No! No! It cannot be!

[Lise]

You will not believe this one.

I went downstairs to the basement this morning, all psyched to ride the Green Hornet to work. I pulled out the pink pump, topped off the new tube in front, and filled the back tire. I do this every time I ride. I pulled off the pump, mindful to pull straight back so as not to bend that little bit that broke off the other valve....and...

WOOSH! TIRE EMPTIED OF AIR!!!

Yes! Horrible but true! The little valve thingy had broken off the BACK tube as well, and when I attached the pump, it just drained the tire. ARGH! And this is the back tire, which I've never changed. Good grief.

So. There I am, dressed to ride, with my work clothes in my Timbuk2, already going to be late for work. To heck with it, I said, and rode the Marin to work. Came home, took the rear wheel off the Bianchi, and brought it upstairs with the pump, new levers, and new tube (me putting the chain back on should be interesting). Now I'm going to eat some food, and get to work on the tire. Let's see how much I've really learned, eh?!? L.

[Pedal Wench]

Patience, young grasshopper, patience....

[Lise]

Lise vs. Tire: Lise Wins!

10 minutes from start to finish. Not hard at all. Well, compared with Monday night. Incredible. What was different?

1. I now understand the shape of the tire and the wheel. Now that I can picture the bead, I can work with it. I went around and pushed it away from the rim on both sides before attempting to lift it. That must be what John meant by "break the bead".

2. Tube ENTIRELY emptied of air before starting. That wasn't hard, since the danged valve was useless.

3. Park Tool Blue Levers. Much, much better. John just handed me three of them. I think I love him.

4. Knowing that I'd done it before, and I could do it again.

Thanks for all your help, ladies. Take home lesson? Don't ride without the valves covered. Always attach and detach the pump carefully, straight back.

Fortunately I have to put the chain back on in the basement, where I can't reach over to the computer and whine, "I caaaan't do it!" L.

[dachshund]

I'm impressed I can't wait to do this the first time and spend an hour on it...

[Grog]

Lise vs. Tire: Lise Wins!

GOOD JOB!

Thanks for all your help, ladies. Take home lesson? Don't ride without the valves covered. Always attach and detach the pump carefully, straight back.

I am not sure I understand the link with the valve covers... The tiny black valve thingie has always been off my own tires on the road bike and I've never had valve issues... Did the guys at the bike store say anything about this?

Fortunately I have to put the chain back on in the basement, where I can't reach over to the computer and whine, "I caaaan't do it!" L.

I'm thinking very hard about you but I know that by now you're already done with that. Easy trick in case you forgot, for next time: putting the chain on the smallest (or biggest - I personally perfer the biggest) cog before you take the wheel off, and put it back at the same place when you put the wheel back on...

But I'm sure you're out and riding already!

[Lise]

Hi, Grog,

These Presta valves have a little bit at the end which can get bent and snap off. John at the LBS was reluctant to say it was my fault; "it happens" was the most I'd get out of him. Neither valve had a cover when I got the bike. I can imagine that a combination of my pulling the pump head off the valve at an angle plus wear and tear from the road could cause them to snap off.

I knew that about the chain. Oddly enough, I couldn't figure out how to shift it to get it onto the smallest cog, so I got it as low as I could, and counted. It'll go back onto the 4th smallest cog. That will be the trick for next time, shifting it onto the right cog. I've asked my family for a bike stand for my birthday, which is next month. If they don't give me one, I'll just buy it. Would've made the wheel removal much easier. I really want to clean and lube both chains, and really don't relish doing it without a stand.

Dachshund, do we have the same bike? I can't remember. I'm telling you, break the bead, man! At least I've gone through it ahead of you, so however it goes for you, you're not alone! L.

PS: The Bontrager tube box has a great illustration of the tire bead fitting into the wheel, and complete instructions for changing it. Seeing that picture confirmed my understanding and helped me wrangle the tire off and on.

[Aggie_Ama]

Oddly, my local wrench always discards my valve covers. I wonder if he just doesn't see what happened to your often? My husband has blown a few valves on mountain bike tires, never the road ones though.

[DrBee]

Great job on the tire change! Good luck with the chain!

[bike4ever]

Lise -

Congratulations on your tire effort. If you don't have a stand, just flip your bike upside down. I find it considerably easier to drop the rear wheel into the correct position. I do use the smallest cog, and that is how I teach my fix a flat classes.

[CorsairMac]

one guy at my LBS took my valve covers off and pitched em, one guy told me to Always cover my valve stems. He said it protects them from the every day bumps and grinds of the road not to mention the bike falling over into bushes, hitting a pothole - you know - the things we would NEVER do to our bikes. Just call me Goofy but I think it helps to keep the valve stem screwed in also, I know...sounds weird but I had a big problem with a valve stem that kept coming loose (Specialized tubes) until I started using the caps.

