maintenance2

Punctures

A puncture can ultimately cause you to lose control and crash. Modern tubeless tyres are less prone to catastrophic ‘blow outs’ than the old tubed type, so fit them if you can. 

Avoiding punctures

Preventative maintenance

  1. Replace tyres before the tread depth reduces excessively
  2. Before every ride, check all the way around both tyres for embedded nails, sharp stones or glass
  3. If a nail has penetrated the tyre but it hasn’t deflated, don’t pull it out. Use wire snips to cut it off just under flush and get it straight to the tyre shop for repair or replacement.

On the road

  1. Avoid the debris that collects at road verges and intersections. Don’t ride over broken glass, isolated stones and other hard objects
  2. In left hand bends, stay out from the shoulder (stones and debris tend to find their way there).

Dealing with punctures

Of course you don’t have to deal with punctures. You could take out a roadside assistance policy. Or always ride with a credit card (eftpos is less popular with towies). But if you like fixing things or you’re on a budget you should carry a temporary repair kit and know how to use it.

Tubeless tyres

Many of today’s kits for tubeless tyres don't require wheel removal and even include compressed air bottles.

Note: If the tyre has come unstuck from the rim, a roadside repair is unrealistic, as too much air pressure is required to re-seal it.

Tubed tyres

Fixing tubed tyres is more difficult because the wheel and tyre have to be removed to patch the tube.

Roadside wheel removal is another challenge. Even with a centre-stand, the front wheel can still be resting on the ground. You could try a block under it but you might struggle to get the stand deployed. Lying the bike on its side is an option (if you don’t love your bike).

Your bike