Turning Bike Upside Down to Fix Punctures?

Common trait on STW = believing that the way that they like to do things is some kind of universal example of best practise that everyone else should copy, otherwise they are dicks.

Of course! Being convinced that yours is the one and only best way to approach ANY subject is one of the differences between STW users and people who post on line.

LOL at thepurist, too true.

Do you have rim brakes?

I don’t, but find it far easier right way up, that’s supported by everyone who works with bikes!

My mate told me off for turning his bike over to take the wheels off so I could put them in the car. I thought he was joking at first but he took the bike off me and but the bars on some grass. Apparently he didn’t want to scratch his new XTR leavers. I’m not fussed about turning mine over a little bit of a scratch is no bother to me

Too bloody right, I’d be pissed off! I expect a lot of people would be annoyed if I wandered over to their car and started kicking the door in!

Bike right way up it just slots straight in.

No.
It.
*******.
Doesn’t.

Too bloody right, I’d be pissed off! I expect a lot of people would be annoyed if I wandered over to their car and started kicking the door in!

It’s a mountain bike FFS! If you ever did any actual mountain biking rather than just riding round in circles in a flat, muddy field then your bike would have all sorts of scuffs, scrapes and dings on it.

that’s supported by everyone who works with bikes

Do I not count because I only work on bikes?

Whenever I have tried to put the wheel on with the bike the right way up, and not in a stand, it has been a bloody nightmare you need 3 hands and everything flops around. With the bike in a stand its a different story the bike is stable and yo can concentrate on holding the mech out of the way and lining up the disc. I don’t tend to carry a stand when riding my bike or when in trail centre car parks.

If you ever did any actual mountain biking rather than just riding round in circles in a flat, muddy field then your bike would have all sorts of scuffs, scrapes and dings on it.

Why would it? I forget the last time I saw Steve Peat’s bike covered in “scuffs, scrapes and dings”, nor Sam Hill’s, nor Greg Minaar’s. They probably do more ‘proper’ mountain biking than you.

I don’t do much riding round muddy fields either 🙄

Happy with the use my bike gets, just like to look after it, don’t see an issue with that. The car analogy stands. Can I please come and kick your door in?

njee20 – Member
> Do you have rim brakes?
I don’t, but find it far easier right way up, that’s supported by everyone who works with bikes!

Ah – you’ve done some sort of analysis/poll then? I don’t recall being asked my opinion.

In the women’s XC at Houffalize last week one of the riders jammed her chain quite a way from the pit. Instead of turning the bike upside down, seeing what was wrong and getting a decent go at it, she repeatedly tried to free it by holding the bike upright with one hand whilst pulling ineffectually at the chain with the other. Eventually she gave up and ran 1/3 of a lap to the pit.

Chains can get very jammed in the BB, of course but I suspect she’d have got it out if she’d only turned the bike over…

My mate has issues with his XTR shifters/brakes, which is fine at that price (not that my cheaper versions touch the ground when I flip the bike).

Why would it? I forget the last time I saw Steve Peat’s bike covered in “scuffs, scrapes and dings”, nor Sam Hill’s, nor Greg Minaar’s. They probably do more ‘proper’ mountain biking than you.

Thats because they have men paid to take care of their bikes and get free replacement parts fitted often.

Injee20 – that’s because when something of theirs gets scuffed or dinged their sponsors give them a new one. Do you get the same?

If you want to keep your mountain bike pristine that’s up to you, just don’t be so precious about it, and dont sneer at other people for turning their bikes upside down. Honestly, this place is like a parody of itself at times.

Do you get the same?

I’ve already said that I replace my grips if they get ripped, and I would my saddle too. Only ripped a couple of SLRs that I can recall, but I replaced them.

I’m not sneering at folk not caring about their bikes (that only seems to work the other way), I’m saying that I genuinely don’t understand folk finding it easier, with the irksome byproduct (for me) that it makes damage to the bike more likely. YMMV!

Now… can I please come and kick your car door in?

Way to knacker your grips/GPS/stem/lockout lever!

GPS- Nope – Have a folding GPS printed on some paper in my camelbak
Stem – Riser Bars so no worries there.
Lockout – Nope, that’s on the fork.

So just grips then… and they’re already covered in crap.

Wheels deffo go in a lot easier with the bike upside down.

Your car analogy is just bollocks. It’s more like someone getting all precious over tiny scratches on a rally car.

I’m not sneering at folk not caring about their bikes (that only seems to work the other way), I’m saying that I genuinely don’t understand folk finding it easier, with the irksome byproduct (for me) that it makes damage to the bike more likely. YMMV!

Yeah you are – all thIs ‘everyone who works in the bike industry knows I’m right’ stuff is clearly implying anyone who disagrees is stupid. And I care plenty about my bike, just not about inconsequential cosmetic damage.

It’s a mountain bike FFS! If you ever did any actual mountain biking rather than just riding round in circles posting on the internet pretending you ride bikes

FTFY

Your car analogy is just bollocks

Why? It’s about wanting to keep things nice. What that thing is is fairly irrelevant. Enough people ask about helitape and what not that I’m not on my own there!

There is unavoidable damage (such as stone chips on a car, and some paint damage to a bike from crashing etc) which are annoying, but to compound that without caring I just don’t really get. That’s like me kicking your door in. But if you prefer, I’ll just come and take a heavy blunt instrument to your frame, sounds satisfying!

