GRRRRR! Flats!

**Dial_tone** · February 4th, 2006, 07:27 PM

I flatted 25 miles into a 40 miler today. It was a slow leak that I couldn't find. I didn't have a tire lever anyway. I used up my CO2 cartridge to top it off and that got me another 5 miles; I walked a mile or so then hailed a cab. I have blisters on my feet because I took my shoes off for a while. First flat since I switched back to clinchers last year. Gotta patch it up so I can put in another 25-30 tomorrow. I'm aiming for 100 mile weeks now plus another 90 minutes of running. How often do y'all flat?

**Liquid30** · February 4th, 2006, 09:40 PM

I have only flatted once while riding, I have been riding road since 2000. I rode from from my house in Tennessee, to Myrtle Beach S.C. and didn't have a flat. I make sure I air up my tires before each ride to at least 120 psi. I check for cuts in the tires and make sure there are no bulges in the tires. And I make sure not to run into pot holes or over road debree. I have had flats once I have made it home though. mostly because of tire failures. The tire I have had the most success with is the Michelin Pro Race. I wouldn't use any other tire.

**Dial_tone** · February 4th, 2006, 11:49 PM

Just tried to repair the tube and this patch kit is crap. The patches won't peel off the backing. I found a 1/4" shard in the tire. I put in a new tube and I'll buy another kit to repair the other. I switched to sewups back in '96 or so because I was getting a pinch flat every time I went out. I am a heavy guy and I couldn't pump tires high enough to prevent it. Back then there weren't many clinchers that took more than 115 psi. I tried every rim strip known to man...sometimes 2 at a time.
I went to sewups and flats disappeared for a long while; so much so that I stopped carrying repair tools on rides. The problem was when I did get a flat it basically cost me a new tire. Flats came more often when I was forced to ride on bad roads.
I went back to clinchers last year when I got a set of Mavic Ksyrium Elites. The rims on those don't have spoke holes so pinch flats aren't possible.

That really sucked today. I was having a good ride too....25 miles and I still felt fresh as a daisy. I am considering doing a 55 mile fun ride in March if I can find a place to stay. I'm going to do some hill repeats in the big ring tomorrow then do a 2 mile run afterwards.

nebneb · February 5th, 2006, 02:27 AM

eh um pinch flats are caused by the tyre and tube compacting the side of the rim so it can happen to any wheel you buy a tradtional spoked wheel is better as they give a little more than factory built mavic ksyrium's.You should try conti gatorskins as they have a beefed up sidewall and they can handle 120psi.
Go and buy yourself some new tubes you cheapscate repair kits are pooo!!!
Hope you hae a good ride.

**Dial_tone** · February 5th, 2006, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nebneb

eh um pinch flats are caused by the tyre and tube compacting the side of the rim so it can happen to any wheel you buy a tradtional spoked wheel is better as they give a little more than factory built mavic ksyrium's.You should try conti gatorskins as they have a beefed up sidewall and they can handle 120psi.
Go and buy yourself some new tubes you cheapscate repair kits are pooo!!!
Hope you hae a good ride.

Pinch flats are also caused by bottoming out tires forcing the inner tube up into the spoke hole where it contacts the sharp spoke end and punctures, which is why they invented rim strips to begin with.

Innovative Trailblazer · February 6th, 2006, 03:22 AM

I've probobly had 3 or 4 flats. I always buy kevlar or other puncture resistant tires and have polyurethane tire liners installed. I have found it best to always carry two spare tubes. Changing a flat takes long enough without having to prepare and glue a patch. Every ten minutes or so I brush the tires off with the palm of my gloved hand while I ride. I also clean the tires like this immediately after going through an unusually high amount of debris. Of course, there is no substitute for aiming high in steering and looking far enough ahead to avoid debris to avoid getting flats in the first place. At night, that means a very powerful light.

djbike · February 6th, 2006, 10:25 AM

I probably average maybe 1-2 per year. I ride by myself a lot so I carry 2 tubes and a spare folding tire. I have never needed the tire myself but when riding in groups there have been situations where another person had a torn tire that couldn't be fixed with just a new tube. I know that there are other options you can use to boot a torn tire with, and I have considered carrying something like that with me. I think several layers of Tyvek would probably be enough for an emergency repair.

**Dial_tone** · February 6th, 2006, 11:14 AM

I got a glueless patch kit which is pretty fast to use. Very few of my flats are from running over something, although this one was. It was a 1/8" long shard that I couldn't possibly have seen comng. It was fully embedded into the rubber so running a glove over it wouldn't have caught it. As I was inspecting the tire I saw it and dismissed it 4-5 times before I investigated it further and pulled it out. The holes are almost always on the inner edge of the rim (and right at a spoke hole).