# Can You Fix a Flat On The Trails?



## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

This is a simple and serious question. After years of trying, I finally got my gf to put her money where her mouth was and show me that she can use the concepts she learned.

This case, it was a damaged tubeless valve that resulted in a change back to a tubed configuration. No big deal, as I think that's easier than trying to reseat a tubeless tire.

Anyhow, so who doesn't know, or has an idea of the concept, but is weary of the ability to actually carry it out?

Oh yeah, she did it, but not without some "hiccups" :madman:


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## deanna (Jan 15, 2004)

Yep. I use the old-fashioned tubes in the tires system and have fixed multiple flats... ironically, not all mine. Another woman's flat and a guy's flat tire.


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## 2WD (Mar 11, 2007)

Fixing flats are easy if you have the right tire - I use Nobby Nics and don't even have to use tire levers to ge them off - they rock! And CO2 canisters are a must have (and you can get boxes of them cheap at Canadian Tire vs the price they are at a bike shop).


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

I can, but I am slow at it.


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## MtbRN (Jun 8, 2006)

I'm curious... why do you ask? Specifically, why ask here?

And why the :madman: ? You say she got it done, so what is the problem?


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

This has to be a joke or a troll. Seriously.

If you ride long enough, you flat. You either walk home, wait for someone (rotsa ruck where I end up), or you find a way to deal with it.

I've had multiple flats on one ride (don't ask) and I've found a way. I've had some tires that were a real bizzatch to get over the rim and I found a way. Yours truly even came up with the idea to patch husband's ripped tire from the inside with the standard long patch that comes in those little box kits, and also suggested using a large rusty nail from an old boxcar along a VERY remote, abandoned RR grade to ream out a presta rim to fit a shrader tube when husband forgot a spare.

This is mountain biking. Crap inevitably happens, and then it's all down to style points. If you can whip the mess up into a beautiful crap parfait on the side of the trail out of cell range while the sun goes down and the insects are eating you alive... WITH a smile... you WIN, regardless of how long it takes to get back to the car.


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## Fiona (Aug 21, 2005)

I've fixed flat tires and turned a geared bike into a temporary SS (broken derailer). I try to do all of my own bike maintenance, though I won't turn down help from hubby. Why act surprised that your GF can change a tube? In my family its a given that women are just as capable as men at many things. That question is like asking a man if he can boil water in the kitchen. And yes, I know people of both sexes that CAN'T boil water. 

Fiona


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## Fiona (Aug 21, 2005)

verslowrdr said:


> This has to be a joke or a troll. Seriously.
> 
> If you ride long enough, you flat. You either walk home, wait for someone (rotsa ruck where I end up), or you find a way to deal with it.
> 
> ...


You really need to take a bow. That is the best answer to a question like this anyone could use.

Fiona


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

> This has to be a joke or a troll. Seriously.


Unbelievable.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> Unbelievable.


Let me say this slower:
If
you
ride
long
enough
you
will
eventually
have
to
deal
with
a
flat.

No gender or socioeconomic or racial or sexual orientation bias there- it just _happens_, kinda like gravity.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

Yes, if one rides long enough, they will eventually deal with a flat.

However, will they deal with it, or walk out, or wait for someone is the issue.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> Yes, if one rides long enough, they will eventually deal with a flat.
> 
> However, will they deal with it, or walk out, or wait for someone is the issue.


I recommend waiting for one of those millionaire bachelors to show up to change the tire. Not only do they look good doing it, but they only have the most witty and sympathetic jokes as they flash their brilliant smile, smelling of roses and fine chocolate.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

It's amazing when you guys are so focused on presenting such a militant, defensive response that you don't know when you're being counter-productive.


