SurlyLHT26in08

Do you take a Spare tire on your bike touring trips???

How to Fold a Bicycle Tire

I plan to take a Spare tire on my bike touring trips!
and I use 26X1.75in

How to fold a Tire

Fold 1


Fold 2


Fold 3

baronvoncatania

Not a spare tire, but I would take a spare tube.

tarwheel 

Yes, but I carry a folding tire with Kevlar beads. Much lighter and easier to fold than a wire bead tire.

Leebo

Your photo is for a tire with wire beads. Who buys heavy tires? Just roll up a kevlar bead tire. I just carry 2 tubes, a patch kit and some duck tape to boot a tire if needed.

gerryl

Depends. If I'm going where I know there are no bike shops, I bring a spare folding tire, otherwise I always try to have two new tubes along.

StephenH

On randonneuring rides, I've not carried a spare tire on the single bike, always have on the tandem. After 3 years or so, that finally paid off when I had a tire on the tandem blow through right at the bead.
So just depends on how far from civilization you'll be, how much you're willing to hitchhike or whatever.

Ideally, you use Kevlar-bead tires all the time, then save one that's pretty worn but still usable, and use that for a spare.
But in my case, I didn't have any like that. I normally use 32mm tires on the tandem, and carried a folding 28mm for a spare.

Perhaps equally likely to be a problem- that was the first time I EVER needed a tire like that- but I have broken the shaft on one Road Morph pump, have lost the little end cap that holds the insert on another, have seen another rider do the same thing, have seen another rider with some other pump that wouldn't work. IE, based on my experience, you're more likely to need a spare pump than you are a spare tire. Or, if you carry CO2 instead, well, I've seen people have 5 or 6 flats in a day's ride, too, so still a possible issue.

If you ride in a group with friends, that'll save you in a pump failure and MIGHT save you in a tire failure. If you're using some oddball tire size, beware, though.

10 Wheels

Yep...spare tire and five tubes.



How would you patch this one?



Used my spare tire three times...Plus gave it away once to a stranded rider.

indyfabz

Took one for the first time in June because I had planned to ride a stretch of rough dirt in a remote area and my tires already had some miles on them, but not enough to ditch.

fietsbob

Yes.. and I used it .. sidewall on rear gave out . abandoned it in a tractor shed in Scotland.

heavy steel bead tires dont work like a thin 700c /27" in that bandsaw blade like fold.

but tying the sides close U shaped the tire to drape over my panniers..

of course buying a Kevlar bead spare tire will fold flattish.

LesterOfPuppets

For spares I usually take two tubes and one tire. Patch kit also.

I typically take folding bead tires, however.

I do often fold wire bead tires that I purchase, so that I can haul them home in my backpack.

BigAura

If you're running touring grade tires, in good condition, and not in the outback then dragging around an extra tire is a waste.

Darth Lefty 

I've kinked a bead trying that trick. The advice I found on BF was "just use it." That led to a tire that didn't seat properly and rubbed down to the steel before I figured it out, took it off and unkinked it. I'm worried about it.

Obligatory joke about trying to lose my "spare tire"

I've noticed something else funny... we all seem to think of folding bead tires as premium, but my local Walmart has a large bike section and all the tires they sell are folders. They need the shelf space, they can sell a complete selection in the space it would have taken for one size of wire beads.

BigAura

Maybe if you're riding a somewhat loaded road bike with racing tires.

BTW: You must really like fixing flats.

SurlyLHT26in08

Panaracer T-Serv Folding Tire for Bike Messengers and I am getting it

rawklobster

Me too... Spare Tube. With a boot and patch kit as well. That will get you to the next city for a tire, if not fix the problem enTirely. See what I did there?

Rob_E

I have carried a spare tire. I would probably do it again if the trip was long enough, but as it is, my trips are about a week at most. I stopped carrying the spare. I carry at least one, sometimes two tubes. If I have to use a spare tube, I pick up another as soon as possible. I also try to keep a spare tire at home. There's always one on deck, and in a pinch, my wife could send it to me, but on a week long trip, it's unlikely that I have time to sit anywhere waiting for the mail to come. More likely I'd find a way to the nearest town and make due with whatever the local bike shop has.

mev

Depends where I'm going and how long.

When going only a week, I'll usually carry a spare tire. I don't bother with shorter weekend overnight rides. When I've gone for multiple months at times I've carried two spares.

For example, cycling around Australia nothing in way of bike shops between Mt Isa and Katherine ~1250km. In that case, I forgot to get an extra spare and my tires were well worn by time I arrived in Katherine: 284 so in that case, I ended up getting two replacements...

wahoonc

Tubes, definitely. Tire maybe. I am a thrifty soul and hate to swap out a tire that still has life left in it. If I think it will wear out before the tour is over I may take a spare, or put the new one on and carry the old one as a spare. I carried spare tires on most of my tours in the 70's and 80's. The new tires are much better and have kevlar in them, that along with tires being readily available along with overnight delivery to most of the world it is much less of an issue these days.

Aaron

cyccommute 

Yup. If you are touring in the US or Canada, you can even get bicycle tires at Helmart. No need to carry spares.

NormanF

A spare definitely if you're in the middle of nowhere. It could save your life.

It isn't necessary for more civilized journeys.

Carbonfiberboy 

I carry a spare tire on sport rides. I've lent it out more often then I've used it myself. Sure beats a long walk or trying to hitch. Lent it to a cyclist on a long mountain ride just a few weeks ago. She was walking and it was near 100°. Doesn't need to be your standard touring tire. A 200g 23mm tire is fine.

robow

It used to be tough finding a 700c tire in any width at a Walmart or the like, but 26" tires were always available so it depended on which bike I was using as to if I would carry a spare or not. I was amazed that up until a few years ago, a 27" tire was still more available than a 700c at these big box stores but I think recently the situation has righted itself.

LesterOfPuppets

Seriously. I don't even wanna walk 10 miles to a place with tires or a bus stop or the nearest place a cab will pick you up for less than $40 or...

LesterOfPuppets

They're usually 32s or 35s, so you're still SOL if credit card touring on many road bikes.

robow

You're exactly right, a friend of mine needed a modest 700c tire on one of our mini tours and all we found at the local wallyworld and one other smaller sporting goods store were too large for his chainstay length and so we ended up using a Gawd awful amount of Gorilla tape to keep the tire together and on the rim. It was ugly, rode like garbage but got us back to our vehicle the next day.