One side of tyre or both out?

[briansnail]

Most cycle repair video's and books say take just one side of the Tyre out.I was curious with what most people do.I find with punctures the most difficult job is locating that tiny piece of glass or thorn hidden in the Tyre that caused the puncture.I always take both side of the Tyre out.Get a powerful light and take up to 5 minutes very slowly rotating the Tyre to check the inside.(If it has been raining this is torture you cannot see anything).

So do you take out one side or two? after a puncture.

[pwa]

It depends whether or not I can find the offending bit of glass or thorn with only one side off. If not, I take the whole thing off and run the inside surface gently over my fingers to feel for whatever it is, with thumbs sliding over the top surface to do the same, and eyes looking closely at the surfaces. But the first clue always comes from the position of the hole in the inner tube (which I still use).

[axel_knutt]

I don't take anything off just for the sake of it, I didn't even bother taking the wheel off unless I had to. My Marathon HS368s are pretty loose though, so if the bead's off the bead seat they tend to fall off the rim anyway.

[Jdsk]

It depends whether or not I can find the offending bit of glass or thorn with only one side off. If not, I take the whole thing off and run the inside surface gently over my fingers to feel for whatever it is, with thumbs sliding over the top surface to do the same, and eyes looking closely at the surfaces. But the first clue always comes from the position of the hole in the inner tube (which I still use).

Ditto. With a fair amount of flexing the tyre.

Jonathan

[PH]

I no longer run a finger round the inside of a tyre to find something sharp, it is a very effective method, I have a scar to prove it. The piece of glass that cut my finger was tiny, it was hard to see even once I'd located it. Since then, I've used a tissue to gently run around the inside of the tyre, you very quickly feel it snag. and it covers a greater width than a finger. All my current tyres (Except maybe on the folder) come on and off easily, it's quicker and easier to locate the problem with just the tyre in my hand, than with the wheel. If I can see the offending item from the outside, I might remove it with only a section of the tyre off the rim, then pull out a bit of innertube to patch, but if I need to remove one complete side, I'll do both.

[pwa]

In ideal circumstances, which are rare but do happen, there will be a nearby place to sit down. In that case I would go for comfort and take the wheel with me to the seat and sort things out without too much kneeling or bending. On a couple of occasions I have actually enjoyed the process when there has been a park bench or bus stop with seats close by. Getting the wheel out is no big deal. A few seconds and it is in your hand as you find a suitable place to sit.

[Cyclothesist]

One side only if possible. I align the manufacturer's label to the valve so once I locate the puncture in the tube I know where to look on the tyre. It's not an absolute rule. If I have any doubt or can't find an offending sharp I'll take the tyre off. With one bead off already the other is a doddle.

[atoz]

Nowadays punctures in my experience are not as common. It's often a sign that the tyre is ageing. Recently retired a Vittoria Rubino that had several cuts, not salvageable with the super glue technique. Not quite death by a thousand cuts, but certainly inconvenient. I'd had these tyres for some time, as I realised what they now cost lol. Yesterday Rubinos, today Zaffiros.

[drossall]

Sometimes, sometimes not. Once one side is off, the other usually comes so easily that it makes little difference. Ditto refitting.

[NickJP]

I always install tyres with the manufacturer's logo at the valve stem. This makes it easier to find small bits of glass or wire that have caused a puncture if you can't immediately spot or feel them with the tyre still on the rim and need to remove the tyre. Put some air in the tube out of the tyre, use your ear or fingers to locate where it is leaking, and lay the tube on the tyre with the valve at the logo. The puncture-causing item will be either where the leak is or at the corresponding point on the other side, depending on whether you have flipped the tube over relative to the tyre.

[DaveReading]

I don't take anything off just for the sake of it, I didn't even bother taking the wheel off unless I had to. My Marathon HS368s are pretty loose though, so if the bead's off the bead seat they tend to fall off the rim anyway.

It's not often that you see "Marathon" and "loose" in the same sentence.

[rogerzilla]

I always take the whole tyre off because my method of fitting tyres involves putting the just-inflated tube in the tyre off the rim. I also rarely use tyre levers, and the hand-alone method always results in complete removal.

[axel_knutt]

My puncture repairing evolved as my hearing and eyesight deteriorated, I started out repairing them with the wheel in situ, but ended up removing everything when I couldn't see or hear the punctures.

The puncture-causing item will be either where the leak is or at the corresponding point on the other side, depending on whether you have flipped the tube over relative to the tyre.

I mark the tubes as well, they have an arrow made from a piece of puncture patch.

[Brucey]

I always take the whole tyre off because my method of fitting tyres involves putting the just-inflated tube in the tyre off the rim. I also rarely use tyre levers, and the hand-alone method always results in complete removal.

I must say that I have never even considered doing it that way every time, but I can see some advantages (not the least of which is that it would make an effective deterrent to using tubes that are really too wide), particularly if you intend to exploit the opportunity to do something with the wheel whilst the tyre is off.

[531colin]

I always take the whole tyre off because my method of fitting tyres involves putting the just-inflated tube in the tyre off the rim. I also rarely use tyre levers, and the hand-alone method always results in complete removal.

THIS!!!
The sensible way to put the tyre back on ( particularly with long valves for deep rims) is to put the “partially inflated” tube in the tyre, and then put the whole lot back on the wheel in one go. I always line up the valve with the tyre branding, so it’s easy to line up the hole in the tube with the suspect bit of tyre.
It’s necessary to make sure there are no “pleats” in the tube