teejaywhy

Obscure, but I recognise it!

mwaldin

I don't check tire pressure per se. I squeeze the tire to verify inflation seems good. Only top them off maybe every 2 weeks. I do take a mini bike repair kit. I also take toilet paper...never know.

viffer

I check tire pressure every other ride. They just don’t lose much air after a couple of days to worry about and a quick squeeze between the fingers tells me all I need to know. Also my tires are rated for 130 psi (%@#$!) so if they drop to 120 psi I’m not going to worry about it too much. As long as they’re rock hard at the start of my ride I’m good to go.

afm199

This. I always check tire pressure before every ride, unless it a ride on the rollers.

I always carry tools, patch kit, tire irons and C02 inflator or small pump. Always.


Anyone who doesn't simply leaves themself open to a $30 Uber ride home.

Oops, always also carry a credit card, cash, copy of DL, and phone.

Larry Lem 1

I carry a floor pump with pressure gauge so I can check my tire pressures every ten minutes and ensure they're at the proper pressure...

charlie_boy

Unpreparedness is classic.

Harold74

90% of my rides are training rides where I'm alone and never more than about 10K from home. For those, I'll check the air and top it up about twice each week. Usually, I'm trying to fit the ride into a window in my work schedule and, sometimes, I feel as though the tire checking slows me down unnecessarily. I don't seem to be able to check the air in my tires without creating the need to put air into them. The time wastage is probably just paranoia on my part as it cant take but five minutes total. That said, there are times when I really just want to get on and go.

I ride with a pretty comprehensive set of tools in my Deuter Race Air backpack which I love dearly. It's non rotating mass and I'm not looking to beat anyone so, as long as my hair whips around in the wind a little, the extra weight is just extra workout. I even carry a pair of beach shoes in case I need to do some walking.

donger

I've been on club rides where some of the more experienced and faster riders don't carry equipment, not even an extra tube. I think it's a combination of wishful thinking and the dependence on other riders for help. I used to do a lot of randonneur and double century rides so I carried a lot of stuff. One of my rider friends used to make fun of me for even having a small 1st aid kit in my saddle bag. That same friend crashed midway in a 200k ride and I used my kit to patch up the rider and we all finished the ride.

dkatz1

I think every time is good, but I'm more likely to do every other...I usually have been riding 4 to 6 days a week. And I carry every thing I need for flats (and got rid of those damn tubless and their wheels from hell).

WinterCommuter

I also check my tires before every ride. I carry enough with to fix at least 2 flats.

tomato coupe

So is carrying stuff you don't need.

bowwow

yes!

mstateglfr 

why not just change the tube and keep riding?

dingels75

I pump my 23mm and 25mm tires back up to 100lbs before every ride. They seem to always to have dropped to between 80-85 on my 2-3 weekly rides? I carry 2 tubes, 2 C02 cartridges, a Blackburn Wayside inflator, tire irons and a small multitool in a medium size seat bag. I wrap the tubes and C02 cartridges (separately) very tightly with cellophane (plastic wrap) to save space and help ensure that the tubes don't get damaged because they're no longer in a box. My bike(s) never leave home without the seat bag.

rrjmaier

If you ride your bike every day you get to know how much your tire s loose over a day or faw days or longer I know my tires loose a bar over about 10 days so if I inflate once a week I am OK also I have calibrated fingers and give the tyre a squeeze and if it fells OK I am happy to jump on it and ride no need to be too pedantic about tire pressure if they are a bit lower then you need just a little bit mor power - consider this training. It's no different to riding in a headwind.
W.r.t. tools not visible in videos. May be they have them in their trikot or like myself in a modified drinks bottle, so if you see me you would think I have no tools on me only 2 bottles, however one bottle has spare inner tube, patches and solvent, tools and a mini pump. So, don't jump to conclusions

drsmoooth

I alternate between my two bikes and check tire pressures before every ride and add air as needed. I also wipe down my bikes after every ride and clean/lube chain once a week. I ma obsess a little but I like to keep my showroom ready!

bowwow

I have changed enough tubes for one lifetime. There are much better things to do on the side of a road than fix a flat.

Once the bike is at home, I would change the tube at my convenience. However, the only reason that I would change it at all is that it would be easier than taking the bike to a LBS.

livedarklions

mstateglfr 

-ring ring-
-ring ring-

poor sap- "hello?'
bowwow- "hey, drop what you are doing, put the rack on the car, and drive 30min to come pick me up. I got a flat!"
poor sap- "oh no, that is no fun. can you just fix the flat and keep riding home?"
bowwow- "what?!?! come on- thats absurd! I have changed enough tubes in my lifetime and am not going to allow myself to change another tube! now come get me!"
poor sap- "well I was doing literally anything and was enjoying it more than having to drive an hour round trip to pick you up just because of a flat tube, but ok I will come get you since you will no longer change tubes."
bowwow- "good. once I am home, I will change the tube.
poor sap- "wait, what? You said you were done changing tubes."
bowwow- "yeah yeah yeah, I know I said I have changed enough tubes in my lifetime as justification for not even bringing a spare tube on my ride. and yeah yeah yeah, I recognize it makes no sense to force you to drop what you are doing and drive an hour to rescue me, only for me to then fix the flat once home. but like I said, I have changed enough tubes in my lifetime so I refuse to bring one along. It makes sense now that ive explained it, right? right?"

bowwow

There is apparently a big difference between how you treat friends and the way I do. I can certainly understand why a person that you refer to as ¨poor sap¨ would not be happy to give you aid.

Maelochs

^ How I long for a chance to be the guy who gets to say, "Nah .... no ride for you. Next time bring what you need."

Of course, I wouldn't say that. I would say, "Cool, I hope you have cash but if not we can stop at an ATM, because I charge $25 per hour plus gas and mileage. Your mom might have rescued you when you were a kid, but the rest of us grew up, and it is about time you did too."

Maelochs

Dude ... . YOU are the one who is taking advantage of a friend, and demeaning a friend's life and worth. You are saying to a friend, "Hey, I want to do what I want to do, and taking care of myself in easily predictable eventualities like this one are part of that. I won't want to do Anything even remotely outside of my most comfortable comfort zone .... even taking six minutes to do a repair I am going to do anyway. But Your life, your time, your dreams, your desires ... they mean nothing to me. Quit living your life, get out of you r comfort zone, and devote yourself to living My life because you need to make the effort I don't want to make."

Because you don't want to spend six minutes which you are going to spend anyway, you expect someone else to spend sixty minutes saving your butt.

That isn't friendly, that is selfish.

indyfabz

Four posts in 4 minutes as a newb is classic.

bowwow

Jeez, that's kinda cold. I'll be sure not to ask you for a favor.

bowwow

Aww C´mon, I´d help him out if he asked. In fact, I have helped him out many times.