Clever ways of fixing a flat tyre while on tour

If you have been cycling for a while your motto should be, "never walk home".

Some of the mechanical problems that a cyclist can face while out on a ride are:

• Flat tyres
• Broken chains
• Bent frames

With a bit of experience and creativity you will be able to fix most mechanical problems.

The most common breakdown is a puncture. All you need is a couple of tyre levers, tube, a repair kit and pump. If your tyre happens to be cut leaving the tube exposed to the road, then you could cut a one inch square piece of old tube or even cover the cut with a bank note. This would get you home without having to walk.

What you should do if you get a flat and don’t have a tube or repair kit?

One thing a cyclist should do is carry an air pump that can be used to periodically inflate a tyre that has a slow leak. If the tube is leaking too quickly then you could use a small piece of duct tape as a temporary patch. The tube will still leak but you should be able to use the "pump and ride" approach that is used with any slow leak.

If you do not have the tape to repair a leak, then you can find the hole and place this area of the tube outside the tyre bead when remounting the tyre. The tube would be exposed but when it is pumped up the tyre will seal the tube. The tube will bulge outside the tyre but it should not blow off the rim unless it is overinflated.

Another trick would be to fold the tube back on itself inside the tyre so the hole is covered. When you pump up the tyre the overlapping tube will slow the leak.

The last resort

What happens if you get a flat, and you don’t have a tube or a bicycle pump? In this case you need to be most resourceful and creative and this can be accomplished by stuffing as much grass as possible inside the tyre so that it will help keep the rim from making contact with the road.

If your bicycle tyre ruptures and won’t stay on the rim then you need to ride on the rim. It will be a bit tricky but should not damage your rim too severely.

Rear flats on road bikes will likely cause the most rim damage but you be able to get the bike home while riding slowly and staying off the saddle as much as possible.

A cyclist always runs the risks of mechanical problems like flats. These problems can be corrected with a little ingenuity and resourcefulness, even when you don’t have the necessary tools.