Fifty Plus (50+) - 3rd goathead flat in newConti Gator Ultras - grrrr!!

Just blowin off here - been about 2 months with the new tires.

Went into the garage this am for a ride with wife, and flat. Had to take the utility road bike.

Just finished changing it - goathead, of course.

And then I read here about someone who had their first flat in 7 years!!!!!

Well, I am pretty good at changing tubes.

No comments needed. :notamused:

The best place to have a flat is in the garage:innocent:

The best place to have a flat is in the garage:innocent:

Maybe I should hook my garage up to my bike and take it with me?

Location, location, location.

Probably the trade off for the great terrain and trails you have.

Here's my thought.

Back in the day when tubulars were what we had there was a little device that attached to the brake caliper bolt and had two short pieces of flexible tubing attached to a metal arch that rode on the surface of the tire. The idea was to dislodge thorns, glass, whatever that had been picked up by the tire as the tire rotated up to it and this arch swept the tread surface before it came back down. Keeping the thorn or whatever from being ground into the casing.

I don't know if these are commercially available but with a little smallish gauge wire and plastic tubing it could be fashioned easily enough.

Back in the day when tubulars were what we had there was a little device that attached to the brake caliper bolt and had two short pieces of flexible tubing attached to a metal arch that rode on the surface of the tire.

These things:

http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3561856/1087995571705_tire_savers.jpg

Back in the day when tubulars were what we had there was a little device that attached to the brake caliper bolt and had two short pieces of flexible tubing attached to a metal arch that rode on the surface of the tire. The idea was to dislodge thorns, glass, whatever that had been picked up by the tire as the tire rotated up to it and this arch swept the tread surface before it came back down. Keeping the thorn or whatever from being ground into the casing.

Yes, they're called "tire savers" but I don't know where they might be purchased anymore. I think they were somewhat effective at knocking thorns off the tire surface before they punctured the tube, but they also knock off lots of dirt the tires pick up from the road and deposit the dust on the brakes. Still not a bad tradeoff if you live in an area with lots of thorns.

Once a goathead gets on the tire, you are lost. It immediately penetrates, as far as I can tell. It is basically a small hypodermic needle with a big handle. It seems to me that you get one when you roll over it.

I can generally hear the thump/thump - and I pull to a stop. But, then the conundrum. If it has already penetrated the tube, and you pull it out, an immediate flat. If you leave it in and it hasn't penetrated the tube, it will shortly. If you leave it in and it has penetrated the tubeand you don't pull it out there is a chance you might make it home with a slow leak.

So far, I have made the wrong decision most times!!

Don't know if that would work - interesting idea.

These things:

http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/3561856/1087995571705_tire_savers.jpg

Exactly!

Third? THIRD?
I veered off a shoulder yesterday and got THIRTEEN goathead punctures in my front tire.
I rarely throw a tube away, but i think this one's history.

I've had 7 at one time, but never 13. You win :)

Good Gracious! I googled bicycle tire saver.

Those things are going for $20 to $40 on eBay!

Good Gracious! I googled bicycle tire saver.

Those things are going for $20 to $40 on eBay!

Museum pieces?

Museum pieces?

NOS But free shipping! (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310253366527&rvr_id=145424787901&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=WXF%3F&GUID=7102082f1250a02653345bf4ff4b84af&itemid=310253366527&ff4=263602_263622)

Better pricing (http://www.thethirdhand.com/Products/UB-TS1.html)

Our Environmental Advisory Commission, City Council, and local transit district are going to meet to consider proposals to eliminate Russian thistle from the rail right of way. I took three goatheads a few weeks ago. Fortunately, one of the transit district managers took a puncture on his bicycle, resulting in a sudden change of attitude. :)

We have had a bumper crop of goatheads this year, and the local bike shops have raised the price of innertubes to $6.

Better pricing (http://www.thethirdhand.com/Products/UB-TS1.html)

I forgot about those guys. They are a great source for the hard to find.

Yeah, I guess with normal inflation those are priced about right. Seems I paid a buck or so for a pair in the late 70's.

I forgot about those guys. They are a great source for the hard to find.

Yeah, I guess with normal inflation those are priced about right. Seems I paid a buck or so for a pair in the late 70's.

Ha! Manufacturing those might be something for General Motors. God knows, they aren't selling many cars these days. Maybe they could dedicate an assembly plant to making those things.

