Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Regional Forums > North Africa
Punctures Punctures
Register FAQ Calendar Today's Posts
North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Zoe Seymour, The main road south, DRC

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Zoe Seymour,
The main road south, DRC



Trans Sahara Routes.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 25 Jul 2001
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posts: 625
Punctures
I've been dragging 2 spare wheels round on my series landrover for the last 5 years (including Cape Town to Ethiopia and trips from the UK to Libya/Algeria etc). I've never had a puncture so I am now thinking of just taking one spare on future trips. There has been nothing special about the tyres I've used (e.g. freeway crossply from Cape Town - Ethiopia). Would it be a dumb move to leave the additional spare behind? Have I just been lucky in the past with regards to punctures? How many punctures do you guys get on average during a month trip to the Sahara?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 25 Jul 2001
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Scotland
Posts: 775
Richard,
When you discover that Murphy's law is no longer valid, I'd like to be the first one to know.

------------------
Roman (UK)
www.polandrover.com
__________________
----------------
Roman (UK)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 25 Jul 2001
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posts: 625
Murphy's Law of the Open Road:
When there is a very long road upon which there is a one-way bridge placed at random, and there are only two cars on that road, it follows that: (1) the two cars are going in opposite directions, and (2) they will always meet at the bridge.

Murphy's Law of Thermodynamics
Things get worse under pressure.

Murphy's Law of Research
Enough research will tend to support your theory.

Murphy's Law of Copiers
The legibility of a copy is inversely proportional to its importance.

The Murphy Philosophy
Smile . . . tomorrow will be worse.
Quantization Revision of Murphy's Laws
Everything goes wrong all at once.

Roman's Law
Murphy was wildly optimistic

[This message has been edited by Richard Washington (edited 30 July 2001).]
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 25 Jul 2001
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Scotland
Posts: 775
Richard,

We seem to agree on most aspects of the matter (maybe with the exception of one precept: "All things are possible except skiing through a revolving door. " I know a better definition from my old army service days, but there are ladies in this forum, so I'd better not quote it).

So, continuing in the vein of scientific reasoning, you can safely assume that the following probability exists:

a) Two spare tyres > Not a single puncture
b) One spare tyre > One good tyre destroyed
c) No spare tyres > Two good tyres destroyed

The validity of Condition a)has been proven by numerous experiments. Condition c) occurs as a direct consequence of condition b), usually withing the space of 24 hrs.

QED!




------------------
Roman (UK)
www.polandrover.com
__________________
----------------
Roman (UK)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 26 Jul 2001
GWJ GWJ is offline
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 281
Smith's Law: Murphy was an optimist!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 30 Jul 2001
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Oxford, U.K.
Posts: 625
Two more points:
1) so how many punctures do you guys get on average during a month in the Sahara?
2) I'll test Murphy out, take one spare this time, and let you know what happened after Christmas...
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11 Aug 2001
GWJ GWJ is offline
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 281
Some personal experience:

November 2000 - 2400 kms off road in the eastern Libyan Desert with three HZJ 75 Landcruisers:
one spare tyre per car, plus 2 spare outer and 6 inner tubes - result: 3 completely destroyed tyres, total 13 punctures, and yes, lots of fixing. (this with proper inflating on hard ground (except for one puncture when we were lazy), deflating on soft)

March 2001 - same trip with exactly the same cars (and save for the ruined ones, the same tyres), same spares but 10 inner tubes this time, total one ruined tyre, three punctures in all.

Moral: have more spares than you think you need

(It was a definitely unnerving feeling to put our last repairable inner tube into a tyre still 700kms out in the middle of nowhere)

Good luck & happy traveling
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 12 Aug 2001
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: France and UK
Posts: 156
Hi Richard
To help you resolve your origin
__________________
Kitmax
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 12 Aug 2001
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: France and UK
Posts: 156
Hi Richard
To help you resolve your origin...
Would you like the rest of my message?
(Don't know where the other bit went...)
To help you resolve your original query re spare tyres, here is my "Puncture History:"
Land Rover Ser 111 to Iraq, Afghanistan, India etc, 24,500 miles and NO punctures.
Land Rover Ser 111 to Mauritania, 4,500 miles and ONE puncture.
Range Rover to Hoggar and all parts of Algerian Sahara, 9,000 miles and NO punctures.
Was I lucky?
Perhaps, but I shall still carry around my usual two made-up spare tyres and spare tubes and valves on my next trip (November 01) to Libya with a Land Rover Discovery .
Happy travels Kitmax
__________________
Kitmax
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 12 Aug 2001
GWJ GWJ is offline
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 281
I left Holland april 1999 for mongolia
and drove back tru kazachstan ,kyrgistan,
uzbekistan,russia,georgie,turkey,greece,italy back to holland with four new spare tires
no flats at all .
a month later i left for africa,with only two
no flats ,i sold the truck in gambia,and a month later i droved the truck back for the new owner who lived in norway,with only one spare tire.
two flat tires and one tire exploded.
note; driving with low presure and using inner tires,the inner tires get thin.



Reply With Quote
Reply

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

25 years of HU Events
Be sure to join us for this huge milestone!

ALL Dates subject to change.

2025 Confirmed Events:

Virginia: April 24-27
Queensland is back! May 2-5
Germany Summer: May 29-June 1
Ecuador June 13-15
Bulgaria Mini: June 27-29
CanWest: July 10-13
Switzerland: Aug 14-17
Romania: Aug 22-24
Austria: Sept. 11-14
California: September 18-21
France: September 19-21
Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

Adventurous Bikers – We've got all your Hygiene & Protection needs SORTED! Powdered Hair & Body Wash, Moisturising Cream Insect Repellent, and Moisturising Cream Sunscreen SPF50. ESSENTIAL | CONVENIENT | FUNCTIONAL.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes.
(ONLY US RESIDENTS and currently has a limit of 60 days.)

Ripcord Evacuation Insurance is available for ALL nationalities.


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Every book a diary
Every chapter a day
Every day a journey
Refreshingly honest and compelling tales: the hights and lows of a life on the road. Solo, unsupported, budget journeys of discovery.
Authentic, engaging and evocative travel memoirs, overland, around the world and through life.
All 8 books available from the author or as eBooks and audio books



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

Your ad could be here, on EVERY page of the HUBB, or the whole website, or as many as you like!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:28.

Contact Us - Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Website - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top