Flat again today but prepared.

So today at mile 50 heading back into town I hit a huge deep pothole. A car was passing so I really had to hold my line and not avoid it. Sure enough in a hurry a pinch flat.

My first confession is I still had one CO2 canister so I loaded it and frankly I must be an idiot. I manage to get some of it in the tire but it seems to leak out somewhere around the fitting/stem as I hold the chuck. No problem got my new Leyzene Road drive out and got it up nicely in a hurry. Frankly it would be just about as fast with just using the pump.

So I then go on and finish the ride 6 more miles for 56 today. I check the rear tire at home with floor pump that has gauge and the PSI was 84. No issues that works fine. I then topped it off to around 100.

I am I the only idiot who has no CO2 skills and even it I did would find it not dependable to ever really rely on.
Deacon mark

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 9:40:16 AM UTC-7, Mark cleary wrote:
So today at mile 50 heading back into town I hit a huge deep pothole. A car was passing so I really had to hold my line and not avoid it. Sure enough in a hurry a pinch flat.

My first confession is I still had one CO2 canister so I loaded it and frankly I must be an idiot. I manage to get some of it in the tire but it seems to leak out somewhere around the fitting/stem as I hold the chuck. No problem got my new Leyzene Road drive out and got it up nicely in a hurry. Frankly it would be just about as fast with just using the pump.

So I then go on and finish the ride 6 more miles for 56 today. I check the rear tire at home with floor pump that has gauge and the PSI was 84. No issues that works fine. I then topped it off to around 100.

I am I the only idiot who has no CO2 skills and even it I did would find it not dependable to ever really rely on.
Deacon mark
Most of the "compact" CO2 fillers have an O-ring in them to seal these things so that they will work with both Schrader and Presta valves. Who the hell uses CO2 to repair a touring bike that uses Schrader valves? Anyway, that O-ring is often lost after the first use and that is why it will leak. One of the fillers I got contained a bag of replacement O-rings.

On 5/16/2021 11:40 AM, Mark cleary wrote:
So today at mile 50 heading back into town I hit a huge deep pothole. A car was passing so I really had to hold my line and not avoid it. Sure enough in a hurry a pinch flat.

My first confession is I still had one CO2 canister so I loaded it and frankly I must be an idiot. I manage to get some of it in the tire but it seems to leak out somewhere around the fitting/stem as I hold the chuck. No problem got my new Leyzene Road drive out and got it up nicely in a hurry. Frankly it would be just about as fast with just using the pump.

So I then go on and finish the ride 6 more miles for 56 today. I check the rear tire at home with floor pump that has gauge and the PSI was 84. No issues that works fine. I then topped it off to around 100.

I am I the only idiot who has no CO2 skills and even it I did would find it not dependable to ever really rely on.
Deacon mark


As with so many human activities, you don't use CO2
cartridges every day and there's a long time span between
events (hopefully) so you, like most people, are always a
rank amateur at it.

I always ended my flat-tire classes with the note that, 'a
flat is never at a convenient time, often associated with
rain, heat, cold, mosquitoes or just running late to be
somewhere else, That makes your psychology second rate.
Knowing that you have done this successfully here tonight
should help your attitude in future.'

You seem to have the right attitude and good for you!

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 2:06:08 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
On 5/16/2021 11:40 AM, Mark cleary wrote:
So today at mile 50 heading back into town I hit a huge deep pothole. A car was passing so I really had to hold my line and not avoid it. Sure enough in a hurry a pinch flat.

My first confession is I still had one CO2 canister so I loaded it and frankly I must be an idiot. I manage to get some of it in the tire but it seems to leak out somewhere around the fitting/stem as I hold the chuck. No problem got my new Leyzene Road drive out and got it up nicely in a hurry. Frankly it would be just about as fast with just using the pump.

So I then go on and finish the ride 6 more miles for 56 today. I check the rear tire at home with floor pump that has gauge and the PSI was 84. No issues that works fine. I then topped it off to around 100.

I am I the only idiot who has no CO2 skills and even it I did would find it not dependable to ever really rely on.
Deacon mark

As with so many human activities, you don't use CO2
cartridges every day and there's a long time span between
events (hopefully) so you, like most people, are always a
rank amateur at it.

I always ended my flat-tire classes with the note that, 'a
flat is never at a convenient time, often associated with
rain, heat, cold, mosquitoes or just running late to be
somewhere else, That makes your psychology second rate.
Knowing that you have done this successfully here tonight
should help your attitude in future.'

You seem to have the right attitude and good for you!

