Commuting - My frustrating three days

I don't get it, this things happen in threes stuff, but there seems to be something to it. I had three flats Saturday (the third) in a nice Seatle type rain, then I had to walk home three miles cause the CO2 cartridge didn't seat right and I couldn't fill the tube, but silly me thinking it hadn't been punctured just had to open it and let all the CO2 out. I was going to be late to work, so instead of changing the tube, I grabed another bike and took off on my commute that usually takes about an hour and a half. Well I hauled my big fat tookus in an amazing 1:19, averaging 17.2 over 22 miles, or some thing like that. I was blown away that in a rain that we had on a fixed gear I could put in a time like that, and could only wonder what my time could have been on the geared bike I had started out on.

Well, I got out of work, and sure enough the fixie had a friggin' flat. I had all the necessary tools and was able to ride home nice and easy. But I have a flat again. This is frustrating. On top of riding in the friggin' rain a second day and arriving at work with the pockets of my rain slicker full of water, so that my wallet and all my folding money was soaking wet. Fortunately there is a dryer at work and I could get my stuff dry before heading for home. I arrived home wet though.

I need new tires, as the ones that went flat went flat because there are sharp objects embedded in the tire and poke tiny holes in the tube, not a quick big hole but a gentle chewing at the tube, and a slow leak, that five miles out you feel the rear end getting squirelly. Of course this comes at a time when I've used savings on the root canal, I'm putting a deposit on a new apartment, so there really isn't money for two new tires. I'm going to try putting patches on the inside of the tires until payday, and see if I have any success.

I'm just glad the wind wasn't blowing. I hate the wind. Tomorrow is more of the same. I wish I could just stay home.

Tried Mr. Tuffy's? (those plastic strips that go between the tube and the tire) I personally use them and cheap 26 or 28 mm tires- and smaller 25 mm tubes to fight pinch flats.

This a lot cheaper than buying good tires and it does stop lots of flats.

Use your old blown tubes as a "jacket" around the new tube. Using an x-acto knife, cut out the valve, create a slit along the inner surface of the tube, and slip the new tube inside.

I don't get it, this things happen in threes stuff, but there seems to be something to it. I had three flats Saturday (the third) in a nice Seatle type rain, then I had to walk home three miles cause the CO2 cartridge didn't seat right and I couldn't fill the tube, but silly me thinking it hadn't been punctured just had to open it and let all the CO2 out. I was going to be late to work, so instead of changing the tube, I grabed another bike and took off on my commute that usually takes about an hour and a half. Well I hauled my big fat tookus in an amazing 1:19, averaging 17.2 over 22 miles, or some thing like that. I was blown away that in a rain that we had on a fixed gear I could put in a time like that, and could only wonder what my time could have been on the geared bike I had started out on.

Well, I got out of work, and sure enough the fixie had a friggin' flat. I had all the necessary tools and was able to ride home nice and easy. But I have a flat again. This is frustrating. On top of riding in the friggin' rain a second day and arriving at work with the pockets of my rain slicker full of water, so that my wallet and all my folding money was soaking wet. Fortunately there is a dryer at work and I could get my stuff dry before heading for home. I arrived home wet though.

I need new tires, as the ones that went flat went flat because there are sharp objects embedded in the tire and poke tiny holes in the tube, not a quick big hole but a gentle chewing at the tube, and a slow leak, that five miles out you feel the rear end getting squirelly. Of course this comes at a time when I've used savings on the root canal, I'm putting a deposit on a new apartment, so there really isn't money for two new tires. I'm going to try putting patches on the inside of the tires until payday, and see if I have any success.

I'm just glad the wind wasn't blowing. I hate the wind. Tomorrow is more of the same. I wish I could just stay home.

What size tires do you ride? I have some 700-28s that came on my new commuter. I removed them to put on armadillos. Don't remember the brand. V something. I could sell them to you for the cost of shipping. (I don't think they are kevlar bead though, so that may not be a good deal.)

I have a pair of michelin dynamics that have about 200 miles on them, they're ok. You can probably make a cheap liner out of some old inner tube. You can also have that for the cost of shipping.
Or if you can, cut out thin strips of transparencies and tape em to the inside of the tire using electrical tape then use an old tube to cover the new tube before putting it in. That'll give you a hard plastic layer sandwiched between the tire and the old tube that should offer some protection.

