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

[guerney]

I run my Marathon Plus at 60psi, 4,080km and no punctures so far. They're very hard wearing, treads still seem ok.

 

[StuartsProjects]

But then the ride will be back to the harsh Tannus ride, surely?

Agreed, on a Brompton, 100psi is too high for me, worse ride than the Tanus really.

 

[SHA222]

Really! That's weird because I ride down lanes full of thorns all the time. I used to get around one puncture every week, which was really annoying, so I changed to MPs and never got a puncture since. That's about 10 years now. My experience seems to be matched by other long-standing forum members. When I ride my road bike without MPs, I still get puctures nearly every long journey, so the causes haven't gone away.

Are you sure that they were Schwalber Marathan Plus and not Marathan Tour or something like that? Are you an agent for Tannus tyres by any chance?

Just rechecked with the tyres I removed and kept and it shows Marathan Plus Tour. Are these different from your Marathan Plus?
I have no assosiation with Tanus or Schwalbe.

 

[lenny]

https://www.schwalbe.com/en/tour-reader/marathon-plus

https://www.schwalbe.com/en/tour-reader/marathon-plus-tour

 

[Bikes4two]

Lots of tips and views on dealing with punctures out on the road, so having had a good many punctures over the years, here's my penny's worth:

• Avoiding punctures in the first place is obviously the first approach and this means a careful choice of tyres, the air pressure within, and where you cycle. And don't forget to make periodic/visual checks of the tyres to spot for embedded debris that is just waiting to fully penetrate the tyre and give you grief.
• TYRES - Schalbe Marathon Plus have their fans (and detractors) and in the short period of time that I used them, they were very puncture resistant.
  I got rid of my M+ tyres because I didn't like the ride feel and when i did get a puncture I found the tyres hell to get on and off (yes, I know all about the tools and techniques) so I settled for less puncture resistant tyres that were easy to get on/offetc
• TYRE PRESSURE - narrow tyres require higher pressure to avoid pinch punctures for when mounting kerbs and the like, but give less road comfort than wider tyres at lower pressure. Working out the optimim tyre pressure for your tyres and riding style is learnt over time.
• WHERE YOU CYCLE - Some riders have no or little choice about this of course but I'm retired so I choose not to go down litter strewn routes or country lanes after the farmer has just cut his hawthorn hedges!
• However, it is almost inevitable that you will as some point get a puncture and the best 'defence' to avoid calling for help is to learn how to fix it.
• ROAD SIDE REPAIR
  - the very first thing to do is try and identify what caused the puncture because the last thing you want is to repair/replace the tube only to find that that tiny piece of glass or thorn is still in the tyre just poised to let your air out again!
  - some earlier posters have mentioned patching the tyre there and then - that is easier said than done if the hole is small and not easily spotted.
  - Fair enough if you're on a quiet road, pumping air into the tube and listening for the leak may reveal the hole, but if you're hard of hearing or there is a background noise, good luck with that.
• MY APPROACH
  - what works for me but won't suit everyone of course and opinions will vary but on getting a puncture I remove the wheel, tyre and tube.
  - I do this by turning the bike upside down - before doing that and for rear wheel punctures, I put the derailleur rear gear onto the smallest sprocket, loosen the V-brake, put a cover over my saddle, remove the tools from the saddle bag, clear the handlebars of 'stuff' if needed (I have bar end grips which can be angled to allow bike inversion wihout clearing most items off my handlebars).
  - some folks are ok taking a rear wheel of without inverting the bike but with derailleur gears getting the wheel back into place takes practice, even more so if there's a disc brake to align too.
  - Then I visually look for the cause of the puncture and at the same time run my fingers carefully around the tyre's inner surface to identify any debris/glass/thorns etc that need removing.
  - The worst piece of debris I ever had was the smallest piece of fine wire that I wasn't able to see but could just feel with the tip of my fingers. There was such a small amount protruding through the tyre that even with my teeth I was unable to grip it which is why I have a small pair of manicure tweezers in the reapir kit.
  - having cleared the tyre of debris I then put in a fresh tube (new or previously repaired) and re-assemble everything and take the punctured tube home (or the next cafe) for repair.
  - if all is good then I won't need the second spare tube that I also carry.
• DIFFICULT TO REMOVE WHEELS/TYRES? - If you are having difficulty removing the wheel for some reason, then post about it on here to for hints and tips.
  - difficult to remove tyres - there are special tools and levers to help but if finger dexterity is an issue, then that's a difficult one to deal with. Some tyre/wheel rim combinations are more forgiving than other. I have Marathon Supreme on our tandem and you can almost get them on/off without levers. Conversely on another bike the tyres on those rims are a nightmare and I carry a tool similar to the pic below.

Of course there are riders who rarely get punctures (lucky devils) but a word of advice for them - if you haven't used your bike pump for a while, periodically check that the pump seals haven't dried out and that the pump works ok. Similalry if you do carry a puncture kit, make sure the glue hasn't hardened and the patches perished (grandmother, egg sucking and all that, but better safe than sorry).

