Turning Bike Upside Down to Fix Punctures?

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.

Bikes have 2 sides you know?

I lay it on pedal and bar end plug, both of which get scuffed fairly easily anyway, but I don’t look at either whilst riding, unlike my reservoir covers!

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

Get my username right if you’re going to come up with ‘hilarious’ comments! Mud isn’t a problem, that washes off, have no issues getting my bike dirty and using it properly, but for the fiftieth time I see no point in doing unnecessary damage to the most expensive thing I own! If you don’t care that’s fine!

If I ever meet you beaks, I’ll throw rocks at your frame, and laugh at the immense satisfaction of destroying someone else’s property, and you’ll be like a pig in shit anyway as you’re not fussed, so everyone wins, that’s a far better situation should we ever meet! 🙂

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.

Nothing like that (it would by the way, assume we’re all seeing sense on that finally?), because this is quantifiable. No one has yet answered that if it’s quicker/easier to turn it upside down why don’t we see professional riders and bike shop staff doing that?

I’ve always put my bike upside down to put wheels on/lube chain/change cranks, pedals & bb. Dunno why you wouldn’t, it’s much more convenient. Are you really that bothered about scuffs on your grips and saddle, on a bike that’s meant to be ridden down mountains?

Tend to do it at home for cleaning it and what not, grass there though innit!

njee20 – Member
why don’t we I see professional riders and bike shop staff doing that?

FTFY

FWIW – I’ve seen lots of “bike shop staff” do exactly that.

And the aeroplane/conveyor belt thing is also “quantifiable”. That’s why those who argue that it will still take off are playing the devils advocate thing – trying to suck in the hard-of-thinking (like you are here – but well done it looks like you’ve outed a few).

Haha! Oh god, this is now going to become an aeroplane/conveyor belt thread! Of course it would take off, the wheels aren’t powered!

For once in this thread I agree with njee. The plane would take off. I suppose it wouldn’t if it were upside down having a wheel changed.

Oh and Paul, you are a bit spesh arnt you.

Change Tyres/punctures, oil chain & store mine upside down. I have taken those stupid dial things of the Shimano shifter though.

Sorry but for me putting a wheel in is WAY easier when the bike is upright.

I’ve done it that way for decades though, so it’s probably a matter of training.

I couldn’t cope with the shame of doing it the upside down way…

EDIT

druidh – Member
That’s why those who argue that it will still take off are playing the devils advocate thing – trying to suck in the hard-of-thinking (like you are here – but well done it looks like you’ve outed a few).

You are kidding right?

oh dear. There’s a picture of me in the latest mag with my bike upside down IN AN ABRASIVE QUARRY while I fix a puncture.

like I give a shite. FFS

terrahawk – that’s because you are just someone who rides a bike and not a cyclist.

apparently.

All the people who are bothered about this need to go out and talk to some girls* and try and have sex with them.

*or boys if you are breaking in cowboy boots 😉 .

ahhh. Gotcha.

There’ll be religions built around which way up a bike should be to have its wheels fitted in a thousand years time.

This thread will be seen as the beginning of the schism between the two ways.

if I ever meet you beaks, I’ll throw rocks at your frame

you’ll probably improve it.

Let me explain it for you simple folk, who don’t seem to understand the principle of gravity.

Assuming no stand, out on the trail.

Bike upside down = doesn’t move, supported by bars and seat. Slot in wheel with hand. viola!

Bike right way up = moves about and needs supporting as one wheel is out of dropouts. Hold bike with one hand and fanny about trying to slot wheel into dropouts with other hand.

I lay it on pedal and bar end plug, both of which get scuffed fairly easily anyway, but I don’t look at either whilst riding, unlike my reservoir covers!

So you sacrifice those poor components so you can keep your grips in pristine condition? You animal!

I must admit I’ll aim for a patch of grass if there is one. No point in scratching something if you can avoid it.
but the main thing is to get it sorted and get moving again, surely?
Just be careful and you won’t cause any damage.

LOLs at the “my way is best” loons – on both sides.

It’s what you are used to that seems best to you. Anytime I have to remove/refit a wheel in an upside down bike it takes me a while. I can do either on an upright one way more quickly – and I’d wager quicker than anyone who has to put the bike upside down.

It is a niche/snobbery mark of mechanics AFAIK. In my last one, if a punter came in and started to put his bike upside down, we’d all drop tools and do a slo-mo “whoa…..” 😀

Happy days 😎

Is this thread for a bet?

