Got a flat right before the big bridge on my way to work this morning.

I was on the 2nd Street bike lane in Portland, and I heard that awful hiss. Had to pull over and change the tube in the rain with my hands freezing. What's your go-to trick for a fast roadside fix when you're already running late?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_cooper2mo ago

Carrying a small can of tire sealant has saved me more than once. It can get you rolling long enough to reach a real repair spot. I find it beats a full tube change in bad weather.

sarah_harris2mo ago

Honestly, that stuff is a total mess to clean up later. It's just a quick fix that often ruins the tire and the rim. I'd rather just swap the tube and be done with it.

gonzalez.rowan6d ago

My buddy Dave tried that fix-it stuff once after he got a nail in his tire on a back road near his cabin. He was all proud of himself for getting home without changing the tube, said it worked fine for the drive. Then he went to remove the tire the next morning to patch it proper and, well, @sarah_harris you are spot on about the mess. That goop had congealed all over the inside of the rim and the tire, sticky as anything, ruining the bead. He spent two hours scrubbing it off with rags and soap and still had to buy a new rim and tire anyway... just cost him way more in the long run.