4 flats on one (road bike) ride!

I sympathize. In the summer of '03 I shortened a road ride after five
flats in
30 miles or so -- and had a sixth flat coming home. Amazingly, after
that, I
didn't have another flat for 8267 miles! Go figure.

Normally I get 3,000 miles between flats, often more. And more often than
not, the few flats I do get are ones that aren't noticed until a day after,
when I find my bike sitting on the floor with no air in the tube.

The goofiest thing about all ths is that it hasn't changed my attitude that
"I don't get flats." Such arrogance may prove costly as the universe uses me
as an example of things eventually evening out. If it's determined that I'm
to make up for lost time (the many tens of thousands of miles in which I got
so very few flats), I'm in serious trouble!

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

I sympathize. In the summer of '03 I shortened a road ride after five flats in
30 miles or so -- and had a sixth flat coming home. Amazingly, after that, I
didn't have another flat for 8267 miles! Go figure.

In October I was on a club ride where we had twelve flats amongst five
riders. We unfortunately cycled across a section of path covered with
goathead thorns. It was almost humerous to see four bikes
decommissioned at the same time as everyone was fixing a flat.

A few weeks before we'd hosted a "bicycle tire changing contest" at
the local Loveland, CO corn roast celebration. I was joking that
perhaps one of our early rides next summer be a "tire changing ride"
to get everyone in practice. I wasn't getting many takers for the
idea...

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

I sympathize. In the summer of '03 I shortened a road ride after five flats in
30 miles or so -- and had a sixth flat coming home. Amazingly, after that, I
didn't have another flat for 8267 miles! Go figure.

In October I was on a club ride where we had twelve flats amongst five
riders. We unfortunately cycled across a section of path covered with
goathead thorns. It was almost humerous to see four bikes
decommissioned at the same time as everyone was fixing a flat.

A few weeks before we'd hosted a "bicycle tire changing contest" at
the local Loveland, CO corn roast celebration. I was joking that
perhaps one of our early rides next summer be a "tire changing ride"
to get everyone in practice. I wasn't getting many takers for the
idea...

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

The most I ever had on a single ride were two flats, but a buddy of
mine had three one day. I carry two tubes and two CO2 cartridges. Every
time I get a flat, I look at the inside of the tire carefully. I put my
tubes in the same way every time (for example, the valve stem right on
the first "R" of "Bontrager") just so I can examine the flat tube when
I get home. You need to take it home anyway, because if you don't,
you're probably littering. So if you get another flat before long on
the same wheel, and you put the tube in the same exact way every time
using whatever system works for you, you'll be able to see if the holes
are in the same place. If that's the case, you probably have something
very tiny in the tire working through the wall of the tube over maybe
100 miles, and giving you a slow leak that will drive you nuts because
it will keep happening. I had that happen to me: three flats on the
front wheel within maybe 300 miles; finally, with a magnifying glass, I
saw a tiny little crystal of quartz or something like that stuck in the
tire. I removed that, and haven't had another flat on the front wheel
since.

Also, when it rains, debris from the road tends to wash onto the
shoulder, and that includes puncture hazards. At the last MS150 I did
(San Antonio to Corpus Christi) it was raining the first day, and I saw
an INSANE amount of flats. I try to stay off the shoulder and ride in
the car lane. If there's only one lane going each way, I move to the
right to let cars go by, then get off the shoulder ASAP. Still, I end
up averaging about one flat for every 200 miles, and that's a drag.

The most I ever had on a single ride were two flats, but a buddy of
mine had three one day.

Had five one day. Riding south down the coast of Washington (or was
it Oregon) in the rain. On Specialized Armadillos 700x25. All of
them different punctures in different places.

