Tire tube blowout

Michelle and her trusty Dahon Curve D3

Our first blowout, luckily, we managed to recover on the spot

We have been riding our Dahons for three years and so far, things have been rosy.
Virtually incident free.
But for Michelle's Dahon Curve D3, her bike has been plagued with tire problems. Her bike front Schwalbe Big Apple tire had a puncture earlier. 
Seems like the spoke was the cause of the problem. We got the front tire tube replaced at a bicycle shop in Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya.
On Sunday, while riding back from Berjaya Times Square in Jalan Imbi to Bangsar, I heard a loud bang and I noticed that the back wheel on my wife's back was wobbling out of control.
The previous night, I noticed that the valve on the rear tire was giving some problem.
I know for a fact that the Schwalbe Big Apple can take up to 85psi at the max.
So, with that noted, I filled the tires with air up to 65psi.
This is adequate to take the bikes around and yeild a smooth ride. 
The Big Apples are the best there is offering comfort.
Getting back to the blowout story, I told Michelle to pull over by the roadside.
There was a barricaded section where we can work on recovering the Curve D3's rear tire.
The first thing I did was to get my spare 16" spare tube out and get it fitted onto the tire.
We were fortunate to have Uncle Bil Choy, a veteran folding bike cyclist, Wey and Ming with us. 
Their presence offered some comfort in times like such.
Michelle went to work with her wrench as I prepared to inflate the tube with my Topeak two-timer hand pump.
One of the distinct advantages of having this gadget along the rides is the C02 inflator.
Pop in a cartridge and you are in business.
Bil instructed the tube change while Michelle get her hands-on the crippled bike.
We spent about 20-minutes fitting in a new tube and before we knew it, we were back on track, cycling another 5km towards Bangsar via the city centre and Brickfields.
With the new tube fitted, the Dahon Curve D3 didn't give any problems as we worked our way back to the Bangsar LRT station for a ride to our car in Taman Jaya.
So, we were lucky because I did carry a spare tube and an extra C02 cartridge on that day...

Building a bicycle recovery kit

Topeak's pocket ratchet, chain tool, Rescue box and tube patch

The chain pins and 'magic' chain link in its holster

A set of chain pins on the Topeak chain tool

"Better safe than sorry".
That has been my motto to overcome any situation thrown at me on the trail.
With my Dahon Speed P8, I always pack a set of tools on my saddle bag.
And on my seat post, there is a permanently bolted set of Topeak Alien 3 tool and the only thing missing there, is a large nut.
This was taken by a cyclist back in October. I still haven't recovered it back.
To think of preparedness, its really sad to know that there are folks out there who are utterly shameless when it comes to borrowing tools from other people.
Anyway, back on the subject, I have assembled a 'rescue box' with some extra chain pins and 'magic' link.
When I first purchased the box, it came with a metal abrasive and some self adhesive tube patches.
That was the entire package. At first, I thought the chain pins and links were missing. It was stated as 'optional'.
The pins itself, are not cheap. The good ones costs about RM10 a piece while 'normal' ones for 9-speed chains are sold at RM3 a piece.
If you experience a broken link, the chain pin can be inserted and broken off to form the link.
Another rescue tool is the 'magic' link.
A pair would cost about RM22.00 and the cheapest is sold at RM14. That is a huge saving!
When I ride, there's always a chain tool and a mini pocket ratchet in my saddlebag.
Since I don't depend entirely on other people, I tend to carry extra tyre tube patches.
So far, the mini ratchet has served its purpose.
Parts that are screwed on with torx or philip nuts can be easily removed.
I have yet to use the chain pins or link, and if there is a need to do so, its always there.