If you haven't had a puncture for a while....

[PaulF]

Check your pump!


Went out on my MTB this morning. When I was as far away from home as possible on the loop I had a flat tyre. Did the necessary and started pumping only to find that my 8year old Mountain Morph, which has endured been through all conditions, wasn't pushing any air out 


Can't remember the last time that I needed to use it....

[Jurek]

Bad luck.
Pump mounted on your bike, by any chance?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Had a conversation yesterday evening, or rather nodded and grunted to a monologue, with a tall bloke with a feathery moustache in a pub in the Wylye Valley whose pump had broken or possibly dropped off his bike and therefore gave us details about his CO2 cannisters.

[PaulF]

Bad luck.
Pump mounted on your bike, by any chance?

Yes, downtube cage bosses

[Pickled Onion]

Check your pump!


Went out on my MTB this morning. When I was as far away from home as possible on the loop I had a flat tyre. Did the necessary and started pumping only to find that my 8year old Mountain Morph, which has endured been through all conditions, wasn't pushing any air out 


Can't remember the last time that I needed to use it....

I can beat that 

Somewhere outside Chernivstyi which is about as far from home my bike's ever been I got my first ever touring puncture. Mini-morph, attached to the frame, natch, refused to pump. Only bike shop in umpteen-km radius had decided to shut for the weekend. No passing cyclist carried a pump. Managed to get it back to working order with some olive oil from the "night-n-day" kiosk.

It was a lesson not just to pack everything, but check everything as well!

[Ruthie]

Check your pump!


Went out on my MTB this morning. When I was as far away from home as possible on the loop I had a flat tyre. Did the necessary and started pumping only to find that my 8year old Mountain Morph, which has endured been through all conditions, wasn't pushing any air out 


Can't remember the last time that I needed to use it....

I can beat that 

Somewhere outside Chernivstyi which is about as far from home my bike's ever been I got my first ever touring puncture. Mini-morph, attached to the frame, natch, refused to pump. Only bike shop in umpteen-km radius had decided to shut for the weekend. No passing cyclist carried a pump. Managed to get it back to working order with some olive oil from the "night-n-day" kiosk.

It was a lesson not just to pack everything, but check everything as well!

You filled your tyre with olive oil 

[De Sisti]

I had a puncture on today's outing (to Mordiford), then decided to make Newent the furthest point of the ride.
The rubber around base of the valve had perished. My sturdy (7 year old) Zefal HPX  made short work of
inflating the replacement tube.

[PaulF]

Check your pump!


Went out on my MTB this morning. When I was as far away from home as possible on the loop I had a flat tyre. Did the necessary and started pumping only to find that my 8year old Mountain Morph, which has endured been through all conditions, wasn't pushing any air out 


Can't remember the last time that I needed to use it....

I can beat that 

Somewhere outside Chernivstyi which is about as far from home my bike's ever been I got my first ever touring puncture. Mini-morph, attached to the frame, natch, refused to pump. Only bike shop in umpteen-km radius had decided to shut for the weekend. No passing cyclist carried a pump. Managed to get it back to working order with some olive oil from the "night-n-day" kiosk.

It was a lesson not just to pack everything, but check everything as well!

OK you win I was only 5 miles from home

[phantasmagoriana]

And also: check you *have* a pump!

For several weeks earlier this year I thought I was carrying a pump in my saddlebag, but wasn't. Fortunately, I had no visitations during that time!

[Pickled Onion]

 

Check your pump!


Went out on my MTB this morning. When I was as far away from home as possible on the loop I had a flat tyre. Did the necessary and started pumping only to find that my 8year old Mountain Morph, which has endured been through all conditions, wasn't pushing any air out 


Can't remember the last time that I needed to use it....

I can beat that 

Somewhere outside Chernivstyi which is about as far from home my bike's ever been I got my first ever touring puncture. Mini-morph, attached to the frame, natch, refused to pump. Only bike shop in umpteen-km radius had decided to shut for the weekend. No passing cyclist carried a pump. Managed to get it back to working order with some olive oil from the "night-n-day" kiosk.

