Turning bike upside down. Social death for a cyclist..

[Gearoidmuar]

Somebody told me recently that turning a bike upside down when you got a puncture, was social death for a cyclist. Though this is not my wont, I have done it occasionally. Today I had to.
I got a puncture on an MTB I use as a touring bike, took off the wheel and fixed it. This bike has hydraulic brakes, which when you are trying to get the wheel back on, are lowdraulic brakes as you can't see exactly what's what.
To hell with that, took off handlebar bag, upside down, ten seconds, wheel fitted.

Sometimes you have to reach for your revolver!

[philg]

was social death for a cyclist.

Does it get any worse?

[tonythompson]

Sorry to be stupid but how do you remove a wheel to fix a flat if not by turning the bike upside down?

Is

[cycleruk]

The only reason NOT to upside the bike is the saddle and bars could get dirty/wet.
I have no compunction in turning a bike over if it's better to do a job on it.
If doing a puncture when out I will usually lie the bike on it's side with derailleur up.

[ferrit worrier]

I've nearly allways turned my bike upside down, quickest, easiest, and safest. the front wheel you can rest on the fork ends although I dont do that unless they go on somthing soft like my gloves. what do you do with the rear mech ?

At home I have a length of 3x2 covered in old carpet that sits under the handelbars and keeps them off the floor (the 3x2 is about 3' long and helps to stop the bars from twisting round) the sadle sits on an old towel.

Malc

[Ray]

I learned not to do this way back when brake cables sprouted from the levers, and were liable to get bent/damaged when the bike stood upside down. Also, gravelly or wet surfaces were unkind to Brooks saddles. Nowadays, with hidden cables and plastic saddles there is less danger of damage, but I still feel uneasy about inverting the bike in public. Must admit, though, that I'll sometimes use this method in the privacy of my own garage or garden when I want to fettle my bike's nether regions.
There, I've said it! Maybe I'm just too old to care these days?

Ray

[meic]

Who exactly decided this was social death for a cyclist?

Was it the Daily Mail by any chance?

[Mark1978]

Never heard of this one before!

[Mick F]

If I were to turn my bike upside down, it would fall over!

Saddle is higher than bars, and bars are narrow. The upside-down bike would sit on the saddle nose and the top of the quill stem. ie it would fall over as there is no stable "frame" or triangular support.

Therefore, if I want to remove a wheel:
Front: drop out the wheel and stand the bike on the forks.
Rear: Lie the bike down on the LH side, hook the chain on the seat-stay chain hook*, slide out the rear wheel.

*Wot?
Don't you have a seat-stay chain hook?

[drossall]

I've always felt that the clue was in the name "drop-outs".

If you do, it doesn't.

[mrjemm]

I use a brooks. Soddit, if I need to fix a flat or whatever, why not invert? Is this like eating peas with a knife? You know what? I lick my plate too.

[Mike Sales]

This is a rule that Velominati has missed. To me its like leaving your fenders dangling when underway.

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

[hatless]

This is a rule that Velominati has missed. To me its like leaving your fenders dangling when underway.

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

It's rule 49: Keep the rubber side down.

It includes the line"The only reason a bicycle should ever be in an upside down position is during mid-rotation while crashing."

[Mike Sales]

This is a rule that Velominati has missed. To me its like leaving your fenders dangling when underway.

http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/

It's rule 49: Keep the rubber side down.

It includes the line"The only reason a bicycle should ever be in an upside down position is during mid-rotation while crashing."

I should have known, and I should have checked.

[drossall]

I've watched a number of people tugging at a wheel on an inverted bike, trying to get it free. With the bike the proper way up, you just hit the wheel with the palm of your hand, and it drops out of the drop outs (not pull-outs, you notice).

When I see the pros waiting for the service car with inverted bikes, I'll do the same (not that I get a service car, of course).