How long does it take you to fix a flat?

[SadieKate]

"My" LBS mechanic - can do it in just over SIX SECONDS!!! That is nuts!

It is obvious that this contest was not set up for a real world environment and had to have had a special staging. For instance, think about the time for pulling the wheel off the frame, locating the source of the flat, pulling a new tube from your pocket or bag, and re-inflation - none of which can be eliminated in a real world application.

The Tour of Missouri on Versus showed a rear wheel change for Mark Cavendish as Phil commented that it should take only 9 seconds to swap wheels from the support car.

So, I say, "so what?" to his 6 seconds and it sounds like hyperbole. You sure it wasn't 60 secs or more?

[melissam]

melissam...you and I sound like kindred spirits in the tire department. But at least we can do it, right?

Yeah, we should ride together some time! If one of us gets a flat, we can transform the experience into a lovely picnic lunch.

Practice makes perfect. The good news is that I hadn't had much practice in the flat changing the department because I hadn't had any flats. (Oh great, I've just cursed myself to having lots of practice. I'd better pack some extra tubes for tomorrow's 200k...)

[Veronica]

I'd better pack some extra tubes for tomorrow's 200k...)

You're gonna need that big bag you've been resisting. Don't forget the rain gear too.

Veronica

[indigoiis]

It depends on how long it takes me to wonder what I'm gonna do.

I mean, honestly. Five miles from the house? Should I call home? Should I change it? Should I walk?

I'm laaaazy.

But once, when I was vrry far from home and no one was home anyway, it didn't take long at all. No one was watching. Maybe 10-15 minutes.

I think proximity to my very skilled husband makes me like one of those stupid women we all love to hate. I mean, I'm not a total airhead but I dunno... and it's not like he encourages this, either. I just get inept or something, when he's around. I wonder if that is like, somethng left over from the caveman days?

[OakLeaf]

Five miles??? Walk your bike in cycling shoes???

Nope. I wouldn't have to think about that one for half a second

I remembered the flat I just described wasn't my last one after all, it was just the last one I fixed on the road. The last one was a quarter mile or less from my car, and that distance I did walk.

[TrekTheKaty]

I bought a wilderness whistle for emergencies. My husband calls it the "come change my flat whistle." Honestly, I begged him to teach me, but he's too impatient.

[Grog]

Honestly, I begged him to teach me, but he's too impatient.

Teach yourself then!

It will be an hour well invested. There is an excellent video on youtube.

[malkin]

I'm so slow I would never even want to time it.

Even slower if I'm still shaking from the BLAM! of an exploding tube, and the surprise that I actually stopped and unclipped without crashing or falling over in the street.

[Jiffer]

My husband can fix a flat in a few minutes. Me? Well, it depends on the front or back, first of all. I did my front tire in about 5 to 7 minutes in my garage with my regular tire pump. The back tire takes a bit longer and I've done it out on the road more than once, but had a friend to help. I also had a C02 cartridge, which puts air in lickidy split quick. I'd say 10 minutes to do the back wheel out on the road, assuming there are no strange circumstances that make it take longer.

[IGGY]

Today it took me...30 minutes!!!

That seems like a long time to me. I wasn't hurrying...I was taking my time...but still, 30 minutes?!?!? Is this because I'm still a tire newbie? Do I lack basic skills? Why does it take so long?!?!?!

Walking to a picnic table in the shade added a few minutes. And of course, digging multiple goathead thorns out of my tire with my Leatherman was kind of time consuming. As was cleaning the blood off of everything because my finger was bleeding (not sure what I cut it on). And then there's the dreaded "am I ever going to get the last 4 inches of tire back on this bleeping wheel?!?!" and the ever-popular "I am never going to get enough pressure in this thing with this bleeping frame pump!"

Heavy sigh.


Did I mention I hate goathead thorns?

Well, first of all. YOU are changing YOUR OWN tires. Which, let's face it, until I started riding, I had no idea what was involved. My husband did the first while I watched, I did the second while he watched, and I did the third by myself and it took me 30 minutes in my driveway. (Luckily all were slow deflates, so I could do it at home.)
The guy at my LBS is so fast, I called him the "flat wrangler". He almost fell over and said, "man, I"m gonna use that one!"
I signed up for a bike maintenance course, and I"m hoping to improve. Until then, just changing my own is good enough for me! Seriously.

[RolliePollie]

Well, first of all. YOU are changing YOUR OWN tires. Which, let's face it, until I started riding, I had no idea what was involved. My husband did the first while I watched, I did the second while he watched, and I did the third by myself and it took me 30 minutes in my driveway. (Luckily all were slow deflates, so I could do it at home.)
The guy at my LBS is so fast, I called him the "flat wrangler". He almost fell over and said, "man, I"m gonna use that one!"
I signed up for a bike maintenance course, and I"m hoping to improve. Until then, just changing my own is good enough for me! Seriously.

Thanks Iggy...this makes me feel better. I am proud of myself for being able to fix a flat on the road by myself. It's not like the process is hard...the concept is pretty basic...but I have teeny tiny weak little hands and it's just SO HARD to get the tire off, back on, pumped up, etc.

I bet if I really hurried and tried really hard, I could do it in 10-15 minutes. But I don't want to get a flat just so I can try to get faster.

[gingerale]

I can do one in about 20 mins, assuming I don't have any major problems with it. I really hate, though, when I get one on my back tire vs. my front. It's a mental thing for me, I know, just because I know I have to mess with my chain/derailer, etc. And, of course, every 2 out of 3 flats seem to be on my back.