General Cycling Discussion - Longest time without a puncture?

I've gone about 9 months so far, on a road bike too! I used to get a puncture nearly every time I rode my MTB, I think it was partly caused by the cheap tyres I was using. I ride my roadie more miles and on similar paths and roads (hardly ever went off-road, hence the purchase of a roadie) and haven't had a puncture yet.

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I think I went about 12,000 kms flat free in 1999. I also had a run of one flat in about 16,500km - that ended abruptly last November in the Grampians.

So far my tires have 6000km on them and they are flat free. I think the grip on them is worn out thought. Gonna pick up some Axial carbons or another set of GP3000s

About 12,000 miles (faulty tube doesn't count-does it?) and little less than 3 years on Specialize Turbo Armadillos road tires AND STILL GOING!! I'm of course on my 5th rear and 3rd front tire.

Originally posted by Falchoon
I used to get a puncture nearly every time I rode my MTB, I think it was partly caused by the cheap tyres I was using. [/I]

Did you check your spokes? I had on-going problems with puncture after puncture until it dawned on me that it was two spokes that were pushing through the rim into the innertube. I should have noticed it right off, but I didn't. Later on, it was a burr that wasn't being properly covered up by the rim tape.


Please avoid the use of swearing or symbols that represent swearing. - WorldIRC

What's the above quote all about? I'm involved in IT, but I don't use IRC nor know much at all about it.

Not even gonna jinx myself that way

Posting a thread like this is kinda like putting a hex on the whole damn thing. :D

Hmm. I was doing alright myself, until I had THREE count them THREE punctures in one ride.

I haven't flatted since '96. But then, i've only done probably 2000 miles in that time, trail and road.

Three years or @9500 miles.
Of course then I promptly got three back to back.

In over 39000 miles had only 1 flat, about 7 years ago, I saw the gutter screw on the pavement, but could not miss it, heard it hit the pavement when the wheel went around & air begin to escape, I try to watch for what is on the road, & miss it so as not to get a flat, the flat I had was about a mile from home so pushed the bike home. I check my tires at least 2 time per week & that I think contrubites to no flat avoiding pinch flats, when one hits a small rock or railroad track, etc.

OK, you people need to stop! I purposefully avoided this thread for fear of a jinx. . . because I couldn't remember the last time I flatted. Well, on my way home last night, my kevlar belted tires and kevlar spin skins got circumvented by a glass shard. Fortunately, the leak was small and I didn't even notice until I parked the bike in the garage and heard the telltale hiss. But even so, now my new tire is (sniff) less-than-perfect and I had to change out a tube. This thread is evil!

Evil thread alert...no flats for me in 4 months...knock on wood [knocking on my own skull]...

This thread is evil indeed. It gave me a flat yesterday.

Absolutely none, since I installed Slime flat protector strips six months ago.

saw evil but no evil happened today, I ran over 2/10's of a mile of broken glass and all I heard was crunch crunch crunch but no flats on those Specialize Armadillos.

I do not use the Slime flat protector is strips but they are lighter than Mr Tuffy and just a tad less expensive. BUT no strip will prevent a side wall attack.

And do not use Slime tubes in road bikes, the slime will not work above 70psi, the stuff just blows out the hole. Even if you let it seal for a couple of days than try to blow up pat the stuff comes out again. Also the tubes are heavy and cheaply made.

Also, at 100+ psi, the slime blows out the valve and gums up your air guage.

Since switching to Armadillos and Performance Kevlar Pro tires three years ago the only flat I have suffered on the road is when a rock sliced the sidewall of my tire. Replaced the tube and used a folded $5 bill to reinforce the tire cut and I was off. For a small weight penalty you cannot beat these newer tire designs with Kevlar in the tread area. What an improvement in puncture resistance. Enjoy!

Why did you have to start this thread? I only read it yesterday :D and......

Today I ran over a razor blade that was lying in the bike lane. Don't know if this was accidental or malicious but it is a nasty thing to find. Damn thing slashed straight through a (nearly) new tyre. :irritated I did dispose of it safely to save others from the danger.

Cheers,

Ed

1 year, but i did abit more urban freeriding than i normally do. Back to the trails this year so i expect a few.

