How Much to Fix a Flat
 

I got a flat on the way to work this morning. Normally I replace the tube myself, but I'd rather stop at the bike shop on the way home so I don't have to walk it the whole way. Around how much should I expect them to charge?

You don't carry a spare tube? I recommend that you carry the stuff you need to fix a flat when commuting...indeed for any ride. - spare tube, patch kit, pump, levers - that way you don't have to walk more than a couple of feet. ;)

I can't tell you how much a shop is going to charge, I've never had one fix a flat. Figure 5 bucks or so for a tube, maybe 10 in labor.

What chipcom said.
Plus, if you go through a period where you flat regularly you are going to be poooooorrrrrr.

I had troubles with one tire last fall. I flatted something like 10-15 times before I gave up on it.

$5 + $10 in labor to change the most basic of bike problems.
Being self sufficient.... priceless.

spare tube: $5
patch kit: $2
pump: cheapo pump at performance $10. Nice pump $25
tire levers: $4

You can dooooooo it! :p

My commute is only about 4 miles, so I never thought the added bulk of a spare tube, patch kit and pump was necessary. As I said, I'd normally replace the tube myself - getting the shop to do it would just be for convenience. If they charge more than I think its worth, I'll just walk it all the way and change the tube when I get home.

DataJunkie - I'm hoping this won't be a regular problem. I was commuting on a mountain bike before and I rarely got flats. Last week I got a hybrid, so I guess the smaller tires can get punctured easier. I really don't want to have to carry all that extra stuff

It really doesn't weigh that much. Most of it gets tossed into a small saddle bag.
I've found that I flat way more with 700C tires than my old MTB. Maybe it is due to more of the tire being in contact with the ground than my old knobbies or having less rubber or some such thing. With practice you can get a tire changed in no time.
I believe I was down to 10 min or less. Far easier than trying to find a store to fix it and then waiting for them. It is possible to change a flat out in even less time.

About ten bucks. Dirt cheap.

Paul

I was the exact opposite, I was getting numerous flats on the MTB, but went to one every year when I switched to my current hybrid bike. The type of tires I was running probably was a factor in the number of flats that I was having on each bike. A month ago, I just installed some kevlar strips to the inside of my tires, and now I'm looking to decrease my flat occurences to one every two years. I still carry an extra tube, tube sealant, tools, and a frame mounted tire pump for good karma and to help a stranded cyclist.

my LBS just charged me for the tube the 1 time I went to them instead of doing it myself.

Hey, Paul, I didn't think you ever got flats! :eek:

Although I've not had any for over four years, I used to get them monthly.

Paul

See the reflective piping right under my rack?

http://www.focushacks.com/photo/01302007-missedbus.jpg

It weighs less than a pound, it's tiny, it COULD easily go under my seat (I have it under my rack so my work shoes fit under my seat easier), and it holds a spare tube, a Park Tool MTB-3, tire levers, a spare SRAM PowerLink for chain repairs, tire patches, and the rubber cement and scuffer that came with the patches.

You can see my cheap (but worthy) frame pump under the rack on the other side, too. It's the silver/black bar.

Do yourself a favor. When you go to the bike shop tonight, instead of spending money having them fix the flat, spend a few bucks and get a little bag and some emergency gear. Hell, if I bought $50 worth of stuff (which is about what the tube, patch kit, levers, frame pump, MTB-3 tool and bag cost me) from my bike shop, they'd probably patch my flat for free right there on the spot.

For things like tightening allen screws, adjusting stuff in the middle of nowhere, or making impromptu repairs on the road, the MTB-3 is a great tool. Similar ones can be purchased for less but I got it for its tiny size and warranty. When your bike goes from cold to hot and cold again day in and day out, things tend to wiggle loose a little faster. I like knowing I can tighten things up on the fly.

$10-15. There is LBS right by my kid's(') (used to have them both there, now one is in school) daycare. It's a lot easier (and tidier) to have them fix a flat on bike or trailer than for me to do it while trying to keep the kid(s) out of traffic.

That's how often I get them--and I can't wait to swith to Marathon's, as you've recommended, when I change out my studs come late March/early April. :)

Regarding tools to change flats--I think if you've got a cell phone and a commute that keeps you close to a town, you could get by without. I think you could even call the LBS for a pick up. But, you should consider kevlar belted tires.

That said, it sure is nice having tools around for minor adjustments. I've changed several flats on the roads--it only takes about 10 minutes.

Uh, maybe you could call them to find how much they charge?

It's on the way and I have to stop anyway to get a tube

On my main commuter bike, the one with studded tires currently mounted, it is a real drag getting the tire back on the rim after fixing/replacing the tube. In normal weather, it takes a good deal of time and effort. In the subzero temperatures we're having right now, it takes all of five seconds for me to lose all feeling in my fingers. I'll hop a bus and go to the nearest LBS instead.

My LBS charged an older gentleman (that would be around 65 - 70 ) about $5 to change a flat. That was the price of the new innertube. I thought that was nice of them.

I've got a great bike store that charges me $8! Tube included! In Manhattan!
Anything more than $15 and you're right to roll your eyes.
But you should learn to do it. It's really a very simple procedure, and there's nothing like the feeling of accomplishing it yourself. Sounds hokey, but it's true. Now if I could just learn how to true my rims. . . .

Why don't you just get a tube and leave it at work?

I've always fixed em in the field. Walkin? That's crazee talk :D That is the walk of shame :D

No little unobtrusive bag under saddle with patch kit, minitool, tire levers, a small container of oil and maybe a pair of nitrile gloves. tsk tsk tsk shame

Tubes cost $5...that's how much it should cost you to fix a flat assuming you didn't cut the sidewall on your tire of course.

I keep a spare bike pump at work and always have a spare tube in my seatpost bag...I should throw an extra tube or two in my desk drawer though. I can change a tube in a matter of minutes with very little mess. Nothing a quick trip to the men's room to wash my hands won't fix anyway.

The last time I paid someone else to change a flat was in college around 2002. Tube and labor, total of $10 at a shop in downtown Ithaca, NY.

On the way home (walk of shame) I stopped at the same bike shop that I purchased my bike from last week. They changed the tube free of charge.

Last time I flatted in the rain, I would have paid someone $50.00 to change my tube. :p