cabana 4 life

the other on my way to work i took a short cut down a gravel road.when i got to work my friend said you got a flat tire.it was no big deal i thought,i pulled out my tube i had a hard time finding the hole,so put it in the sink at work,i had four holes in one tube. so i patch all the holes and feel around in my tire and find a thorn.now i put my back tire on start to ride and notice my front is flat too. so i get a ride to bike store i but 2 new tubes, im talking to the guy i tell him about the thorns, he laughes and says it that season. is there a thorn season?

cyccommute 

Depends on where you live. Here in Colorado the season tends to run from Jan 1 to Dec 31. There are a couple of minutes around midnight that you might not run into one

To tell the truth, the seeds from the goatshead plant can lie fallow for 50 years and still germinate. Get tire liners or kevlar belted tire and learn how to patch tubes.

cabana 4 life

just no more shortcuts, track bikes are made to be on the road anyway.

TXChick

I've had two flat tires from goatsheads in the past week. I guess there is a season. (And I've been sticking to roads!)

cyccommute 

Tribulus terrestris (that's it's latin name) flower and start seed production from July to October. This time of year the seeds are starting to cure out and harden (not that they aren't hard when they are forming) and break off the plant. Yes this is the "season" for them but they can exist, depending on how wet it is in your area, for most of the year with the capacity to flatten tires.

They were introduced with wheat from southern Europe and Western Asia and are a pioneer plant. They prefer disturbed soils with little other vegetation as they can't stand competition. I generally remove the plant when ever I see it but it like emptying the ocean with a spoon.

TXChick

Thanks for the explanation! (I just got a freebie science lesson on the bike forum!)