Flat or punctured tire while out on a bike ride (or just commuting by bicycle) doesn't have to ruin your day! Before you head out on your new (or even old) bike, you can pad your peace of mind a bit by making sure you know what to carry and how to affect this most common 'mechanical' fix while out on the road or trail.
Replacing or patching flat tire.
First off, what type of tires are you using? Currently there are three types of tires available... Four, if you count the solid airless tire like Tannus. As solid tires aren't going to go flat and require road/trail-side repair, I am only including clincher, tubular, and tubeless tires in this post. Here is a good video discussing their differences.
Note that tubeless tires do occasionally go flat (perhaps it wasn't correctly seated or sealed when installed, or it got slashed rather than punctured... and the breach is too big for the sealant to handle). When tubeless tire goes poof on the road, they tend to get very messy (as in the sealant getting splashed out of the still rotating tire before you come to a stop, and there's a gooey mess everywhere) and takes longer to fix than clincher tires would.
And, yes, fixing a proper tubeless flat on the side of the road/trail would still require that you carry a spare inner tube and/or a patch kit. Don't leave home without it!
I am also excluding the tubular tires from this post as they are generally too big a pain as to be impractical to do on the road/trail-side. Most non-racing pros aren't using them anyhow (neither do we have a support car following us around to help with the stuff).
So, once you've figured out what type of tire you have (and whether you can fix it on the road/trail-side or not), you need to carry the correct flat repair tools and the correct size spare tubes (and a patch kit that hopefully is not older than a year, or the glue may have dried off, rendering it useless). Click here to go to the 'how to look up what size spare tube you need for your bike' post.
- How to take the rear wheel off the bike
Here is a good video on how to take the wheel off most types of bicycles (including how to release various types of brakes to make room for the tire to come out).
Note: You don't want to touch the disc brake rotor with your bare hand like he does in the video. That would tend to deposit skin oil to the rotor surface, causing the annoying brake squeals. If that happens, clean the rotor with rubbing alcohol (like the alcohol pads from the first aid kit) to de-squeal, and you should be good to go.
Also, another good thing to carry in your saddle bag if your bike is equipped with the disc brakes is a pair of disc brake caliper spacer pads. Once the wheel is removed from the bike, you'd put these pads in between the brake calipers to prevent them from slamming shut should the brake lever gets accidentally pressed. Why? Because such things do happen, and when they do, there is just about no chance that you could pry them open enough by the roadside to allow the rotor to pass thru so you could put the wheel back on.
And that... would be bad.
How to repair flat tire while on a ride.
Here are a couple of good videos on how to replace inner tube.
I think she does an amazing job. Would just note that it is also good to eyeball the rim tape (what the inner tube sits on on the wheel) to make sure no spoke-end is poking around or thru the rim tape to puncture the tube.
Here is a more detailed (and long) video on how to change the inner tube. Very fine tips and details. Unlike him, though I - like the lady in the first clip - prefer to work the tire beads in starting at and then away from the valve stem rather than the other way around (finishing at the valve).
I use Continental Gatorskin or Hardshell on my one go-anywhere-bike when riding on the roads, which is where I ride most of the time these days (I switch to cyclocross tires when hitting the trails on the same bike). And both the Gatorskin and the Hardshell are notoriously tight-fitting tires, especially when they're of the wired-bead variety rather than the more flexible folding variety. So, the last bit of beading the tire onto the rim is usually a work out. I don't ever use tire lever to push the last bit of bead in, but use the palm of my hands to massage it in. And, I don't like the idea of introducing a lot of force and/or movement to the tire/tube right near where the valve stem is. So... I start at the valve stem, and finish across the wheel from it.
How to patch a tube.
So, what happens if you caught a flat and don't have any spare tube available? Hopefully, you at least have a patch kit in the saddle bag that isn't so old as to have come unglued!
But, what if you don't have even a patch kit available and not on bus line... or within area serviced by taxi or ride-sharing vehicle?
I almost had to resort to one of these fixes once after catching 5 separate flats on a single ride out in a very remote part of the county... up in the mountains. They were all goat's head thorn punctures ganging up on my aged Gatorskins that had been subjected to too many trails riding ('cause I get trails-lust every now and then when hanging with the cars become a bit tiresome). I had gone nearly two years without any flat, and then, boom! Five flats out in the middle of nowhere, and actually depleting my overkill supply of 4 spare tubes, a patch kit (alas, was two years old and all the glue had dried up), and 5 CO2 cannisters. C'est la vie.
Tubeless flat repair.
Just because you use a tubeless set up doesn't mean that you should go riding around without carrying a spare inner tube that fits your tires! If you manage to slash that tire enough to require putting in a boot, you're going to need to put in an inner tube to ride home on.
