Where were you the last time you got a flat tire?

[ColumbiaHeights]

Name the closest intersection the last time you heard the dreaded hisssssssss.

If anyone knows how to throw together a crowd sourcing type map, that would be even better! Maybe we can identify locations where street sweepers aren’t doing their job, etc.

Wilson Blvd & Kent St in Arlington was my last flat. I rode over a metal screw.

Topic

[jrenaut]

@TwoWheelsDC 49556 wrote:

…changing a flat in the luxury of a shop/shed makes it almost no bother at all.

Changing a flat in light drizzle where you can either block the trail or sit in the mud is not so un-bother-y.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@jrenaut 49559 wrote:

Changing a flat in light drizzle where you can either block the trail or sit in the mud is not so un-bother-y.

Word. In my experience, changing flats in the rain also makes a follow on flat more likely because of the dirt and mud getting everywhere.

[jrenaut]

Yeah, I should probably make sure the tube is clean. It’s about time to rotate the tires – sounds like a good weekend project. It’s a bit of a problem because my floor pump needs a new head, so if I do rotate the tires, I have to go somewhere with a floor pump I can borrow. But that’s not an insurmountable obstacle.

[Dirt]

Last weekend’s 160 mile mixed-surface fixie ride was “punctuated” or rather “puncturated” with 6 flats. I only had 3 tubes and 2 patches with me. Those of us who are math geniuses have already figured out that I came out at least 1 tube repair/replacement method short. I patched a tube using Hello Kitty Duct Tape. it held 55psi for over 2 miles of dirt road riding! I was impressed.

I had to make the call of shame. I was running out of time and daylight. I had lights with me, but I really needed to get home.

For someone who almost never gets flats (maybe 1 or 2 per year… over the course of 12-13,000 miles) I had more than my share.

What am I doing about this? I added Stan’s latex sealant to the tubes in my endurance bikes… as well as any new spare tubes that I’ve got. While that won’t fix a huge puncture, it will definitely help keep air in for the smaller ones.

Something worth noting: QTubes (made my Kenda) are one of the few tube manufacturers that still make removable presta valve cores. Being able to take out the valve core makes installing sealant much, much easier. Without the removable valve core, you end up cutting a hole in your tube, squirting in sealant, then patching the hole. It works, but it isn’t ideal.

Love,

Dirt.

[GuyContinental]

Well the first flat of the day was actually in my office; the next about 3 miles into LFP tails and the third right past Maple in Vienna. Good thing that between Hozn and I we had 4 tubes and 3 CO2 cartridges. This is getting expensive between replacement tubes and a serious beer debt. Flats 18-21 of the last 12 months. Awesome.

Dirt, since you might be following this thread- I saw in one of your photos of your bikes a Michelin Mud2 CX tire (just on your rear)- what pressures do you run the Mud off-road? Running that tire (as a pair) I pinch flat like crazy with tubes under 80; do OK at 80 and roll them right off the wheels at 45 and tubeless. They also wear like mad- I’m 750 miles in and the rear is about half life (I ride a long way on the WOD to get to the trails)

[Bilsko]

Right here

Car had pulled too far out and was blocking the sidewalk – I pinch-flatted the rear tire when I hit the lip of the curb cut going too fast.

Now my sidewall looks like this (yes, that’s the tube popping out of a 1/4″ hole):

I’m riding around with a new tube and tire for when I finally push my luck too far.

[lancito brazofuerte]

Riding through Overtown in Miami. Think Little Haiti but not as nice. Riding slow after eating some killer fish tacos my rear tire proceeds to blow off the rim. Like all the way off. Sounded like a gunshot. I look up and ALL the dudes in the hood were staring at me. Then I carried my bike 4 blocks to a bodega, got a cuban coffee and proceeded to blow another tube up.

[hozn]

Dirt, I am sure you’be considered it, but perhaps road tubeless? It is not a cure-all but in my experience it works pretty well and sealant can help seal things up to 40-60psi (but not more, in my experience) — good enough to limp home.

I have had great luck converting a variety of road rims to tubeless with just yellow tape (2 layers for high psi), the setup seem generally less picky than mtb. Hutchinson is supposed to be releasing their 700×28 model any day now, but it won’t be cheap.

[vvill]

Was yesterday flats-for-all day? I saw Dismal had one too. I got a pinch flat on a pothole lip approaching Washington Circle in the AM (that’s what I get for riding 23s without putting air in them for a week or two). I didn’t bother fixing it until I got into the office and just slow pedaled the last few blocks. Not good for my rims.

Bilsko – I’d probably still ride that too, but boot it first.

[DismalScientist]

The Georgetown Branch trail and 28s on my bikes don’t seem to mix well. I think that was the second on that trail and I’ve only been on it a few times.

[jopamora]

Yesterday afternoon the Georgetown Branch claimed another tube. Ended up walking home since it would have taken me the same amount of time to patch the tube.

[Dirt]

I got 7 in rural Kansas over the weekend.

[Mikey]

@Dirt 54329 wrote:

I got 7 in rural Kansas over the weekend.

storm chasing by bike again?

[Dirt]

@essigmw 54332 wrote:

storm chasing by bike again?

Dirty Kanza 200 race. Kind of like Storm Chasing, but slower.

[mstone]

@Dirt 54329 wrote:

I got 7 in rural Kansas over the weekend.

maybe try putting air in the tires next time?

[Author]

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