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## [email protected] (Dec 3, 2008)

a lot of you are saying how hard it was for you to get the tyre off the rim..... why dont you just use tyre levers, i've never had trouble getting any tyre off using them, they come with most puncture repair kits anyway
and jerk chicken i fix all my punctures on the trail, i even temporarily fixed a huge pinch flat with DUCT TAPE (  ), it got me back home (about 3 miles) with only needing to slightly inflate the tyre once halfway

i always keep some duct tape wrapped around my downtube, never know when your gonna need it, it also works as a good chainstay protector


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## redheadjaz (Mar 12, 2009)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> It's amazing when you guys are so focused on presenting such a militant, defensive response that you don't know when you're being counter-productive.


No offense, but I don't see how this thread is very productive to begin with. You're coming in to the _Women's_ Lounge and asking a bunch of mtn bikers (a lot of whom are very experienced) if they know how to change a tire? 

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding what you're getting at, but it seems like you're assuming that a bunch of women would just be content to let someone else do their work for them. I think that's what people are getting defensive about....


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

redheadjaz said:


> No offense, but I don't see how this thread is very productive to begin with. You're coming in to the _Women's_ Lounge and asking a bunch of mtn bikers (a lot of whom are very experienced) if they know how to change a tire?
> 
> Sorry if I'm misunderstanding what you're getting at, but it seems like you're assuming that a bunch of women would just be content to let someone else do their work for them. I think that's what people are getting defensive about....


No, you're actually electing to see it that way, which is not the way I presented it, nor intended it.

If this thread goes down the usual road of bashing of an outsider because you fail to understand a question in the simplest, most reduced form it was presented in, it's not my flaw in the least. If you choose to look at it productively, and in the best (and perhaps correct!) light, then you will have a productive thread, regardless of what you (falsely) assume it to be.


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## gmcttr (Oct 7, 2006)

Posting this in the beginners forum would have been fine. I thought posting it in the womens forum was insulting.

Your mistake not to realize it would come across that way.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

gmcttr said:


> Posting this in the beginners forum would have been fine. I thought posting it in the womens forum was insulting.
> 
> Your mistake not to realize it would come across that way.


The girlfriend is far from a beginner. Read the original post properly. I actually felt that was a pretty insulting statement. Changing tubes doesn't necessarily correlate with skill level.


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## redheadjaz (Mar 12, 2009)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> No, you're actually electing to see it that way, which is not the way I presented it, nor intended it.
> 
> If this thread goes down the usual road of bashing of an outsider because you fail to understand a question in the simplest, most reduced form it was presented in, it's not my flaw in the least. If you choose to look at it productively, and in the best (and perhaps correct!) light, then you will have a productive thread, regardless of what you (falsely) assume it to be.


I'm not trying to start a forum war or bash you or anything like that...I was just trying to explain the way that I was seeing things (and possibly the way that others were interpreting it as well). Since that wasn't the way that you intended your original post to sound, maybe you could you add some explanation so that we can get this thread back on track?


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

Well, it's in the first post. Sometimes people know the concept, but don't have the opportunity to carry it out and put the concept into practice with their own hands and connect the dots. That should be the clarity needed for those that didn't get it because they're hell-bent on and meet all posts from males with sketicism.

The burden of making this a productive post is not on me; it's on those who choose to respond to it. I posted something, which was immediately bashed. If that's the case, it's not my problem if that's the mentality here.

Pretty pathetic. Incidentally, the gf is a member of this forum and known to several staff members. She's far from a beginner, as assumed (insultingly) above.


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

You're angry with your wife for having "hiccups" (not even an utter failure) the *FIRST* time she ever tried to fix a flat on the trail?

Well, your forum name just gets more and more appropriate every time I read one of your posts.

And yes, I can fix a freakin flat tire. Even done it for my fair share of MEN that couldn't take care of themselves in the woods.


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

CougarTrek said:


> You're angry with your wife for having "hiccups" (not even an utter failure) the *FIRST* time she ever tried to fix a flat on the trail?
> 
> Well, your forum name just gets more and more appropriate every time I read one of your posts.
> 
> And yes, I can fix a freakin flat tire. Even done it for my fair share of MEN that couldn't take care of themselves in the woods.


I have to agree - I found it a little insulting that this would be posted in the women's lounge. Because, i'm with CougarTrek - I've been running ghetto tubless tires for years now and in the past several years have changed more flats for guys on the trail who didn't know what to do (or weren't carrying supplies) than I have for myself.

