Repairs on the road with a fixie?
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Repairs on the road with a fixie?
On a bike with quick release tires, it's easy to fix a flat since the only tools you need are bike levers. When on my mountain or road bike, I'd always have a multitool, flat kit, and a spare tube. On a fixie, however, the wheels are secured with axle nuts and require wrenches to disassemble. When I first started riding a fixie, I was carrying around a 15 mm wrench in my bag to suppress my paranoia of getting a flat and not being able to do anything about it. I eventually stopped lugging the extra weight and just ride, hoping my tires don't get punctured...
How do you deal with getting a flat when you're out and about on a fixie?
How do you deal with getting a flat when you're out and about on a fixie?
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I have one of these multi tools that has a 15mm on it
Amazon.com : Bell Ultra-Tool Multi-Function Bike Tool : Bike Multifunction Tools : Sports & Outdoors
Amazon.com : Bell Ultra-Tool Multi-Function Bike Tool : Bike Multifunction Tools : Sports & Outdoors
#4
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I usually skip a tire lever and carry one of these, PDW 3wrencho:
Or I'd find a stubby combo wrench. Or I'd cut a standard combo wrench in half and have two, one open ended for some pedals, too.
Or I'd find a stubby combo wrench. Or I'd cut a standard combo wrench in half and have two, one open ended for some pedals, too.
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I carry a small adjustable wrench, tire, levers, and pump.
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I carry one of those PDW 3renchos^^ and one of these below to help put the tire back on without ruining my thumbs, it may look flimsy but it's far from that:
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I gotta big gas open end/socket wrench... cuz WRENCH
#10
~>~
My fixed gear road bike is equipped as all my other road bikes w/ a Flats Kit (tire levers/tube/patch kit/ID/health insurance card/$$) and pump.
For the FG a 15mm Campagnolo "peanut butter" wrench I've carried for decades.
Flats happen, be prepared or walk.
-Bandera
For the FG a 15mm Campagnolo "peanut butter" wrench I've carried for decades.
Flats happen, be prepared or walk.
-Bandera
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Park Tool SS-15 Single-Speed Spanner
This is what I carry. I wrap a glove around the end to really crank down without hurting my palm. 15mm pedal wrench also doubled as cone wrench for when I needed to repack my hubs at 3am! Buy it now too with a pair of tires from Performance Bike and get free shipping, not a bad deal
This is what I carry. I wrap a glove around the end to really crank down without hurting my palm. 15mm pedal wrench also doubled as cone wrench for when I needed to repack my hubs at 3am! Buy it now too with a pair of tires from Performance Bike and get free shipping, not a bad deal
#13
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Lol.
That PDW tool is slick, there's a similar design from Park which also has a cone wrench and bottle opener : Park Tool SS-15
Got that SS-15 after I watched an airport security dude put my Craftsman 15mm against a ruler then toss it in the confiscated bin.
That PDW tool is slick, there's a similar design from Park which also has a cone wrench and bottle opener : Park Tool SS-15
Got that SS-15 after I watched an airport security dude put my Craftsman 15mm against a ruler then toss it in the confiscated bin.
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I used to carry an adjustable crescent for my fixed gear and faux gear bikes, now I've got one of these.
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For the price, I wouldn't buy new or NOS but who knows, you could get lucky like I did and get one from a swap meet for $1.
#17
~>~
-Bandera
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I. Can't. Even.
#21
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OP, you can carry no tools and worry like hell about getting a flat, or you can carry the appropriate tools and fix the flat. If that's too complicated, take the bloody bus. Sheesh, if you're worried about the weight of a small spanner, go join a roadie forum where such things have no more effect on performance than they do here but where they seem to be more important.
Besides, if you can't fix a flat without removing the wheel, you really aren't trying very hard, it's only when you try to change the tube that you need to pull the wheel.
What do you use for a pump? A decent pump or do you have a ton of CO2 cartridges or one of those stupid mini pumps that puts about 30pound in your tube before giving up?
Besides, if you can't fix a flat without removing the wheel, you really aren't trying very hard, it's only when you try to change the tube that you need to pull the wheel.
What do you use for a pump? A decent pump or do you have a ton of CO2 cartridges or one of those stupid mini pumps that puts about 30pound in your tube before giving up?
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Europa,
What pump do you recommend?
I carry a small adjustable wrench and a Parktool multi but don't have a portable pump.
What pump do you recommend?
I carry a small adjustable wrench and a Parktool multi but don't have a portable pump.
OP, you can carry no tools and worry like hell about getting a flat, or you can carry the appropriate tools and fix the flat. If that's too complicated, take the bloody bus. Sheesh, if you're worried about the weight of a small spanner, go join a roadie forum where such things have no more effect on performance than they do here but where they seem to be more important.
Besides, if you can't fix a flat without removing the wheel, you really aren't trying very hard, it's only when you try to change the tube that you need to pull the wheel.
What do you use for a pump? A decent pump or do you have a ton of CO2 cartridges or one of those stupid mini pumps that puts about 30pound in your tube before giving up?
Besides, if you can't fix a flat without removing the wheel, you really aren't trying very hard, it's only when you try to change the tube that you need to pull the wheel.
What do you use for a pump? A decent pump or do you have a ton of CO2 cartridges or one of those stupid mini pumps that puts about 30pound in your tube before giving up?
#24
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On the Europa, it's clipped under the drink bottle holder in the traditional fashion, on the Hillbrick, I've zip tied it under the carrier. If this image works, you can see that it folds out to floor pump configuration though it's obviously much smaller. It comes with a pressure guage and pumps my tyres up to 110 pound in not much more time than a real floor pump. They are pricey by more than worth it.
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