Another good demo video... for good measure.
Last, but not least... flat repair for eBikes.
Obviously, this operation would be quite more complicated if your ebike isn't equipped with a stand, as ebikes are much heavier than regular pedal bikes. Most of these ebikes fat tires come with Schrader valve, so, you can probably roll into the nearest gas station and use the car air pump there to re-inflate. The car pump will likely max out around 35-40psi, though.
And, a more professional demo on ebike flat repair.
Whatever bike you choose to ride, be sure to research what type of tools and spare parts you need to have on hand to be able to fix a flat on the road/trail-side! We've come a long way since the 2010s when bike parts were more uniform. Nowadays there are many different wheel sizes and tire sizes rolling on the road, and you can't count on being able to bum a tube off someone else when your tire goes poof. Prepare for the worst and enjoy your ride!
In recent years many cycling challenges have caught avid cyclists' imagination. From setting a goal to ride a metric century (100 km or miles), a proper century, completing one or many of the strenuous organized rides like the Belgian Waffle Ride or Unbound Gravel or even the Race Across America (RAAM), but perhaps none seem as doable as well as undoable at the same time as completing an everest.
George Vargas and Lori Hoechlin (in pink REV kits) are San Diego County's everest king and queen.
Everesting, of course, refers to the practice of repeatedly climbing the same hill until one has reached the elevation gain equal to the height of Mt Everest (8,848 m or 29,029ft) on a single ride. It is a fantastic feat of endurance and stamina, and typically takes the upward of 8 hrs to complete.
For a stretch of a road to be everesting-friendly, for me, it should be steep enough to enable significant elevation gain per repeat, but not so steep that you can't repeat it enough times to complete the ride. It should also be relatively safe traffic-wise and not very technical on the descent (so you wouldn't end up killing yourself riding down in a zombic state), and, unless you have a SAG support car with toilet facility, has easy access to a restroom and drinking water/food.
If you are looking for a suitable climb to everest on in San Diego County, here are ten good candidates to consider.
Cabrillo Rd (Tidepool Hill)
1. Cabrillo Rd (Tidepool) in Cabrillo National Park (entry fee/park pass required to use): [1.6 miles/ 302ft: 97 repeats]
Restrooms & water available at the visitor center, and also at the first tidepool parking at the bottom of the hill. This spot stays nice and cool even during the summer months, being right next to the ocean. Automobile traffic is very light and generally slow moving. It is, however, short, and requires almost a hundred repeats to get to the requisite 29029 ft of elevation gain for everesting.
Oh, there is a handful of days each year when entry fee is waived at all national parks including Cabrillo. Find them at Cabrillo National Park website.
2. N Torrey Pines Rd (Outside) from Torrey Pines State Beach entrance to NU System Driveway traffic light: [3.2 miles/415 ft: 70 repeats]
Restrooms & water available at Torrey Pines State Beach parking lot (no fee for bikes to enter).
Before northbound (downhill) cycling on Torrey Pines Park Service Road (Inside) was banned in 2014, I would have suggested Torrey Pines Inside instead as the steeper average gradient there wouldn't require so many repeats (and the climb would be quite less boring and hot, being more exposed to the ocean breeze). But since we can't ride down inside the park anymore, the outside road is the better option for your quads. Do be careful crossing the road at the bottom of the descent, as there is no traffic light and there are many distracted drivers there looking more for a parking spot than for bicycle traffic!
N Torrey Pines Rd at Torrey Pines State Beach.
3. Fanuel/Cardeno Dr from Tourmaline St to Via Cabrera in Pacific Beach:[3.6 miles/521 ft: 56 repeats]
Restrooms & water available at Fanuel Park on the south end of Fanuel (at Mission Bay Boardwalk). You could do the whole length of Fanuel/Cardeno Dr and start at Fanuel Park, of course, but that adds many more traffic lights (and not much more climbing). The Mormon church parking lot at Tourmaline would make a good turn around point. I would also turn around at Via Cabrera instead of going all the way to the top at La Jolla Scenic Dr intersection for ease of turning (traffic is generally light on Cardeno Dr but more robust on La Jolla Scenic Dr).
Cardeno Dr
Nautilus St climb.
4. Nautilus St from Fay Ave to La Jolla Scenic Dr in La Jolla: [3.1 miles/ 465ft: 63 repeats]
Restrooms & water available at Coggan Family Aquatic Complex on the NW corner of Fay Ave at Nautilus. On the descent I would take the right at W Muirlands Dr to Fay Ave instead of staying on Nautilus for an easier turn-around back up the hill.
