I guess he had trued the rim earlier.
How Do U Deal W/flats On The Road?
- Thread starter dazco
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I really like this, and just made me think I need a truing wheel! LoL Thanks! It doesn’t look too difficult to do.
Bloodknot
Well-Known Member
If you didn’t catch it, the wheels had just come back from a wheel builder who had laced the existing hubs into new ally rims with new spokes so I guess you couldn’t expect the wheel to be any truer?
I meant to respond earlier, but with only 1 cigarette and a 1/2 cup of tea in me: No, no, that was not the time.
I come from a background of trail and dual sport riding, as I would imagine many others do. I not sure where this idea actually came from. I picked it up from DRRiders.com. My other bike is a DR650 Suzi dual sport. Several of us, myself included, pre-Slime our tubes. That way if we do have a puncture the tire doesn't immediately deflate, if at all. Slime claims it is good to a 1/8" puncture. Think about that, 1/8" is a pretty good size hole.
Slime does tell you that it will only protect the tread, not the side wall. However, in my years of trail and dual sporting, I have yet to see a sidewall puncture/slash. Curbs are where you get those. You have the addition of dynamically balancing your tires ever time you ride.
You will want to carry a compact tire infilator and good pressure gauge.
Now the alternative. Remember, my worse case scenario is 30 miles into the bushes blowing out a tire/tube, with or without friends along.
First, break the bead. This is not easy. I've read many ways to break the bead in the back country and none of them sound easy. Breaking the bead is back breaking, hot, sweaty, and you will lose a good of your the day.
Second, You've broken the bead. Time to break out those tire spoons! (Oh, first you need go to DRC to purchase a set of their tire spoon/box wrenches. Purchase also a looong third spoon. you'll kiss me for it. The DRC's are sold individually to get the right front/rear axle nut sizes. I believe I got mine through ProCycle.com.)
Okay Scooter, bead is broken, you've got one bead off the rim, and the tube out of the tire.(When you purchase a tube, buy for the larger tire size. I can shove a 21" tube into a 17" tire. No problem shoving a 19" into a 17". It gets me out of the woods.) Now what can be a very frustrating situation begins: Keeping the valve stem though the hole and outside the rim. All of the tubes I've dealt with come with a nut. Push the stem trough the hole and nut it down, not tight, but enough to to keep it where it's suppose to be.
Great, you've gotten this far with only a few bleeding knuckles. (Oh, remember the first aid kit you should have, now's the time to pull it out.) Inflate the tube with a couple of pounds or air. Yeah, remember, that tire infiltator, right.
Now you're ready for a good workout! This I can no longer do this. My back screams Hydrocodone at the mere thought of spooning over the bead. Here's where that third spoon really comes in handy. Oh, you'll have to work on your knees placing them on two spoons while you move the third. This is the worse part. The last part of the beard. You will sweat and swear more over this than anything else you've done so far. I have no good answers or tips to give you here. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.
Fantastic, You've now wasted 3 to 4 hours of your life, and you still need to remount the wheel. If you dismounted it with the bike not falling over: You can mount your wheel.. (My DR has a center stand which make dismount and mount very easy.)
Yesss! all you need to do is air the tire up and be on your way. By now, I hope you've found enough signal strength to call your wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, S.O. or anything in between.
I come from a background of trail and dual sport riding, as I would imagine many others do. I not sure where this idea actually came from. I picked it up from DRRiders.com. My other bike is a DR650 Suzi dual sport. Several of us, myself included, pre-Slime our tubes. That way if we do have a puncture the tire doesn't immediately deflate, if at all. Slime claims it is good to a 1/8" puncture. Think about that, 1/8" is a pretty good size hole.
Slime does tell you that it will only protect the tread, not the side wall. However, in my years of trail and dual sporting, I have yet to see a sidewall puncture/slash. Curbs are where you get those. You have the addition of dynamically balancing your tires ever time you ride.
You will want to carry a compact tire infilator and good pressure gauge.
Now the alternative. Remember, my worse case scenario is 30 miles into the bushes blowing out a tire/tube, with or without friends along.
First, break the bead. This is not easy. I've read many ways to break the bead in the back country and none of them sound easy. Breaking the bead is back breaking, hot, sweaty, and you will lose a good of your the day.
