There are several famous and infamous lists of rules for bikers. They relate to the coolness of biking.
Biking unfortunately tends to have a strong and often unspoken hierarchy of coolness and social status. Sometimes, though, these rules are based in helpful skills. Perhaps they all started from there. But they often get out of hand.
Like this: ” rel=”nofollow”>www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Biking has strict rules because they are needed for SAFETY first of all. Secondly they are needed for the smooth function of a bike ride, especially a group ride. Bike riding tends to interact with several important other people types, each of whom have reasonable expectations of bikers, so even when you ride alone there are rules. The rules don’t all relate to traffic, but some do.
Anyway…
I propose an addition to the rules: Be able to change a flat fast.
The Velominati Rule #84 touches on my new rule.
But really: learn how to change a flat fast.
If you’re by yourself, do as you please. But remember: there is ZERO reason for letting a flat tire impede your ride by more than 2 minutes.
Just change the thing why doncha ya!
If you want to take a break in the shade, fine. But a flat doesn’t need to get in the way of any ride.
Firstly, bring what you need and make sure it’s right and that you know how to use it and that you have it.
Practice at home until you’re good. Know each part your gear. Know how your tires are on the rims: tight or loose? Know if you or they need tire irons.
It’s OK to ask for help if you’re riding with someone else. Let them know you have a flat and ask them to stick around and tell them you’ll need them a bit as you’re getting off your bike. You can have them hold things. Talk like a doctor.
If you don’t have gear, or know how to use it WELL, let someone know before you ride: your friend at home should be available for a phone call and rescue if you get a flat, etc. On a group ride you should have someone lined up who can help you BEFORE the ride.
On a group ride, if you get a flat and can change it in 2 minutes and know this, say so. It’ll put the others at ease. They can feel free to watch. If you can’t stand that, ask them to stand back. They might obey.
If you know that you take 15 minutes to change a flat at this point in your bike life, say that as well. The group ride has higher duties than anyone’s feelings. You can’t mess with the ride. It’s rude. So if someone can change it faster than you can and they are willing to you should let them or ask them to, please. A bit of speed bidding is OK. On some rides, it’s well known who is fast at flats.
No matter how fit you are as a rider, you can be a champ at fixing flats. This is a big deal!
A fast rider can kind of help a ride go better. But a fast flat changer can DEFINITELY and MEASURABLY improve a ride. And a fast flat changer will get a HOORAY CHEER every time. Just like you won a race. Only everybody will be happy. And will credit you. (You understand, don’t you, that when you win a race everyone else is mad?)
Yeah, it requires some dexterity and tool-ishness but not much. It mostly requires practice and experience and doesn’t actually take much of either. A few tries and you’ll be great. Omit ever trying and you are LAME. Still, by making deals BEFORE a ride you can cover your butt.
Cheating is fine! Use a CO2 cartridge! It seems like such a thing should be wonderful and maybe help deliver a 1-minute Fix. I don’t know. …If you attempt such a thing, know you can do it! Practice and be confident.
Also, do not assume anything! Maybe you’re new to a group ride. And there’s a flat and six people promptly huddle around the victim. Do NOT assume they know anything! You might wait 15 minutes. …Even if one of the riders is a mechanic! Assume nothing! If you can fix it in 2 minutes, and better yet, if you have a spare and the pump you prefer, walk up and say so.
This skill and rule is at the Deep End of Bike Lore. It runs smack dab into Max Bike Ego. Everyone who gets a flat wants to say they can fix it quickly. …Even if they don’t know what’s in their spare kit, or how to use it. Other riders might give them a break for 10 seconds then jump in because they Know Better. …But they may well have taken 10 minutes the last time they changed a flat. Of course they’re better than the embarrassed stumbler. But… It’s 100 degrees and windless and humid. They might have ZERO idea how long they take to fix a flat. If you KNOW. Like, you have TIMED yourself. If so, you have permission to jump in. Because if you really can get this show back on the road in 2 minutes, everyone will actually be happier than with any other outcome. But this has to be done both firmly and politely. And quickly. Somehow. It is really hard! Try to develop your own patented method.
But wait! There’s more!
…If you are a ride leader, if you are an Old Hand, you really should make sure that you carry an AWESOME PUMP and a variety of tubes to cover whatever your riders might need. Especially if any riders are beginners!
And, of course, we all note that I have given zero tips so far as to how to actually fix a flat.
Learn.
Oh oh! Here’s another biggie for the ride leaders: avoid having to fix a lot of flats by checking all tires at the ride start! As everyone is chatting, walk around and pinch tires. …Especially skinny ones! …Especially beginners! Half of the newbies on a ride, half of whom are riding their bike for the first time in a long time, will show up with nearly flat tires. …That will pinch-flat in the first mile. Check em before you start and save the day! (Another reason to carry an awesome, easy, quality pump with you.) Now, this brings up yet another etiquette question: a lowly member of any group ride can also do this. But if you’re not a known Authority Figure you may run up more readily against egos — “Hey, why are you pinching my tire?” The more variety on a group ride, the more likely there will be soft tires. Wider tires are much more tolerant of a wide range of air pressure. So to triage only check tires that are an inch or less in width. Heck, also check for age and condition. A glance will do. If a tire looks old and rotty it might hold up but this is your cue to scan a bit further for wild bulges and immediate disaster risks.
