Gunga Dan

I've recently begun biking again at a fair distance (generally ride ~10 miles on one of the local trails, then turn around) and I'm a bit concerned about getting a flat right at the 10 mile out point, and having to walk the bike back 10 miles. I've never carried a pump, etc. What is the best/lightest/easiest way to be ready for a flat? Just a pump (and hoping it's a small puncture which is amenable to being reinflated every couple miles) carrying a pump, tube, and tool to change the tube (examples of good pumps/tools appreciated), or the pump, tools and a patch kit, or carrying one of those cans of compressed goop that supposedly re-inflates/seals a bad tube, at least long enough to get you back to the car.

My bike has 700 x 35 tires, if that matters any.

Sorry for the basic question, and thanks for any input.

GD

Bachman

I carry a spare tube, patch kit, pump, and tire levers, all pretty light and cheap. My cyclocross bike came with a nice little pump that clips onto my frame under the bottle cage, and the rest goes in the saddle bag. Luckily I've never gotten more than one flat on my rides so I just swap out the tube, less than a 10 minute job. The patch kit doesn't weigh a lot or take up too much space, so it's there in case I get two flats. As long as you're anticipating a flat, I wouldn't carry only a pump in the hopes that it is a small flat. I don't have any statistics to back this claim up, but I'm willing to bet that it will be a 'big' one. Just my gut feeling.

And just a side note, if you want more peace of mind you can get some tires that offer good flat protection, and/or tire liners. I have some GP4000s tires that seem to absorb hidden bits of glass like a magnet (wait, does a magnet absorb glass?), and I experienced flats all the time. I didn't want to chuck the tires, so I got some Mr. Tuffy tire liners a little more than 2 months ago. A couple hundred miles later, and I still haven't had a single flat. Just a thought.

runner pat

Seconding everything Bachman said. Maybe even carry more than one tube, thorn punctures are very hard to find.

If you don't know how, have someone show you and practice, practice, practice.

Get a Quik-Stik, won't pinch the tube.

MilitantPotato

Patch kit (one with glue preferably not an "instant" kit,) levers, spare tube, and frame pump should be standard for any trip further than walking is feasible.

Cheapest, and easiest route for added protection is a tire liner. 15-20 bucks, and they're reusable unlike 30-60 dollar tires with the stuff built in.

Gunga Dan

Thanks for the replies. I just ran out & bought a pump, this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Strike-Black.../dp/B003XR2K3W I figure at least I'll have that. I've biked a fair bit as an adult over the last 30 odd years, thousands of miles, and have never gotten a flat or carried tire stuff. Somehow I Just feel like my luck is going to change (ever get one of those omens? ;-) I have fixed flats though as a kid, recall removing the tire with a couple screw drivers, filling the basement sink with water, putting the pumped up tube under to locate the bubbles/hole, applying the glue & patch to the spot after roughing it up, etc.

I'll add a tube, tools, etc to my bag. I usually stick my wallet, car keys & phone in there though, and space is getting TIGHT ;-) That's actually more of a PITA than the weight!

I'll check out Mr. Tuffy and other tire liners, thanks for the tip. Is there a type of tube which is more puncture resistant?

Thanks for the great input,

GD

Northwestrider

As you asked for the best way to prepare for a flat, I'd have to suggest that you practice inside a nice warm rain free garage if one is available, or on a sunny day outside, by removing your rear wheel, then remove and reinsert the tube, then remounting the wheel. If you do it just once, you'll be ready and have a bit more of the confidence you desire for one of your longer rides.

wfournier

It you get a flat I would not count on being able to pump it back up. I have had two so far and in neither case would the bike have been ridable.

rydabent

If you have presta tubes, I would carry a compact pump with a hose. The hose will keep you from bending or breaking the stem. I carry a mini pump, cartridge and inflator, tire irons, spare tube, tire boots, and a glueless patch kit. Some people seem to rail against glueless patches, but I have use quite a few, and hve never had one fail or leak. On the other hand glue is messy, and can be dried out when you need it most.

contango 

Hoping it's a small puncture is just begging for it to be a big puncture that you can't just pump up.

Personally I love my Schwalbe Marathon tyres, they seem nigh on indestructible. I've pulled inch-long thorns out of the tyres and so far never had a puncture. I still carry a tube, pump and multi tool just in case but so far have never needed to actually use them.

If I were on an extended trip I'd consider taking things like the gloop you describe but for shorter trips it seems like just one more thing to carry when I'm trying to go as light as possible. From where I live it's hard to imagine me riding anywhere that I couldn't get to either home or a train station within a few miles of walking so for me the worst case scenario is I walk to the nearest station and get a train ticket home. If the worst case for you is a 10 mile walk home with no alternatives you'll probably want multiple layers of protection in case something goes wrong.

