AlmostGreenGuy

I was starting to think that my tires were impossible to flat, having not gotten a single flat this year in almost 2500 miles of riding. Then it happened. A flat in the middle of nowhere. No problem. I have a patch kit and pump, and even a spare tube.

So I pull off the tire and look for the puncture in the tube to patch. Uggghhhh.... There was no "puncture". There was a small hole right near the base of the valve. It looked like the tube had just gotten old and started to rot. Odd considering that the bike was purchased new in January, but maybe Salsa has a crate of ancient tubes that they use.

Oh well. Time for the spare tube. I install the tube, throw the wheel back on, and pump, pump, pump, pump...........pump. What the h@ll? Is my pump no good? It hadn't been used yet, because it was purchased with the bike, which has never flatted before. I pull the spare tube back off, and there's a tiny razor slit in the tube, right near the valve. Too close to the valve to patch!!!! The guy at the store must have cut open the box of tubes, and cut a little too deep into the box.

I make the call of shame to the wife. Ugghh...............

Lesson learned. Always check your new pump, your patch kit, and test out your spare tube.

chefisaac

Can you post a pic of the cut where the valve was on the pare tube? Would be interesting to see.

Lesson learned:

1- Always check equipment when buying something new (aka pump)
2- Always check tubes when buying a replacement before stashing it in your bag.

gerv 

Just consider it a bonding opportunity.

acidfast7

right near base of valve twice = too much pressure on the tube valve when pumping. that's my guess. also that's why I like a floor pump.

JDNM

I recently learned (via a friend) another lesson. Spare tubes will rot over time. I'm in dry New Mexico and apparently this can happen pretty quickly. Storing the tube in a sealed sandwhich bag is supposed to help, apparently.

chefisaac

And dusting with baby powder I hear helps too. Not sure though.

erig007

Rather than use a patch to repair the flat try gorilla tape. You can shape the tape more easily but you need something to cut the tape. If nothing works then fill the tire with what you've got (clothes, paper, whatever). If it doesn't work neither then if it's on the rear tire you can still ride with a flat tire without too much difficulty. If it is on the front, there is maybe the possibility of switching tires putting the good one in front for control.
Adding puncture proof liner to the tire could prevent a similar problem from happening again

Ekdog

Is that similar to duct tape?

erig007

It is duct tape but i haven't found a brand which stick better and is stronger than this one yet. I'm sure it must existed somewhere. If you don't know this brand maybe it's because it doesn't exist around where you are so you will have to find the best duct tape around where you are.

dynodonn 

I once made the "Call of Shame" to the wife when I broke my bicycle's chain, and it happened at the one time that my wife left her cell phone at work. My bike (loaded with 75lbs of groceries) and I had a nice walk home together. I now have multi tool equipped with a chain breaker.

Steely Dan

one of the things i love about living in a big urban city is that i have never, and will never make the call of shame. i can always hop on a bus, or train, or even hail a cab should i suffer a major mechanical breakdown.

riding home one evening last fall, my rear derailleur snapped in half while i was accelerating from a stop light. it shredded my chain in the process. no amount of tools would have allowed me to do a roadside repair; the bike was 100% unrideable. but no call of shame for me, i simply walked over to the nearest el station and explained my predicament to the station attendant (non-folding bikes are typically forbidden on trains at rush hour). she was totally cool and understanding and allowed me to ride the train home with my non-functioning bike.

haplorrhine

I almost always leave early for college, so I usually have time to walk/jog if my bicycle is beyond repair. 13 miles. 35 - 55 minute ride. That's about a 3+ hour walk/jog.
At worst, I won't have enough time to finish the homework before class starts.

reshp1

Had to do the call of shame once when I got two flats right in a row with only one spare tube and no patches. I've also had the valve core break off on a brand new tube and go shooting off (lucky I didn't lose an eye actually). That was on my mountain bike so I had to sit on the side of a trail and beg for another spare from passing riders.