General Discussion Triathlon Talk » While I wait for my ride.... Rss Feed  
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2014-08-02 8:56 AM

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1502
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Katy, Texas
Subject: While I wait for my ride....
....yet again stranded on the side of the road with a flat I might as well post and complain about it. I'm lucky if I make it 100 miles between flats. I currently am riding on gator skins with liners and a piece of metal still got through. It was a slow leak so I tried to just get by giving it boosts from my co2 instead of changing my tube. I made it another 5 miles then had to change it out but by then my co2 was empty....lesson learned. These chronic flats are getting old quick. Does anyone else have this issue? The two biggest culprits are broken bottles and the metal reinforcements from discarded retread tires.


2014-08-02 9:03 AM
in reply to: 3mar

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Regular
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Pueblo, Colorado
Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
I notice that as the summer goes on, some of the routes I normally ride seem to gather debris. Don't know if you have options for other routes (or maybe it's happening everywhere), but I try to avoid those roads where I've flatted multiple times. This seems to help. Best wishes on getting home and I hope your bad luck with the tires ends soon!
2014-08-02 10:41 AM
in reply to: #5034076

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1502
1000500
Katy, Texas
Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
Thanks for the advice. I live in the Florida Keys so there is only a single road to choose from that links all the islands. So the only options are going up or down. That being said, I've consistently only went one way, so maybe it's time to go the other?
2014-08-02 6:35 PM
in reply to: 3mar

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Veteran
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Pittsburgh, PA
Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
Sounds like it sucks... but I would get a frame pump, and carry 2 tubes and a repair kit. At least you won't get stranded that way.
2014-08-03 9:54 AM
in reply to: chayes

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Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
Originally posted by chayes

Sounds like it sucks... but I would get a frame pump, and carry 2 tubes and a repair kit. At least you won't get stranded that way.


+1 And if you know you just road though a bunch of debris stop wipe off the tires.
2014-08-03 3:06 PM
in reply to: bigevilgrape

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Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
Man that really sucks. At some point I'd give up and go back to the trainer. After doing some 4+ hours rides on it the thing after my shoulder got jacked from while crashing last month, I no longer dread it. Finally figured out that having a fan at face level makes things pretty bearable.


2014-08-03 5:20 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
Are your rims in good shape? What about the rim tape? Are you sure that the tire pressure is correct? It takes longer, but after I get a flat, I turn the tire inside out and brush my finger tips along the inside to check for snags. Gatorskins can close back over small debris such as shards of glass and hide them, but this exposes them. Also, if the threads are showing on the tires, they are done. The problem might not be the roads.

Edited by happyscientist 2014-08-03 5:23 PM
2014-08-03 8:29 PM
in reply to: 0

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Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
Originally posted by happyscientist

Are your rims in good shape? What about the rim tape? Are you sure that the tire pressure is correct? It takes longer, but after I get a flat, I turn the tire inside out and brush my finger tips along the inside to check for snags. Gatorskins can close back over small debris such as shards of glass and hide them, but this exposes them. Also, if the threads are showing on the tires, they are done. The problem might not be the roads.


x2 on this. 2 years ago I had a series of flats. 3 or 4 in the span of a month. I took my wheel in and the rim tape was the culprit. Wasn't done correctly and one of the spoke nipples was wearing and putting small holes in to my tubes. Only have had one flat since and have done the training for and raced 2 IM in that span.

Edited by japewang 2014-08-03 8:30 PM
2014-08-03 9:18 PM
in reply to: Blastman


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Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
Originally posted by Blastman

Man that really sucks. At some point I'd give up and go back to the trainer. After doing some 4+ hours rides on it the thing after my shoulder got jacked from while crashing last month, I no longer dread it. Finally figured out that having a fan at face level makes things pretty bearable.


really? you'd rather ride inside going nowhere than actually ride your bike? So stuck in training mode to actually enjoy the activity that you're training for. I sold my trainer after 3 rides, bought tights and a good jacket so i could ride all winter.

OP if you have something stuck in your tire, no amount of topping off is going to fix it.. you just need to change the tube or patch it. like someone said.. run your finger gently inside to make sure everything is out so you don't get a repeat. Gatorskin are tough but thin sharp things still get through, they aren't bulletproof.
2014-08-04 7:19 AM
in reply to: happyscientist

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Champion
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the alamo city, Texas
Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....

Originally posted by happyscientist Are your rims in good shape? What about the rim tape? Are you sure that the tire pressure is correct? It takes longer, but after I get a flat, I turn the tire inside out and brush my finger tips along the inside to check for snags. Gatorskins can close back over small debris such as shards of glass and hide them, but this exposes them. Also, if the threads are showing on the tires, they are done. The problem might not be the roads.

this is perfect advice - except don't use your finger tips to check for bits of metal and shards of glass!  i was always taught to use a cotton ball - wherever the white threads get left behind you have something that can pierce your tube.

