ekimeno

Since taking up cycling again in November last year (after a very long break) I've ridden over 2500km mostly commuting on both a mountain bike and a road bike, but in the last 4 months or so riding 60-70km on weekends. The amazing part is that in all this time I've only had 1 flat tyre and that was when I first started out on my mountain bike. Since getting my road bike I've done about 2000km had no flat. This does seem quite low, especially for London roads... Back in the day I remember getting a flat at least every 500km or so...maybe my luck has changed.

I think I might be tempting fate by posting this, but I am touching wood.

On average, how often do you get a flat?

noisebeam

I too rarely get flats. Usually thousands of miles between them.
Al

rodny71

what brand/model tire are you using? and what size?

krazygluon

I've had 2 flats in almost 450 miles, but they were both pinch-flats that I should've known better to avoid.

ekimeno

Conti 4 seasons 700 x 23c on Campy Ventos over the last 800km or so, but I most of my riding was done on some Kenda brand on Shimano 550 wheels.

The_B.O.C.

in 500 miles i've had 6 flats. 3 blowouts where the tire came off the wheel, and three punture flats. god hates me

ekimeno

Maybe you used to scatter broken glass over roads and bike lanes in your previous life...

PaulH

No flats in four years and 10,000 miles.

Paul

HardyWeinberg

For my 1st I would say year, I would get multiple flats per month, not infrequently multiple flats per week. I hesitate to say how I've been doing lately for fear of jinx, but I have to wonder if I'm paying better attention, even subconsciously, to variables that might contribute to flats these days. I have also scaled up from the namby-pamby 700x23s that came w/ my bike (although I started getting flats while riding my wife's old bike w/ 27x1.25s). Only flat on mtn bike (knock on formica) was weird, the stem blew out of the tube, I don't understand that.

jyossarian

I got a pinch flat last night when I was testing out some brand new tires and tubes I had just mounted. Dark street and my headlight was set to blinky so I didn't see the pothole even after I ran over it. I need better lights.

The_B.O.C.

now that you mention it, i did through my fare share of beer bottles out of car windows in high school...

Mr_H

Since I started commuting, I have had no flats (approx 550 miles worth of commuting). My tires came from the local bike store, generic cheap suckers, and the tubes, well, I believe I picked those up at Meijers Grocery store.

The odd thing is, the bike I used on the trainer indoors all winter...had something like 4 flats over the winter months. Weiiiiird

sauerwald

No flats in the past 2 years.
Bike 1 (commuter), about 3000 miles, Schwalbe Marathon Pro - kept at 80-90 psi.
Bike 2 (fun ride), about 800 miles, Vredestein Fortezza 700C-23 - kept at 120psi

My last flat was a bit over 2 years ago, on the fun bike, caused by glass - lost the tyre because of the cut.

banerjek

I just got back from a few weeks in London. At least the roads I saw had street sweepers run on them regularly. Between better tires and less broken glass on the roads thanks to the street sweepers, I'm not surprised that you could go 2500 km with only one flat. BTW, that's no that far. It will be more interesting to see what your average is in another 10,000 km.

oboeguy

I rarely get flats on either the folder or the road bike. I use to flat on the road bike too often when I had particular set of tires a couple of years back.

DCCommuter

I went three years without a flat, then I got three on three different bikes in a week. I'm sure it's because I said something about it.

noisebeam

I once went 15yrs. without a flat.

ekimeno

Yes, the street sweeping machines are great at removing junk off the roads. Its the amount of rough and pot holed roads that I was refering to. I seem to be forever hoping over these horrible bike traps.

Impressive. Solid rubber tyres?

SingingSabre 

Bike 1: used for about 4 months, bought used...really used. It was a recycled bicycle from a local community effort. Both tubes just crapped out in the first week. After that, not a single flat for rest of the time I've used it. I still have it ready to go in case I want to ride it. Tires are 27" X 1.75"

Bike 2: used almost daily since I stopped using my other one...about 4.5 months now. No flats whatsoever. I'm running 26" X 1.5" Specialized Nimbuses on this one. I've gone through freshly downed tree branches, glass, potholes, construction, etc. and have not had a single problem. I'll probably get that flat tomorrow.

aztoaster

I live in Phoenix, which has all sorts of thorns and cacti so I get em all the time.

I've had 4 flats this week. Pretty sweet.

I'm never buying another bontrager tires again that much Im sure of

noisebeam

Didn't ride for a period of my life.
Al

CliftonGK1

I refuse to jinx things for myself by giving a statistic.

I'll say this much: I've gotten more tire punctures in my car(s) than I've ever gotten on my bikes.
Back in Cincinnati, I went 2 weeks where I got 4 nails (total) stuck in 3 of my tires. Just out of spite, one tire decided it needed 2 nails on 2 separate instances. I used to ride my bike through the same area, and never flatted out once.

noisebeam

Where do you live in phx where you find thorns or cacti on the road, or do you mean mtb? I've never had a flat from a plant object ever, the few I've had have been tiny bits of wire or tiny bit of glass.
Al

ekimeno

Ah - in that case I went without a flat for 9 years

Meat Foot

5 flats for about 1,000 miles. The tires that came with the bike are WTB Allterrainasaurus 32c in width. They avoid glass well, but they don't do well with nails, screws, and staples. Oh, I think one flat was caused by a tack. Yesterday AM the screw was a bee-yotch to remove. I am thinking some puncture resistant tires like Schwalbe Marathons or Specialized Armadillos are going to be the next investment.