Strange puncture repair kit - what are all these bits for?!
digitaltoast
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/images/B002CLM2YM/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=318949011&s=sports
When it arrived, there were no instructions, but that's fine, I've
been riding bikes and repairing punctures for the last 35 years.
But neither myself nor a more "pro" cycling friend can work out what
the extra bits are. Tyre levers: check. Sandpaper: check. Self-
adhesive patches which don't really work: Check.
But a mini cheesegrater? And two tiny flexible rubber tubes? And an
airbed deflator and a mini metallic needle valve neither of which fit
any valve size I've ever seen??
The only thing I can think is that the Chinese think we like to stop
for a bit of parmesan and deflate an airbed every few miles... any
better suggestions?
Mrcheerful
the cheesegrater is to rub a piece of chalk on to make an anti stick powder
for the tube. The rubber tubes are probably valve repair rubbers (cycle
valves used to have these when I was young).
The other bits might be for blowing up/repairing other inflatables which you
might conceivably mend a puncture on.
digitaltoast
> the cheesegrater is to rub a piece of chalk on to make an anti stick powder
> for the tube. The rubber tubes are probably valve repair rubbers (cycle
> valves used to have these when I was young).
> The other bits might be for blowing up/repairing other inflatables which you
> might conceivably mend a puncture on.
Thanks MrCheerful - I did wonder about cheesegrater for chalk, but I
wonder why a CYCLE repair kit comes with the grater but without the
chalk, and eschews rubber solution for airbed inflators?!
Still, it was the tyre levers I was after and got, and the other
proper bits I have. I just couldn't make a lot of sense of it!
Mrcheerful
Strange people these foreigners! lack of rubber solution might be for all
sorts of legal reasons. You might also have just got a pack that was
incomplete.
Rob Morley
The rubber tubes are for old style Woods/Dunlop valves. The cheese
grater used to be for grating the little block of chalk over the
finished repair to stop it from sticking to the inside of the tyre, but
they forgot to give you the block of chalk. The extra inflators are
just a bonus to make you feel you're getting more for your Yen?
Bill
"digitaltoast" <digita...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:cd69c727-eb0d-496b...@p23g2000vbl.googlegroups.com...
I wouldn't place too much faith in the tyre levers either.
Bill
digitaltoast
> You might also have just got a pack that was incomplete.
On May 10, 2:53 pm, Rob Morley <nos...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> The rubber tubes are for old style Woods/Dunlop valves. The cheese
> grater used to be for grating the little block of chalk over the
> finished repair to stop it from sticking to the inside of the tyre, but
> they forgot to give you the block of chalk. The extra inflators are
> just a bonus to make you feel you're getting more for your Yen?
In which case, all three were incomplete. I see they're not in stock
now :)
As for bonuses, I feel truly blessed. I often come across people with
punctured airbeds on my rides. I'm always helping people out with
punctures.
Like the inflatable boy who took a pin to his inflatable school. The
headmaster came out and thanked me, then said to the boy "you've let
yourself down, you've let the school down..."
On May 10, 3:53 pm, "Bill" <c...@hotmail.co.uk> wrote:
> I wouldn't place too much faith in the tyre levers either.
That's why I'll carry all three packs with me. So then it's 6 tyre
levers which aren't up to the job, rather than just the 2.
Tom Crispin
The kit is described as a puncture repair kit, not a cycle repair kit.
The needle is used for inflating footballs and rugby balls - my Joe
Blow track pump came with one. The yellow "air bed deflator" can also
be used as an air bed inflator.
The lack of rubber solution is because the self adhesive patches are
supposed to be self adhesive. The chalk scraper without chalk is a
mystery.
Tom Crispin
JNugent
Perhaps the makers formed their view of potential UK buyers of the kit by
watching an old video?
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073846/>
The main character (IIRC) travels by bike and has need of a bed about every
ten minutes throughout the film and might be in also in need of a quick
energy boost. It wasn't a Robin Askwith film, but very similar.
Rob Morley
Fairy nuff.
Squashme
> On 10/05/2011 14:05, digitaltoast wrote:
>
> > Ordered this puncture repair kit:
> > When it arrived, there were no instructions, but that's fine, I've
> > been riding bikes and repairing punctures for the last 35 years.
> > But neither myself nor a more "pro" cycling friend can work out what
> > the extra bits are. Tyre levers: check. Sandpaper: check. Self-
> > adhesive patches which don't really work: Check.
> > But a mini cheesegrater? And two tiny flexible rubber tubes? And an
> > airbed deflator and a mini metallic needle valve neither of which fit
> > any valve size I've ever seen??
> > The only thing I can think is that the Chinese think we like to stop
> > for a bit of parmesan and deflate an airbed every few miles... any
> > better suggestions?
>
> Perhaps the makers formed their view of potential UK buyers of the kit by
> watching an old video?
>
> <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073846/>
>
> The main character (IIRC) travels by bike and has need of a bed about every
> ten minutes throughout the film and might be in also in need of a quick
> energy boost. It wasn't a Robin Askwith film, but very similar.
Strangely like the experience of our own dear Medicated Handyman,
except that, I believe, his female clients are of, well, the same age
as the women in this 1976 film.
"Mais où sont les neiges d'antan!"