With the amount of used tubes that I have laying around, I'll give these ideas a try.

With the amount of used tubes that I have laying around, I'll give these ideas a try.

If you still need those tires, let me know, they're just lying around in my room. 700x25

On a similar note, I went 4,000 on my stock tires on my Trek 520. I had two flats in those 4,000 miles. When they wore out, I bought a set of Armadillos, and had a flat less than 100 miles later... It was a 1/4" piece of glass right through the middle of the rear tire. I put a boot inside the tire and so far so good, but I am carrying a spare tire on my commute now for awhile. 15 miles on the repair and counting... I'd hate to spend $30 on a tire that lasted 100 miles. :(

On a similar note, I went 4,000 on my stock tires on my Trek 520. I had two flats in those 4,000 miles. When they wore out, I bought a set of Armadillos, and had a flat less than 100 miles later... It was a 1/4" piece of glass right through the middle of the rear tire. I put a boot inside the tire and so far so good, but I am carrying a spare tire on my commute now for awhile. 15 miles on the repair and counting... I'd hate to spend $30 on a tire that lasted 100 miles. :(

I have a specialized hemisphere with the flakjacket (which is the lighter version of the armadillo protection) that has a 3/4" gash cutting right through going from the center thread to the sidewall. I booted it with two layers of transparancies and duct taped that to the inside of the tire. It's still holding well so far running on my back tire at 70 psi (80 psi max) for about 200 miles, some of it on really rough pavement and streets lined with potholes.

I have a specialized hemisphere with the flakjacket (which is the lighter version of the armadillo protection) that has a 3/4" gash cutting right through going from the center thread to the sidewall. I booted it with two layers of transparancies and duct taped that to the inside of the tire. It's still holding well so far running on my back tire at 70 psi (80 psi max) for about 200 miles, some of it on really rough pavement and streets lined with potholes.

That's good to know. Hopefully I will be fine. These armadillos are 700x25c, and are at really high pressure (120-125 psi), so it may be some kind of fireworks if the boot doesn't quite due the job. I am gaining confidence with each mile though. I may invest in some Mr Tuffys (I 've had good luck with them) one of these days. There is nothing worse than a flat while commuting to and from work.

I find myself asking the question with all these "repair" ideas, how long do you make a tire last? I'm not sure that I want to ride on some of the tires that I've gotten rid of, with the tread gone, in the hopes of saving money. Yeah it sucks to flat on the way to work, it also makes for a great story when someone asks about the ride in. All of the flats the other day were those slow annoying leaks, that I have no idea how they came on except that a hole that goes through the wall of the tire and chews at the tube, or a snake bite of some sort. All could be fixed with that extra layer of tube inside the tire. I suppose I could throw some stop leak in the tube as well. I know when I was in AZ riding, the LBS I stopped by was big on it, right up by the register. I found out why, but that stuff wouldn't have fixed the hole that was created by the tire slamming into the sharp edge of a gap in the road. The rim flatted as well.

I usually just ride my tires until they are next to bald in the middle or are starting to flat more and more often. I like to go atleast 3000 miles on each tire.

With my new tires with no tread at all, I don't know how long I'll run them, probably until the threads start wearing through. Of course, I would only do this on the rear. The front always gets the best of the two...

I find myself asking the question with all these "repair" ideas, how long do you make a tire last? I'm not sure that I want to ride on some of the tires that I've gotten rid of, with the tread gone, in the hopes of saving money. Yeah it sucks to flat on the way to work, it also makes for a great story when someone asks about the ride in. All of the flats the other day were those slow annoying leaks, that I have no idea how they came on except that a hole that goes through the wall of the tire and chews at the tube, or a snake bite of some sort. All could be fixed with that extra layer of tube inside the tire. I suppose I could throw some stop leak in the tube as well. I know when I was in AZ riding, the LBS I stopped by was big on it, right up by the register. I found out why, but that stuff wouldn't have fixed the hole that was created by the tire slamming into the sharp edge of a gap in the road. The rim flatted as well.

I'd bring a spare foldable that's got about 4-500 miles on it to soften the bead to make it easier to put on. Then just patch the ones I have like hell until they break (of course rotate your tires front to back). As long as the threading isn't compromised, a small cut won't harm it unless you use ungodly high pressures or the tube bulges out. If you're on relatively flat ground, worst case scenario is you blow a rear so bad the tire splits in two and you use the spare.