Tire changing in a hurry (do not let anyone do this to you)

Why is it good to be able to take care of your own flat tires? Read on.

Sweet Partner of mine has been cycling for over 20 years and has changed lots of flats. He gets impatient when I change a flat because I am very careful at checking for the cause of the flat because I hate changing the same flat twice. I get impatient with him because he changes them really quickly, and promptly gets another one.

The other morning we're getting ready to ride, I pump my tires and then a few minutes later I hear "psssssssssshhh". The valve had broken and the tire was flat. He feels like we're in a hurry and says: "I'll change it it will take me 5 minutes it would take you half an hour." I'm insulted, because if I know the cause of the flat of course it takes 5 minutes for me too, or maybe 6. But I just shut up and let him do it.

He swiftly pulls off the tire, pulls off the old tube, and puts a new tube in. One of my new, expensive tubes with a long stems that I really like. I try not to look as he pulls the tire back on, but he's going so fast - Schwalbe tires are GREAT for that, Ksyrium rims are easy too - I'm sure he's going to get me a pinch flat. I decide to just shut up and let him be, even if I cringe internally when I see the BIG piece of tube sticking out just before he pushes the last bit of the tire bead into the rim. He quickly pumps the tire back and I tell him that I'll put it back on the bike.

BANG!!! My ears were inches from the wheel as I was fixing my brakes. For ten seconds I swear I didn't hear anything. I must say that we were in the tiny space of our student residence suite, and I thought a gunshot would have been just as scary. I looked at him, he was looking at me. I told him to get out of the way, that I'd change it this time. He said "sorry".

When I pulled the tube out it had a five-inch tear in it, exactly opposite the valve, exactly the part that was sticking out when he pushed the tire in.

*sigh*

I could have spoken out as he was doing it, but I guess he wouldn't have learned the lesson he did. Plus, if necessary, I can now say that I don't hear him because he made me deaf. But I'm glad it happened indoors, not as I was barreling down some hill, because then it would have hurt a lot more than my ears.

Excellent story- thanks!

Very good lesson! Thanks Grog!

One thing I do know how to do is change my tire. My husband made sure I knew how and knew how to do it CORRECTLY! I always look for what may have caused the flat. For example the other day my daughter and I went on a bike ride and not 5 minutes into our ride she had a flat. I removed her wheel, deflated the remaining air, pulled the old tube out and then checked with my fingers for something sharp and sure enough I found it. A thorn from a blackberry bush had worked it's way through her tire. I removed it, did another check and then placed her new tube inside her tire. Before I inflated her new tube I quickly went around the circumference of the tire checking for any part of the tube that may be "pinched" between the tube and the rim. Satisfied, I inflated her tire and we enjoyed a wonderful 30 mile ride without any further tire trouble.

I hope your ears are ok Grog! Some people just think fast is better. It's only better if you do it correctly! So what if it takes me 10 minutes to change my tire? I feel a lot safer and better knowing that I did a good job then a rushed job. Like you mentioned I wouldn't want a flat going down a steep downhill! :eek:

I have similar issues with cycling and non-cycling related things with DH. All it takes is that one time though, and now whenever he wants to change your tire, you can decline and politely remind him of this incident if neccessary. Glad that it happened before you got on the bike though!

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Originally Posted by Grog

I could have spoken out as he was doing it, but I guess he wouldn't have learned the lesson he did.

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The best part about handling it as graciously as you did is that he now relinquishes any current or future right he might have ever had to try and hijack any of your maintenance. Tee hee. :D

Oh, and he owes you $4 for the innertube. :p

Sorry your ears are ringing - but thank you for making me laugh out loud. You are right, he definitely learned the lesson this way.

Thanks for the kind words ladies! I needed to share that story. It's been all the more frustrating recently because he's been telling my neighbor - whom I've initiated to cycling - that I was way to cautious when changing flat tires. Grrrr!!!

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Originally Posted by Grog

Thanks for the kind words ladies! I needed to share that story. It's been all the more frustrating recently because he's been telling my neighbor - whom I've initiated to cycling - that I was way to cautious when changing flat tires. Grrrr!!!

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Guess he's truly learned the lesson when he adds to that "but on the other hand that can be a good thing :o " :cool: :rolleyes: ;)

Hopefully your two divergent styles can balance each other out. :)

One of my ol' Aikido teachers used to say "you don't get faster by going faster. You get faster by going slowly and taking all the "stops" out".

So maybe you should change the tire more often, each time you get more efficient. Ultimately you're as fast as him, and more careful ;)

Somewhere here there's a thread about a ride that Thom and V, I forget who had the flat and without thinking about it they just choreographed the fix like a NASCAR pit crew :)

When we watched the tire changing demo, teacher showed feeling the inside of the tire for hazards -- when I changed my first, I knew it was the valve issue, but decided to make the habit. DH had a flat lately that he created for himself when he poked the tube with a spoke he was repairing. He fumed at me about "check your tire" cuz we knew the cause, but I said, MAKE THE HABIT, and he did it anyway!


He may also have made another new habit -- remove the tire while fixing the spokes...

Karen in Boise

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Originally Posted by Dianyla

Oh, and he owes you $4 for the innertube. :p

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Surely that was a very expensive, special, one-of-a-kind tube that cost a great deal more.

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

Surely that was a very expensive, special, one-of-a-kind tube that cost a great deal more.

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it's worth dinner and a movie at least :D :p :p

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Originally Posted by Trek420

it's worth dinner and a movie at least :D :p :p

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A fancy home cooked dinner!


Funny story- thanks for sharing. Silly boys...:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Tri Girl

A fancy home cooked dinner!


Funny story- thanks for sharing. Silly boys...:rolleyes:

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oh yeah, not BBQ either, he's got to cook and she gets a massage :p the right to control of the remote for 30 days and ...

Hehehe :) Well since we have a chef cooking for us (we live in a great academic residence!!!), he can "take me out" to dinner every day (we don't have a kitchen in our suite)... but it's already paid for with our rent!!!

The massage sounds good though. I haven't had one of those in a while!! Thanks for the tip!