If you've got puncture resistant tyres, a spare tube, a puncture repair kit and a pump then you'll need to be seriously unlucky to go through all of those in a single ride.

cycle_maven

I routinely go 30 miles away from home and past any bike shop, and carry the following in a wedge pack:

Combination pump/CO2 inflator
2 CO2 cartridges
tire levers
spare tube
glue-based patch kit
small multi-tool with allen wrenches
few dollars, which can be used for buying snax or booting a tire
ID

and a cell phone in my pocket in case the previous bunch of stuff is inadequate. So far the worst problem I've had was having to patch a second flat in the rain. Haven't needed the cell phone yet, knock wood. I'm not too worried about the weight of the stuff (maybe 8 ounces; I carry five times that in water bottles).

gyozadude

My commute kit is similar:

- patch kit w/ emery cloth, at least 10 big glueless patches, 2 hard plastic levers, small presta-to-schrader adapter, schrader to presta valve grommets (2)
- extra tube for my bike
- multi-tool with 2,2.5,3,4,5,6mm allen, philips, flat, multiple size spoke wrenches.
- mini-pump next to water bottle mount.
- calling card
- cell phone

Optionally for most, but I almost always have a mini-first aid kit, pair of nitrile gloves, small adjustable crescent, pocket knife with scissors, mini compass and spare (LED) flashlight, 1/2 litre bottle of water and two sealed breakfast bars. I don't get flats a lot (knock on wood). But I find that I help quite few folks on the trail with flats. Great way to meet folks and network during a commute!

dahut

I carry the full kit for flat repair, in a frame mount bag.... all the stuff everyone else has mentioned by now. The bag fits in the triangle formed by the cross tube and seat down tube. I abhor seat bags.
I do two things differently, though. I don't carry a bunch of patches, glue and so on - I keep a new tube in the kit. And I got rid of the pump altogether; I use CO2 inflators. These were hard won lessons, by the way - take them as you will.

But I feel the best thing I do is prevent flats as much as possible.

1. Keep your tires inflated to the proper pressure.
2. Keep good tires on the bike and monitor them.
3. Stay out of the crap that causes flats - pay attention.
4. Stay off MUPS as much as possible - all the crap mentioned above ends up on them.
5. Use TIRE LINERS. These are indispensable and I cannot stress their use enough.

ScottNotBombs

I carry a top peak mountain morph pump. Any pump that folds out into a mini floor pump is nice to have. I carry a spare tube but I've never had anything that couldn't be patched, even blow outs.
I'm not sure if it's common knowledge or not, but align your valve stem with a marker on your tire, such as a label. If you get repeat flats, it makes it easier to find where they're coming from if you have a blow out or something stuck in your tire.
I don't personally use tire liners... I only get a couple flats a year and don't feel like they're worth it, but depending where you live you may get more flats, or your time may be more valuable then mine.
I carry a piece of old tire for booting. I got it for free from my LBS. I also buy my patch kits from the Walmart's automotive section and have found that the large patches they come with aren't good for patching tubes, but are good for more permanent boots.

sknhgy 

I buy good, flat resistant tires. Schwalbe Marathon's, Conti Gatorskins, etc. Why get flats in the first place if you can avoid it? In the winter time most of my rides are after dinner, in the dark and cold. It's well worth it to me to spend extra on good tires if I won't have to fix a flat by the side of the road in freezing weather with a flashlight in my mouth at 9:00pm on a work night.

buzz111

Agree 100% with sknhgy. Get good tires... I really like the Conti Gatorskins. Of course, it's till a very good idea to haul along a spare tube, CO2 inflator, instant patch kit, tire irons, and a valve adaptor (if needed) to let you pump up that tire at a gas station air pump if necessary.

Commando303

I don't know about "best," but the lightest option probably would be a patch kit and a one-time-use carbon-dioxide can.

Ira B

Good quality patch kit with several size patches and glue.
Tire levers.
Pump.
Spare tube.
Small butane lighter because you live in Seattle.
Ditto on learning to find a leak and patch it in a controlled environment.
Patching a tube in the cold rain is trickier and involves the lighter.
A tip for finding a tiny leak in a tube is to inflate it to about 3 times normal size, the lick your lips and slowly move the tube past them while keeping the tube an inch away. You will "feel" the jet of air from the leak as it passes your lips.

In cold wet weather, try to keep everything as dry as possible. After finding the leak and deflating the tube to it's normal size, get your patch ready by peeling just enough backing so when the time comes you can peel the rest quickly. Apply a thin coat of glue around the leak in an area slightly larger than the patch, then set it on fire with the lighter. If it burns for more than 5 seconds, blow it out. Apply another thin coat, ignite it, in 2 seconds blow it out, then quickly remove the backing from your patch and apply it to the leak. press the patch on very hard with your thumb for about 20 seconds and you should be ready to install and inflate the tube and finish riding home in the rain.