 

[jimriley]

I do roadside repairs, also carry a spare tube. I have QR axles, with a centre stand on the bike I can get them out without inverting the bike. I have a Rehook tyre tool, brilliant bit of kit for getting tyre on and off, I carry a small set of tools, enough to repair most problems. The Rehook multi tool is great to, with their original Rehook hook end to get a dropped chain back on without mess.

 

[saneagle]

Lots of tips and views on dealing with punctures out on the road, so having had a good many punctures over the years, here's my penny's worth:

• Avoiding punctures in the first place is obviously the first approach and this means a careful choice of tyres, the air pressure within, and where you cycle. And don't forget to make periodic/visual checks of the tyres to spot for embedded debris that is just waiting to fully penetrate the tyre and give you grief.
• TYRES - Schalbe Marathon Plus have their fans (and detractors) and in the short period of time that I used them, they were very puncture resistant.
  I got rid of my M+ tyres because I didn't like the ride feel and when i did get a puncture I found the tyres hell to get on and off (yes, I know all about the tools and techniques) so I settled for less puncture resistant tyres that were easy to get on/offetc
• TYRE PRESSURE - narrow tyres require higher pressure to avoid pinch punctures for when mounting kerbs and the like, but give less road comfort than wider tyres at lower pressure. Working out the optimim tyre pressure for your tyres and riding style is learnt over time.
• WHERE YOU CYCLE - Some riders have no or little choice about this of course but I'm retired so I choose not to go down litter strewn routes or country lanes after the farmer has just cut his hawthorn hedges!
• However, it is almost inevitable that you will as some point get a puncture and the best 'defence' to avoid calling for help is to learn how to fix it.
• ROAD SIDE REPAIR
  - the very first thing to do is try and identify what caused the puncture because the last thing you want is to repair/replace the tube only to find that that tiny piece of glass or thorn is still in the tyre just poised to let your air out again!
  - some earlier posters have mentioned patching the tyre there and then - that is easier said than done if the hole is small and not easily spotted.
  - Fair enough if you're on a quiet road, pumping air into the tube and listening for the leak may reveal the hole, but if you're hard of hearing or there is a background noise, good luck with that.
• MY APPROACH
  - what works for me but won't suit everyone of course and opinions will vary but on getting a puncture I remove the wheel, tyre and tube.
  - I do this by turning the bike upside down - before doing that and for rear wheel punctures, I put the derailleur rear gear onto the smallest sprocket, loosen the V-brake, put a cover over my saddle, remove the tools from the saddle bag, clear the handlebars of 'stuff' if needed (I have bar end grips which can be angled to allow bike inversion wihout clearing most items off my handlebars).
  - some folks are ok taking a rear wheel of without inverting the bike but with derailleur gears getting the wheel back into place takes practice, even more so if there's a disc brake to align too.
  - Then I visually look for the cause of the puncture and at the same time run my fingers carefully around the tyre's inner surface to identify any debris/glass/thorns etc that need removing.
  - The worst piece of debris I ever had was the smallest piece of fine wire that I wasn't able to see but could just feel with the tip of my fingers. There was such a small amount protruding through the tyre that even with my teeth I was unable to grip it which is why I have a small pair of manicure tweezers in the reapir kit.
  - having cleared the tyre of debris I then put in a fresh tube (new or previously repaired) and re-assemble everything and take the punctured tube home (or the next cafe) for repair.
  - if all is good then I won't need the second spare tube that I also carry.
• DIFFICULT TO REMOVE WHEELS/TYRES? - If you are having difficulty removing the wheel for some reason, then post about it on here to for hints and tips.
  - difficult to remove tyres - there are special tools and levers to help but if finger dexterity is an issue, then that's a difficult one to deal with. Some tyre/wheel rim combinations are more forgiving than other. I have Marathon Supreme on our tandem and you can almost get them on/off without levers. Conversely on another bike the tyres on those rims are a nightmare and I carry a tool similar to the pic below.

Of course there are riders who rarely get punctures (lucky devils) but a word of advice for them - if you haven't used your bike pump for a while, periodically check that the pump seals haven't dried out and that the pump works ok. Similalry if you do carry a puncture kit, make sure the glue hasn't hardened and the patches perished (grandmother, egg sucking and all that, but better safe than sorry).

Good points, mainly. Just one thing: MPs are no harder to get on and off than any tyre. I've put them on many bikes and never need tools to get them on, with one exception. That was the Sun 18 rim for Bromptons. It needed a 24" lever to get it on. As far as I can figure out, it's certain rim shapes don't work with certain tyres. MTB and modern road bike rims with deep wells are never a problem. Old style rims with shallow Wells can be a nightmare.

One of the problems with MPs that's been reported many times on this forum is the tyre falling off the rim or not staying on. That happens when you stretch the wire bead when using incorrect technique to get the tyre over the rim, or even when the tyre is folded for postage. They're not supposed to be folded.

 

[Bikes4two]

For those with straight handlebars and 'stuff' that gets in the way for when inverting a bike, and a 3D printer, you might fancy printing off a couple of these stands?