5. Alto Dr from Lemon Ave to Mt Helix Nature Theater in La Mesa: [3.6 miles/ 715 ft: 41 repeats]
Port-a-toilet and water available at Mt Helix Nature Theater. Park at the Nature Theater on top and descend down. There is a temptation to take a left turn right after the bridge over Mt Helix Dr's uphill lane and go against traffic for a short stretch to get to Alto Dr on the descent, but I would really caution against it. That sort of riding there gets more hazardous as you tire, and any accident there would really set back bikes - local residents relation. Please descend carefully on Alto Dr as it is very narrow and has many blind driveways, and the local folks like to come out and walk their hill. Expect people behind blind turns and stuff and don't rip down Alto Dr (don't be that person to convince the locals to get speed bumps installed on that lovely lane).
Alto Dr climb and descent on Mt Helix.
Alto Dr on Mt Helix
6. Mission Gorge Rd - Golfcrest in San Carlos: [3.6 miles/433 ft: 67 repeat + continue to Ruane St]
Restrooms & water available at Cowles Mountain Trailhead at the top of the climb.
I would do this in a clockwise loop rather than out-and-back, to descend down Jackson Dr and just keep on turning right without having to cross any road. Traffic is generally pretty light, though it does get quite hot in this neighborhood during the summer months.
Mission Gorge Rd climbing to Golfcrest Dr.
7. Honey Springs Rd from Hollenbeck Canyon Trailhead to Barber Mountain Rd in Jamul: [6.8 miles/ 1856ft: 16 repeats]
There is a port-a-toilet at Hollenbeck Canyon Trailhead staging area at the bottom of the climb, and a potable water spigot on the uphill side of the building (close to the stone bench) of Deerhorn Valley CDF fire station just past Jacob's red barn after Deerhorn Valley Rd turn off.
Honey Springs Rd
Deerhorn Valley CDF Fire Station water tap.
Honey Springs Rd is not recommended during the summer and early fall months due to excessive heat and when there is a wildfire closer than 10 miles from it (it being the lone paved escape route for Deerhorn Valley, Bratton Valley, and Mother Grundy communities).
8. S Twin Oaks Valley Rd from Village Dr to Ledge St traffic light just past the fire station in San Marcos: [3.6 miles/ 683ft: 43 repeats]
Restrooms & water available at Lakeview Trailhead Staging Area at Double Peak School traffic light.
I would make the bottom of this something of a loop, so that you would start from the roundabout where Village Dr meets Santa Barbara Dr and head east, turning right with the hill onto Sunstone, and then right up the hill on S Twin Oaks Valley Rd and climb to Ledge St, using the traffic light there to turn back down the hill on S Twin Oaks Valley Rd, turning right on S Village near the bottom of the descent and follow the road around the block to cross S Twin Oaks Valley Rd again. There you could either the left-turn back up the hill (or you could even go straight on Village across the intersection and then turn left at the Santa Barbara Dr roundabout and recommence the loop.
Lakeview Trailhead Staging Area restrooms & water.
9. San Elijo Rd from S Melrose Dr to Ledge St traffic light (fire station) in San Marcos: [3 miles/ 884 ft: 33 repeats]
Restrooms & water available at San Elijo Park (just down the hill from Schoolhouse Way). Like S Twin Oaks Valley Rd, this is a busy thoroughfare although with a consistent bike lane. When school is in expect heavy traffic at school rush hours... along with the usual rush hours. Both S Twin Oaks Valley Rd and San Elijo Rd are better for riding on weekends.
San Elijo Rd climbing through San Elijo Hills.
10. Palomar South Grade Rd (S6) from Oak Knolls Campground driveway to the intersection with Palomar East Grade Rd (S7) on Palomar Mountain: [13.1 miles/2493 ft: 12 repeats or 11 repeats and continue to around mile marker 46.6].
Restrooms and water available at Oak Knolls Campground and at Mother's Kitchen Restaurant at the top of the climb.
Palomar South Grade (S6) Rd.
Palomar South Grade Rd is not recommended on weekends and holidays due to sport-motorcycles and boaters traffic. It is also not recommended during the summer and early fall months due to excessive heat (and persistent and super pesky horse flies between 2000 and 5000 ft elevation markers).
There are 3 cattle grates on Palomar South Grade Rd.
This is the longest and most consistent climbing road on the list. From the first curve after Oak Knolls Campground all the way to the top the road constantly climbs at 6-9% grade in a series of wiggly curves. That makes it a favorite for local riders aiming to achieve an everest within San Diego County.
Of course, you could extend this to include Hwy 76 from Jilberto's Taco Shop where Hwy 76 meets Valley Center Rd and only have to do 7 repeats to attain the everest, but Hwy 76 is not all that safe to ride that many times on (especially when fatigued) in a day. You'd be running east-west on it's iffy shoulder (rumble-stripped when there is one) with both sunrise and sunset (blind drivers hours)... That is just not healthy.