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Well Andrew as you mentioned I had to get to 9:30 Mass to be the Deacon and function. I tell you though I do think I must have lost the O ring and I sort of remember that at one time. What CO2 inflator is the best. Seems that Pro Bike Tool sells one that is pretty decent $20 and I can get 10 cartridges? I suppose I should not give up on them but frankly I don't race except I like to ride fast without interruptions and breaks. The CO2 if done correct would be a bit faster. I can build the wheels, build the bike, do all my own maintenance but CO2 is still a learning curve..............who would have thought. But on the other hand I have Shimano road cleats spd-sl and I still sometimes have trouble clipping in smoothly and fiddle with the pedals from a stop.

Deacon mark

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 12:18:41 PM UTC-7, Mark cleary wrote:
On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 2:06:08 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
On 5/16/2021 11:40 AM, Mark cleary wrote:
So today at mile 50 heading back into town I hit a huge deep pothole. A car was passing so I really had to hold my line and not avoid it. Sure enough in a hurry a pinch flat.

My first confession is I still had one CO2 canister so I loaded it and frankly I must be an idiot. I manage to get some of it in the tire but it seems to leak out somewhere around the fitting/stem as I hold the chuck. No problem got my new Leyzene Road drive out and got it up nicely in a hurry.. Frankly it would be just about as fast with just using the pump.

So I then go on and finish the ride 6 more miles for 56 today. I check the rear tire at home with floor pump that has gauge and the PSI was 84. No issues that works fine. I then topped it off to around 100.

I am I the only idiot who has no CO2 skills and even it I did would find it not dependable to ever really rely on.
Deacon mark

As with so many human activities, you don't use CO2
cartridges every day and there's a long time span between
events (hopefully) so you, like most people, are always a
rank amateur at it.

I always ended my flat-tire classes with the note that, 'a
flat is never at a convenient time, often associated with
rain, heat, cold, mosquitoes or just running late to be
somewhere else, That makes your psychology second rate.
Knowing that you have done this successfully here tonight
should help your attitude in future.'

You seem to have the right attitude and good for you!

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
Well Andrew as you mentioned I had to get to 9:30 Mass to be the Deacon and function. I tell you though I do think I must have lost the O ring and I sort of remember that at one time. What CO2 inflator is the best. Seems that Pro Bike Tool sells one that is pretty decent $20 and I can get 10 cartridges? I suppose I should not give up on them but frankly I don't race except I like to ride fast without interruptions and breaks. The CO2 if done correct would be a bit faster. I can build the wheels, build the bike, do all my own maintenance but CO2 is still a learning curve..............who would have thought. But on the other hand I have Shimano road cleats spd-sl and I still sometimes have trouble clipping in smoothly and fiddle with the pedals from a stop.

Deacon mark
All day today I was having trouble getting into the pedals. I kept kicking the pedals and they would start rotating like a windmill.

AMuzi wrote:
On 5/16/2021 11:40 AM, Mark cleary wrote:
So today at mile 50 heading back into town I hit a huge deep pothole. A
car was passing so I really had to hold my line and not avoid it. Sure
enough in a hurry a pinch flat.

My first confession is I still had one CO2 canister so I loaded it and
frankly I must be an idiot. I manage to get some of it in the tire but
it seems to leak out somewhere around the fitting/stem as I hold the
chuck. No problem got my new Leyzene Road drive out and got it up nicely
in a hurry. Frankly it would be just about as fast with just using the pump.

So I then go on and finish the ride 6 more miles for 56 today. I check
the rear tire at home with floor pump that has gauge and the PSI was 84.
No issues that works fine. I then topped it off to around 100.

I am I the only idiot who has no CO2 skills and even it I did would find
it not dependable to ever really rely on.
Deacon mark


As with so many human activities, you don't use CO2
cartridges every day and there's a long time span between
events (hopefully) so you, like most people, are always a
rank amateur at it.

I always ended my flat-tire classes with the note that, 'a
flat is never at a convenient time, often associated with
rain, heat, cold, mosquitoes or just running late to be
somewhere else, That makes your psychology second rate.
Knowing that you have done this successfully here tonight
should help your attitude in future.'

You seem to have the right attitude and good for you!


This! Why I gave up with CO2 since a pump worked and wasn’t difficult to
use!

Roger Merriman

AMuzi writes:

On 5/16/2021 11:40 AM, Mark cleary wrote:
So today at mile 50 heading back into town I hit a huge deep
pothole. A car was passing so I really had to hold my line and not
avoid it. Sure enough in a hurry a pinch flat.