I also can't imagine heading out on any ride longer than I care to walk back without knowing how to and carrying supplies to change a flat myself (unless you never ride without your personal mechanic/sherpa, I guess...) Assuming you understand the concept that flat tires can happen... it seems like common sense to me. I guess I hadn't really considered that if someone has been riding tubeless tires all the time they may not have been faced with that reality and could get to the level of being an experienced biker without having to fix flats.

But it's something I would definitely encourage anyone I ride with to learn, no matter what you're riding.

Also - regarding strength to get tires on and off - there is a great deal of variance depending on your rims and tires. Some I can manage to get on and off using nothing but my hands. Usually levers make it easy. But even though I have plenty of upper body strength, some tires just do not cooperate well - DH or heavier duty tires in particular - and sometimes they go on easy on one rim and are a nightamare on another. I actually carry moto tire levers (call me the anti-weight weenie) just in case. We've snapped plenty of plastic levers in half over the years.


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## TreeSaw (Jun 29, 2005)

Fiona said:


> I've fixed flat tires and turned a geared bike into a temporary SS (broken derailer). I try to do all of my own bike maintenance, though I won't turn down help from hubby. Why act surprised that your GF can change a tube? In my family its a given that women are just as capable as men at many things. That question is like asking a man if he can boil water in the kitchen. And yes, I know people of both sexes that CAN'T boil water.
> 
> Fiona


:thumb: I'm the same way, I can fix most issues on my bike (on and off the trail) but I'll take help when it's offered. I'm definitely considered "one of the guys" when we're biking and am sometimes more capable than them when a mechanical arises (I've had to fix a flat, a chain and SS for guys before). I learned early on that I needed to be able to do these things and I like being independent!


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> The girlfriend is far from a beginner. Read the original post properly. I actually felt that was a pretty insulting statement. Changing tubes doesn't necessarily correlate with skill level.


Well, on the same note, if changing tubes doesn't necessarily correlate with skill level... why does it correlate with gender? (i.e. why did you post it here rather than, say, general discussion?)

And I'm not trying to insult anyone, but I think basic trail repairs are part of being a good cyclist (of any discipline). Which incidentally, you said your wife managed to fix the flat, didn't you? So why would any of the comments here be insulting to her??? Hiccups are allowed... it's not a race to see who can fix flats the fastest, you just need to be able to figure it out and get it done. (Well, unless you're racing, of course...  )


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## CycleMainiac (Jan 12, 2004)

<--- fixes more flats for others than self


So Hon, exactly how many women here did you expect to admit they cannot fix a flat? 
:nono: :nono:


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> a lot of you are saying how hard it was for you to get the tyre off the rim..... why dont you just use tyre levers, i've never had trouble getting any tyre off using them, they come with most puncture repair kits anyway
> and jerk chicken i fix all my punctures on the trail, i even temporarily fixed a huge pinch flat with DUCT TAPE (  ), it got me back home (about 3 miles) with only needing to slightly inflate the tyre once halfway
> 
> i always keep some duct tape wrapped around my downtube, never know when your gonna need it, it also works as a good chainstay protector


Joehspicer, you must be a guy? I have small hands, and little hand strength compared to most men. That last bit where you have to pop the last portion of the bead back onto the rim is a real ***** for me on most tires especially bigger or newer tires.. In many ways ( the way this thread is going) it's worse for you to imply that we women don't know how to use tire levers than anything else being said here.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

connie said:


> Well, on the same note, if changing tubes doesn't necessarily correlate with skill level... why does it correlate with gender? (i.e. why did you post it here rather than, say, general discussion?)
> 
> And I'm not trying to insult anyone, but I think basic trail repairs are part of being a good cyclist (of any discipline). Which incidentally, you said your wife managed to fix the flat, didn't you? So why would any of the comments here be insulting to her??? Hiccups are allowed... it's not a race to see who can fix flats the fastest, you just need to be able to figure it out and get it done. (Well, unless you're racing, of course...  )


***see above for same reaction I had***

Look Jerk chicken: If you leave your gf alone, she'll eventually have to deal with a flat and she'll figure it out. She may not figure it out the way YOU want her to, but I seriously doubt she'll be sitting there crying beside the trail the next morning waiting for you to show up.

