The "p"-word and wet weather

So I went out for a ride this morning, it was wet
and I got three flats in less than 30km. It's been
months since I last had one.

So what is it about wet weather that seems to bring
out the higher flatting rate? On the weekend (also
wet) I noticed more riders than usual on the side of
the road with a wheel off.

I have four possible mechanisms:

1. Rain washes more puncture causing material onto
the path/side of road for us to run over.
2. A wet road/path makes it harder to see glass/nails
so harder for us to avoid.
3. Wet tyres mean that debris sticks to the tyre giving
it more chance to work in as we ride
4 (This one's a bit out there...) In the wet, it's
easier for glass shards/nails/metal bits to stick up
in the air rather than lie flat on the road. This
makes them more likely to cause a flat.

Confession: my third flat was due to tyre not correctly
installed - there was a bang as the protruding tube went
past it's Hookian limit. Remarkably, the wheel did not
go flat - the bead closed off the hole enough to ride the
bike a few kms to cafe for spouse to pick me up...

DeF.


--
e-mail: d.farrow@your finger.murdoch.edu.au
To reply, you'll have to remove your finger.

DeF Wrote:

I have four possible mechanisms:

1. Rain washes more puncture causing material onto
the path/side of road for us to run over.
2. A wet road/path makes it harder to see glass/nails
so harder for us to avoid.
3. Wet tyres mean that debris sticks to the tyre giving
it more chance to work in as we ride
4 (This one's a bit out there...) In the wet, it's
easier for glass shards/nails/metal bits to stick up
in the air rather than lie flat on the road. This
makes them more likely to cause a flat.

Confession: my third flat was due to tyre not correctly
installed - there was a bang as the protruding tube went
past it's Hookian limit. Remarkably, the wheel did not
go flat - the bead closed off the hole enough to ride the
bike a few kms to cafe for spouse to pick me up...

DeF.

e-mail: d.farrow@your finger.murdoch.edu.au
To reply, you'll have to remove your finger.

5. The water provides a bit of lubrication making it easier for glass
etc. to slide into tyre and penetrate tube.

Rory.w


--
Rory Williams

On 2007-05-02, DeF (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
Confession: my third flat was due to tyre not correctly
installed - there was a bang as the protruding tube went
past it's Hookian limit. Remarkably, the wheel did not
go flat - the bead closed off the hole enough to ride the
bike a few kms to cafe for spouse to pick me up...

Moral to the story: don't repair tyres.

I hated when you realise your tyre is slowly going flat, but over some
distance. So you pull up, yank out the nail or 3 corner jack, and
then watch as the tyre goes "floop". If I happen to have left my
spare tubes/kit at home that day, I fortunately learnt to stop doing
such silly things as pulling out the nail, when I was about 15.

--
TimC
E = MC ** 2 +- 3db

DeF wrote:

I couldn't put it better than Jobst Brandt:

"Glass is visible on roads by its shiny splinters and shards as
well as not being the same color as the road. When wet from
rain, these characteristics vanish and leave glass looking like
any bit of gravel. Not only is it "invisible" but it is
lubricated and cuts through rubber effortlessly. A convincing
experiment is to cut a thick rubber band with a razor, first
dry, then wet."

http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/9.42.html

John

On May 2, 2:04 pm, Rory Williams Rory.Williams.2px...@no-
mx.forums.cyclingforums.com wrote:
5. The water provides a bit of lubrication making it easier for glass
etc. to slide into tyre and penetrate tube.

Not just a bit.. alot.
1/ Try slicing a tyre with a knife.
2/ Repeat with a wet knife.
3/ Compare.

I've had 3 punctures in the past 2 weeks. Prior to that I hadn't had a
puncture for over a year.


--
jazmo

"jazmo" wrote in message
...

I've had 3 punctures in the past 2 weeks. Prior to that I hadn't had a
puncture for over a year.


--
jazmo


As Murphy's LAw dictates, I was thinking at the start of last week I had not
had a puncture for a while. So, on the way home my rear goes mushy and I
pull out a 3cm length of fencing wire. It looked like a nail had stick in
my tyre...dead centre of a knobby bit of tread. What gets me is how
something like that can get stuck in the tyre at a 90 degree angle to the
road...it's not like the road is covered with spikes.

Grrr. At least my spare tube and pump were handy.

On Wed, 02 May 2007 14:04:33 +1000, TimC wrote:

I hated when you realise your tyre is slowly going flat, but over some
distance. So you pull up, yank out the nail or 3 corner jack, and
then watch as the tyre goes "floop". If I happen to have left my
spare tubes/kit at home that day, I fortunately learnt to stop doing
such silly things as pulling out the nail, when I was about 15.

Parbs, is the story about you and the nail online anywhere, or do you have
to go through your mail archive?


--
Dave Hughes |
O Canada, we stand ready to sit down and discuss our problems in a
civilized fashion for thee. -- wednesday

Dave wrote:
On Wed, 02 May 2007 14:04:33 +1000, TimC wrote:

I hated when you realise your tyre is slowly going flat, but over some
distance. So you pull up, yank out the nail or 3 corner jack, and
then watch as the tyre goes "floop". If I happen to have left my
spare tubes/kit at home that day, I fortunately learnt to stop doing
such silly things as pulling out the nail, when I was about 15.

Parbs, is the story about you and the nail online anywhere, or do you have
to go through your mail archive?

Nope, but Steve has a picture

http://svana.org/photos/ade2006/websize/img_1915.jpg

That drawing pin probably did another 100km of riding or so after being
reinserted into the tyre.

Parbs - now with goop