My first confession is I still had one CO2 canister so I loaded it
and frankly I must be an idiot. I manage to get some of it in the
tire but it seems to leak out somewhere around the fitting/stem as I
hold the chuck. No problem got my new Leyzene Road drive out and got
it up nicely in a hurry. Frankly it would be just about as fast with
just using the pump.

So I then go on and finish the ride 6 more miles for 56 today. I
check the rear tire at home with floor pump that has gauge and the
PSI was 84. No issues that works fine. I then topped it off to
around 100.

I am I the only idiot who has no CO2 skills and even it I did would
find it not dependable to ever really rely on.
Deacon mark


As with so many human activities, you don't use CO2 cartridges every
day and there's a long time span between events (hopefully) so you,
like most people, are always a rank amateur at it.

Reminds me of a job I had quite a while ago -- part of the onboarding
process was live practice with a bunch of fire extinguishers. Fire
departments everywhere should provide this service.

I always ended my flat-tire classes with the note that, 'a flat is
never at a convenient time, often associated with rain, heat, cold,
mosquitoes or just running late to be somewhere else, That makes your
psychology second rate. Knowing that you have done this successfully
here tonight should help your attitude in future.'

My most frustrating series of flats ocurred after dark on a very humid
night. I could not finish a patch without having to walk to several
different spots to avoid the swarming mosquitos. The first few patches
didn't quite seal, but it was a relief anyway to start moving faster
than the vermin could fly. After that I put a few single serving DEET
wipes in my saddle bag. I should check on them, they probably have
holes and are all dried out.

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 3:06:08 PM UTC-4, AMuzi wrote:
I always ended my flat-tire classes with the note that, 'a
flat is never at a convenient time, often associated with
rain, heat, cold, mosquitoes or just running late to be
somewhere else...

We could probably do a thread on worst flat tire situations.

Mine was in Acadia National Park, at dusk, on a long marshy path that was a short cut from our
campsite to some road or other. The flat was the rear of the tandem. My wife and kid were
free to swat at the million mosquitoes, but my hands were too busy for me to defend myself.
Fixing the flat seemed to take forever.

- Frank Krygowski

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 10:53:26 p.m. UTC-4, wrote:
On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 3:06:08 PM UTC-4, AMuzi wrote:
I always ended my flat-tire classes with the note that, 'a
flat is never at a convenient time, often associated with
rain, heat, cold, mosquitoes or just running late to be
somewhere else...

We could probably do a thread on worst flat tire situations.

Mine was in Acadia National Park, at dusk, on a long marshy path that was a short cut from our
campsite to some road or other. The flat was the rear of the tandem. My wife and kid were
free to swat at the million mosquitoes, but my hands were too busy for me to defend myself.
Fixing the flat seemed to take forever.

- Frank Krygowski

That's when I really like having a spare tube and/or a spare tubular tire with my clincher bike. The tubular will get me home and it's on in seconds.

Yes, I realize that prolonged riding on a tubular mounted on a clincher rim might result in deterioration of the sidewall where the rim contacts it. However, it's a very fast fix.

Cheers

On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 7:53:26 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 3:06:08 PM UTC-4, AMuzi wrote:
I always ended my flat-tire classes with the note that, 'a
flat is never at a convenient time, often associated with
rain, heat, cold, mosquitoes or just running late to be
somewhere else...

We could probably do a thread on worst flat tire situations.

Mine was in Acadia National Park, at dusk, on a long marshy path that was a short cut from our
campsite to some road or other. The flat was the rear of the tandem. My wife and kid were
free to swat at the million mosquitoes, but my hands were too busy for me to defend myself.
Fixing the flat seemed to take forever.

I've had that situation, too, and oddly it was in the PNW -- near Mt. St. Helens -- which is not renown for mosquitos. I flatted in some swampy area and got eaten alive fixing a flat.

My worst flat experience was five or six on a relatively short ride around SMS territory -- the Stevens Creek Reservoir and the hills around there. I had worn through a rear tire on my touring bike, and before this ride I'd thrown on my spare Michelin 50 -- a tire I had bought while riding up the Ca. coast but never used. The bead diameter was way off, and I got a succession of pinch flats. I blew through two tubes and all the patches in my patch kit. When I got home, I threw the tire away and put on one of the wobbly-tread Turbo tires I had gotten from friends working at Specialized. Mike S. prohibited them from selling the reject tires, but they did. I think I paid $1-2 for first generation Turbos, which required Olympic thumb strength for installation.

-- Jay Beattie.