Did I just see someone bicycling on the freeway shoulder? Is that even allowed??
Well, if you were driving on specific stretches of some freeways, you probably did!
Generally, bicycles and pedestrians are not allowed on the freeway, except for specific one-exit stretches where there is no reasonable surface street connecting point A to point B that a road bike can safely use.
These bike-legal stretches of the freeways are always only one-exit in length, and bikes are required to exit onto any rest area and to re-enter the freeway on the far side, so as to not cross any freeway access ramp.
How do you know which stretches of freeway are bike-legal?
If you are already driving on the freeway, you likely won't notice the bike-legal bits until it's almost over (there would be a little white sign on the right side of the freeway telling bicycles to exit, like the one in the last photo on this post). If you are entering the freeway at the start of a bike-legal stretch, the little white sign an the entrance of the on-ramp will not have 'bicycles' on its prohibited list.
Above is the usual sign you see entering a freeway on-ramp.
This is the sign you see entering a bike-legal stretch of a freeway. Note the absence of 'bicycles' on the prohibited list.
Just to clarify, class I and class II E-bikes are also allowed where regular pedal bikes are.
In San Diego County, the designated bikeable stretches of the freeways are:
1. I-5 shoulder between Las Pulgas Rd (Camp Pendleton) and Oceanside Harbor Dr (and sometimes, between Basilone Dr and Las Pulgas Rd).
This is due to USMC Camp Pendleton being an active military base. There is a designated bike route thru Camp P, but it requires a base access pass that is only available to US Citizens and Residents (how to apply for a Camp Pendleton base bike pass). And, even with the base pass, base access may also be suspended with little or no notice due to military activities. The I-5 shoulder between Las Pulgas Rd and Harbor Dr in Oceanside is therefore always bike-legal (except during construction/maintenance work on the freeway, in which case Caltrans will usually provide a shuttle service).
2. I-15 shoulder between Via Rancho/Bear Valley Pkwy in Escondido and W Bernardo/Pomerado Rd in Rancho Bernardo (across San Dieguito River). There is a pedestrian/bicycle bridge running parallel to the west of I-15 accessible from Sunset Dr in Escondido and W Bernardo Dr in Rancho Bernardo, but it lies in the San Dieguito River Preserve, the north side of the bridge is a dirt trail and is closed at night between sunset and sunrise.
3. I-8 shoulder between E Willow Rd in Alpine/Viejas and Hwy 79/Japatul Valley Rd in Descanso. The only other ways to travel between Alpine and Descanso are the dirt Viejas Grade Rd and Tavern - Japatul Rd - Japatul Valley Rd. Both of which add significantly more climbing and/or distance.
Please note that Caltrans is working on I-8 from the Vista Point rest area just east of E Willow Rd exit and on east for 10 miles starting in August 2022. This reduces eastbound lane to one travel lane, and no bicycles are allowed (a shuttle service for bikes needing to travel between E Willow and Hwy 79/Japatul Valley Rd, but you have to call, with likely significant wait time). More info at Caltrans. This only affects eastbound travel.
4. I-805 between Main St/Auto Park Dr and Palm Ave (Otay Valley).
5. I-125 (South Bay Expressway) between Birch Rd (Otay Ranch) and Otay Mesa Rd (Otay Mesa).
The I-5 shoulder between Sorrento Valley Rd and Genessee Rd used to be bike-legal until a few years ago when the separated bikeway (a segment of the North Coast Corridor Bikeway) opened. Now bicycles are no longer allowed on that stretch of the freeway.
In Imperial County to our east:
I-8 between In-Ko-Pah Rd. (Imperial County Line) and Junction with SR-98.
I-8 between Imperial Hwy and Dunaway Rd.
I-8 between Gordon’s Well Rd. and Ogilby Rd.
I-8 between Sidewinder Rd. and SR-188/Araz Rd.
Heading west on I-8 from Japatul Rd to E Willow Rd.
Bikes must exit the freeway at any rest area (and re-enter on the far side), and off-ramp. No crossing of freeway access ramp allowed.
Most cyclists are really not keen on riding on these freeway shoulders at all. Sure, the shoulders are usually roomy and relatively clean, but the discomfort of having cars zoom by at 60+ mph just a few feet away quite offsets for it. A few of these freeway shoulders are also not good for riding during wind events (the bridge over the Sweetwater River on I-8 and the long bridge over the Otay River Valley on I-805 and Hwy 125 come to mind).
If you see someone riding a bicycle on these stretches of freeway, they're doing it mostly out of necessity. Please be kind. They'll be taking the next exit off the freeway anyhow.
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