Thread: Flat tire on the road

I know what I do when mountain biking, but what is the best way to fix/repair flat tires while on the road? On a mountain bike, I carry the little disposable CO2 cannisters and a patch kit. Not so easy on a CT, what do you do and what tools?

Did you see that pic I posted awhile back with the guy and his DAX? He had a nice looking, small, tube hand pump that clips to the fork...It was brushed aluninum and black...It looks nice. It looked like part of the bike to me at first. He travels a lot on the mini...I read a couple of his ride reports and what all he carried...Patch kit and the pump for the tires.

I Green Slime mine...I have never had a flat on a bike. I do all my bikes,atvs, boat trailer tires, utility trailer tires, RV tires etc...I love that stuff, you just have to make sure and use it immediately after putting it in otherwise it will just settle in one spot in the tube. But it works incredibly well....some of the places that I have ridden have been really rocky,sharp thorns,roots and never had an issue with tires.

Yes, familiar with "slime" use it on my mountain bikes. I have to rotate throughout the winter months if not riding to prevent clumping at the bottom. Do you use all the time from the beginning? I was wondering if anybody actually breaks the tire down and patches or use plug kits. Very helpful, thanks.

Originally Posted by HymieP

Yes, familiar with "slime" use it on my mountain bikes. I have to rotate throughout the winter months if not riding to prevent clumping at the bottom. Do you use all the time from the beginning? I was wondering if anybody actually breaks the tire down and patches or use plug kits. Very helpful, thanks.

I do use it from the beginning...I just really believe in that stuff. Some ride reports that I have read on ADV seems like they patch instead of plug, but I don't know what the majority do...Thats a great place to get that kind of information.

Well, if you are running tubed wheel halves, think about what you really need to correct the problem and build the proper tool kit to have on hand. When I'm out on a long trip, I'll pack an extra tube, but my took kit includes the following:

1 med adjustable wrench
1 dogbone wrench 12mm - 19mm
1 Tire patch kit with co2
1 set small wrenches 8mm-14mm
1 set 1/4 inch deep sockets 7mm-10mm
2 flat head screwdrivers
1 multi hex tool
1 leatherman multitool
1 roll electrical tape
1 spark plug wrench with new plug
1 spare headlight and tailight bulb
couple pair of thin poly gloves and alcohol wipes
Blue Locktite


All these are very small and fit in a very small pouch I can carry with me. I can basically repair anything that happens to the bike with this set of tools...I can tighten things up, take a tire off the bike and off the rim, and turn any nut on the entire thing. I can replace bulbs, plugs, and even fix shorts or hotwire to a limp mode if necessary. The only thing I need to add to this kit is a welder tip cleaner...to clean jets should they every get clogged.

This whole set weighs about 8 lbs. But the day it saves you when you are 200 miles from home will be the day you never leave home with out.

Breaking a tire bead loose on the side of the road has to be near impossible right? I developed a slow leak on a ride and was lucky to make it home before it went entirely flat.

Originally Posted by hornetgod

Breaking a tire bead loose on the side of the road has to be near impossible right? I developed a slow leak on a ride and was lucky to make it home before it went entirely flat.

If you have a bike where the rims are all rusted...yeah the bead is impossible to break. For a well maintained street bike, you should be able to step on there and break tha bead. However, that is of no importance when changing a tube. Unbolt the hub and unbolt the wheel halves and spread em a little and slip that tube out. Then replace or patch...

One way to keep steel rims from rusting like mad is before you bolt them back together, you either put a bead of silicon down or custom cut a gasket to sandwich between the halves. They can't rust if water can't get in them.

Originally Posted by fatcaaat

One way to keep steel rims from rusting like mad is before you bolt them back together, you either put a bead of silicon down or custom cut a gasket to sandwich between the halves. They can't rust if water can't get in them.

I thought about that in the past with my HKO but never did it. I might just do it on the HK1 when it goes back together. Another excellent tip.

a auto glass installer friend told me a long time ago silicone actually attracts moisture.thats why they use urathane.i like the gasket trick better.what i use is a little antiseize lube on the rims.just like i do to hub to rotor faces on automobiles when performing a brake job.as for slime i ride at close to highway speed and that stuff would throw the rim out of balance.if you ever repaired tires in a shop and break down a tire with that crap in,its not fun! there is a lot of water in it.and also ruins the tire pressure sensors.

Hey P.C., What about tubed tires? I know the stuff is messy, but it surely isn't near as bad on tubed tires is it? I would think the mess would be concentrated inside the tube with the exception where the puncture is, am I off base here?