Designs on printables .com HERE and HERE

I think I'll give them a go - either for the workshop or maybe my saddlebag?

 

[Bikes4two]

..................................................Conversely on another bike the tyres on those rims are a nightmare and I carry a tool similar to the pic below.

Durgh ...... I forgot to add the pics mentioned in the above post.

Funily enough since writing that post I met up with a fellow club rider yesterday and we were talking about punctures and she does for some reason get more than her fair share (but she does ride 6000+ miles a year) and she quite unprompted mentioned that she'd 'resorted' (as in she finds them a slow ride normally) to fitting M+ and even then got a puncture within 2 weeks.

So whilst there are those riders who don't get punctures with M+ (or very few of them) and some people who don't have difficulties fitting them, be sure happy reader that punctures do happen eventually, so be prepared.

And judging from the number of YT vids on how to fit 'hard to fit' bike tyres in which the M+ is the 'star performer', you can draw your own conclusion.

The tools:

 

[sararruffner]

You're absolutely right! Punctures and breakdowns on ebikes can feel like a whole different ball game compared to regular bikes. I've definitely been there, struggling with a flat tire on my ebike in the middle of nowhere, and let me tell you, it's not a picnic. Seeing that scene in Amsterdam brought it all back!

Here's my take on dealing with ebike punctures and breakdowns, based on my own experiences and those of fellow ebike enthusiasts:

Invest in good-quality, puncture-resistant tires like Schwalbe Marathon Plus or Vittoria Voyager Hyper. Slime sealant can also offer an extra layer of protection.

Always have a patch kit, pump, and tire levers with you. Learning how to fix a puncture before you need to will save you a lot of stress!

You might not be able to flip the ebike over, so practice changing a tire while it's still upright. Support the frame with a sturdy object and use a strong light if it's dark.

Services like the AA/RAC in the UK are starting to offer ebike recovery packages. It might be worth looking into for that extra peace of mind.

 

[egroover]

A gaadi tube, tyre levers and a pump (or co2 canister pump) is all you need and a penknife (if you want to cut away and sacrifice the punctured tube, otherwise just pull it out and wrap around frame/stay/forks for repairing at home)

Just make sure you run your finger inside the tyre to check the thorn, flint etc is still not embedded in the tyre ready to puncture the new replacement tube)

 

[Sturmey]

I always turn the bike upside down to repair punctures. But I have mechanical disc brakes. Has anyone ever had any issue/problems with doing this with hydraulic brakes?

 

[Wayners]

I've got several bike tyre pumps costing around £10 each and all useless junk. Got a T bar floor pump in garage and another at work. They work great. Everything else is as useful at an ice cube and daffodil for inflating a bike tyres, so unless I carry a T floor pump which is too big, I'll never fix a puncture while I'm out as can't inflate the tyre.
I'll add. I watched several YouTube videos regarding but no better. Even if I got a good seal on valve it would take several weeks to get 1 psi in tyre. Ha.
I can't be the only one that pumps away and nothing noticeable happens other than the occasional hiss as all the air comes out after pumping for ages.

 

[guerney]

This was all I had until I bought the brilliant "T" style track Wilko pump:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/VeloChampion-Alloy-Mini-Pressure-Gauge/dp/B00CBN9L1S/

It does the job, with a heck of a lot of effort, and it's the pump I carry about in my mobile toolkit. You have to be reasonably fit to use the damned thing. Hope I never have to use it on the road. There are bound to be better options!

 

[Wayners]

I've got two similar ones. I haven't got the strength to push air in and the hissing as the tyre slowly deflates is funny

 

[Az.]

I've got several bike tyre pumps costing around £10 each and all useless junk. Got a T bar floor pump in garage and another at work.

That is good while you are at home. On the road you need something small. I use this one:

Topeak Mini Dual DX Pump with Gauge | Chain Reaction

Buy your Topeak Mini Dual DX Pump with Gauge from our Mini Pumps range at CRC. £27.99. Free delivery available.

www.chainreactioncycles.com

 

[guerney]

That Velochampion's clamp seals ok, no hissing, but it takes a huge number of pumps and a long sustained period of strenuous pumping to inflate to even 40psi. There must be a tiny T styler somewhere, which isn't useless.

 

[Bikes4two]

I've got several bike tyre pumps costing around £10 each and all useless junk........

Clearly you've not owned a decent frame pump (eg Blackburn) or something like a Topeak Mountain Morph.

If you have and you are unable to inflate your tires, then there's something else wrong but it's not the pump.

 

[saneagle]

I always turn the bike upside down to repair punctures. But I have mechanical disc brakes. Has anyone ever had any issue/problems with doing this with hydraulic brakes?

Firstly, it should make no difference, since there's no need to take the wheel off. Even if you did, it's the same, whichever type of calipers you have.

 

[Sturmey]

Firstly, it should make no difference, since there's no need to take the wheel off. Even if you did, it's the same, whichever type of calipers you have.

Thanks for reply. I have heard stories of air getting into the brakes and having to bleed brakes after bikes being upside down which puts me off upgrading to hydraulic brakes. Is this a regular or a rare occurrence?