benetga

I've been thinking about what to do if I got a flat. The weather getting colder and my ride in has increased now to 5mi. I really enjoy it but it would suck if I did get a flat. I'm running gatorskins now but part of my route is on a shoulder of a busy highway,lots of debris. My ride is always in the dark this time of the year. My old commute was only 2mi with good roads and only got a flat once and that being 2 blocks from home. How do you guys handle it? Call for a ride or fix it? Fixing a flat would be major pain being cold and dark let alone trying to remove a gatorskin tire,not easy to install. Are gatorskins that good that I shouldn't be concerned (knock on wood)

kickstart

Fix it,

Anyone using a bicycle to commute should carry whats necessary to, and be proficient in fixing a flat.
One possible shortcut is to carry a spare easy to mount folding tire, and spare tube to throw on quickly to complete your commute.

Gresp15C

I'm sure you've chosen your route carefully, but if at all possible, I'd avoid that highway during the winter in the dark. Too many drivers react to a potential rear-ender by swerving onto the shoulder.

I've fixed flats in winter and in rain. Proud as I am of my sag skills, if my safety were on the line -- getting run over or getting frostbite -- I'd call for a ride in a heartbeat. Having gotten sick of doing this, my next tires will be puncture resistant.

Third, I try to gauge the severity of the leak, because my preferred option in bad weather is to pump it back up and ride it, repeat as needed, either to my destination or a safer place to stop. In bad weather, I'd only fix it if it was leaking pretty bad. Also, this is one reason why I prefer a hand pump rather than CO2 cartridges.

AlTheKiller

learn how to do it. I was really sloppy my first few bad weather/cold/dark flat fixes. practice makes perfect. Hell, I'd say it's worth it to develop some muscle memory in controlled conditions to fix it. Maybe ride around the block quickly a few times at night, get your heart pumping, pull over where it's dark, flip your bike over and try removing and reinstalling the wheel. You'll figure out small things you don't normally think of until you really need to, and it will be controlled when you're not rushed. Find a safe spot. Do you need to move stuff around to flip your bike upside down? Can you remove the wheel right side up? How will you use your lights to show you what you're doing? Remember to shift into the smaller cogs and rings, remember your brake quick releases, make sure the wheel is in straight and QR/axle nuts are properly tightened. Things like that.

Actually removing the tire may or may not be necessary, and with tight tires might end up with you pinching a tube when you didn't need to. Practice still helps with this act, though. But I think just the heads up on how to approach fixing the flat and being well set up could be very beneficial.

benetga

thanks, yeah I don't have a problem fixing a tire but in the cold,darkness and with how difficult that tire is to install I just don't think I'd try. I have CO2 cartridges but what you posted got me thinking I need to get a pump.

bikemig 

I like my gatorskins but I'd seriously consider getting a tougher tire and/or a tire liner.

Grillparzer

A good set of commuter/touring tires and thorn resistant tubes. I still carry a repair kit and an extra tube, but haven't used them yet.

zonatandem

In 16 some years of daily commuting only had a few flats. Carry a tube/pump/patch kit/inflator.
Also give yourself 10 minutes extra time so if you do flat you can slap in a new tube and carry on.

Mr. Hairy Legs

Never rely on CO2 cartridges.

I recently helped out a guy I saw walking his bike who gave me the "I had a CO2 thing but..." story.

MichaelW

Winter commuters often use wider, thicker tyres with more protection.
You also want a tyre that is not so tight on the rim.
Marathon Plus are a PITA to remove, but almost never flat.

Practice a cold/dark inner tube swap.

mcours2006

+1 on the practice changing tires/tube.

Five miles is not that long a commute, and unless it's a catastrophic tire failure you could probably make it to your destination by pumping it every so often, or at least make it out of the darkened treacherous highway area.

I haven't had to repair a flat on the side of the road yet, but I have had two flats in the past two weeks after arriving at my destination. I know it's inevitable that at some point I'll have to repair on the side of the road, so I choose my route very carefully to avoid just such an area as you described.

RoadTire 

Carry tube, tire, mini pump, levers, patch kit, and a good helmet light so you can see what you are doing. Replace both tube and tire, then find the root cause of the flat and fix it when you get to your destination.

Double0757

+1, the only thing I would add is, practice at home at least once a week till you have it down to 10min or less. Also carry cash for a taxi to work or home if the weather is that bad and you would expose yourself to unesesary risk of hypothermia or frost bites. I stash $40.00 on the repair kit where the cash lives for years at a time.

I don't have a dedicated helmet light , but I carry the light mount on my helmet, so I can transfer the light on the handlebars to my helmet if necessary.

