Don't count on a guy for help!

[Biciclista]

true confessions time
the only time I fixed a flat it didn't take. A coworker helped me fix it.
I carry everything I need to fix a flat, so I AM prepared, but so far, my DH
has done the dirty work.

[Blueberry]

I carried the "goods" long before I had any clue how to use them.

I've been blessed not to have many flats, and almost all near home (like rolling into my driveway). My first real "field test" was when I was in San Diego on vacation. I had the rental car keys, DH was in a seminar all day into the evening, and I went to ride Coronado. I flatted on the rear of my Friday (little tires can be wicked hard to change - I had always struggled with them at home) in front of the Naval Air Station. Not one soul offered to help even though LOTS walked by (I was right in front). Lots of cyclists passed too. However, I managed to get the tube changed, everything back together, and still make the ferry. There wasn't another option to get back to the hotel. At least I know I can do it And if I had waited for someone to help, I suspect it would have been a long wait...

[malkin]

I carry a patch kit and a tube and a pump, but often I don't have the right glasses, which makes me pretty helpless.

[Mr. Bloom]

Men are worthless

That Y chromosone just keeps them from seeing clearly - they're always asking Ynot

[jobob]

Hee hee -

Well the fact that you folks carry the necessary supplies shows that you mean well.

To be honest, when I'm riding w my husband & I get a flat he usually ends up changing it because he gets too impatient waiting for slowpoke me to change it.

(heh, works like a charm ...)

[OakLeaf]

My experience riding with a group of guys is that they will have my tire off and CO2 inflaters at the ready before I've even got my spare tube and my own inflater out of my seat pack.

And they will put my tire on backwards.

They mean well.

[sundial]

I'm the flat fixer in my group. Guess smaller fingers are more nimble and quick.

[txred9876]

I am very new and did lots of research (this site is great) on what to have/not have ect... I carry everything and had to change one flat already. My husband does not ride and he told me if I planned to ride I needed to learn to take care of it myself!!!

I guess I never go into anything with rose colored glasses.....LOL

Tina

.... I not only had to do my first flat but the next day I was topping off the tire pressure and these two young boys came up and asked me for help to inflate their tire... someone had deliberatly deflated it. It was too funny.... I showed them the RIGHT way to do it and they said thank you at least 20 times......

[smurfalicious]

Yep, I was a supply packing fool before I even knew what to do either. I did flat on my first voyage on Candy and since I had no clue to work around my lack of quick release so I angrily hoofed it two miles home rolling her on her back wheel. Wow she got heavy fast!

When I was mountain biking my boyfriend made his son practice changing flats for racing so I joined in. I was good with the MTB, almost fast, but road tires are my nemesis.

Similar story, when I did the Tour de Cure this guy a little bit ahead of me pulled over with a flat maybe two miles in. His buddy pulled over with him and neither had any gear. Mind you we were on the metric century route so I have to imagine they weren't green as frogs. So I stop to help them and start handing them a tube (I brought two prepared for worst case scenario), levers, frame pump. They both fiddled around for a while until it became 100% clear neither had a clue where to even start. Okay, you can't change it, but look at it for a minute and figure out how to remove it at least.

I was getting a little panicky because I already left towards the back of the pack and I didn't want to freak out, kill myself trying to rejoin the pack and burn out before I got to the big climb. Fortunately the SAG came along and helped them out. SAG gave him a tube and I was reunited with my long valve stem tube. Good thing because SAG wasn't carrying any. I didn't end up needing either, but felt better having both.

[solobiker]

Hee hee -

Well the fact that you folks carry the necessary supplies shows that you mean well.

To be honest, when I'm riding w my husband & I get a flat he usually ends up changing it because he gets too impatient waiting for slowpoke me to change it.

(heh, works like a charm ...)

Sounds just like me. LOL. Thanks for the laugh, I needed one today.

[jesvetmed]

I flatted on our group ride the other night -- it was getting late and we were losing the sunlight. I pulled off the tire and got out the tube, and when I turned around, one of the older men in the group basically took over. I have to say, he was FAST at it (I would have been quite slow, as I haven't had to change one in over 9 months), but it was still a little weird just to have him take over. Maybe that is what he's used to having to do. Maybe he just wanted to get home before dark!

[jobob]

but it was still a little weird just to have him take over.

Yeah, it would have been nice of him to ask, yeesh.

Oh well, maybe he's used to being "the one who fixes the flats" on the rides, with the men as well as with the women, so maybe he's just gotten out of the habit of asking.

[preachy time]
FWIW though, I can't stress the importance of being able to fix your own flat (even if you are kind of slow at it, like me ! ) because you never know when you'll be stuck in Outer Slobovia without anyone to help you out, and out of cell phone range. Just sayin'.
[/preachy time]

[SadieKate]

To be honest, when I'm riding w my husband & I get a flat he usually ends up changing it because he gets too impatient waiting for slowpoke me to change it.

(heh, works like a charm ...)

Ah ha! Now, I know why you sit down to fix a flat.

I wish I had a copy of V's photo to post but I can enjoy what I thought was just your leisurely fixitude every September on my calendar.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I carry 1 new tube, 1 patch kit (with several patches), 2 levers in case I really need them, and a mini pump. That's all I need. Oh, and always have a dollar bill to use as a boot if you get a small tear in your tire. I'm cheap- I usually tear the end flap off the tube box and throw it in my saddle bag just for that purpose.

[Blueberry]

For local rides (<30 miles, near home), I carry 1 tube and a patch kit (plus a mini tool, road morph pump and pedros tire levers). For longer rides (80+) and rides out of town, I'll have 2 tubes (3 if its my Friday) + all of the above stuff. I have actually needed 2 tubes on a ride (had a defective batch in San Diego and had 2 blow at the valve stem, where they could not be patched).

CA