Lise: congrats on your very quick and successful tire change. Bikemom is right - even with the front tire I just flip my bike upside down to work on the tires. Then I don't have to deal with figuring out what to do with the bike while I"m changing my flat - again! (6 tubes and 3 tires in 4 days...oh yeah...my life rocks right now! ROFL)

[kiwi girl]

Don't ride without the valves covered. .

last time I took my bike in for a service the lbs removed (and presumably threw away) the valve covers. I was kind of annoyed but not surprised since I had been to a 'learn to change a tyre' session at that same shop and knew that the guy considers valve covers ultra uncool

[Lise]

Then I don't have to deal with figuring out what to do with the bike while I"m changing my flat - again! (6 tubes and 3 tires in 4 days...oh yeah...my life rocks right now! ROFL)

Good Lord, woman! Care to tell that story, or are you too traumatized? Yeah, holding the bike up with one hand and removing the wheel with the other was an awkward experience, to say the least. I'll flip it over to put it back on. tomorrow. L.

[CorsairMac]

Remember the story about the Ironwoman and her partner that didn't know how to change a flat? That was Sat last and that's when things starting going all wrong:

I gave them my spare tube and 1 block from the finish of the 108 mile ride, my front tube blows. Since I didn't have another spare I just sat on the curb and my buddy got the car and picked me up. It was very late and I was tired and didn't have any more tubes at home so she gave me one of hers.

Sunday while acting as a corner marshal for the Crits, my back tire went flat (still don't know what caused that one). Since I hadn't had time to get to the LBS or anything else for a tube, another riding buddy gave me her spare tube. Flat #2

Monday with the full intention of hopping over to my LBS for 2 spare tubes, one of my co-workers told me I wasn't riding anywhere with a flat front tire! Again???? Flat #3 I pulled the tube and there was a hole in the tube. Since my buddy wasn't sure how old that tube was I just figured it was dry rot and had just blown out. So I patched it (4 xs I might add ROFL) so I could limp 1.1 miles to REI, and bought 2 tubes. Stood in the shade and checked my tire Very Carefully for the 3rd time and found nothing so I put the new tube in. As I was cleaning up: pop/psssssssssssstttttttttt - my new tube blew. (would that count as Flat #4....or is it still the original #3? LOL)

Ok...note to self, when pulling a tube off, do so Very Carefully checking for the damage as you remove it. That way you KNOW where the problem is occurring - which in this case was a very small slice in the sidewall of my front tire, probably from glass from Sats ride. The tube was blowing out through that slice. So.......thanks to all you fine ladies here I knew about putting a "boot" in the tire, put my now Only tube in, bought Another tube from REI and rode home. (that would be 3 tubes in less than 1 hour in case anyones counting - and 5 tubes since Sat )

So - now I've changed the front tire tubes 3xs and the back tire once. I had some spare tires at home so I came home and replaced the front tire and went on my merry way.

Today while riding at noon pop/pssssssssssssssssttttttttt the front tire blew another tube! Holy Cow! Read note to self: I pulled the tube and found the problem was the new/used tire had worn away on the sidewall to the point that the tube could get through! (Flat #5)

So.......once again I patched the tube, put in another boot and limped to work. On my evening ride home, I told my commter buddy we needed to stop at the LBS to buy a new tire since I wasn't jacking with any more used tires and she asked me if I needed it to replace the front tire that was flat - AGAIN!!! (Flat #6)

Since I work in a machine shop - I can cuss with the best of them and let me tell you I wasn't just cussing in English either! LOL

So.......once again I had to replace the tube...once again I was using my only spare, and once again I had to put a boot in the tire.

I now have a brand new lightweight Kevlar tire on the front, a brand new tube, a spare tube in my pack, and a less than 1 month old Flat Protection Tire on the back, and crossed fingers! ROFL

just as a footnote: the guys at my LBS were impressed as all get-out at my "boot"..........most of them had never heard nor seen anything like that and the one guy that Did know, wanted to know where I had learned that from. They were asking me all kinds of questions but how it worked, how I learned about it, how come They didn't know about it! I told them I learned it on the All-Female cycling board I belong to!

Oh Yeah!!! Girl Power at it's best!!

[Grog]

last time I took my bike in for a service the lbs removed (and presumably threw away) the valve covers. I was kind of annoyed but not surprised since I had been to a 'learn to change a tyre' session at that same shop and knew that the guy considers valve covers ultra uncool

Hey, they're about 16 grams... Makes a huge difference on hills!!!

Because I always end up loosing them anyway and am too lazy to take them off every time I pump my tires (i.e. every day), I probably will not put them back on! (As if I knew where they are...)

A bike stand would be nice, especially for any transmission work (cleaning, lubing, adjusting...). Hope you get one on your birthday. I'll ask for one at mine... but it's in December!!

[Lise]

CC--that is an incredible story. I shudder. So what is a "boot"? Please explain, or help us find a link to the repository of this knowledge here on TE! Thanks!