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Devon TRF Group Open Forum -> General Discussion Board -> How not to fix a puncture, and why you should double check your tools!
Post Info TOPIC: How not to fix a puncture, and why you should double check your tools!
Albert


Clubman A

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How not to fix a puncture, and why you should double check your tools!
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Heres a cautionary tale for you all

After breaking a clutch lever on Fingle Bridge on my last ride out and not having a spare, I narrowly avoided being completley stuck in the middle of noware by the happy coincidence that Devon Rich was better prepared than me and had a spare TTR lever which fit my DR350 perfectly (thanks Rich!). That whole experience brought home the fact that you really need to carry a decent set of spares to turn those really annoying, and totally avoidable breakdowns and into a 5 min break while a new lever etc. is fitted.

So after that ride i went through my tool kit, after 5 lucky and mostly trouble free years of trail riding it had gone from being pretty comprehensive to being whittled down the to bare minimum of tools (a few spanners and a spare tube with tyre levers) in order to make space for sandwitches and spare gloves etc. So i went trough my spares bin and came out with a full set of old levers, sockets and spanners for every bolt and a pair of pliers. I even threw in a little tub of spare nuts and bolts and a tie down strap for towing. Now i was prepared for anything....

 

I couldnt make a group ride this weekend so went out for a couple hours solo yesterday to get my weekly fix, typical i get a punture a few lanes in.

No problem, i have my newly comprehensive set of tools.....

 

Spot the **** up (and guess which one i needed):

IMG_20160130_142100505.jpg

No worries, i have a spanner that fits the axles too, for a bit of redundancy, but lo, the old spanner is too worn and so skips on the axle not turning it at all. Bugger.

Ok, getting a little concerned now. It would appear im not quite as well prepared as i thought.

Oh well, so i cant remove the wheel, i will lever the tyre off in place and puncture repair kit the hole. I lean the bike past its side stand tipping point, tie it to a post with my tow strap to keep the front wheel up and get to work getting the tube out:

IMG_20160130_134942092.jpg  IMG_20160130_141532629.jpg

no dice, the valve stem is torn:

Untitled111.png

Bugger.

After a little head scratching, i decide to take of the speedo cable and axle clamp on the fork leg (obvoiusly loosing one of the nuts in the mud im working above for some stupid reason) to see if i can get space to wiggle the old tube out, and new one in.

Finally, some success:

IMG_20160130_134946820.jpg

So i get the new tube in, never have i been so careful to avoid pinching the tube with a lever. I pump the tyre up, check the pressure then eat my lunch.

After lunch the pressure is still good, and the tyre has even seated on the rim properly, hurrah!

 

So i got away with it in the end, but the lesson is learnt. Carry all the tools you need AND make sure they fit and do the job properly (before you need them!)

 

 

 

 

 



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crumbles


Expert

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AA/RAC..Card ?😉

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TTR


Powermonger!!

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crumbles wrote:

AA/RAC..Card 

 They will only pick you up from a tarmac road cry

OK - you could probably get there with a puncture but (a) if something more significant means no engine/drive you may have a long uphill push and (b) that's the end of your day's riding!



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Albert


Clubman A

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crumbles wrote:

AA/RAC..Card ?😉

 That is the absolute last resort as far as im concerned biggrin

 

They are bloody expensive too

 

TTR wrote:
crumbles wrote:

AA/RAC..Card 

 They will only pick you up from a tarmac road cry

OK - you could probably get there with a puncture but (a) if something more significant means no engine/drive you may have a long uphill push and (b) that's the end of your day's riding!

 

I had to ride up fingle bridge with no clutch when that lever broke, flintstones start, that was fun



-- Edited by Albert on Sunday 31st of January 2016 01:08:28 PM

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TTR


Powermonger!!

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DSCF0012.JPG

 

My hero who had just towed me up a long steep bit of lane from where I had drowned the TTR in the River Yeo disbelief



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ttr steve


Devon's Best

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Phew made me sweat just reading it, and that is why I have a mousse up frontwink



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Albert


Clubman A

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Yeah, it was a shame to loose half my ride to fixing the puncture, but at least i got to continue for a bit.

Funny you should mention farmer rescues Brian, i always wonder how freindly/receptive they would be in a situation like that. Did he happen accross you or did you go to him?

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TTR


Powermonger!!

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I took the long walk up the lane and found the farmyard at the top. Nice bloke and happy (if slightly amused) to help! 

My dad was a farmer so they aren't all bad wink



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Tribey


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TTR wrote:
crumbles wrote:

AA/RAC..Card 

 They will only pick you up from a tarmac road cry

OK - you could probably get there with a puncture but (a) if something more significant means no engine/drive you may have a long uphill push and (b) that's the end of your day's riding!

 I remember riding the Moor to Sea LDT on my DR350 and waiting at a section at Bag Tor when another rider said to me 'Should that oil be p***ing out of your bike like that?'

I looked down and saw the rubber oil pipe from headstock to sump had split and there was a puddle of oil on the ground below. Now I thought I had all the necessary tools, but I couldn't fix that.

I phoned the AA (2nd time in 25 years) who wanted either a road number or house post code in order to pick me up, but in the end gave me their patrol mans mobile phone number so I was able to talk him in, having free wheeled down off the moor (all downhill fortunately) to the nearest road. Shortly after loading the bike onto the AA foldaway trailer, the heavens opened, I was driven home, whilst my mates continued on the event, and got proper soaked.

I still like to carry tools, and an AA card, but fitting TUBliss has lightened my tool/spares load significantly.



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DGTRF Rights Of Way/Rights Of Roads Officer
Albert


Clubman A

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Aye, I do have basic RAC from my insurance. But calling them in over a broken chain, lever or flat tyre would be pretty annoying.

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