AGAIN: the same goes for men, aliens, Sasquatchs, hermaphroditic freeriders on recumbent trikes... If they don't know how to change a flat, and if they keep riding long enough, someday they'll get stuck out there forced to confront the issue. This is only a gender issue because you're making it into one.

My $.02 relationship advice: just let it go, and let truth become self-evident in it's own time. She may even surprise you with her ingenuity if she's left to her own devices.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

Stripes said:


> ...For me, it's not a technical knowledge issue: it's a hand strength issue...


Oh road tires, how I loathe thee...

My husband has very strong hands and I've seen him resort to levers with certain thick/stiff sidewalled tires. Maybe it's not proper form but if done carefully it can work.

Another trick I used last week while putting a couple of husband's tires on my rims to test ride was using my feet to get more leverage... I got the tires on as far as I could with my hands, then stepped on one side of the almost-seated section and got it on farther with my hand, and finally stepped on both sides of the last section with a bit of a roll to the outside and used my hands to 'pop' the rim upwards with a slight twist to get the last part of the sidewall over. I'm sure someone will point out that this method could easily result in pinch flats, crud in the tire, etc... but it worked.


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

CougarTrek said:


> You're angry with your wife for having "hiccups" (not even an utter failure) the *FIRST* time she ever tried to fix a flat on the trail?
> 
> Well, your forum name just gets more and more appropriate every time I read one of your posts.
> 
> And yes, I can fix a freakin flat tire. Even done it for my fair share of MEN that couldn't take care of themselves in the woods.


Even more unbelievable. The point completely missed you (as well as others).



Stripes said:


> I'm curious for Jerky here: Was this a strength question or an inferior technical knowledge question?


Someone might be onto something. The second part was addressed a couple times. Thank you for actually giving the posting a somewhat fairer shake.

The rest got an "unglaublich!" response, with some chuckles in between. Too bad such a simple posting dredges up so much.



verslowrdr said:


> My $.02 relationship advice: just let it go, and let truth become self-evident in it's own time. She may even surprise you with her ingenuity if she's left to her own devices.


Amazing how much you've missed while posting your own damage issues.

Enjoy.


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## CycleMainiac (Jan 12, 2004)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> Too bad such a simple posting dredges up so much.


but he keeps coming back to taste of his on poo


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

However, it wasn't flamebait. Hell, I didn't even expect it to turn into what it did, but hey. Not my problem anymore. Do what you will. It made the forum look great.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

CycleMainiac said:


> but he keeps coming back to taste of his on poo


Hey, at least I got a new sig out if this thread!
:drumroll:


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

Excellent.


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

Here's the thing about typing versus speakerating - what is perceived is often very far from what was intended. If a zillion people are all, "Yeah, your post seemed a little trolly," chances are the screwing of the communication pooch started in the typing.

Here's the deal - fixing a flat for the first time is always slooooooow. As the mosquitoes find new and improved ways to thwart your spandex and bite your ass for the googelenth time, people forget the little things - score then glue? do I blow up the tube a bit beforehand? where the [email protected] did I put that patch kit?!?

I recommend people do this at home in front of the televisioning machine a few times, because a few times is all it takes. Then what once seemed an oddly intimidating act of changing a flat (which also accounts for much of a bike shop's labor business), is old hat. Or old hand. Or something old and smelly. Frickin' metaphors.

But asking for women to come out of the woodwork raising their hands as weary of carrying out such an act immediately before banging your digital head that your girlfriend had a few hiccups, well, it comes off as a tad douchebaggy. On the bright side, it would have come off as a tad douchebaggy in the Beginner's Forum or GD as well.

