Fifty Plus (50+) - A Few Milestones

p8rider here - Just going about my business, I don't usually post much, but I do read alot of what everyone else is up to.
This week I experienced a few milestones I felt noteworthy. On my Trek 5200 I passed 4,000 miles, 1,247 so far for this year. I received the bike at christmas in 2005 and so have been riding it just over a year and a half. As bikes go this one has performed flawlessly and I have totally enjoyed it. If you include this mileage coupled with that from my old Peugeot P8 I have ridden over 5,700 miles since I began riding again in the winter of 2005.
All of this is well and good, but the real milestone is that this morning for the very first time I had a flat tire:( That's right 5,700 miles before getting my first flat. I carry a spare tube in the wedge pack, had it changed out in about 20 minutes, (rear tire) and got it pumped up with my little mini hand pump well enough to head to my nearby LBS to access a real pump to get the pressure back up to 115lbs. With that I continued on my morning ride, getting in a nice 31 miles and back to the house before the real heat of the day.
Over time I have read so much about so many flats I thought it noteworthy that I have just had my first.

Those are outstanding mileage stats, and you are to be congratulated!

The flat tire thing, however, I cannot comment on. I do not want to jinx myself. But woohoo for you! :D

Those are outstanding mileage stats, and you are to be congratulated!

+1

Nice to see that you are still knocking up the milage, but glad to see that you are expeiencing some of the joys of Cycling. Flats are a way of life to some of us-but 4,000 miles and I bet the tyres are getting thin. Time to look for the Go Faster- 140psi 19's to keep the body massage going.

Nice going. It's great that you knew how to change a flat with so little experience!

The flat tire thing, however, I cannot comment on. I do not want to jinx myself.

You are playing dangerously close to the edge by even hinting at your own experience ... of NOT HAVING A FLAT IN A LONG TIME!!!

At 5700 miles in a few months short of two years, you are ahead of a lot of us in this forum.

Are you out riding in that 90+ Carolina heat?

At 5700 miles in a few months short of two years, you are ahead of a lot of us in this forum.

Are you out riding in that 90+ Carolina heat?

He has two magnets on his front wheel. Maybe three. :D

Excellent Dan! Did you figure out what caused the flat? did you find anything in the tire or see the snake bits for a pinch flat? I've had issues with needing to replace the rim tape occassionally so watch for that if it is a recurring problem. Once every couple years is darn good!!!

Congratulations, and I hope to have the same experience as you with flats. If that's the case, then at my rate I'm guaranteed to never have one for the rest of my life. :)

Are you out riding in that 90+ Carolina heat?

I have tried to avoid the heat. I was out this morning at 7:30 and back at the house at just after 10:00 so the temp might have been in the low 80"s by then. My normal exercise ride begins at about 5:15am, not too much heat at that hour.

Excellent Dan! Did you figure out what caused the flat? did you find anything in the tire or see the snake bits for a pinch flat? I've had issues with needing to replace the rim tape occassionally so watch for that if it is a recurring problem. Once every couple years is darn good!!!
I looked at the tape and it looks like new. I actually think the valve failed. I was only about 1 1/2 miles from my home after just pumping up the tires. I tried pumping the tube up and I couldn't seem to keep the valve sealed. That was all I could figure becuase the tire seemed just fine and I hadn't ridden over anything peculiar. Has anyone else ever had a valve go out?

That's some pretty impressive mileage Dan, congratulations. I was wondering what kind of tires that you have, that you could get that kind of mileage on them. I really don't think I'd change, but it would be good to know, thanks

I was wondering what kind of tires that you have, that you could get that kind of mileage on them. I really don't think I'd change, but it would be good to know, thanks
George,
The tires are nothing special; they are Bontrager Race Lites which came with the bike.

The flat tire thing, however, I cannot comment on. I do not want to jinx myself.:D

uhhhhhhhhhhh..............I think you just did.

Your report reminds me. I also have had no flats all year long. Most of my biking is on a big park main road. No flats.
So I get the brilliant idea to go biking into all the parking lots. That makes a 6 mile main park road into a 25 mile circle. Well, I developed having a flat just about every time I went out. Punt!........
I became selective which parking areas had less debris. End result? Fewer flats.
The good news is that I can fix a flat now. I got experience.

The flat tire thing, however, I cannot comment on. I do not want to jinx myself. But woohoo for you! :D

Methinks the puncture fairy will be paying someone a visit soon!

Congratulations! Those are some nice milestones.