Second, You've broken the bead. Time to break out those tire spoons! (Oh, first you need go to DRC to purchase a set of their tire spoon/box wrenches. Purchase also a looong third spoon. you'll kiss me for it. The DRC's are sold individually to get the right front/rear axle nut sizes. I believe I got mine through ProCycle.com.)
Okay Scooter, bead is broken, you've got one bead off the rim, and the tube out of the tire.(When you purchase a tube, buy for the larger tire size. I can shove a 21" tube into a 17" tire. No problem shoving a 19" into a 17". It gets me out of the woods.) Now what can be a very frustrating situation begins: Keeping the valve stem though the hole and outside the rim. All of the tubes I've dealt with come with a nut. Push the stem trough the hole and nut it down, not tight, but enough to to keep it where it's suppose to be.
Great, you've gotten this far with only a few bleeding knuckles. (Oh, remember the first aid kit you should have, now's the time to pull it out.) Inflate the tube with a couple of pounds or air. Yeah, remember, that tire infiltator, right.
Now you're ready for a good workout! This I can no longer do this. My back screams Hydrocodone at the mere thought of spooning over the bead. Here's where that third spoon really comes in handy. Oh, you'll have to work on your knees placing them on two spoons while you move the third. This is the worse part. The last part of the beard. You will sweat and swear more over this than anything else you've done so far. I have no good answers or tips to give you here. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.
Fantastic, You've now wasted 3 to 4 hours of your life, and you still need to remount the wheel. If you dismounted it with the bike not falling over: You can mount your wheel.. (My DR has a center stand which make dismount and mount very easy.)
Yesss! all you need to do is air the tire up and be on your way. By now, I hope you've found enough signal strength to call your wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, S.O. or anything in between.
You’re right, I misunderstood. I thought he had the same job done by a professional and I thought he was going to try to replicate the job himself. Yeah, I missed it. .
I actually carry one of those on long overnighters along with a plug kit, but thats just extra protection on cast wheels. Not sure i could trust only that with tubes. But i asked about them on another forum and got replies saying they are nearly useless. But that certainly would be the best way to go if they do work. I don't expect anything to work on a tear, but for nails/screws which are all i have ever gotten but for one time, i would think those would work because the screw or nail if left in usually would keep air in for a while and u go flat gradually. In that case which is mostly what happens, i would think fix-a-flat should work. But i hate to find out whether it does or not 100 miles form anywhere.
Who said that "RideOn" doesn't work?
Many reviews. Some say it does, some say it doesn't but i have seen way too many that don't to risk it. Why, have u used it and if so how many times has it worked for u ? And in tubes or tubeless ? I have seen it said that because of the centrifigul force it stays in the center of the tire for the most part, so if the nail/screw is not close to the center there will not be enough ride-on there to seal it. I suppose if i change my mind on getting spokes i;d at least try it since they say it balances the tire better than weights which would 1-eliminate those hideous things and the gunk they leave behind, and 2-allow you to change your own tires since no need to balance them. (yeah, i know some make thier own balancers but i dont wanna go there)
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aj7840
Active Member
Maybe a Speed Twin instead - gives you cast wheels and tubeless, plug and go with your compressor, but you said nah!
Some of the flat tires I have had with spoked wheels has been because I pinched the tube installing tires. After you've done that a couple of times you learn how to eliminate that problem. The good part it was a short trip back to the pits. The other times I've had flats with tubed tires have been racing dirt bikes, usually spin the tire and tear the valve stem. Mousse inserts fixed that.
Started riding in 1957 and finally got a bike with tubeless tires in 1982, now back on a T120 and I have no fear of a flats. I ride a lot of places with poor to no cell service, but texts seem to go through even with "no service". So let someone know where you are going and agree that they watch for your text if you have problems or just text them at a set time, so they don't send out search and rescue.
Some of the flat tires I have had with spoked wheels has been because I pinched the tube installing tires. After you've done that a couple of times you learn how to eliminate that problem. The good part it was a short trip back to the pits. The other times I've had flats with tubed tires have been racing dirt bikes, usually spin the tire and tear the valve stem. Mousse inserts fixed that.