Alas, the benefit of internet communication is that we all get our turn to come off as a tad douchebaggy. I'm planning mine for tomorrow. I think I'm going to rant about the fact that hermaphroditic freeriding recumbent riders want to steal my guns and take away my FREEDOM!


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## [email protected] (Dec 3, 2008)

formica said:


> Joehspicer, you must be a guy? I have small hands, and little hand strength compared to most men. That last bit where you have to pop the last portion of the bead back onto the rim is a real ***** for me on most tires especially bigger or newer tires.. In many ways ( the way this thread is going) it's worse for you to imply that we women don't know how to use tire levers than anything else being said here.


yep i am, i saw this was in the womens lounge but didnt really realize it was only aimed for women to answer. If it is, i think it's a bit stupid tbh, women are just as capable as changing a tyre as men, i dont think being a girl make's any difference on your bike fixing or riding capability.
and i wasnt implying women dont know how to use tyre levers, sorry if it came across that way!  forcing the tyre on with your hands (which i agree is fairly hard to do, especially with the last part) seems like a silly thing to do when theres tyre levers
joe


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> yep i am, i saw this was in the womens lounge but didnt really realize it was only aimed for women to answer. If it is, i think it's a bit stupid tbh, women are just as capable as changing a tyre as men, i dont think being a girl make's any difference on your bike fixing or riding capability.
> and i wasnt implying women dont know how to use tyre levers, sorry if it came across that way!  forcing the tyre on with your hands (which i agree is fairly hard to do, especially with the last part) seems like a silly thing to do when theres tyre levers
> joe


Spelling tire in UK English is so hot. Rawr.

That is all.


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

catzilla said:


> ...
> But asking for women to come out of the woodwork raising their hands as weary of carrying out such an act immediately before banging your digital head that your girlfriend had a few hiccups, well, it comes off as a tad douchebaggy. On the bright side, it would have come off as a tad douchebaggy in the Beginner's Forum or GD as well...


^^ This. Well put Catzilla.


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

verslowrdr said:


> Oh road tires, how I loathe thee...
> 
> My husband has very strong hands and I've seen him resort to levers with certain thick/stiff sidewalled tires...


Right?

I'm incredibly envious of everyone who can man-handle a rim (heh) and tire. Lee Press On Nails be damned, but I've never been able to change a tire without levers.

Correction. I've never been able to change a tire without 3 levers. Stupid girl hands.

On a side note: I'm thinking that lots of menfolk out on the trails (and checking out the girl's locker room here in the Women's Lounge) may be under the impression that most women can't change their own tires because I'll be damned if one of y'all isn't nice enough to offer up your services any time you see a damsel in distress.

Thing is, regardless of whether we can change our own tires, it's too cute watching y'all stroke a mini-pump until your red in the face to pass up.


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## [email protected] (Dec 3, 2008)

catzilla said:


> Spelling tire in UK English is so hot. Rawr.
> 
> That is all.


haha thank you i guess, and that would be because i live in the UK :thumbsup:


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## santacruzchick (Jun 27, 2007)

catzilla said:


> Spelling tire in UK English is so hot. Rawr.
> 
> That is all.


he he he he he he (covering mouth and holding sides so boss doesn't hear me laugh at stuff I'm not s upposed to be looking at on the internet!) ha ha ha ha.


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## MtbRN (Jun 8, 2006)

sigh... can I just say:

"weary" = "tired". 
Used in a sentence: "Jerk Chicken's gf was _weary_ of changing flats for all of her mountain biking friends"

"wary" = "cautious".
Used in a sentence: "Jerk Chicken's gf was _wary_ of letting him know she could not change a flat without hiccups, lest he bang his head against a wall"

Just sayin'


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

MtbRN said:


> sigh... can I just say:
> 
> "weary" = "tired".
> Used in a sentence: "Jerk Chicken's gf was _weary_ of changing flats for all of her mountain biking friends"
> ...


Heh.

I'm so busted.


