[mp417]

Second puncture.

Sunday, I was planning for a long ride however it was cut short by rain. At the end of my ride I usually ride at a very slow pace for cool down. When I was about to park my bike, heard whooshing sound from rear Tyre. And it was a puncture.

The typical process of fixing a puncture is;

• remove the tube from the tyre (without removing the entire tyre)

• fill air

• dip the tube into tub of water to identify the puncture spot

• once you have identified the puncture, apply the solution and puncture patch

• refill air and test that it has fixed

• Then insert the tube back inside the tyre

Simple huh.

Now my question to all fellow cyclist.
Over a short/long ride, do you carry the puncture kit (solution, puncture patch, air pump)?

How to identify the puncture when there is not enough water available? and what about the tub/vessel?

P.S. First puncture happened with me almost in similar manner on front tyre. I just removed the front tyre (using the quick release)and took it to nearest bike shop

[bblost]

Originally Posted by mp417

Now my question to all fellow cyclist.
Over a short/long ride, do you carry the puncture kit (solution, puncture patch, air pump)?

How to identify the puncture when there is not enough water available? and what about the tub/vessel?

I carry a spare tube and a small pump.
No need to check anything as I simply swap the tube.

Thankfully never needed to as I have been lucky so far.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by mp417

...
Now my question to all fellow cyclist.
Over a short/long ride, do you carry the puncture kit (solution, puncture patch, air pump)?

How to identify the puncture when there is not enough water available? and what about the tub/vessel?

P.S. First puncture happened with me almost in similar manner on front tyre. I just removed the front tyre (using the quick release)and took it to nearest bike shop

I carry a spare tube, tyre removing tool and a pump. As a secondary backup (when the spare tube as well gets a puncture), I also carry a puncture kit with patches and rubber solution.

It's easy to identify the puncture location without water or a tub. Pump air and bring the tube near your face. You can feel the escaping air and locate the position.

PS: When you go on long rides, and expect to be far away from repair shops, make sure that the pump is fastened to the holder with a velcro strap or a string. I learnt this the hard way. During a 200k brevet, I had a puncture. I changed the tube with the spared I was carrying and then to my horror, realized the pump had fallen off somewhere. There I was, sitting on the divider on a 4 lane highway not knowing what to do. Fortunately, another rider who happened to pass by lent me his pump and I completed the event.

[kumar2007]

Originally Posted by bblost

I carry a spare tube and a small pump.
No need to check anything as I simply swap the tube.

Thankfully never needed to as I have been lucky so far.

You need to identify the flat, and look on the tyre for the cause. Otherwise, your swapped tube will be flat again.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by kumar2007

You need to identify the flat, and look on the tyre for the cause. Otherwise, your swapped tube will be flat again.

Of course. But I don't need water for this.

[mp417]

Originally Posted by bblost

I carry a spare tube and a small pump.
No need to check anything as I simply swap the tube.

Good suggestion. Very simple.

Originally Posted by graaja

I carry a spare tube, tyre removing tool and a pump. As a secondary backup (when the spare tube as well gets a puncture), I also carry a puncture kit with patches and rubber solution.

It's easy to identify the puncture location without water or a tub. Pump air and bring the tube near your face. You can feel the escaping air and locate the position.

PS: When you go on long rides, and expect to be far away from repair shops, make sure that the pump is fastened to the holder with a velcro strap or a string.

I will try this week to fix the puncture without water. Bending really down to feel the air on your face will look funny though

Which is the best place on bike to attach pump? Velcro suggestion is very important.

Originally Posted by kumar2007

You need to identify the flat, and look on the tyre for the cause. Otherwise, your swapped tube will be flat again.

Point noted. The tyre needs to be inspected as well.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by amitoj

I went to the shop a couple of days back and it seems a Specialized Sirrus XL would fit my body geometry well. The other bike I am considering is Cannondale Quick 4.

So, any opinions on Cannondale Quick 4 vs Specialized Sirrus Sport? I'll be riding on mostly paved bike paths or packed dirt paths. No plans to venture off course yet.

So which one did you choose? If you haven't, I'd say between those two, Cannondale anyday. But what is more important is what bike suits you - do a test ride (the longer the better) and then choose. Online reviews and information will only get you till a stage. Trying it out is the most important part.

For the riding you are looking at, road bikes are not necessary - atleast for now. And you can reach good speeds using these bikes too.

Originally Posted by vaspro

On a side note: On the day when I was buying Cannondale, a Giant cycles rep was visiting the same store. He made small conversation and commented "You cannot go wrong with a Cannondale"- I guess they tell that same for every brand

Nopes, not for all. Cannondale is a reputed (US) brand - that gets that importance from other US brands.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by mp417

I will try this week to fix the puncture without water. Bending really down to feel the air on your face will look funny though

I always remove the wheel, and take the tube out completely to fix the puncture. That is more convenient than trying to fix it without removing the wheels.

Originally Posted by mp417

Which is the best place on bike to attach pump? Velcro suggestion is very important.

