Got my first ever puncture :(

[Yamazer-92]

First ever puncture today in 6 years of riding, was gutted no idea where I picked up the big screw that caused it from. I try to keep off the middle of the roads where all the crap seems to collect so must have been very unlucky. Only riding my Fazer to work at the moment because my push bike is broken  . Still, my rear tyre was getting quite low anyway and I've got just over 6k out of it so not too bad I suppose. Going for another Metzeler Z8, great tyre best I have ever used and not too bad at £113 delivered. My garage will probably change it for free as well if I give them the loose wheel, did last time  .

[darrsi]

Just one of those things, you can't do much about it really, although as you say avoiding the middle part of roads especially near traffic lights where all the crap tends to end up is a good thing.
I try and avoid going to the front of traffic now for that very reason, there always seems to be a lot of glass built up there.
When i got a puncture last time i had a brand new rear T30 put on as a replacement and got a screw in it the very next day, luckily it went in at an angle in the fleshy part so i got away with it though!

[midden]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! surprised there isn't a card for this event....
did you have a crafty plug?

[tweetytek]

never had one, never experienced/seen it, was it a blow out at speed and bike all over the place or a gentle deflation?

[His Dudeness]

Welcome to the club. Motorbike tyres seem to be magnets for massive screws

[darrsi]

Welcome to the club. Motorbike tyres seem to be magnets for massive screws

It was just the other day i had one of these sticking out of my front tyre. 

[Yamazer-92]

I would love a congratulations, have a free tyre on us gift card that's for sure! It wasn't a blow out thankfully I was just riding along fairly slow and the bike seemed a bit weird. I came to a stop and it felt like the brakes were binding when I moved it backwards slightly, I then saw the rear tyre looked very squidgy which was the "oh bollocks" moment. Put it on centre stand, span wheel and saw an absolute whopper of a nail poking halfway into the tyre. So I've left the bike on the side of the road, thankfully quite quiet where I stopped and going back later today with my dad with a patch and a pump to get it the 1 1/2 miles back home then getting the wheel off and getting it replaced next week sometime.

[fazersharp]

Eh -- a patch !!! ----how ?

Anyway I would just try pumping it back up and it should stay up enough and long enough to get home with your dad behind covering your back

[positron]

I once picked up a fairly fast puncture on rear tyre while doing 120-130 kmph on motorway. First thing I noticed was that bike was losing speed - I had to pin the throttle to keep up stay on the fast lane, and eventually even that wasn't enough. A white van behind me was edging closer and I realized something was very wrong. Then it became even slower like 50-60 kmph. And by the time I rolled into the first traffic light, it was was riding an anaconda - bike just didn't want to go straight. I had no choice - within another minute or so the rear was completely 100% flat. I just kept going very slowly and gently until I reached a bike shop some 3-4 km closer to my work. He plugged it in less than 5 minutes, and would you believe I got another 6k miles out that tyre!

A lot of people swear by those gloopy thingess that you can squeeze into the tyre. Supposed to stop or at least slow down punctures, and even helps balance the wheel somehow. Any experience here?

[fazersharp]

I have had 2 punctures in the past and only ever been on the rear
I wonder if that is true for eveyone else, anyone had a front puncture

[tweetytek]

...
A lot of people swear by those gloopy thingess that you can squeeze into the tyre. Supposed to stop or at least slow down punctures, and even helps balance the wheel somehow. Any experience here?

do ya mean the tyre sealant fluid? I carry a can from the local autospares; used it once (not this exact can of course - the previous one) on my car and it got me 250 miles back home. Great stuff. Temporary fix mind you and probably not meant for 250 miles

[positron]

I am thinking of gloop and slime etc. They go in before puncture, and you just about can't puncture the tyre even with a nail gun (saw some YouTube videos demonstrating it).

[tweetytek]

what??..you inflate then stick this stuff in, before an actual puncture?? never heard of that - got a link?

[fazersharp]

Yep thats I think how they are supposed to work, it stays a thick gunk in the tyre and if you get a puncture the escaping air takes the gunk with it and seals your hole,
 
Thing is that I have never liked the idea of not knowing that I have a hole (weak spot ) on my tyre,
So like you I carry a tin with me to both inflate and fill the hole that I know I have and then can get it fixed, but have never put it to the test as the 2 times I have had a puncture it was a masive screw/nail and left it there as the tyre was staying up as the nail goes in and kindly seals itself whilst I rode to the tyre garage.

[tweetytek]

mmm.oh.well , er, not heard of that one. like i said, if you come across a link then please do post it as I would like to investigate. cheers matey

[fazersharp]

Maybe the one you have now is (works) the same-- have a look

[Yamazer-92]

Got it home just about, the patch things we had were pretty crap and it took 3 tries but 3rd one sort of worked and we got it up to 40psi and I rode it the small way home with my dad following close behind in the car. Would probably have had the same outcome by just pumping it up without a patch although it was quite a nasty puncture. It's home at least anyway and new tyre is on the way so wheel off tomorrow and also gives me a chance to finally fit my new shock! 

[darrsi]

Can't remember the name of the green stuff i happened to have in my last rear tyre before the puncture?
Reason i put it in was because i had a slow leak and knew it wasn't the valve.
The tyre wasn't too far away from changing, but still had good grip, and when i got a screw in it, it never deflated AT ALL.
Got me to the bike tyre shop no problem.
BUT, they don't tend to do a repair at all with all that gunk, they're simply not interested.
So it's great gear if your tyre is past half way, or you have a slow leak, but once you put it in if you have another issue, prepare to pay for a new tyre.

[positron]

what??..you inflate then stick this stuff in, before an actual puncture?? never heard of that - got a link?

Goop: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004EK5P4I
Slime: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Slime-10129-473ml-Tubeless-Sealant/dp/B00575EVTY/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1411170663&sr=1-1&keywords=Slime


Videos:

[His Dudeness]

The cheapo string plugs work fine as long as the hole is fairly central and not massive. I always have a few with me just in case. I think my last rear tyre had three plugs in it. They're not as good as taking the tyre off and patching it from the inside but they work

[Punkstig]

Gloops never worked for me, tried it several times, waste of money imo

[tweetytek]

Never heard of it.. Thought the references to gloop/slime were adjectives not proper nouns and didn't even search for them. Ah well. Can't see how they would work other than the tiniest of pinprick holes tho

[stevierst]

Tyre changers hate that stuff as it makes a right mess of their kit when changing your rubber. Just make sure you tell them it's in there!

Not heard many reports on whether it's any good or not though.

[darrsi]

Tyre changers hate that stuff as it makes a right mess of their kit when changing your rubber. Just make sure you tell them it's in there!

Not heard many reports on whether it's any good or not though.

Over the years i've probably used it in 3 of my tyres, as i said above if your tyre's past half way, but still has plenty of mileage left and you have an irritating slow leak, then it's very useful gear.
My bike is mainly used for commuting as well so it makes even more sense to use it if needs be.
I'd imagine it could really get you out of shit if you were touring and in the middle of nowhere as well.
I wouldn't use it all the time though as i have an RAC card, and if a tyre has a chance of being internally mushroom plugged then that's the way to go.

[fazersharp]

Maybe after a while it looses its ability to flow into the holes, havent looked at the vid but I spose they put it in and ride straight over the nails.