I don't think Mickey was saying carrying only 21" tubes as a suggestion for overlanders. Though I have read somewhere on here in the past someone propose to do just that and I agree it's daft. But it's a good tip for days out trail riding. And it's worth baring in mind for if you ever are in the middle of Mongolia or somewhere and lose or wreck all your rear tubes but still have a good 21"er. Same for using 18" or 19" in a 17". And some people report successfully using smaller tubes when it's all there's been available, eg 18" on a 19" wheel.


I don't carry anything to lube the tyre/rim for puncture repairs on the road. I can't be doing with the hassle of carrying yet another plastic container to break or burst and make a mess of my other gear. If I feel like using a lubricant when changing tyres at home, I generally use window cleaner spray as it's quick and not messy.

I've recently heard the theory that if you use too much washing up liquid or similar as a lube for refitting tyres after punctures, it increases the chance of patches not sticking effectively. Makes sense to me.

For getting the bead to seat evenly on tubed tyres, bouncing the tyre hard on the ground works though can be doing it for up to 10 or 15 minutes sometimes! If you don't bounce it straight the wheel will go flying to one side, so don't bounce it so it can bounce either towards or away from you - If you bounce it hard enough it'll hit you in the face and it f-ing hurts!

Rimlocks. As well as letting you run ultra low tyre pressures, rimlocks also reduce the chances of damaging the tyre if you choose to ride on a flat. I guess they also make the bike more rideable as the tyre can't move quite as much.

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UK to Mongolia 2009, on a DR350