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## gregg (Sep 30, 2000)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> No, you're actually electing to see it that way, which is not the way I presented it, nor intended it.
> 
> If this thread goes down the usual road of bashing of an outsider because you fail to understand a question in the simplest, most reduced form it was presented in, it's not my flaw in the least. If you choose to look at it productively, and in the best (and perhaps correct!) light, then you will have a productive thread, regardless of what you (falsely) assume it to be.


Please Jerk, don't try and pull the "it's not me, it's you" here. It's obvious from the responses that it's you.

Regardless of how your original query was intended, it's how it's perceived that matters. (I've been married long enough to know that this is the simple truth.)

The reactions elicited here are a clear indicator of what was presented. The original wording could have been different, and the responses would have been more positive. The little headbanging smiley that you chose to use says a lot, really.

Now, I DO believe that you did not intentionally post this as flamebait. However, you have definitely "stepped in it", as most men do, from time to time. And your subsequent defensiveness does little to help the situation.

I'm not sure what kind of "moderator actions" are expected here, but I'll leave it up to the local sheriffs from this point forward.

-g


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

If my boyfriend criticized the way I change my tires, then I would make him change them.
I get weary of criticism long before I get weary of changing tires.

By the way, I don't make my boyfriend prove himself by insisting he make my 5 star meatloaf to see if he's "retained the concept". I know he would fix himself some meatloaf if he was lost in the woods on a trail... oh wait, not a good analogy. But you get the idea.


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## connie (Mar 16, 2004)

Impy said:


> If my boyfriend criticized the way I change my tires, then I would make him change them.
> I get weary of criticism long before I get weary of changing tires.
> 
> By the way, I don't make my boyfriend prove himself by insisting he make my 5 star meatloaf to see if he's "retained the concept". I know he would fix himself some meatloaf if he was lost in the woods on a trail... oh wait, not a good analogy. But you get the idea.


HA! I love it.

And your first two sentences there are so true. I have to admit, I also tend to have something of an "if you're going to stand there and complain about how I'm doing it, you can do it your damn self" policy.

Though to be honest, when we're on trails, fixing flats is most often a joint effort. It's quicker that way - less standing around for everyone.


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## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

fix a flat? what are they doing out of the kitchen!?


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## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

i think it was condescending, even if unintentional, to ask here though. 

it would be like asking if guys can cook on a cooking forum.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

verslowrdr said:


> Oh road tires, how I loathe thee...
> 
> My husband has very strong hands and I've seen him resort to levers with certain thick/stiff sidewalled tires. Maybe it's not proper form but if done carefully it can work.
> 
> Another trick I used last week while putting a couple of husband's tires on my rims to test ride was using my feet to get more leverage... I got the tires on as far as I could with my hands, then stepped on one side of the almost-seated section and got it on farther with my hand, and finally stepped on both sides of the last section with a bit of a roll to the outside and used my hands to 'pop' the rim upwards with a slight twist to get the last part of the sidewall over. I'm sure someone will point out that this method could easily result in pinch flats, crud in the tire, etc... but it worked.


OK, here it is _*Levers? Levers? We Don't Need No Stinking Levers!*_* (How to change a flat bicycle tire)*

From teamestrogen.com and the best how-to I have found.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

connie said:


> ...I have to admit, I also tend to have something of an "if you're going to stand there and complain about how I'm doing it, you can do it your damn self" policy...


This policy goes both ways at our house FWIW. Nobody appreciates being nagged. :nono:


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## MaggieG (May 27, 2009)

*you poor jerk  (fun to say!)*

I think it's _sort of_ been said, but basically... for MOST women (not necessarily most mtb women) when it comes to technical stuff especially, there's sort of a dynamic where (unless the woman learned it on her own, or in a class), the bf/whatever guy is there, especially if he taught her, is going to take that role forever... until she's asked to do it (and is flustered perhaps!) or is "left to her own devices" as someone aptly put it. Also, no matter how good I am at something repair-related, I freak out if a guy's watching me. I just give up and let him do it. So ya, I've been changing "tyres" (ahh) for years but ... I can think of several guys I'd let take over for me out of an uncalled-for feeling of relative general inadequacy. That said, I really look up to the ladies who "just do it." So resourceful. I wanna be like you when I grow up.