Let me explain it for you simple folk, who don’t seem to understand the principle of gravity.

Assuming no stand, out on the trail.

Bike upside down = doesn’t move, supported by bars and seat. Slot in wheel with hand. viola!

Bike right way up = moves about and needs supporting as one wheel is out of dropouts. Hold bike with one hand and fanny about trying to slot wheel into dropouts with other hand.

But *people who work in bike shops* do it differently! Argh I’m so confused now

People who work in bike shops are ninjas with 3 arms. everyone knows that.

randomjeremy – Member
But *people who work in bike shops* do it differently! Argh I’m so confused now

Only in the bike shops that can’t afford carpet.

But *people who work in bike shops* do it differently! Argh I’m so confused now

Mechanics do it in a stand, meaning you don’t have to fanny about holding the bike while trying to slot the wheel in with the other hand.

What we are talking about is out on the trail. Turn the bike over and you don’t have to hold it as it stays there. As if by magic!!

But *people who work in bike shops* do it differently! Argh I’m so confused now

Don’t forget pro bike tour riders.

cynical – so its mainly about snobby oneupmanship, thought so.

grum – it has to be quicker though, once you are used to it. No need to turn bike upside down.

And I certainly don’t take it that seriously.

EDIT

Bike right way up = moves about and needs supporting as one wheel is out of dropouts. Hold bike with one hand and fanny about trying to slot wheel into dropouts with other hand.

Bike right way up – hold it by wither saddle or bars, drop the fork end/dropout onto the wheel, shoogle a bit if nec, tighter/clamp, done.

Resting an unwheeled bike upright is no issue either, weight on mech or fork ends, leant against whatever, or on its side. No need for any damage.

always turned it upside down to fix a puncture – always have, always will and never had a problem.

Njee – you sound like a right ponce btw

If I turn my bike upside down I scratch/brake the computer/lights. So I don’t. I have my mechanic fix it for me.

Dave you also sound like a right ponce

I have my mechanic fix it for me.

He would probably turn the bike upside down.

grum – it has to be quicker though, once you are used to it. No need to turn bike upside down.

Yeah I guess it might shave a few ms off. Doesn’t really matter unless you’re racing though, and don’t most racers run tubeless anyway.

Njee – you sound like a right ponce btw

Aaw, thanks!

Cynic-al +1

Always upside down for me. If I’m on the trail i always find some grass to lay it on so I don’t scratch the shifters/brakes etc and if at car I have a sheet i lay under the bars to protect them. It’s so easy this way I can’t see the point of doing it any other way

5 pages ffs

Bike right way up – hold it by wither saddle or bars, drop the fork end/dropout onto the wheel, shoogle a bit if nec, tighter/clamp, done.

Even with the bolt through thing like on my Fox forks?

It is truly amazing, I didn’t realise that bike snobbery/one upmanship could extend to how you change a puncture. Incredible.

grum – Member
Even with the bolt through thing like on my Fox forks?

Works for me…road bike, disc QR fork, 20mm fork too.

I think it all comes from wrenching and using stands – never working on an upside down bike.

Why you guys getting so many punctures anyway? Maybe if you guys reduced your pie intake, rode smoother, picked better lines and used appropriate pressures you wouldn’t need to remove your wheel at all.
Deliberate troll cause this thread is silly.

This thread rocks.

Right way up, upside down, whatever floats your boat.

But being rude or looking down on people who do it the other way; incredibly sad.

I’m an upsidedowner fwiw…

It’s so crap I might even upload a video…

I have been turning my bikes upside down to fix punctures/service them since I got my first bike when I was 11 (which is a LONG time ago). I can get a wheel into a road bike with it the ‘right’ way up if I have to, but trying to put in wheels with disc brakes on that way is a step too far for me, so upside down just makes sense. I have put a few marks on saddles and grips but, if I was really worried about damaging anything (say on my expensive road bike) I’d just put my gloves under those bits I wanted to protect while I fixed my bike.

Works for me…road bike, disc QR fork, 20mm fork too.

I can sort of see it being easy with a standard QR where the dropouts can just drop onto the wheel, but with Maxle or the Fox version you’d be having to balance the bike/wheel in exactly the right place while trying to fit in the axle.

Just seems to be making life difficult for yourself for no reason (apart from proving what a great mechanic you are, or being a tart about your bike), but each to their own.

And ‘weight on mech’? Is that really a good idea?