Now it's three flats in three days! My longstanding good karma is destroyed and I blame it on this thread. I flatted the front on the way home yesterday. Went to the shop and bought new Mr. Tuffy liners to replace the Spin Skins (they were looking worn) and flatted the front again on the way into work today. The glass that pierced the tire was huge and sharp! I now have a 7mm gash in the tire, but the point was barely able to push through the liner and nick the tire.

Now I have a question, the tire is practically new - should I just replace it since it's weakened and I'm sure debris would just get crammed in the cut?

Originally posted by ChezJfrey
Went to the shop and bought new Mr. Tuffy liners to replace the Spin Skins (they were looking worn) and flatted the front again on the way into work today.

Careful with those, their ends are sharp! I got rid of mine after the problems they caused with the inner tubes. Maybe you can find a way to smooth them or something.

Incidentally, I've continued my run of no flats since this thread started, and this in spite of riding through Surfers Paradise every day (where smashing glass bottles is a recreational activity among the huge population of braindead dickheads). I'm feeling invincible.

Originally posted by Chris L
Careful with those, their ends are sharp! I got rid of mine after the problems they caused with the inner tubes. Maybe you can find a way to smooth them or something.

Yeah, I'd never had them before, but the guys at the shop suggested carefully beveling the end with a razor.

I actually went one year wit no puncture about 3 years ago. The Gods made up for his last year though:mad

What's a puncture? :smug:

How about the longest time with a puncture? I have 2500kms on a slow flat that needs pumping each day.

Originally posted by KnightWhoSaysNi
How about the longest time with a puncture? I have 2500kms on a slow flat that needs pumping each day.

I honestly wouldn't have the patience for that. How do you put up with it? If I have one that needs pumping after a week I change it.

How about this. I went out with a friend who doesn't bike but wanted to tag along. I was about a mile out when, "whump, whump, whump" from the back. He was fascinated by the process of fixing it only to see me get a pinch flat when I tried to rush putting the tube back in. I decided not to push my luck with that tube and sent him back for a spare. Guess what, took him 30-45 minutes to get back because it turns out he got a flat right after he disappeared from sight. Ok, a little off topic, but kinda funny.

Looks like I jinxed myself with this thread. I went to ride the bike home from work yesterday and the front tyre was half flat. I managed to limp to a garage and pump it up but it was nearly flat again by the time I made it home. This is on my slick tyred MTB that I hardly ever ride. The roadie is still going strong (touch wood).

Been about 600 miles without a flat so far but I guess this will not be for much longer! Though thing is I can't put slime in racing inner tubes you have to have those Mountain bike inners to have the right valve size to put the stuff in your tubes!

Longest time without a flat? That would have to be the bike that's hanging up in the shed, hasn't had a puncture in years.

You know, just by reading this, I'll probably get a flat today!:(

I resisted looking at this thread for so long. Had a peek a couple of days back. Flatted today on my road bike for the first time in 6 months.

AHA!!

I appeal to the forum janitor:

Close this thread now! It is another example of the mindless evil that is pedalled (oh dear) to we Cyclists on a daily basis. I demand action to protect my fellow riders from the fate that has met so many of us, innocents, who have fallen under the subliminal spell of this thread.

Please do something now before it is too late for the others

I'm still resisting! :D

No flats since November, and none around here for almost a year.

i'm not jinxing myself...

After having my first flat in 6 months a couple of weeks ago I got another on the way to work this morning.

Why is there so much glass on the roads? Maybe we should limit people to plastic becauser they obviously can't handle glass without smashing it on the roadside.

Longest time without a flat was 8 months until I read this thread last week...since then I've had 4 flats. I don't think I'll be reading threads about flats anymore.

I have yet to have a flat because of riding. I have had three flats due to presta valves and my anxiousness to pumps them up fast...

I really only get flats like once per year... and they're almost always pinch flats. My last flat was a pinch flat (On a tubeless tire!!!) when I was bombing down some rocky singletrack at Pisgah... I flatted about half a mile from the end of the trail though. Just pissed me off that I couldn't enjoy that last steep downhill with tons of BIG jumps in it. I think I actually tore the knob off the tire, which caused a slow leak, and then it leaked enough air to really SLAM against a rock when I was coming down from a jump. I've been running Stan's tubeless fluid in my tires.. so far no flats, but it's too soon to really tell. I think this system is going to be really reliable.