How do you deal with a puncture/breakdown when out?

I'm asking this as I was in Amsterdam recently and saw an upturned ebike on the pavement receiving attention from what I assume could be the cycling equivalent of the AA/RAC.

The bike was one with the big sand tyres. It was placed on a large mat with the owner watching on while a uniformed mechanic was attending to either a mechanical/electrical problem or preparing to remove the back wheel. He had a small van which was racked and kitted out with tools.

As ebikes become more common, this could become an everyday sight (sooner in Holland than the UK given the higher use of cycling there I expect!).

Ebikes are a lot heavier to turn upside down even with battery removed, you have to rotate the LCD and other controls to rest the handlebars flat, unless you happen to have handlebar stands with you, and getting a rear wheel in or out of the dropouts can be a real struggle.

On a pavement this might just be doable, but fixing a puncture on a country road - highly unlikely.

I accept people who've converted bikes will say they don't have too many difficulty as the bike was lighter to start with, but those with a motor in the rear wheel probably still find spreading the frame challenging.

I have yet to find the need to spread a rear drop out to get a motor wheel in or out, though I find no need to remove a wheel to repair a puncture ( though for some it may be easier but more work involved).

I use normal tubes on a non motor wheel and gaadi's on motor wheels.

Thanks, I've learnt something today as I've not seen gaadi's. A really good idea and very simple.

You can fix a puncture anywhere as long as you have a toolkit with a patch, tyre levers, rubber glue and a pump. It takes about 5 minutes to fix each one:

 

• invert the bike
  
• pull the tyre off one side
  
• pull the tube out
  
• pump some air in to see where it comes out
  
• patch it
  
• put the tyre back on
  
• pump it up.
  

You don't need a mat, nor do you have to call the repair guy. The kit costs less than 10 quid.

At a weight penalty of 8g I carry stands with me, its easy enough to turn the bike upside down and be stable, even on grass. Displays etc are out of the way.

 

 

 

 

I can see a market for roadside assistance for cycling commuters who would have a real benefit of a minimal hassle fixed/replacement cycle ready for the return /next leg of a daily commute, but for me as a casual/leisure cyclist any breakdown and fix is (fingers crossed) 'par for the course' and thanks to the relative simplicity of the mechanics and electronics (compared to a 4 door saloon..) generally do-able in the back garden without aid (after a google search and forum request in many cases..) .

 

I suspect the level of commuting via cycle/ecycle needs to be significant before such a scheme could turn a profit tho..

 

btw its a lot easier just to twist items like lcd dispalys round the bars a tad out of danger of damage when the bike is upturned

I usually have with me all what is needed to repair puncture. Patches, inner tubes, even a wrench to remove wheel with hub motor.

 

BTW you can buy special inner tubes to replace one with puncture without removing wheel. Really no need to call AA.

How do you deal with a puncture/breakdown when out?

 

Thanks to Marathon Plus, since resuming cycling a couple of years ago after a decades long break, I have yet to experience a puncture. If it happens, I have everything to hand to deal with it, or I'd simply fold my mid-drive converted 20" wheeled bike into a bus, taxi, or train.

I can understand turning the bike upside down but it is not totally necessary, surely laying it on its side is good enough.

Edited December 17, 20232 yr by esuark

I can understand turning the bike upside down but it is not totally necessary, surely laying it on its side is good enough.

Haven't you ever fixed a puncture?

 

This is what I have. The saddle is parallel with the steerer normally. It's a bit of a handful to grip and turn over.

There is such a thing offered by ETA. I've had it for ten years now and I think I have it for my bike, although I've never needed it!

 

https://www.eta.co.uk/bicycle-insurance/cycle-rescue/

If you have bar-ends, there's no need for handlebar stands - just slacken and rotate the bar-ends and they will support the bars while the bike is inverted.

 

The last time I had a flat on the rear motor wheel on my tandem it was due to a failure of the inner tube rubber at the joint with the valve so I did have to remove the wheel to replace the tube. Even Marathon Plus tyres can't guard against that eventuality. Because I have torque links fitted, it's a bit more hassle to remove than a conventional wheel, but still perfectly manageable.

 

I tend to carry pretty much everything I need for a roadside repair as I'm not worried about weight and the tandem has lots of luggage capacity. I can fit nearly all the tools into one of those water bottle type tool cases.

Gaadi's aren't perfect but do make repairing the tube out of the rim so much easier without scrabbling about on the ground.

Gaadi's are over long by about 4" , so I simply by pass the ends in the tyre.

They still puncture and somtimes if on the harder end can be tricky getting a patch on.

Add a small bit of air to fit them .

I still always have a spare plus my normal tube as back up.

I can understand turning the bike upside down but it is not totally necessary, but surely laying it on its side is good enough.

 

Whilst in my youth I would have no problem kneeling down and wielding the sewing needle and glue to repair punctures, these days as I have aged I find sitting on the floor or kneeling, problomatical.

 

So I came up with a real easy and light method of putting my bike for repair at a comfortable height.

[ATTACH type=full" alt="55568]55568[/ATTACH]

 

This is what I have. The saddle is parallel with the steerer normally. It's a bit of a handful to grip and turn over.

