Wilsons Sandbox

It's more than half the work to patch a tube trailside so I figger you may as well just change the thing out. If you really want to patch the tube, you can do it when you get someplace other than roadside. Breaking both beads once to put in a new tube is a lot easier than breaking one bead twice cause the patch didn't hold. (Of course you could pinch flat 3 tubes in a row and get really frustrated...but only if you're me). Longer tire irons make the work easier but they're also harder to pack. I use 2 motion pro 8 or 9 inchers. Sort of on the small side of irons. I also use a hand pump cause it hasn't failed me. If you're set on using cartridges, by all means do so, but get one of the pumps that can use cartridges AND will double as a hand pump. I also always have a 21" tube in a fender bag to use if I get a flat (it'll get you back to civilization if you have to use it in the rear tire, but a 17" ain't never gonna fit the front). dat brooklyn bum Man, that post included these phrases, "8 or 9 inchers", "hand pump","use it in the rear", and "never gonna fit the front", yet it was still clean! I must be slipping.

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Wallace, Scott" wrote: > I was wondering what everyone does about flat tires while traveling? Do you just change the tubes out instead of trying to fix a tube while on the road or off road. Also, is there anything special that I should be looking at when buying a set of tire irons? Do you travel with a hand pump or cartridges. Thanks in advance for your advice. > > Scott

On Wed, 2003-03-05 at 13:54, guymanbro wrote:

> It's more than half the work to patch a tube trailside so I figger > you may as well just change the thing out. If you really want to > patch the tube, you can do it when you get someplace other than > roadside. Breaking both beads once to put in a new tube is a lot > easier than breaking one bead twice cause the patch didn't hold. (Of > course you could pinch flat 3 tubes in a row and get really > frustrated...but only if you're me). Longer tire irons make the work > easier but they're also harder to pack. I use 2 motion pro 8 or 9 > inchers. Sort of on the small side of irons.

I use three 9" MP's as well. Though I hope that I never have to change a D604 on the trail. I took me about 90 minutes to get the old D604 off the rear, in the process, I bent one of my irons, used every curse in the book and I managed to get blood on everything. Tire changing should be an olympic sport. I was sore the next day from the fight I had with that tire.

> I also use a hand pump > cause it hasn't failed me. If you're set on using cartridges, by all > means do so, but get one of the pumps that can use cartridges AND > will double as a hand pump. I also always have a 21" tube in a fender > bag to use if I get a flat (it'll get you back to civilization if you > have to use it in the rear tire, but a 17" ain't never gonna fit the > front). > > dat brooklyn bum

Some tires simply won't seat with a handpump nor with C02 carts. My front K270 had to be taken upto 95+psi with a good air compressor before the last 1/5 of the bead would seat. I did manage to ride it up to NJ and back with it like that and it never seated (it was a bit wobbly below 25 mph). And pulling the tire completely off allows you to check the carcass for nails, thorns, whatever... Z DC A5X A11X

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Wallace, Scott" wrote:

> I was wondering what everyone does about flat tires while

traveling? Do you

> just change the tubes out instead of trying to fix a tube while on

the road

> or off road. Also, is there anything special that I should be

looking at

> when buying a set of tire irons? Do you travel with a hand pump or > cartridges. Thanks in advance for your advice. > > Scott

Bring a good quality bicycle hand pump. I use my mountain bike pump for more volume per stroke. It takes a ton of cartridges to fill a tire, and if you have a second flat you're S.O.L. Also, if you go ballistic with a hand pump, you can burn it out, so give it a rest now and then. If the bead won't re-seat, ride it carefully a mile or two at 20 psi and let your weight do the work for you. I carry a 21" tube and a patch kit. Trouble always seems to come in swarms. __Arden

Hand pump, and sometimes also a tiny 12v compressor in the backpack. CO2 are useless for seating the beads, about all they're good for is adding a few pounds here and there. If you need to properly fill a rear tire, count on needing 4-5 cartridges, never mind getting the bead seated. I just change the tubes. I never patch them, since it's worth the $10 (very heavy-duty tubes) to not take the tire off one extra time. With the 4mm tubes I haven't gotten a flat so far. I got a flat once with one of the lighter heavy-duty tubes, but in all fairness I picked up a piece of 1/8" stainless wire that was sharp from being cut with bolt cutters. I was riding where people illegally dump trash. Slime didn't help much, but the wire was stuck in the tire, so the tube tore a little everytime the tire flexed. Any tire irons that are at least 8" or so. Aerostich sells titanium ones, which sounds funny but they weigh very little and are extremely hard to bend. Devon "Wallace, Scott" wrote:

> > I was wondering what everyone does about flat tires while traveling?

--- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, "Wallace, Scott" wrote:

> I was wondering what everyone does about flat tires while

traveling? Do you

> just change the tubes out instead of trying to fix a tube while on

the road

> or off road. Also, is there anything special that I should be

looking at

> when buying a set of tire irons? Do you travel with a hand pump or > cartridges. Thanks in advance for your advice. > > Scott

I have at times just used a cell phone and membership in MTS Tow service. http://www.mtstowing.com/. I have a Blackburn Mtn. Bike air pump for 15-20 bucks, front axle wrenches that are not in OEM tool kit, motojack, centerstand, tire levers, tubes etc. I will be changing a tire at home soon, to practice. I've used the tow policy several times while on major interstates with flat tires. It works for touring quite well, and one policy covers all your bikes. Let me refer you and I can get a free month, even so I'd still recommend them. Conall

> I was wondering what everyone does about flat tires while traveling? Do

you

> just change the tubes out instead of trying to fix a tube while on the

road

> or off road. Also, is there anything special that I should be looking at > when buying a set of tire irons? Do you travel with a hand pump or > cartridges. Thanks in advance for your advice. > > Scott >

In addition to the other tire repair stuff, I carry a can of Honda Spray Cleaner And Polish, mainly to clean the face shield, but it works well for mounting tires. Started using it after seeing it used in a bike shop. Last time I changed the back tire on the KLR, I removed the old Dunlop 491 that had 20,000 miles and been on over a year. Just stepped on it with my heals to break the bead. Had a bit of a hard time getting the new D604 on, and used lots of the Honda stuff. After the tire was on, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, the bead was already seated. So I looked very close, all the way around on both sides. Yep, the bead was seated with no air pressure, just the stiffness of the tire. My KLR is a touring bike, and I keep the tire pressure up, usually 35 to 38 in the back. If you ride with your pressure low, you probably don't want to use this stuff, as it may promote the tire slipping on the rim. Allan A14

Do ya really have to break both beads to replace the tube Zach? --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Zachariah Mully wrote:

> On Wed, 2003-03-05 at 13:54, guymanbro wrote: > > It's more than half the work to patch a tube trailside so I

figger

> > you may as well just change the thing out. If you really want to > > patch the tube, you can do it when you get someplace other than > > roadside. Breaking both beads once to put in a new tube is a lot > > easier than breaking one bead twice cause the patch didn't hold.

(Of

> > course you could pinch flat 3 tubes in a row and get really > > frustrated...but only if you're me). Longer tire irons make the

work

> > easier but they're also harder to pack. I use 2 motion pro 8 or 9 > > inchers. Sort of on the small side of irons. > > I use three 9" MP's as well. Though I hope that I never have to

change a

> D604 on the trail. I took me about 90 minutes to get the old D604

off

> the rear, in the process, I bent one of my irons, used every curse

in

> the book and I managed to get blood on everything. Tire changing

should

> be an olympic sport. I was sore the next day from the fight I had

with

> that tire. > > > I also use a hand pump > > cause it hasn't failed me. If you're set on using cartridges, by

all

> > means do so, but get one of the pumps that can use cartridges AND > > will double as a hand pump. I also always have a 21" tube in a

fender

> > bag to use if I get a flat (it'll get you back to civilization if

you

> > have to use it in the rear tire, but a 17" ain't never gonna fit

the

> > front). > > > > dat brooklyn bum > > Some tires simply won't seat with a handpump nor with C02 carts. My > front K270 had to be taken upto 95+psi with a good air compressor

before

> the last 1/5 of the bead would seat. I did manage to ride it up to

NJ

> and back with it like that and it never seated (it was a bit wobbly > below 25 mph). > > And pulling the tire completely off allows you to check the carcass

for

> nails, thorns, whatever... > > Z > DC > A5X > A11X

On Wed, 2003-03-05 at 22:48, zrod73026 wrote:

> Do ya really have to break both beads to replace the tube Zach?

I was changing the tire out, to a MT21... So yes, I did have to break both beads. Anyhow, how do you manange to only break one bead and get that side over the rim to pull the tube out? Inquiring minds want to know as I haven't run into a motorcycle tire that you'd be able to do that with (you need to break both sides so that the far side can slip down into the rim). Z DC A5X A11X

Seems like the biggest problem/pain I have with changing tires/tubes is getting the valve stem back into the rim. I talked with a friend of mind about it and he said his Dad had a tool he would screw into the valve stem and it had a chain or cable attached to it and it would pull the valve stem through the rim hole. I've never heard of that before. Has anyone else? Seems like it would it would be a good idea. Thoughts? Mark Mc --- In DSN_klr650@yahoogroups.com, Zachariah Mully wrote:

> On Wed, 2003-03-05 at 22:48, zrod73026 wrote: > > Do ya really have to break both beads to replace the tube Zach? > > > I was changing the tire out, to a MT21... So yes, I did have to

break

> both beads. Anyhow, how do you manange to only break one bead and

get

> that side over the rim to pull the tube out? Inquiring minds want to > know as I haven't run into a motorcycle tire that you'd be able to

do

> that with (you need to break both sides so that the far side can

slip

> down into the rim). > > Z > DC > A5X > A11X