(Now, removing my Isis drive hussefelt HEX NUTS is another story entirely. Apparently I HADN'T gained enough weight over the winter, 'cause all my weight does NOTHING!  )

Jerk: It's a valid question for people curious about how women deal with such an issue... or who want to know if their gf is performing at the expected level? I'm still not sure what you were trying to find out... just relating? Finding out if this is normal and if you are to expect better in the future? Are you actually frustrated with her hiccups or just sympathizing with her troubles?

(First post! Yay me?)

EDIT: I'm also curious how many ladies fix their own bikes, but... I think I'll do a search first and see what I see...


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## TheotherH (Jan 21, 2004)

> Anyhow, so who doesn't know, or has an idea of the concept, but is weary of the ability to actually carry it out?


If you had written this in a more positive light, people would have responded more positively. People are always a bit wary the first time they try something new; practice and experience brings confidence and less "hiccups".

BTW - I fix my own flats. If my SO is around and he offers to do it, great. Saves me a nail or two and a bit of swearing (as related to small hands and wire bead or DH tires)


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## Fiona (Aug 21, 2005)

Stripes said:


> Jerky: If my husband criticized me the way you criticize your wife, we would no longer be married.


Obviously, he needs her to take speed tube changing lessons from the ogre. 

Fiona


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## Gringo (Feb 25, 2004)

Nice job ladies! You gave me an entertaining reason to unblock Jerk's responses from my MTBR settings for a couple of days!

Rest assured he's watching this thread constantly!


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## simian23 (Aug 13, 2004)

JC, you still haven't directly answered a question put to you multiple times in this thread: why did you post this question in the women's lounge?

FWIW, most of the women I've ridden with (I'm a guy) don't have much practice fixing flats, because they rarely, if ever, flat. Probably because they are all so light @ 100 - 130 lbs. One girl I rode with a few weeks ago has raced DH and BMX at the expert level for years, and on our ride had her first flat EVER. She is an awesome rider, but she was really slow fixing that flat. I have no doubt she'll be quicker next time.

So even though I think the OP's question was poorly worded, it does lead me to speculate that some women have less practice fixing mechanical issues on the trail because they simply experience fewer mechanical issues due to lower weight and less stress on parts, and maybe even different riding styles.


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

connie said:


> And your first two sentences there are so true. I have to admit, I also tend to have something of an "if you're going to stand there and complain about how I'm doing it, you can do it your damn self" policy.
> .


"You're doing it WRONG!"


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

Impy said:


> "You're doing it WRONG!"


That's the kind of phraseology that kicks off a few family legends that get re-told every time we get together. Grandma had 10 kids so there's a vast repository of marital cautionary tales, although my dad's is probably the favorite. The story really got spinning when he barked at my mom "I don't have time for that crap!" regarding something my sister needed to do for school. Hilarity ensues....


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## MaggieG (May 27, 2009)

Jerk_Chicken said:


> they're hell-bent on and meet all posts from males with sketicism


"Every post." Unbelievable. Despite all the redundant threads these ladies address quite graciously from yet another guy who wants help finding a bike for his GF. I've seen little aggression, reading in here for the last few months. It's all very pleasant.

"Skepticism." Excellent. I think you meant cynicism. That would be too bad.

If you did mean skepticism, that's not an insult. If you know anything about women, esp. NA women, you shouldn't be surprised. It's our (over-? ok) reaction to being met from almost every male with *scoffing * and dismissal when we try to do something he thinks is in his domain.. Not just _surprise_, which may be warranted, but condescending scoffing. Fixing a flat, ohmigosh. So manly. She can't do that, ha ha ha ha. Laugh at her!  We get it a lot. I'm guessing if you asked a bunch of mechanically inclined guys the same question, they'd swear at you and look at you as if you were an idiot. Same message, different language.

Hang out with gregg more... unless you enjoy fighting with women.