The technique is to stand behind to the side. Grab the handlebars, hold the back brake on and pull back so that the front wheel lifts up until the bike is vertical on its back wheel. Keep the brake on all the time until it's gone over to about 45 deg, then grab the front wheel and lower it down.

 

You have a very low seat. It might be better if you loosen the clamp and lift it up before you start, so that it'll balance better upside-down. Don't forget to keep a hex key in your toolkit for that if you need it.

It's a bit of a handful to grip and turn over.

 

Given the right method, its easy enough to put the brakes on and spin the bike backwards to rest on the handlebars.

There is such a thing offered by ETA. I've had it for ten years now and I think I have it for my bike, although I've never needed it!

 

https://www.eta.co.uk/bicycle-insurance/cycle-rescue/

 

That's a good deal for a taxi ride home. You could even stage a puncture and get a lift home if you didn't want to ride anymore!

I still always have a spare plus my normal tube as back up.

 

Of course.

 

And a puncture reapir kit as a last resort.

It's the amount and range of stuff you need to have to deal with some simple problems. I would be lugging them about if it wasn't electric power, I'd never get up a hill!

The

I can see a market for roadside assistance for cycling commuters who would have a real benefit of a minimal hassle fixed/replacement cycle ready for the return /next leg of a daily commute,

 

Maybe that is a concern for commuters using full size bikes, but such services are not widly avaialble in the UK, as far as I know.

 

So commute on a Brompton. If there is a problem then just carry it onto public transport or call a taxi. A taxi would most likely not be able to carry a full size bike, but a Brompton ? No problem.

I dread punctures or anything going wrong, especially if I'm +30 miles from home. I also live in a rural area miles from any bus routes so getting home would be tricky and even taxis tend to be booked several days or weeks ahead. If I did get completely stuck then I'd have to leave the bike at the nearest farm and hope to cadge a lift home then collect it later.

 

I've had a few punctures including a triple puncture from a single thorny twig which Slime fortunately saved. After fitting Marathon Plus tyres I hoped there would be no more but I had my first on the very same day. Fortunately I was able to deal with it myself although with arthritic fingers and very little dexterity following multiple finger fractures, it took a lot longer than 5 minutes but it's held to this day some 3 years later.

 

I carry several puncture repair kits and a USB rechargeable pump on my Ebikes. However, this wouldn't have dealt with a one-off problem on husband's Ebike: he was cycling along and the pedal popped out and fell off. He ended up pushing the bike up 5 miles worth of hills, then rolling down them on the bike.

 

There was one occasion when I had a whopping 3.5" nail in a tyre on my 16"-wheeled manual folding bike by the Mon-Brec Canal. A very nice couple of passing cyclists stopped to help and more or less took over the repair for me, replacing the inner tube while I watched on feeling a bit embarrassed. The following day I attempted to repair it only to find 8 holes and a tear, far beyond the healing capabilities of Slime this time. Another time on the same bike, the same (obviously damaged by the nail) rear tyre slipped off while I was cycling along the Llangollen Canal and there was no choice other than to do a slow walk of shame 6 miles back to the car with the tyre wobbling and bouncing on the rear wheel. I have since replaced the tyres with Marathons.

 

A bike breakdown/recovery service would be useful.

I carry several puncture repair kits and a USB rechargeable pump on my Ebikes.

 

Is there a Google maps, or similar, giving details of USB recharge points in the countryside ?

 

If the pump battery is faulty, or flat, what do you do ?

 

Call me really old fashioned, but I much prefer to carry a manual pump. Rememember them, you grab the end and push and the tyre inflates.

I'm asking this as I was in Amsterdam recently and saw an upturned ebike on the pavement receiving attention from what I assume could be the cycling equivalent of the AA/RAC.

The bike was one with the big sand tyres. It was placed on a large mat with the owner watching on while a uniformed mechanic was attending to either a mechanical/electrical problem or preparing to remove the back wheel. He had a small van which was racked and kitted out with tools.

As ebikes become more common, this could become an everyday sight (sooner in Holland than the UK given the higher use of cycling there I expect!).

Ebikes are a lot heavier to turn upside down even with battery removed, you have to rotate the LCD and other controls to rest the handlebars flat, unless you happen to have handlebar stands with you, and getting a rear wheel in or out of the dropouts can be a real struggle.

On a pavement this might just be doable, but fixing a puncture on a country road - highly unlikely.

I accept people who've converted bikes will say they don't have too many difficulty as the bike was lighter to start with, but those with a motor in the rear wheel probably still find spreading the frame challenging.

Looks like a business opportunity to me. Customer/member txt's or phones in their problem and a small van(E-van) goes to customer, fixes bike, waves(salutes) them back off on their journey.

Pretty much like the RAC or AA

 

If I ever slept in, i would run my hands across the chain, then present oily fingers to the boss claiming 'mechanical' when I did arrive in. Got me off the hook.

[mention=32128]StuartsProjects[/mention] I've never heard of a map of public USB points but there won't be any here - we're far too rural and it's about 6 miles to the nearest (small) shop.

 

I carry a manual pump too but normally use the USB pump for speed and ease. If flat, it can be powered via the bike battery, although it's charged in advance of most journeys and tested (if I remember) before (most) rides.