How to fix a puncture badly

The first puncture with every bike is always the hardest. Never mind that I have actually gone on a ladies course to fix your own.

Today I got a flat within 2 km of leaving the office at 430 pm when it was growing dark, it was drizzling and I was on a stretch with no lights.

1. Choose a bad spot

I decided to have a go. I stopped on a flat surface next to the path, unfortunately it was flat because it was a manhole. While I didnt drop anything into the grating I suggest not to do delicate operation near things like that because if a nut or other useful items fall in you're screwed.

I was 20 m from a lamp post. Did I make my way there the first time? No. I did that half way when it started getting quite dark and I didnt understand that my back wheels were not moving because I didnt fix it on tightly.

2. Try to take shortcuts

Once, on my previous bike I fixed a puncture without taking the entire tube out. Somehow I managed to patch the tube just by wedging it out from under the tyre. The tires were probably a little more seasoned from previous punctures fixing attempts or maybe it was just fatter.

I tried to do the same on this slightly skinnier wheels. No go. Didnt budge. But once I got into the mindset of removing the entire tyre out of the wheel, the tyres miraculously came out.

3. Use a bit of force

I struggled trying to get the tyres out at first. The snapping sounds of the lever was rather alarming, but thats how you do it. Levers always come in sets of 3s and I only had 2 because it came in a nifty set with patches. I cant really see how 3 would do any better but maybe it might've.

4. Do an exercise at home at least once with a new bike

So finally I took the tyre and tube out, fit the new tubes in and started pumping the tubes up with the hand pump.

Lulu's wheels uses presta valves as opposed to the other type I can remember the name. I have never changed presta valves and forgot to take the nut out before fitting the tube under the tyre and wondered why I couldnt pump up the tube.

By this time it was unseeingly dusk. I decided to call for help.

While waiting for help I managed to wedge out the valve to remove the nut.

Then I put the wheel back on. This is the back wheel and a but tricky because you have to fit the chain back in. When I went for the course they showed you how to do this without even touching the chain. I dont know how that was possible because I slid the wheel in and then found the chains were all wrong.

TAKE 2. And of course all that while I didnt loosen the brakes.

Back home I had a closer look at my workmanship. A piece of the tyre was still wedged outside the wheel frame but otherwise OK. It had stayed pumped up the duration of the car trip home at least.

So there. how to fix a puncture. poorly.