Commuting - Cursed by the Puncture God

I came downstairs this morning to grab my trusty steed and ride to work and was dealt yet another hefty blow - another bloody puncture!

It was really the same one as last nights puncture, only that I mustn't have repaired it properly, so coming to the conclusion it was a slow puncture, I inflated the tyre and it got me to work (19kms down the road) - just.

It doesn't help riding through lots of broken shards of glass from a television that some idiot had smashed on the side of the road, but luckily I was only 5 minutes from home last night when it happened. Anyway, I think I am now into double figures in terms of punctures this year :mad: , last year I only had about 4! I could probably narrow it down to crap tyres or something but I've had punctres on all 4 bikes. :confused:

Luckily again, it has not happend during a race yet (touch wood), but I may be tempting fate by saying that :p so I will just have to wait and see what the God of Punctures has in store for me.

Originally posted by Weasel
It doesn't help riding through lots of broken shards of glass from a television that some idiot had smashed on the side of the road.... Let's just hope they smashed their TV in sheer disgust at the rubbish that's on the box these days. Maybe they intend getting out and getting a life. Maybe even taking up cycling ...... or maybe I'm just being overly optimistic.

I hope your run of punctures has come to an end.

I had four in one day a couple of years ago. This was followed by three in one day last October. I've only had one since then tho. Maybe your luck will turn too.

Weasel,
Look at it this way; you are getting all the punctures on non racing rides, leaving your races puncture free. Maybe a good trade off.

I have the commuter wheels on all three of my bikes set up the same way - thorn resistant tubes, Mr. Tuffy liners, and kevlar compound 700*25 tires. They may be heavy, but all that stuff decreases punctures, and my commute ALWAYS has broken glass that can't always be avoided. Besides, the extra weight makes me stronger, right? Think how good it will feel to put on the 32-spoke wheels with light 700*23 tires and tubes.
Regards,
Raymond

Risking the puncture gods wrath... I have to say I've yet to have one

1750 miles / 6 months regularly riding over broken glass but so far... having inspected the slime tubes when I swapped rims yesterday I'm considering abandoning them for ordinary tubes, the tyre's PRS layer seems to be working wonderfully.

:smug:

Richard

I would suggest, as Rainman did, that you get heavier tubes and Tire Liners. They really help. On my bikes, I use just tire liners and have been quite lucky for a couple years now. (Am knocking on my head, because that is the nearest thing to wood around here.)

yup, the puncture gods hit me as well yesterday - front tire - I was very proud that I changed it myself!

also having back tire problems - I had a puncture a few weeks ago and changed the tube - now the 'lip' of the tire seems to be coming away from the rim (if that makes any sense?) - sorta like its starting to bubble out from the rim a little

anyone have any ideas/solutions?

Thanks!

My current two sets of tires are over 7000 miles between them without a flat. Most of those miles are commuting in and out of Philadelphia, so I must encounter as much street debris and glass as anyone.

On Bike One I installed Avocet Kevlar Cross tires (700x32c) with Mr. Tuffy liners, because I'd also had thousands of flat-free miles on my old hybrid with liners under Kevlar-belted tires. And that's worked real well.

But Bike Two was delivered with Continental Top Touring tires, and it was June, so I figured "what the hey" and didn't install liners. 3200 miles later I'm starting to wonder if the liners have contributed anything on Bike One, since I've had no flats on either bike, riding the same routes, one with liners and one without.

Granted, these are both heavy touring or cyclocross tires with a lot of inherent puncture resistance, and my commute route is now very familiar to me. I'm still thinking about losing the liners next time I open up Bike One's wheels.

RichC

Brennser, try deflating the tube and reseating the tire on the rim with just a little air in the tube,(enough to give it some shape, and avoid pinching). You don't want the tube to get caught between rim and tire out on the road.

Good luck.

Cheers guys. I will be dropping down the bike shop tomorrow to get me some decent, heavier, more puncture-resistent tyres. Mine are starting to look a bit raggy anyway with the commuting through the winter. I will probably leave out the tyre liners though for now. :)