Good ridding! Double O

wolfchild

Every cyclist should learn how to change a tube outside on the side of the road and not in the comfort of your living room...Calling for a ride because of being unable to change a tube is very embarrassing, I don't have any sympathy for people who don't carry a pump, spare tubes, tire leavers and are unable to fix a flat.

I-Like-To-Bike

Depending on "calling for a ride" as a quick fix/rescue is also assuming that somebody is on call/standby with a car equipped with a bike rack or truck, ready to drop everything at a moment's notice in order to pick up a bicyclist unwilling/unable to make a simple repair and unwilling to walk.

mikeybikes

I'll echo everyone else. Carry what you need to fix it and just practice. Puncture resistant tires help too.

nkfrench 

I had a flat two miles from work. I decided it was easier to just walk it to work and change the tire at lunchtime when it was warmer and there was light outside, plus a safe and comfortable place to do so.
You will never be more than 2.5 miles away from home or work. Decide which is safer/faster, walking a bike with a flat tire or doing a cold dark roadside repair.
Depending on the walkability of your shoes, your legs could be sore if you walk very far in them.
+1 on helmet lights.
I carried a small space blanket in case I was injured or otherwise needed to wait on SAG.
See if there are places that will allow you to change the tire indoors. 24-hour convenience stores, fire stations, etc.
Find a safe place to change the tire even if you have to walk a bit. A rural 2-lane with fast traffic, no shoulder and a drop-off into a ditch isn't safe.

bluegoatwoods

One thing I'll inject: some of us have more flats than others. I can't explain why that might be. Though 'riding style' must surely play a part.

If you're a 'frequent flat' type, then you've no choice but to follow some combination of the (very good) suggestions above.

If you're not a frequent flatter, then you might benefit from my experience. I've been at this for a long time now. And I used to carry patch kits, pumps, and, often, brand new tube. But I'd find that when I actually did have use for them the patch kits were filthy and old. And, more often than not, the pump no longer even worked.

So I chucked the tire repair gear. If I get a flat on the way to work, then I lock my bike to some immovable object and walk to work. (I can almost even enjoy that. At least it's something new) I lash my duffel bag to my backpack and wear that, so that I don't need to sacrifice those things I carry with me daily.

While I'm at work I call my wife and have her pick me up at the end of the day. If she, or friends, etc,., are not available, then I walk home. It's six miles and uphill in the homeward direction. Yep, I get home late and a bit footsore. Plus I don't end up getting as much sleep that night as I'd like. But it's survivable.

I can recall walking in to work twice in the last five or six years. I recall walking home once. A bitter cold night with an icy wind. But I'm a bicyclist; I've got the clothes for the job. It was actually more fun than not.

I actually don't see that taking precautions against flats benefits me. With a little luck you can be in the same spot.

benetga

bluegoat you got me thinking your approach might work for me. I just need to carry shoes to walk in. thanks all for the the replies

Jim from Boston

IMO it's imperative to find a reason for the flat before fixing the flat, for example a shard of metal wire, because it well will only cause another flat. If your route is commercial, you might be able to walk to an indoor ATM and use that as a comfortable location to fix a flat. Finally, AAA Road Service now allows two service calls a year to pick you and the bicycle up.

I have about a one hour commute, and a flexible starting time at work but if I absolutely have to be somewhere at a specific time, I allow for additional time to fix a flat, at least about one half hour under good circumstances to be on the safe side. If it's a really important appointment I may use an alternative transportation, car or commuter rail, though even these have no guarantees against delays.

gregjones

True, but the main advantage is that they can't blame it on you being a bike commuter!!

wolfchild

That's one good reason to use platform pedals and a pair of normal running shoes or hiking shoes instead of clipless pedals and cleated shoes. I just can't imagine walking for any distance with clipless shoes.

I-Like-To-Bike

A wrench, tube and bike tire irons together would weigh less than a pair of shoes; changing out a tube should take less than half the time that it would take to walk 2.5 miles and the bike would be ready to roll and not need to picked up or fixed later.

TransitBiker

I have found that when it gets colder, my tires tend to harden up and not be prone to punctures.... few years back on inverted tread tires (serfas) i ran over a good amount of jagged glass i thought was ice near a large snow pile and nothing happened. Those were my most flat prone tires, too.......

- Andy

Reynolds 

I'd prefer a regular easy to remove and install tire over a puncture resistant but hard one, but that's just me. +1 to above: carry a pump, try to inflate, if the tire keeps deflating fast then replace the tube. Also carry a light hi-vis jacket for emergency stops at the shoulder.