burst a few tubes in my time, ripped a few with the lever in my time, ruined a valve or 50 in my time.

I carry a spare tube, glueless patches (for number 2 only) and only 2, Co2 cartridges on my road bike. Pump on all the others.

Coworker: You ride ALL the way from home and back?!

Me: Yeah, it's only 10k...

Coworker: What happens when you get a flat?

Me: I fix it.

Coworker: How?

Me: Spare tube or a patch.

Coworker: How do you pump it up?

Me: <blink...blink...blink>....a pump...?

imi

Nah, usually I fix all my colleagues' and friends' flats

Kimmitt 

I rode for years without repairing my own flats, until I got into the technical side of cycling. Just how I was raised.

sggoodri

Fixing my own flat is much faster than getting help. Fixing other people's flats makes me feel happy. I don't get many flats since I got religious about maintaining proper pressure and staying out of the debris zone, but I fix somebody else's every few group rides. Sometimes a female cyclist has a tire bead that is really hard to get over the rim, and I don't blame her for wanting somebody else's stronger fingers to take the abuse.

Last time I flatted on my own bike, I was about 2-3 miles into a metric century group ride and somewhere near the front of the pack. I hopped off, pulled out my spare tube and levers, changed the tube (and verified it was a bad tube not something sharp), and remounted everything well before the back of the group had passed. I caught up with some of my friends who started at the front by the first rest stop.

HFTB

i took it to the bike show when i didn't have a tube and tools on me. other than that carry i my stuff i need to fix it except a pump, which i will get soon.

sggoodri

I was raised to try to fix everything myself - for better or worse. Now I factor in what my time is worth, what tools I have, and whether I have the skills I need for the seriousness of the job. Also, whether or not my neighbors will be watching. When my wife's car flatted in the driveway, I sure fixed that myself!

idoru2005

Some people are scared they'll break their bike if they attempt to fix a flat. These are the same people who will spend $150 to have their car dealer change their oil.

2su

I'm a fake cyclist.

in 3+ years of 5-6 days/wk of commuting, I've never once fixed my own flat. There are 3 bike shops within 1 mile of my house. Two are within 2 blocks... I pass at least 4 or 5 more on my commute to/from work. For $8-$16 bucks a pop... taking it to the shop is no biggie.

Of course, my commutes are along highly populated urban routes that parallel public transit bus/train lines. If I get a flat, I just walk or train to the nearest bike shop and 15 minutes later... I'm back on the road. Its not like getting a flat out in the middle of nowhere like most of you.

If I ever took my bike to an isolated area, I'd be sure to have the appropriate supplies to change my own tire.

tarwheel 

I've always fixed my own flats. I carry a spare tube and a repair kit. Usually I pile up flatted tubes in my garage and fix them all on a rainy day.

What amazes me are the guys you see on group rides who don't carry any seatbag, tools, repair kit or tube. Then they flat and expect someone else to bail them out. I don't mind helping someone out who's had bad luck, such as 2 flats on the same ride, but I am very reluctant to give someone my spare tube because they are too much of a weight-weenie to carry one. What happens if I get a flat after giving them my spare tube?

Pedaleur

You'd be surprised (maybe?) at the number of people here that don't fix their own flats. On the other hand, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a bike shop.

I fix all the flats for myself, Pedaleuse, and the Pedalettes. Swap the tube and patch when I get home. I have several tubes with 5-6 patches on them.

TrekFix

I always fix my own flats. I would actually feel silly taking my bike to a shop for them to fix it.

I also try to do all my own bike maintenance too. The only times I had to take my bike in was to get some work done on my bottom bracket, because I did not have the proper tool for the job. I love learning how to fix things so, if I do take my bike in, I'm always asking if I can watch to see how they do it.

tulip

Yep, I fix my own flats.