I have fixed the pump on the top tube. If you carry only one bottle, you can fix the pump on the seat tube. Usually, the pump holders have the same mounting hole spacing as of bottle cages. I have seen some people fixing it to the fork as well, but I do not prefer this as

[bblost]

I picked up a new saddle bag from http://www.decathlon.in/cycling/acce...-x2/p-M8248118

Its so easy to mount on the bike and is very useful especially when you have a laptop.

[mp417]

Originally Posted by graaja

I have fixed the pump on the top tube. If you carry only one bottle, you can fix the pump on the seat tube. Usually, the pump holders have the same mounting hole spacing as of bottle cages. I have seen some people fixing it to the fork as well, but I do not prefer this as

Any recommendations for the pump. Saw two hand pump models (Btwin) on Amazon. I think you are using the same MNP200.
Do you need to purchase extra tube for this pump?

[graaja]

Originally Posted by mp417

Any recommendations for the pump. Saw two hand pump models (Btwin) on Amazon. I think you are using the same MNP200.
Do you need to purchase extra tube for this pump?

I think Btwin MNP200 would be a value for money product if you are ok with the absence of pressure gauge. There is no need to buy any tube for the pump. The pump should come with the tube and schrader/presta valve adapters.

I have the Topeak Road Morph pump. This has a pressure gauge and is compatible with both schrader and presta valves. Though I felt this was expensive, as I go often on long rides, I bought this for the solid build, reliability and ease of pumping due to its long cylinder.

Before this I was using Giyo hand pump which is very similar to the Road Morph. This is the one that fell off my bike.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

So which one did you choose? If you haven't, I'd say between those two, Cannondale anyday. But what is more important is what bike suits you - do a test ride (the longer the better) and then choose. Online reviews and information will only get you till a stage. Trying it out is the most important part.

For the riding you are looking at, road bikes are not necessary - atleast for now. And you can reach good speeds using these bikes too.

Ah your advice came a few days too late Sir! I bought a Specialized Sirrus Sport on Saturday. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to ride it yet apart from the test ride. Maybe this weekend I will get a chance to ride it for at least a short duration.

[shifu]

Originally Posted by shifu

Any takers for the August 15th bicycle ride in Hyderabad?

I finished the ride in 3hrs 28mins. I was aiming to finish the 68kms ride in 4hrs (avg speed of 17kmph). But I think the relatively flat terrain helped me keep the speed up (avg speed of 20kmph). The last 20kms were grueling, but fun!

[petrolveins]

I'm a novice when it comes to choosing a cycle. Please can the forum members help suggest a cycle for my below requirements:

1. Usage would be on road.
2. The objective to ride a cycle is to shed excess weight. 15 kilos atleast over 1-2 years.
3. I'm short at 5 feet 4 inches.
4. Ride comfort and bike build quality must be top notch.

Budget: 50000 INR plus/minus 10000 INR.

Does CANNONDALE Bad boy suit my requirements?

Where do I buy the above or other brand cycles in Hyderabad?

Thank you very much.

[shifu]

Originally Posted by petrolveins

I'm a novice when it comes to choosing a cycle. Please can the forum members help suggest a cycle for my below requirements:

1. Usage would be on road.
2. The objective to ride a cycle is to shed excess weight. 15 kilos atleast over 1-2 years.
3. I'm short at 5 feet 4 inches.
4. Ride comfort and bike build quality must be top notch.

Budget: 50000 INR plus/minus 10000 INR.

Does CANNONDALE Bad boy suit my requirements?

Where do I buy the above or other brand cycles in Hyderabad?

Thank you very much.

In Hyd, there are couple of reputed stores.

- Decathalon - They have 3 stores in Hyd - Shamshabad, Kompally, Uppal. They have Btwin cycles which are VFM. However, they don't have many hybrids. They have a good range of roadies though.

- The Bike Affair - This store is in Kondapur. It is run by a bunch of cycle enthusiasts, and if you are looking for advice on choosing a bike, these guys are good. They have lots of choice. They'll let you try on the bike for sometime and don't push you to buy any bike that you are not comfortable with. They have a website as well where you can see the bikes they have.

Apart from these, there are a couple of other stores - Peddlers Point and Yellow Jersey. But I would not recommend them to a first timer as they are purely commercial establishments.

Also, I can appreciate your focus on bike's build quality. But you can forget being comfortable on a bicycle. After a ride, you have to be tired, and in pain in few parts of your body. Only then you'll accomplish your goal of getting fit/losing weight.

Finally, your budget is quite a lot for a hybrid bike. You can buy a very good hybrid bikes (like Trek 7.1, Canondale Quick 5, etc) for around 30k. Maybe you can start with one of these 'cheaper' ones and then upgrade after couple of years if you really pick up cycling. You can splurge on accessories (for example - cyclometer to count the calories, distance, speed, etc) with the remaining cash.

PS - Not connected to any of the above mentioned stores. I have given the above feedback purely based on my experience with these stores.