It was a glorious day. That was in 1997. When I got home I threw
away the armadillos and replaced them with two of these, but in the
25c width (no longer available):

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/...egory_ID=5420#

Several months later the tires showed no signs of wearing out and in
a silly fit I replaced them just for a change. Found the front one in
storage last month and I'm commuting on it now, on the rear. As before
I cannot see the tread thinning,and haven't got a flat yet. It's a bit
on the heavy side with thin, light sidewalls - the weight is in the
tread. Great tire! Wish they still made it in 25c cause it looks like
the 35 might not fit.

dkl

On 17 Dec 2004 10:28:14 -0800, "big D" wrote:

The most I ever had on a single ride were two flats, but a buddy of
mine had three one day. I carry two tubes and two CO2 cartridges. Every
time I get a flat, I look at the inside of the tire carefully. I put my
tubes in the same way every time (for example, the valve stem right on
the first "R" of "Bontrager") just so I can examine the flat tube when
I get home. You need to take it home anyway, because if you don't,
you're probably littering. So if you get another flat before long on
the same wheel, and you put the tube in the same exact way every time
using whatever system works for you, you'll be able to see if the holes
are in the same place. If that's the case, you probably have something
very tiny in the tire working through the wall of the tube over maybe
100 miles, and giving you a slow leak that will drive you nuts because
it will keep happening. I had that happen to me: three flats on the
front wheel within maybe 300 miles; finally, with a magnifying glass, I
saw a tiny little crystal of quartz or something like that stuck in the
tire. I removed that, and haven't had another flat on the front wheel
since.

Also, when it rains, debris from the road tends to wash onto the
shoulder, and that includes puncture hazards. At the last MS150 I did
(San Antonio to Corpus Christi) it was raining the first day, and I saw
an INSANE amount of flats. I try to stay off the shoulder and ride in
the car lane. If there's only one lane going each way, I move to the
right to let cars go by, then get off the shoulder ASAP. Still, I end
up averaging about one flat for every 200 miles, and that's a drag.

There's another, simpler explanation for why you get more flats on wet
roads:

When your tire is dry, debris is picked up and flung off the casing
due to centifugal force. When the casing is wet, it adheres to the
casing much better, and every time the tire rotates it beats that
little piece of debris into the casing a little more, until it finally
manages to pierce the tire/tube giving you a flat.

In article , NobodyMan says...

There's another, simpler explanation for why you get more flats on wet
roads:

Another explanation is that water is a lubricant.

On 19 Dec 2004 13:38:35 -0800, Ed wrote:

In article , NobodyMan says...

There's another, simpler explanation for why you get more flats on wet
roads:

Another explanation is that water is a lubricant.

A pretty poor one.

Regardless, things will stick to wet items better than dry ones.
That's an indesputable fact.

In article ,
says...
On 19 Dec 2004 13:38:35 -0800, Ed wrote:

In article , NobodyMan says...

There's another, simpler explanation for why you get more flats on wet
roads:

Another explanation is that water is a lubricant.

A pretty poor one.

Actually, it's quite a good one. Try taking an old inner tube and
cutting it with a knife when it's dry, and then try again with it under
water. You'll see why a sharp rock can puncture a wet tire much easier
than it can a dry one.


Regardless, things will stick to wet items better than dry ones.
That's an indesputable fact.

Not in my experience. I have much trouble getting patches to stick to a
wet tube, and tape doesn't stick to wet things very well either.


--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).

On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 07:48:40 -0500, David Kerber
wrote:

In article ,
says...
On 19 Dec 2004 13:38:35 -0800, Ed wrote:

In article , NobodyMan says...

There's another, simpler explanation for why you get more flats on wet
roads:

Another explanation is that water is a lubricant.

A pretty poor one.

Actually, it's quite a good one. Try taking an old inner tube and
cutting it with a knife when it's dry, and then try again with it under
water. You'll see why a sharp rock can puncture a wet tire much easier
than it can a dry one.

??
The water here makes no difference. If water was such a good
lubricant we would be using it in more industrial situations. I would
sure prefer water to oil as a lubricant in my autombobile; it would be
cheaper and much more environmentally friendly. That you DON'T see it
being used as such speaks volumes against your argument.

Regardless, things will stick to wet items better than dry ones.
That's an indesputable fact.

Not in my experience. I have much trouble getting patches to stick to a
wet tube, and tape doesn't stick to wet things very well either.

Try this: take a small sliver of glass, like you find on roads that
cause flats in your tires. Touch it to the tire casing at the 3:00
position very lightly. It will probably fall off.

Now wet down the tire casing and the sliver of glass. Touch it to the
casing at the same position using the same light force. Notice it is
much less likely to fall off. Rotate the wheel. Notice the glass is
more than likely still there.

Enough said.