By the way, this is a women's forum, so.... for the most part you should only be here if you're geniunely interested in/curious about the state of women's mtb, or you're trying to help a female in your life enjoy mtb.

Am I wrong, ladies?


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

I'm admittedly light on most parts. I actually wore out all the springs and bearings in a derailleur on my old MTB, which tickled the LBS owner no end since they normally die from getting smashed.

I suspect the amount of flats one has to deal with is also a function of where you're riding though. When I lived in western Wa I had a number of flats from blackberry thorns, and now in central Wa there's wild rose to deal with as well as very sharp basalt and shale. I've also had to deal with a number of flats on the road bike from bits of radial tire wires, especially in early spring before the winter debris is washed off the shoulders. I would imagine riding dirt near urban areas where wire, metal, and glass often gets dumped could be another major hassle-factor.


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

Stripes said:


> I dunno, I was thinking we should wear shirts like this just for jerky:


I'm smelling an "official" women's lounge jersey. Similar to the RBR Lounge jersey, but with fewer curses attached too it. Perhaps with "but I'm having too much fun riding my bike" added to the bottom of the image?


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## catzilla (Jan 31, 2004)

CougarTrek said:


> I'm smelling an "official" women's lounge jersey. Similar to the RBR Lounge jersey, but with fewer curses attached too it. Perhaps with "but I'm having too much fun riding my bike" added to the bottom of the image?


Seriously, right?

Except, I figured it'd have more curses...


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## santacruzchick (Jun 27, 2007)

I feel no need to open my mouth (stretch my fingers?) on a topic that I'm usually effusive about. Imagine that? Good job, ladies!
Except for this:
A few years ago my husband found a dirt-bike tire lever on the trail. Of course it is bigger and heavier and made of metal, but there is absolutely no bike tire (even wire beads!) that you cannot pop off the rim in a second with this. Just a thought. There are also these things called "sticks" that are essentially bigger and beefier plastic versions of bike tires that might help.


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## MaggieG (May 27, 2009)

Haha, cool.

I'm guessing the married mtbers get more flak than us single ones. I can say "I'm single, my time is my time, no one complains if I'm cut up, I'll do what I want. " And then the person bugging me is clearly jealous, especially if it's a married guy. 

Hey, Jerk_C. Are you going to let/make/have/whatever your gf fix her next flat? Do you think she'll want to? How did she feel about the experience afterwards?

For your credit, I doubt you were trying to say that we belong in the kitchen. Enjoyable as it is to be spunky, you don't seem opposed to your own gf being an mtber.

(yay! finally got my crank bolts off! just needed a cheater bar and some degreaser to set in)


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

catzilla said:


> Seriously, right?
> 
> Except, I figured it'd have more curses...


I'd go in on one, sure. And you are right, it might have more curses, time will tell :thumbsup:


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## MtbRN (Jun 8, 2006)

catzilla said:


> Seriously, right?
> 
> Except, I figured it'd have more curses...


"but I'm having too much fun riding my #$%! bike" ??


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

MtbRN said:


> "but I'm having too much fun riding my #$%! bike" ??


I was thinking of the other kind of curses (that have been plaguing the RBR Lounge jerseys) ie: excessive flats (appropriate for this thread), nasty crashes, etc.

But, that kind could work as well!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

MtbRN said:


> "but I'm having too much fun riding my #$%! bike" ??


You've seen that sticker that shows a pic of a bike, "put some fun between your legs"


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## Videogirl32 (Jun 17, 2008)

MaggieG said:


> EDIT: I'm also curious how many ladies fix their own bikes, but... I think I'll do a search first and see what I see...


In fact yes, I can fix a flat on my own and do my own maintenance. My bf made me learn when I started riding with him cause ya never know when ya might get stuck on the trail by yourself. Here is a bike that I did a lot of work on.


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## verslowrdr (Mar 22, 2004)

Where the heck can one view said RBR jerseys? Me searchie, no findie....


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

verslowrdr said:


> Where the heck can one view said RBR jerseys? Me searchie, no findie....


Try here:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=167835&highlight=lounge+jersey


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