It was a lesson not just to pack everything, but check everything as well!

You filled your tyre with olive oil 

 

That would have made for an "interesting" ride!!

[Ian H]

I too have had a non-functional pump moment.  If you can introduce a little moisture into the barrel it will often start working.  Spit works well.

[Jurek]

My solution is to never have the pump mounted on the bike, in addition to having the same number of pumps as I have bags.
Works, so far.

[tonyh]

Current pump has been mounted on current bike for some 110 000 miles... trouble to be expected?

(I reckon the pump is much more functional than the rider)

[DuncanM]

Also check your pump/tube interface.
My pump works great. My tubes are fine with the track pump.
When I had a (double) visitation 2 weeks ago, my pump unscrewed the valve core (after inflating everything correctly!). Mental note - use non-removable core tubes on that bike (pump attaches to the bike).

[orienteer]

Also check your pump/tube interface.
My pump works great. My tubes are fine with the track pump.
When I had a (double) visitation 2 weeks ago, my pump unscrewed the valve core (after inflating everything correctly!). Mental note - use non-removable core tubes on that bike (pump attaches to the bike).

Have had that problem. The answer is to tighten all removable cores with a pair of pliers when new.

[T42]

Hmm...  Just realized that my "recent" memory of using mine dates back to 2016.  All my punctures this year have been slow, discovered the day after at home.

Good thread.

[Biggsy]

Also check your rubber solution hasn't dried up (or that you have self-adhesive backup patches).

Mine probably has - thanks to most of my mileage being on Marathon Plus tyres these days.

[dave r]

Also, check that your spare tube is still in your bag. I had a flat a couple of weeks ago and had to resort to patching the tube by the roadside, my spare tube wasn't in my saddle bag, I found it on the floor of the shed when I got home. A couple of years ago I had a pump not working moment, on a bitter December day and was grateful for the appearance of a pair of cyclists who had a working pump.

[rogerzilla]

Pumps mounted on (currently popular) seatstay pegs tend to fill with water at the handle end.  Even if this doesn't rust the piston, it's a bit gross when stagnant water runs down your hand.

Mind you, the trend to compact frames means that you can only get a Zefal hPX size 1 on there most of the time.

[mzjo]

I haven't had a non-working pump moment but a few years ago a clubmate was thoroughly disappointed with the performance of what I was carrying (not my nice telescopic one though).

[hellymedic]

Had a non-working pump moment on a commuting visitation. Solved problem by using saliva (aka universal lubricant) on pump piston.

[Kim]

My solution is to never have the pump mounted on the bike, in addition to having the same number of pumps as I have bags.
Works, so far.

A combination of this, and deliberately taking off and frobbing the bike-mounted pumps whenever I clean their associated bikes.

This works because it's the tourer, which gets a proper once-over before big trips, and the Brompton, which is so good at accumulating muck that it wouldn't be allowed indoors without the occasional clean.  Not so good for a commuter bike that follows a regime of concentrated neglect, but those are better off with the pump in the bag anyway.

[hellymedic]

I suppose it is wise to check that a pump works and that spare inner tubes have not perished/suffered lifted patches/sprung other leaks,once per year or before long trips.

I might not be wise...

[Kim]

I suppose it is wise to check that a pump works and that spare inner tubes have not perished/suffered lifted patches/sprung other leaks,once per year or before long trips.

And that the glue hasn't dried up TAAW.

[T42]

I suppose it is wise to check that a pump works and that spare inner tubes have not perished/suffered lifted patches/sprung other leaks,once per year or before long trips.

And that the glue hasn't dried up TAAW.

Keep a spare tube in the HB bag just in case.  Along with the spare batteries, the emergency poncho, the survival blanket, the hand cleaner, the mini torque wrench (when the f* did that get in there?), the Opinel (ditto), the whistle, the folding scissors, the... How in hell did this thing get so god-damned heavy?