I went through 8 tubes in one day flats crappy patchs and faulty valves :-|

By  Steeker, at 9:43 AM  

Hey Joe,

Sorry to hear about all those flats. Here are some pointers:

* Do you keep your tire pressure topped up? If the presure is too low, you risk getting "pinch flats" or "snakebites". Those often look like two little holes right next to each other. I'd suggest pumping up to your tires' maximum pressure.

* After you fix your flats, do you inspect the tires to make sure there's no debris still stuck in the tire? Check the outside and inside of the tire thoroughly. You could be getting flatted from the same piece of glass/metal!

* Avoid riding in the gutters where the flat-causing garbage accumulates and the pavement is jumping out at you to cause pinch-flats. :)

* Consider getting a set of stronger kevlar-belted tires like Schwalbe Marathons. They won't totally prevent flats, but will often prevent debris from working its way through and you can pick it out during your regular tire inspections.

You should practice removing your rear wheel sometime. It's not that difficult. You can fix a flat and be back on the road within 10 minutes if you carry tire levers, a patch kit, and a pump.

Cheers,
Vic

By  Vic, at 9:47 AM  

Steeker - 8 in a day! Holy crap!

Vic - thanks so much for the good advice. I'll get it fixed today so I can come to Mass tonight, and maybe pick up some spare tubes and a pump. I've got an old bike I never use at home, so I'll use that as a "repair bike" to learn how to do all this stuff. :)

By  joe, at 10:00 AM  

Good tires are definitely worth the ten bucks extra. I wouldn't go back to knobbies.

On the Wednesday ride, we rode through the trail beside the Don River. Maybe you picked up a thorn or something there.

I'd agree though. You've definitely angered some gods. Probably not the bike ones though. Maybe the ones of a four wheeled inclination.

By  Darren J, at 10:51 AM  

I've been thinking of those Kevlar hybrid tires that MEC has for a while... and Darren, you may be right... I did post about the "War Against Cars"... perhaps this is a "shot across my bow"? Hmmm.

By  joe, at 10:56 AM  

Vic has got it right about checking the carcass of the tire. I had problems sometime last year when I was running late for work and forgot to check the tire. I ended up getting two flats over the 10km ride, and had to walk.

Run a piece of cloth or your cycling glove in a pinch through the inside of the tire -- fabric will catch on the offending projectile and you can remove it.

By  Andrew, at 1:49 PM  

You might also check to see if you need new rim strips - I had a problem with a tire that kept going flat once an that turned out to be the problem.

By  val, at 2:18 PM  

Use quality tyres. Manufacturers like Continental put in breaker plies that enhance puncture resistance while keeping the ride lively. (Oh, Continental Avenue, how I miss you ...)

Frequent punctures are often a sign that your tyres are on the way out.

Is that your tyre in the picture? Skinwalls offer no protection; gumwalls or blackwalls are better.

Kevlar tyres are a bit dead feeling, but you'll have few (if any) punctures. Schwalbe Marathons are good now they've got the QC up to snuff, but they're quite heavy and loud on tarmac.

Don't go with airless tyres. They suck the joy from cycling.

By  scruss, at 10:45 PM  

Thanks for all the advice and help, everyone. This post (and Vic's advice) made it into the Spacing Wire. Cool. Thanks Tammy!

By  joe, at 1:48 PM