Burton

Do yourself a favor and splurge - buy some tires with anti flat protection. Really! Yeah I know - some people swear by tire liners. A cheap tire plus tire liner gives you about the same price as a good tire and now you`ve further compromised the ride quility of a mediocre tire by sticking something else inside it.

During the course of an average day I fix so many flats the last thing I want to have to do myself on a ride is fix another one. So I`m running Schwalbe Marathon Supremes in a couple different sizes. And when I first got them I went looking for broken glas, cans to roll over, potholes and railroad tracks. A thousand kilometers later - I no longer even bother to bring a spare tube or pump. I just check the tire pressure every couple days.

Could have gone with heavy duty downhill tubes but again that would compromise ride quality. Latex tubes may be available depending on your tire size. However larger tires are my personal preference overall because they`re naturally more resistant to pinch flats and you can get away with checking the tire pressure less often.

Is 700 x 35 the largest your frame will accept?

dahut

I get what you are saying, and it makes sense.
I dont find the liners to be noticeable in the slightest. When I switched to them, I could not tell any difference. Still can't.

I don't run dirt cheap tires, either.
Unlike some who seem to have a bottomless piggy bank for cycling, I'm on a budget.
I don't buy the cheapest things, but I don't usually get the most expensive. I'm a "roadie commuter," in that I ride a road bike for both fun and commuting. 100 miles per week.

The largest tire I can fit in my frames are 28's, so I roll on what most would call average road training tires. I recently got a good 2-for-1 deal on Vittoria Rubino Tech III's. I think of them as "right-priced" tires, between sport and commuting... hybrids, to my way of thinking. Just like me.

They'll have liners in them, too.

BCRider

GD, assuming you're still reading this since you haven't replied since yesterday I just want to add some encouragement for the option of getting some practice at home where it's nice and comfy before you need to do this for real.

How you've managed for that many years and miles without a flat is frankly quite miraculous. Don't hesitate. You'll need most of the things the guy mentioned already. THe good news is that other than the pump the spare tube, levers and any cut down wrenches you may require will all fit in one of the smaller tail bags that hangs off the rear of the saddle. All of my bikes have their own pump and seat pack with tire neccesities.

And don't practice a tube swap only once. Do it a good half dozen times until it gets really easy and you're positive you can do it without pinching a new hole in the tube or letting it herniate out the side or any of the other woes that can occur. Along the way learn to repeatedley re-center the portion of the bead that is on the rim into the middle where the bead channel is deepest. Doing so makes getting the other side up and over the rim's edge a LOT easier.

Gunga Dan

Thanks for all the replies. In addition to the pump I bought, I picked up a tube and a set of tire irons. I figure this should cover the vast majority of likely events. Might add some patches. I agree, it's incredible I've never had a flat. That's why I figure I should quite pushing it. I could walk 10 miles pushing the bike (I walk 4 miles frequently) , but it would take at least 3 hours and sure wouldn't be much fun. I ride mostly on trails now, but I have ridden in traffic too a fair bit. I've always made it a point to check the pressure before each ride, but I'm sure it's probably mostly luck. I repaired flats back when I was a kid, I just never had one as someone who bikes a fair distance. I understand the basic procedure. I did read another post here that several people had trouble with Mr. Tuffy rubbbing holes in the edge of the tube, causing a flat. Anyone experience this? https://www.bikeforums.net/archive/in.../t-314294.html

Thanks again for the suggestions,

GD

dahut

Tire liner rubbing out the tube? Ive never seen it. Anything can happen, of course. The best thing to do is get puncture proof tires, puncture resistant tubes, add tire liners and fill the tube with Slime. Then you can worry less and start riding.

Another option sounds counter-intuitive, and that is to go riding until you get a flat. You'll discover something this way that may not be apparent to you now - it isn't the end of the world.

Inconvenient? Yes.
Time consuming? Certainly.
Challenging? Sure.
Deal breaker? No

Once it happens and you recover, you adapt. You pat yourself on the back for enduring and then learn and improve. Above all else, it looms less large in your Worry Programming.
Try it. You may find it both enlightening and liberating at the same time.

AlphaDogg

Once I started doing rides longer than 15 miles (where it would be difficult to have someone pick me up), I decided to carry a pump that has a mount at the watterbottle cage. In my saddle bag, I carry Pedro's tire levers, a spare tube, and a rubber cement patch kit (and some food).

Doohickie

. Saddle bag with
. tube
. tire levers
. CO2 inflator & cartridges

Also, carry a cell phone for when you have a mishap that is more than just a flat tire.

dahut

There you go. I recently got a small pannier bag for the front of the cross tube just for my cellie.