Ha! Manufacturing those might be something for General Motors. God knows, they aren't selling many cars these days. Maybe they could dedicate an assembly plant to making those things.

No, I think my teenage son and a couple of his sk8er buds could crank out enough to satisfy demand.

... If you leave it in and it has penetrated the tube and you don't pull it out there is a chance you might make it home with a slow leak.

...

In my experience this has been the most successful option. The least successful has been staring at a thorn, calculating the odds of either action, and opting to pull it out...

Thanks Denver for being such a good buddy. That is just that many I won't have to worry about.:thumb:

I had my first thorn puncture in years yesterday on the Screaming Yellow Zonker. The front tire hadn't gone completely flat yet but the bike became impossible for me to control. Fortunately for me I don't live in goathead country. Incidentally 15 grams of CO2 won't inflate a 20 X 1.5 tire to 90 psi., but it was good enough to get us back to the car. I'm glad it wasn't the 26" rear - that would have been really soft. I may have to revert back to carrying a pump.

While working in a shop I had a fellow buy some new tires - not because his old ones were worn out - just because he wanted some non-matching ones. He told me that he'd never had a flat tire. You know where this is going. He took his bike for a test spin through an adjacent park and came back with NUMEROUS (7 or 8) thorn punctures in both brand spanking new tires. I hope that I found and removed them all but I'm not betting on it.

Our Environmental Advisory Commission, City Council, and local transit district are going to meet to consider proposals to eliminate Russian thistle from the rail right of way. I took three goatheads a few weeks ago. Fortunately, one of the transit district managers took a puncture on his bicycle, resulting in a sudden change of attitude. :)

We have had a bumper crop of goatheads this year, and the local bike shops have raised the price of innertubes to $6.

sounds like the advisory commision, city council and transit district need to hire a horticulturist. Goatheads do not come from the Russian Thistle. They are produced by the Puncture Vine or "goathead weed" which grows about one inch tall and has small yellow blooms in the fall as opposed to the thistle which can grow up to 6 feet or more tall and eventually dries up to become a tumbleweed.

(Tribulus terrestris)

Plant Size: Prostrate vine - generally less than 1" (2.5 cm) high, spreading to 5' (1.5 M) long in our area.
Blooms in: Fall
Habitat Preferred: Disturbed earth, weedy fields, roadsides
Photo(s) taken at: Tavasci Marsh. 9/29/99
Bloom Color: Yellow tiny flowers
Other Common Names: Goat's head, Bullhead, *!#&! stickers!
Origin: Mediterranean
Comments: This is that obnoxious weed whose seeds are incredibly painful to step on, get tracked into your carpet, puncture your bicycle tires, and have to be pulled out of your pets' paws.

Russian Thistle:

"Tumbleweed," "Russian thistle" and "wind witch" are common names for this symbol of the American west. Russian thistle alludes to its Eurasian origin. Scientific names for tumbleweed include Salsola kali, S. pestifer, S. australis, S. iberica, and S. tragus. Salsola is derived from the Latin sallere, "to salt," in reference to the plant’s salt tolerance. There does not yet appear to be a consensus on the preferred scientific name, although S. tragus is the leading candidate for the inland variety of tumbleweed and S. kali, for the more coastal variety.

Thanks Denver for being such a good buddy. That is just that many I won't have to worry about.:thumb:

Yes, I believve that brings us down to 999,999,999,999,999,993 goatheads left for you.

thistle and puncturevine

Good Gracious! I googled bicycle tire saver.

Those things are going for $20 to $40 on eBay!
I'm practically a Tire Saver hundredaire: I have four of them in my garage, abandoned years ago because they didn't Look Cool. I think I'll dig them up and put them on a bike....

I'm practically a Tire Saver hundredaire: I have four of them in my garage, abandoned years ago because they didn't Look Cool. I think I'll dig them up and put them on a bike....

I noticed in the directions that they seem to fit older bikes better?? Something about brake mounts and fender mounts, special bolts, etc., etc. Out of my league. ANy thoughts?

These adapters (http://www.thethirdhand.com/index.cgi?d=single&c=Brake&sc=Recessed%20Nuts&tc=&item_id=LS-5051OB&id=382814828501) would replace the recessed nuts you have currently installed. The tire saver would be attached with the pictured screw.

Should be a simple job to swap the adapter nut onto the bike.

Is it true that the goathead thistle, or puncture vine, was bio-engineered by the Slime Corporation?

