tire/tube changing equipment and the act of using them

[Luke in Brooklyn]

You've already gotten the four best links, so I'll just add my .02 I carry 3 8" motion pro irons. I usually only use two, but once in a while for some reason I use three. Depending on how minimalist you are, you might carry three, too. MotionPro sells two steel 8" irons, one kind is totally smooth and the other (called something like the enduro pro?) is more sculpted and has a more pronounced curve at one end and a more pronounced point at the other. I have one of those. It's great for pinching tubes. It's less great than the cheaper, normal model for actually changing tires. Tubes--how much do you hate changing tires compared to carrying extra weight? If you really hate it, carry a front and back tube. That way you only have to change the tire once, when you get the flat. If you only kind of hate it, carry only a front--it'll get you back to civilization in the rear then need changed, or if you have a front flat you can change it once and forget it. If the weight/space is the priority, carry patches--some folks say to replace a patched tube immediately, but I've ridden thousands and thousands of miles on them without sweating. I carry a little electric pump and a mtn bike pump all the time, because I have to air the tires up and down each ride b/c of how far I live from the woods. The mtn bike pump is 10 pumps per 1 psi, which is awfully tiring if you have to do it too often... but it's a nice backup. If you're riding near your truck and don't need to air up and down all the time, I'd only carry the mtn bike pump. The best thing you can do, though, is have done it already a lot. The first couple times I changed a tube tire were miserable experiences, involving many hours, profanity, and numerous pinched tubes. You don't want to lose your tire changing cherry in the darkening drizzle of some woods trail. Last tip: breaking the bead will drive you nuts sometimes. Unless you're changing a motocross tire that's only been on 4 days like in the TW video, it's never that easy. If you have another bike around, using the kickstand of the second bike is the quickest way I've ever found. Beats heavy c-clamps and toes and profanity every day. If you're on your own, lay the wheel at a slight angle (like 30*, propped on a log or something) and stand on the tire (at the part where it meets the ground--don't want to bend the rim). Get your toes as close as you can to the rim, and then squat and rock forward so you're way up on tippy toes and your weight is totally on your toes, as close to the rim as possible. We're talking vertical feet here, like a ballerina. Having motocross boots with a very hard, defined toe helps. Wiggle and bounce like that and you'll get it free. Luke mbellantone wrote: Hey Folks I know this question will get me alot of different answers, as a friend said recently... "almost as nebulous as the oil question" As I was telling this friend, the other night I was wandering around some back dirt roads and thought I was experiencing a flat. Turned out not to be one but still had me worried that I was alone, with no tire repair equipment, be it tools or tubes. There are too many different styles, sizes and sources for the irons, pumps, patches etc... Can anyone tell me what they had good experiences with? 1: Irons? 2: Tubes? (Front Tire Size 90/90-21 Rear Tire Size 130/80-17 3: Pump (be it manual or electric or engine cylinder driven) 4: any place to see a tube/tire repair being done without spending the $24 for the video? Any help would be appreciated. List sponsored by Dual Sport News at: www.dualsportnews.com List FAQ courtesy of Chris Krok at: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html Member Map at: http://www.frappr.com/dsnklr650 Yahoo! Groups Links Brooklyn NY 92 CB750 nighthawk--naked simpleton 03 KLR650--fat girl with a dirty mind --------------------------------- Get easy, one-click access to your favorites. Make Yahoo! your homepage. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]