The last time I fixed a flat (snakebite on the CX bike), just laid it on its side.

When getting bikes and stuff out of the car, when riding away from home, they normally get stood upside down, though. Mainly so there’s not a load of bikes, wheels, camelbaks, track pump, etc. scattered all round the car taking up 2 more bays and half the lane.

Njeee…in a bike shop, working on someone elses bike, it would be frowned upon to turn a customers bike upside down, I agree.

Out on the trail, with your own bike, yes I do! I can put a wheel in either way up, but when you are trying to thread your disc in between the pads/trying to keep a singlespeed/alfine chain on both cogs when everything is covered in mud, it is much easier to be working from above. My lockons are years old (and they are a revelation over normal grips, especially when you want to reuse the grips that you hairsprayed on 18 months ago) My bikes are there to be used. They get stacked on each other in the car with the only nod towards aesthetics being a car mat thrown between them if anything important looking is rubbing on something spiky.

I did once get moaned at after putting my bike on someones car roof rack; I wiped a little dried mud off the frame where the clamp would hold my frame, it didn’t even cross my mind that a car would be so precious that a sprinkling of dirt would be a problem!

I scrub my tyres when I clean my bike. I also store it upside down.

But then it does live in the house so no point having a clean bike & muddy tyres and it keeps my fork seals lubed too.

100! Wow, reckon this is my most ‘popular’ thread ever!

Njeee…in a bike shop, working on someone elses bike, it would be frowned upon to turn a customers bike upside down, I agree.

And why is that? Altogether now:
Because you’re more likely to damage it.

Of course I turn the bike over – makes fitting the wheels so much easier.

I thought that everyone who ticked the upside down button was taking the P***. But you were serious! Jezzz, what sort muppet would do that.
Its like saying “can one of you girls help me (flutter flutter) all the air has gone out the wheel thing at the front!”

njee20 – quick you’d best ring Fox and inform of them of how dangerous their recommendation to store bikes upside down is. There could be a hefty class action lawsuit coming their way!

http://www.mojo.co.uk/media%20pix/ForkFlyerWeb.pdf

Huh, when did I suggest it dangerous to store your bike upside down? Just said turning it upside down on the trail was more likely to do damage whilst (IMO) making it harder to put the wheels in.

upside down

advantages outweigh the disadvantages

one guy i ride with gets really precious about his shifters/brakes/grips/saddle which is fine, he doesnt get any help when he has a puncture.

Much easeier to put the wheels in with the bike upside down – simply no coparison

Much easeier to put the wheels in with the bike upside down – simply no coparison

Only there is, because, IMO, it’s significantly faster and easier to do it the right way up. As said previously to say there’s no comparison is just retarded. Again, you’ll not see a quicker wheelchange than a well performed pro-tour road rider, they don’t turn the bike upside down!

he doesnt get any help when he has a puncture.

Does he need it!? Does someone need to hold his hand when he crosses the road as well!? 🙄

TJ – remember the aeroplane/conveyor belt threads where someone takes a stupid and obviously wrong contrary position just to prolong the argument? That’s the role that njee20 is playing in this one.

So – the bike is on a conveyor belt is it?

*confuzzled*

TJ – remember the aeroplane/conveyor belt threads where some Non Cyclist takes a stupid and obviously wrong contrary position just to prolong the argument?

Pulling a rear wheel off and laying your bike down on the mech/hanger/chain and big ring on the trail while you fix a puncture is a great idea.

Taking the time to turn your bike upside down, risking a very minor scratch to your grip lock rings if you have them (nothing else as you have set your bars up to turn your bike over) and allowing the lubricating oil in your forks a chance at getting past the upper bushing on a forced break is a terrible idea…

I can understand competition racers trying to be fast as possible.

I have fixed loads of punctures for people in our cycle group – all upside down. If anybody gets grumpy (they havent yet) thats fine, but DIYFS!!

blimey.

either way, depending on I don’t know what. more likely to be “right” way up, but I’m sure there are times when I’d flip the bike, like if I’m lubing the chain as well.

But I’m not so surprised about anyone doing one or the other that I’d get all uppity about it. People who do are dicks.

Well put, Grum.

grum – Member
Common trait on STW = believing that the way that the way you like to do things is some kind of universal example of best practise that everyone else should copy, otherwise they are dicks

is this still actually happening?

And good point mr plow.

Unless you’ve got a helper who’s going to hold your bike in the air while you’re fixing the puncture, you’re going to be laying the bike down, probably touching the chain in the dirt at some point, and certainly a pedal, bar plug, skewer crank arm, mech.

Pick what you don’t mind being scuffed.

Yes alex222. It is?

Are you saying you don’t agree with people arguing for hundreds of posts about how to fix a puncture?

Hmmm?

I always used to turn upside down, but now I’ve seen this

TandemJeremy – Member
Of course I turn the bike over…

I’ll be a ‘right way upper’ next time 😉

if I ever see you njee12 (or any other uptight condescending anally retentive person* who I suspect might be you) I’m going to throw mud at your bike and laugh as you sob into your marigolds that you’ve put on so your gloves don’t get wet when you sob into them

*ooooh get her

I think the previous owner of my “very good condition” XT shifters used to put their bike upside down in mud. When I got them they were full of mud and grit 👿