2014-08-04 7:58 AM
in reply to: mehaner

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Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
I just remembered one more thing you can do. When you put in a tube, line up the valve stem with a specific spot on the tire (I use the "4" on my Conti 4 seasons). Then, when you get a flat, find the hole in the tube (you may have to partially fill the tube with air and submerge it in water). Let's say the hole is 20 degrees away from the stem, look at the corresponding place on the tire, and see if there is a culprit embedded in the rubber or if there are any flaws on the rim.


2014-08-04 8:35 AM
in reply to: 3mar

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1502
1000500
Katy, Texas
Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
It's actually been a little bit of everything that has led to the epidemic of flats. Some user error (I'm new to biking) and some just plain bad luck. The thing that is frustrating at this point is that I feel that I've "done my time" so to speak and was hoping that I had all that behind me prior to my latest flat. In case your curious, or just need a good laugh at a noobie, here is my memory of the flats thus far:

1. Tire under-inflated. Resulted in a "snake bite" set of holes. Went to LBS, got a good pump and maintained proper pressure from then on.
2. Bad luck. Hit a piece of glass and it went right through the cheap tires that came with my cheap bike. Bought liners to help supplement.
3. More bad luck - hit a shard of metal from a re-tread tire and it went through the tire and the liner.
4. Even more bad luck. Hit a half of an upturned bottle, split the tire right in half. Bought new tire.
5. Side wall blow out - User error. I never had my bike properly tuned and my brake pad was rubbing on my tire...side wall blow out. Went to LBS and got bike properly tuned.
6. Tube blow out - User Error - I went and bought Gator Skins and installed them myself. I didn't allow the tube to seat correctly before inflating and had a blow out within two miles of my brand new tires. Went to LBS, got another lesson on tube installation and went on my merry way.
7. Another tube blow out - Back to LBS and found my rim tape had shifted exposing spoke ends.

So after all of this, I finally had my LBS put everything together for me and thought I had every eventuality covered; Gator skins, tire liners, bike tuned and tires properly put together and inflated, then;

8. More bad luck - I randomly hit a shard of metal from a re-tread and was stranded again. This is where the frustration kicks in. I learned the lessons to get to a point where I wasn't the problem then fate stepped in and popped me again.

All of the above in the span of 600 miles over three months.
2014-08-04 9:23 AM
in reply to: 3mar

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Member
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Exton, PA
Subject: RE: While I wait for my ride....
Originally posted by 3mar

It's actually been a little bit of everything that has led to the epidemic of flats. Some user error (I'm new to biking) and some just plain bad luck. The thing that is frustrating at this point is that I feel that I've "done my time" so to speak and was hoping that I had all that behind me prior to my latest flat. In case your curious, or just need a good laugh at a noobie, here is my memory of the flats thus far:

1. Tire under-inflated. Resulted in a "snake bite" set of holes. Went to LBS, got a good pump and maintained proper pressure from then on.
2. Bad luck. Hit a piece of glass and it went right through the cheap tires that came with my cheap bike. Bought liners to help supplement.
3. More bad luck - hit a shard of metal from a re-tread tire and it went through the tire and the liner.
4. Even more bad luck. Hit a half of an upturned bottle, split the tire right in half. Bought new tire.
5. Side wall blow out - User error. I never had my bike properly tuned and my brake pad was rubbing on my tire...side wall blow out. Went to LBS and got bike properly tuned.
6. Tube blow out - User Error - I went and bought Gator Skins and installed them myself. I didn't allow the tube to seat correctly before inflating and had a blow out within two miles of my brand new tires. Went to LBS, got another lesson on tube installation and went on my merry way.
7. Another tube blow out - Back to LBS and found my rim tape had shifted exposing spoke ends.

So after all of this, I finally had my LBS put everything together for me and thought I had every eventuality covered; Gator skins, tire liners, bike tuned and tires properly put together and inflated, then;

8. More bad luck - I randomly hit a shard of metal from a re-tread and was stranded again. This is where the frustration kicks in. I learned the lessons to get to a point where I wasn't the problem then fate stepped in and popped me again.

All of the above in the span of 600 miles over three months.


Most of these flats were avoidable, I know you don't want to hear that. However knowing that will help you avoid flats in the future.

Under inflation, pinched tube, brake adjustment, rim tape are all things you just need to learn about a bike once you have that down flats from these will disappear.

Road debris is not totally avoidable however the more experience you have the better you will be at avoiding it in the road.

Stick with it, and it will get better.
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