Fifty Plus (50+) - Flat Tire Fairy VS. Guardian Angel

Four of the last five times the Flat Tire Fairy went on a bike ride with me, Guardian Angel was along too, providing me with a handy work bench. Once was in front of a house with a round concrete picnic table in the side yard with a hole in the middle for either a sunbrella pole, or an axle. Once was right by a landscaping business, with an assortment of empty flatbed trailers to work on. Yet another time was a flat discovered in the comfort and convenience of my own shop with workbench and tools. Tonight I had a flat about 100 yards past the entrance to an RV park, with picnic tables the manager let me use. The only time Guardian Angel let me down, and even then it wasn't a total letdown was a flat on the way into Springfield. All we had then was a guardrail, but after I think about it, Son Chris was there, and all I really did was hold the bike, so I guess I'm really five out of five with Guardian Angel doing his part to keep Flat Tire Fairy in check.

So are you that lucky too, or is this just really a freak streak?

I left an empty six-pack in the fridge hoping the beer fairy would give me a refill. No luck so far.

I've only had a couple flats this summer (knock on wood) and each time I've been with H or J. I take the wheel off, they fix the flat and I put it back on the bike. I can fix a flat but I'm slow and they're impatient:D

58 miles in the rain last Saturday with a group of five. 6 flats in the group of five. For whatever reason, I did not have a flat. Also, as I reflect on it, a patch kit, glue or glue-less, would have been more or less useless. As soon as the tube came out of the tire, it got wet. One guy, not in our group, allowed as how he had experienced 3 flats in 13 miles. One of the SAG people mentioned that flats are more prevalent in the rain. When queried about this topic, the proprietor of my really local LBS said that he had heard the same thing.

No such luck for me. Although a rarely get a flat they are usually tramatic. One was by a mosquito infested swamp - by the time I got it fixed I was one big welt. I have had two flats in a row - no second spare. My most unbelievable flat was when I crashed the bike on the bike path, the front wheel went side ways, tore the tire off the rim, I partially dislocated my shoulder. I lay there in agony bleeding and joggers just went on by without even a word. I finally got my cell phone out and called home for help and my wife scraped me off the pavement and into the car. I guess she was the angle in all of this.

I left an empty six-pack in the fridge hoping the beer fairy would give me a refill. No luck so far.

You need to start paying attention for potentially full bottles lying in the ditch as you ride. Fairies can be ever so subtle... even beer fairies.:D

Sounds like you rode through something unfortunate of that trip. If that many people flat out, someting is going on, beyond just bad luck.

One of the SAG people mentioned that flats are more prevalent in the rain. When queried about this topic, the proprietor of my really local LBS said that he had heard the same thing.

Flatologists have been studying this phenomena for years. One theory is that small bits and wires tend to stick to the rubber tire due to wet grime and muck, eventually causing flats.

Flatologists have been studying this phenomena for years. One theory is that small bits and wires tend to stick to the rubber tire due to wet grime and muck, eventually causing flats.
True. Many of those bits would normally fly off on a dry day.

To add to the grief, the water acts as a lubricant enabling the object to penetrate the tire more readily.

Being lazy and laggardly, I tend to make things as easy as possible.

I try to find a nearby spot that makes the job a little easier and safer. Some shade and/or a place to sit is nice. At very least...I get the heck off the road and away from traffic.

I've seen folks fixing a puncture on a 90F day, on the road in the sun, about 20 feet from a nice grassy shade tree.:rolleyes:

You need to start paying attention for potentially full bottles lying in the ditch as you ride. Fairies can be ever so subtle... even beer fairies.:D

I had a beer fairy once. For several days in a row, I'd find full bottles of Corona in my back yard. No idea where they came from, but I'd clean them off, get them nice and cold, and thank the fairy as I enjoyed a nice drink!

Flatologists have been studying this phenomena for years. One theory is that small bits and wires tend to stick to the rubber tire due to wet grime and muck, eventually causing flats.

Would these be members of the science of Flatulence?

Would these be members of the science of Flatulence?

If there looking for a research project they've come to the right place. Plenty of us old pharts around here.

Several years ago, my wife and I took a day in the middle of our week vacation at the North Carolina beach to visit Ocracoke Island again. We took the old mountain bikes to ride from Ocracoke Village to the other end of the island and then return; round trip about 26 miles. We were familiar with the route as we had run it (only 1-way at a go) for several consecutive Thanksgiving Day runs a few years prior.

There is one big difference between November & June. I don't mean the temp. In November, the only concern is the wind. In June, the only concern is the wind, ... until you get off the bike.

We were only about three or four miles into the ride. Lynn asks "what is that?" Your rear is flat, pull over. OMG, I never experienced so many mosquitos!

Lynn would not stand still on the paved shoulder for the minute it took to determine that this was not the place to fix a flat, and to transfer car keys from me to her, and adjust my saddle to her height instead of mine as we switched bikes. She ran away from the biting buggers into the grass of the shoulder ditch twice - meaning she ran right into the kindom of skeeters. I got cross, told her it was less bad if she stayed on the pavement, and she would be underway again in 15 seconds if she stopped hopping around.

Lynn takes off on my bike to get the car and come back to retrieve me. As soon as she was off, I started walking her bike, with flat tire still in place, back towards the village. As soon as I started moving briskly along the paved shoulder, the skeeters stopped being a problem.

I covered about a mile before Lynn returned with the car. Loaded both bikes. Returned to the village. Spent the day hitting the antique / crafts / junk shops. Left the bikes in the car. Fixed the flat that night.

Ended up an enjoyable day.

But we have not gone back to Ocracoke for cycling (of course, part of the reason has been scheduling).

All this talk about flats and I had to get another wedge today for the road bike(s). I only have one set up with Tube- lever- patch kit and Multitool. Forgot to change it on Wednesday night to the Giant and all I could think about was -Hope I do not get a Flat.

So today I passed a Shop- A very exclusive Bike shop near Guildford in Surrey and bought the cheapest thing in the shop that I needed. A new mini Saddle wedge. Got the levers- patch kit and Multitool already but I was going to buy a spare tube to go in it but the only had Continental 50g tyubes at $22 each so I passed on that.

The wedge was only $19 so I should have got a couple. That would Save me from ever going back into that shop again. I did not even like the bikes- White roubaix's and Black and Blue Treks but they did have some Good Assos shirts there that I can't afford either.

I left an empty six-pack in the fridge hoping the beer fairy would give me a refill. No luck so far.


Well, there's your problem! You gotta put the bottle caps under your pillow before you go to sleep!

You need to start paying attention for potentially full bottles lying in the ditch as you ride. Fairies can be ever so subtle... even beer fairies.:D

Um, yeah, about THOSE bottles, they usuall contain USED, warm(98.6), beer.

I got back from riding my bent yesterday with no problems on the ride at all. I go out this morning to take it out of my car and the front tire was flat.

My last attempt to change/patch a tube took 45 minutes. Could not get the tire off of the wheel. This time it was piece of cake with the 20" rim. Took it off by hand in less than 30 seconds.

The piece of the tube that the valve comes out of had separated from the tube, right on the seam. I had about 95psi in it yesterday, rated at 100, and then left it in the car in the sun after the ride. I'm guessing that the heat and the pressure combined to exploit a weakness in that tube.

Had a new tube in it and it was back on the rim within 4 minutes. Sure was a much more positive experience than the last attempt. But that last tire had a wire bead and hadn't been off of the rim for about 6 years.

So I was glad to have the flat at home, but's a pain to get a flat when the tire is just sitting in my car.

Have not had a flat in weeks! Put on a pair of folding Ultra Gatorskins.
Mud:D