The only reason to spend more would be to save weight. Then they promptly have a second flat, and everyone else laughs at them. Always check your tire for what caused the flat, get rid of it, and drag around a patch kit just in case. They have a wide body—a different shape than other models we tested—and that prevents breakage, but more important, the broad, flat surface area of the tip helps it stay locked under your tire.
When a lever slips from under the bead of the tire, you can end up repeatedly scraping your knuckles on the spokes of the wheel, which is so annoying. More than any other tool in the kit, a reliable lever makes changing a tire easier, especially if you have road bike tires, which are difficult to remove.
However, throughout testing, levers seemed to be the one item more prone to failure and poor design than anything else. For example, I found a random orange lever floating around my basement and I threw it in the test pool for fun—it seemed solid enough It bent directly in half, slowly and smoothly, like taffy, and then was boomerang shaped forevermore. Versatile and compact, this pump will fill the flat-fixing needs of any commuter while on the road.
They will never work as well—pumping a tire without using the ground for leverage is awkward at best and demoralizing at worst. Among all the pumps we tested, nothing reached this level of quality at the same price. The standout feature is the detachable hose that accommodates both Presta and Schrader valves. Then, instead of relying on friction or a thumb lock—the other two common methods of attaching a handheld pump to a valve—you screw the other end onto the threaded tip of your valve.
Every time, the seal held fast no matter how hard we pumped. And like all hose attachments, this one reduces the odds of bending or even breaking the valve. The Pressure Drive is advertised as a low-volume, high-pressure pump for road bikes, and we were able to get to psi on our c tire in strokes.
It took us strokes to fill a hybrid tire to 35 psi, and strokes to get a mountain bike tire to 30 psi. There goes all your hard-earned air, in a rush! If you like to use valves with removable cores—you know who you are—the Pressure Drive has an integrated valve core tool.
This is also what you need to fix a leaky stem, which could be the cause of your flat in the first place. If you ride a mountain bike or any kind of tire that has a very low psi rating, a high-volume, low-pressure pump may be a better choice to take on the trail with you. Lezyne also provides a two-year warranty that covers manufacturer defects, and you can replace worn-out O-rings and the like with replacement parts from the Lezyne site.
This sleek, pocketable, minimalistic tool gets most jobs done. Writer Peter Flax, the former editor-in-chief of Bicycling magazine, rode over 1, miles and tested 15 tools for our now-archived full-length guide to multi-tools, and he concluded the Topeak Mini 9 is the best for casual cyclists.
It includes nine tools: seven hex bolts, one torx bolt the star-shaped one , and a Phillips screwdriver also the star-shaped one. Like Peter says in our guide, if you have a newer mountain bike or road bike it pays to take a quick look at what types of tools you need, as torx bolts are becoming more common. And a quick glance at the bottom of your shoes or derailleur bolts will confirm if a Phillips head is the right choice.
Otherwise, this tool should serve the average commuter well. The Phillips head will tighten loose bolts on shoe cleats or the rear derailleur. Constructed identically to models that cost twice as much. On the left above is our top pick, the BV, and on the right the Serfas Speed Bag, another option much loved by Amazon users. The BV however, is half the price. One key difference, that you can see in the photo, is that the BV uses buckles instead of Velcro on the straps that attach the bag to the underside of the saddle, something much more important than it may seem.
The fabric attachment system is low-tech, but that seems to be helpful, as it can adapt to seat rails of different widths. One fancier option you might see on more expensive seat bags is a quick-release mount that you install under your saddle. But those have a fixed width, and therefore can fit under seats with only those exact specs.
Brooks saddles, for example, are too wide for these mounts. Which size is right for you? It depends. They are meant for emergency tools. This is how your patch supplies fit into the size medium BV seat bag, or ish cubic inches. Tube sizes vary widely—this one is smallish, for a c road tire.
A inch tire, like you would see on a hybrid bike, is much bigger. It zips open to create more room. With it unzipped, we could cram a wallet, keys, and phone inside the medium as well.
One flaw? Seat bags can block taillights. This one has a loop on the outside you can clip your blinker to. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Email Address:. Get posts delivered to your email! Home About Our Site Welcome! Posts Comments. Rate this:. Like this: Like Loading February 6, at pm.
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Blog at WordPress. Follow Following. BP Join 69 other followers. A ziplock bag and some baby powder will mitigate most of these abuses. My experience has been different. Show 5 more comments. James Schek James Schek 1 1 gold badge 8 8 silver badges 14 14 bronze badges. There seems to be a wide range of kevlar liners, any particular preference? Moab Mr Tuffy have been around for a while and are perhaps among the original liners. They have worked great for me.
I have liners and they do work, but the thorn went in right next to where the liner stopped coverage on the side, I think the tube gods hate me. The pneumatic tire is ancient technology, there is a fortune to be made reinventing it.
I am amazed at how some technology screams into the future, and others, well, don't. Look how long it took to get rid of the carburetor, the Kitty Hawk had gravity fed fuel injection in I use Mr.
Tuffy as well. Yup--I've had the same thing happen to me as well. I found it to be a bigger problem on fat tires than skinny for some reason. I also use Mr. Haven't had a flat in years when combined with my Gatorskin tires. The extra tube or tubes is a good idea, but still, you can't go wrong with the patch kit.
Are you riding on- or off-road? Mostly paved, I ride through the woods about 50 yards, then down an abandoned gravel road and over railroad tracks to a paved road. Thorns are brutal here in Texas and long enough to easily overcome knobby tires. I am contemplating pumping the tires full of urethane. I'd suggest looking into 26" touring tires. The Schwalbe Marathons are well thought of and close to the gold standard for tourists, but they're not cheap or light.
Thanks, they look like nice tires, bookmarked. Don't have my size in the MTB : - — Moab. The internal pressure is important to stopping sharp objects coming through. There is also the MTB context of snake-bites. God has not spoken on the subject - but there are plenty of claims on the internets that you have to properly inflate tyres to stop them getting flats. I also have my own anecdotal experience, getting a flat recently all of ten minutes after my first in eons.
The glass was different colour, I had pumped the tyre with mini-pump so it was more susceptible. Mathew - Although I meant punctures of this type , you make a good point. Have edited my answer. Show 3 more comments. Looks like tire sealant, is it any better than the rest on the market? I wonder I should just put the sealant in, saves on tubeless tires. I don't know. I used that because it was recommended by my local shop.
I have no complain about it. Downside, if you do have a flat you're kinda screwed. What's your plan if it happens - do you carry a spare tube anyway?
Criggie yes, I do. I also carry a foam based tire sealant, something like this , and something similar to the Sahmurai Sword. I only use the tube when those alternatives also fail. I only needed to use the spare tube once in about five years though! GuestJohn GuestJohn 11 1 1 bronze badge. Gidday and welcome to SE Bicycles. That's a good first answer, thank you for your contribution. Never ever do anything that would make you grumpy, if you saw another rider doing it.
Leaving tubes behind is a terrible thing to do! Glueless patches aka glorified stickers seem to work fine on MTB tubes, but road bikes just aren't worth bothering. Road bike tubes are smaller and lighter though so you can carry two.
Finally, proper patching requires minutes for the vulcanising fluid to do its job. Rushing this step leaves you with a bad patch. I have been having problems with stick ons, I have one that is holding well for months now, but a second one that keeps failing within a day, not sure what I am doing wrong.
I guess I will fall back to the glue type on that puncture spot. Well, the hole is always on the seam and I think you still need to abrade the surface for the stick-ons too. PArk ones have not let me down yet though This assumes that both the tire and rim strip are fitted and installed properly and that there are no pinch flats.
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