Started riding in 1957 and finally got a bike with tubeless tires in 1982, now back on a T120 and I have no fear of a flats. I ride a lot of places with poor to no cell service, but texts seem to go through even with "no service". So let someone know where you are going and agree that they watch for your text if you have problems or just text them at a set time, so they don't send out search and rescue.
Sage advice!
The risk of a flat is low if you always venture out with tyres in good condition. If unfortunately you did get one & was worried about Bears, etc., you could ride very slowly on the flat either leaning to the extreme opposite to the flat or walking alongside feathering clutch. That is if flat on back, lean forward over tank or if in front tyre, sit on back & ride real slow. It will ruin tyre but get you home or back to safety. Most likely you will never have to do this. I have done this , riding very slow. Enjoy your ride, whatever you decide. We take risks every time we ride, but we still do it & enjoy it.
Brookes answer to what to do or have done looks good.
Glock 20, or maybe a Smith&Wesson M&P M2.0. Both are in 10mm. Go with a heavier bullet weight like 200gr JHP at a minimum. An agitated bear will come at you out of nowhere like greased lightening so get a decent shoulder holster for it that hangs nice and tight. That way you could deploy it fairly easily while dealing with your bike. An OWB holster could get tricky if you're in the saddle.
Just putting that out there.
My riding jacket advertised a carry pocket. Wish they had put one on each side instead of just the left. Not everyone likes to draw with the right hand. Agree though, most contingencies can be addressed.Glock 20, or maybe a Smith&Wesson M&P M2.0. Both are in 10mm. Go with a heavier bullet weight like 200gr JHP at a minimum. An agitated bear will come at you out of nowhere like greased lightening so get a decent shoulder holster for it that hangs nice and tight. That way you could deploy it fairly easily while dealing with your bike. An OWB holster could get tricky if you're in the saddle.
Just putting that out there.
Walking the motorcycle out is always an option as noted.
Both those pieces I mentioned are large frame hi-caps in 10mm. Very unlikely you could keep one effectively in a carry pocket. Those are pretty much designed for a concealable sub-compacts, and even then you'll have to keep it in a kydex holster because without that it'll very possibly get hung up internally as you try to deploy it. Seconds will count. I can not emphasize how fast those critters can move. There are some smaller big-bore handguns out there but IMO you want something with at least a 10 shot capacity unless you're really trained up on stress shooting, and I can assure you that you'll be under high stress if some 350 lb pissed-off fuzzy black meteor just locked on you and put you on the dinner table. You need one swift smooth action to get it out and start mag-dumping. I've seen guys mount holsters on their bikes but that doesn't help you if you're off taking a leak or shooting some photos and you left it back on your ride.
I see OP is in Kalifornia so obtaining a handgun could be a lengthy chore, if not all but practically impossible. Plus I'd guess they have draconian open-carry laws. Bear Mace is a somewhat viable alternative. I don't know much about that stuff but you'd certainly want a system that blasts out a massive cone of vapor like a fire extinguisher. You'll definitely be spraying and praying.
It's extremely unlikely that you'd even encounter one up close, especially an aggressive one. They typically scare fairly easily too, unless it's a sow with cubs. Bigger ones will usually be in the more remote locales and further north. Mountain Lions have attacked people in Kali once in a blue moon.
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I doubt my carry piece would get a grizzly’s attention unless I got lucky. Usually carry a .357 S&W 649, it’s really a pocket concealed carry item. I agree larger frame handguns need a different rig like a shoulder holster. It would still be hidden under a heavy jacket, but only one zipper versus two. I’ve only had one face to face with a bear and both of us happily walked away. It’s not a critter to mess with unless you have no choice.
Having to deal with one zipper could be the difference between life and death. You need to be able to grab it instantly and go to work.
Think "Murphy's Law."
Think "Murphy's Law."
Don't relate to the gun thing, we aren't allowed to carry a hand gun in Australia unless Police, Security or Military & there are strict regulations on them. We don't have Bears either. Koalas aren't bears & run from you, not at you.
True enough. Or keep the outer zipper down. LoL. And I’m old enough to make a bad meal, but if I had to being a snack wouldn’t be the worst way. Perhaps appropriate when the time comes.
