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#11
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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 |
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#12
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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 |
#13
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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 |
#14
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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. |
#15
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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 |
#16
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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. |
#17
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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. |
#18
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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. |
#19
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#20
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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. |
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