- just kidding ;-) Don't sue me!

Is it true that the goathead thistle, or puncture vine, was bio-engineered by the Slime Corporation?

- just kidding ;-) Don't sue me!

Probably in conjunction with the bicycle inner tube consortium. :twitchy:

These adapters (http://www.thethirdhand.com/index.cgi?d=single&c=Brake&sc=Recessed%20Nuts&tc=&item_id=LS-5051OB&id=382814828501) would replace the recessed nuts you have currently installed. The tire saver would be attached with the pictured screw.

Should be a simple job to swap the adapter nut onto the bike.

NOTHING mechanical on a bike is "simple" for me. I'll think about it, including whether or not it will work for goatheads - I suspect not, and worth the frustration, and likely taking the bike to the LBS to "fix" my mistakes.

However, I greatly appreciate your response and ideas.

DnvrFox, I don't think that there's anything to prevent a flat from a goathead except luck. Two stories... My friend and his family went to the hill country for a weekend of mountain biking. He did everything possible to resist the goatheads and every bike had at least one flat. My older daughter and her boyfriend went to the same place at the same time of the year without any preperation (I had to loan them a pump, tire tools and a patch kit just before they left) and they had no problems.

Hopefully your luck will change.

Brad

I've had so much "GREAT" luck with our CST Selectra Kevlar tires", we too have the "Goat Head Throns" here and I've ended up at the end of many rides with them sticking in the tire but so far, between the "Kevlar and Tire Goo" (not Slime), no flats, even when I pull them out! When we did our "mini-tour" in July, the road shoulders on CO. Hwy. 115 were just littered with semi-tire peel off debrie and I dreaded the thought of constant flats but in 200 miles, not a single flat on either bike, YEA!! LOL, I've now problably cursed myself and will pay with massive flats for the rest of the fall season! ;)

I've had so much "GREAT" luck with our CST Selectra Kevlar tires", we too have the "Goat Head Throns" here and I've ended up at the end of many rides with them sticking in the tire but so far, between the "Kevlar and Tire Goo" (not Slime), no flats, even when I pull them out! When we did our "mini-tour" in July, the road shoulders on CO. Hwy. 115 were just littered with semi-tire peel off debrie and I dreaded the thought of constant flats but in 200 miles, not a single flat on either bike, YEA!! LOL, I've now problably cursed myself and will pay with massive flats for the rest of the fall season! ;)

You are going to find a difference between mtn bike slicks/tires and road tires.

For one thing, the "goo" - and I have tried it, will only hold up to about 80 lbs pressure, and I run 120. However, it will work in my mtn bike tires. Also, I am not interested in the extra weight of the kevlar on my "speed" road bike, although I do have Armadillos on my utility road bike. Still, goatheads get through the Armadillos. Somehow, I never seem to get goathead flats on the mtn bike????

Guess I will just have to grin and bear it!!

I just got a Pair of Continental Gator Hardshells for my Scott Addict, and they look like an improvement over the previous Gatorskins. Heftier build, but comfortable ride according to various reviews. I'll post update after I've ridden them.

Yes, I believve that brings us down to 999,999,999,999,999,993 goatheads left for you.

:lol:

I just got a Pair of Continental Gator Hardshells for my Scott Addict, and they look like an improvement over the previous Gatorskins. Heftier build, but comfortable ride according to various reviews. I'll post update after I've ridden them.

5 months, no flats! Used to get at least 1 per month. At first I thought the ride was a little harsh. Then I dropped the psi's a little from what I had been running with my previous tires, even though the Gator HS have a higher max rating. I'm really happy with them so far. Right now, I think the extra cost was well worth it. We'll see how they hold up down the road, so to speak.

3rd goathead flat in newConti Gator Ultras - grrrr!! (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=11530375&page=2)

Make that 4

(http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=11530375&page=2)
(http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?p=11530375&page=2)

Is the goathead problem a year-round thing or are they seasonal?

Supposed to be seasonal, but the littlle critters get hard and dry and the wind can blow them onto your riding space any time of year. This is the worst time, though. It must have been my Cherry Creek Lake State Park ride a few days ago. Ended up with one in each tire - but slow leaks so I made it home, and they showed up as garage flats. One took 2 days to partially deflate the tire. That's why I carry 2 tubes.

4.5 - got the goathead, but got it out before it went through the Armadillos on my utility road bike.