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Another Flat!!? I had one last year. Reality Check

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Another Flat!!? I had one last year. Reality Check

Old 11-19-15, 07:51 AM
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I've got well over 3,000 miles on a set of Schwalbe Marathon Plus 25mms over the last year. In that same time I've had one inexplicable flat in about 1000 miles on a regular set of Schwalbe Marathonns (26x1.75 tire) and multiple flats over 500ish miles on a set of Conti Gatorskin 23mms. If I'm riding any distance, I feel most secure riding on the Marathon Plus tires.

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Old 11-19-15, 11:33 AM
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Originally Posted by digibud
Take a serious look at going tubeless. I got back from a road ride in Albuquerque with 4 thorns stuck in my tire and didn't even know it because my tubeless road tires worked perfectly. I also caught a staple in my tire going downhill at 45mph and pulled it out at the bottom after seeing my white goop seeping from my tube. I don't want to think what would have happened if it had been a bad blow out at that speed. I do love tubeless and recommend anyone in thorn country to give it a try.
I have to seriously think about it... normally I just change out the tube and keep riding but Saturday, because the front tire went flat just as I was turning, I took a bad fall and sprained both wrists... now I am alittle "gun shy" of getting flats while riding.

Problem with these thorns, the flats are almost always front not rear tire. Rear flat is a drag to fix but not dangerous to get like a front flat...
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Old 11-19-15, 11:36 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by DiabloScott
And the upside down tire change looks ****** to me... no offense to ****ers.
Been riding almost 50 years, done cross country rides; experienced mountain biker as well... I still turn the bike upside down (especially in dirt - rather get my bars dirty than the drive train) and I'll accept the label gladly...

PS: Why can Diablo type g o o b e r and I can't**********
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Old 11-19-15, 11:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Pamestique
I have to seriously think about it... normally I just changed out the tube and kept riding but Saturday, becuase the front tire went flat just as I was turning, I took a bad fall and sprained both wrists... now I am alittle "gun shy" of getting flats while riding.

Problem with these thorns, the flats are almost always front not rear tire. Rear flat is a drag to fix but not dangerous to get like a front flat...
Tubeless have some real disadvantages, particularly just getting them to seat when initially installing them if you don't have an air compressor. With mtn bike tires you can probably get them setup tubeless even if the wheel/tire are not made for tubeless. Not so with road wheel/tires. You really do need a wheel and tire that is made for tubeless but as you (and others) learned, flats at speed are really quite dangerous and the investment in tubeless is money well spent if safety is foremost to say nothing of convenience regarding dealing with flats.
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Old 11-19-15, 12:56 PM
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I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact that the OP apparently only has one flat per year.
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Old 11-19-15, 02:35 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Tony Marley
And the flat is nearly always on the rear....
I've had three flats this year. All on the front.
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Old 11-19-15, 03:00 PM
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I'd guess there are a disproportional number of flats on the front simply because the front tire encounters road debris first but the rear tire has more weight. I'm not holding my breath for a study on the subject to cut through the anecdotal evidence. I do know front flats are a greater concern. My wife had a blow out flat while coming down a 9% grade. She's so good. She simply took solid control of the steering and slowed down slowly. The tire stayed in place. I was proud of her bike handling skills.
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Old 11-19-15, 05:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Pamestique
Been riding almost 50 years, done cross country rides; experienced mountain biker as well... I still turn the bike upside down (especially in dirt - rather get my bars dirty than the drive train) and I'll accept the label gladly...

PS: Why can Diablo type g o o b e r and I can't**********
That was extra weird because it *'ed out the singular word, but the plural is OK

one ******, two ****ers
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Old 11-19-15, 11:54 PM
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I managed to avoid any flats for the first month after I resumed bicycling in August after a long hiatus. But it was too good to last.

I had four flats in the next month, three of 'em in one weekend. Two from goat head grass burrs (and I plucked out a dozen more that hadn't yet penetrated). One metal shard. One from a burred edge in the rim's valve stem hole (since polished out). Maybe just a run of bad luck. The highway crews had just done their last big roadside mow of the season, which probably kicked a lot of very dry, very sharp grass burrs and other junk onto the road. Since then it's rained, so maybe the hazards would have solved themselves.

But eee-nuff, sez I.

I couldn't even roll the bike a short distance home on a flat with the old tires - they rolled right off the rims, taking the tube and rim strip along. So I installed a self-sealing tube on the rear (and plan to get one for the front) and, three weeks ago, a set of Michelin Protek Cross Max. Half the price of the Armadillos and Schwalbe Marathons. So far, so good. We'll see if they're at least half as good.

While I liked the ride quality of the original Specialized Hemispheres, they weren't resistant enough to flats and wouldn't stay on the rims when uninflated. I couldn't even roll the bike a short distance on a flat. The Michelins will stay on the rim uninflated, have much stiffer sidewalls, and need a little assist from tire levers to mount/dismount. The new tires are a little heavier but I'll take 'em in exchange for fewer flats and being able to roll the bike on a flat to get off the road.

And, yeah, I flip the bike upside down to change flats. It's a little hassle because I have to loosen the top-mounted bell and Mirrycle to rotate 'em out of the way. But I'm not gonna wrestle a 30+ lb hybrid/utility bike by trying to hoist the rear one handed, while the front wheel flops around, to remove the rear wheel with the other hand. Sounds like a great way to strain my back and neck. This is the 50+ forum, right, not the racing forums? Nope, I'll save that stunt for when I can afford a 15-lb Cervelo VWD. And if I could afford that, I could afford to call a cab whenever I get a flat.

I almost always have a bunch of paper towels or bandana in my pocket. And I usually have a packet or two of wet wipes in my first aid kit. Takes care of any smudges from chain/sprocket greasy gunk.
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Old 11-20-15, 02:09 PM
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If they made tires sturdy enough not to get flats, they would be too heavy to ride. Flats happen. Be prepared. Practice at home if you need to.
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Old 11-20-15, 02:15 PM
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Originally Posted by digibud
I'd guess there are a disproportional number of flats on the front...
Not very mysterious in my case. My bents have heavily-loaded front wheels (around 60%) compared to an upright. All three were pinch flat/snakebites, all in the spring. One was an invisible rock, the other two were pot holes I didn't see because I was in a draft line and nobody in front called them out. Once the roads get cleaned up for the summer, I do okay.
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Old 11-20-15, 04:43 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Pamestique
I have to seriously think about it... normally I just changed out the tube and kept riding but Saturday, becuase the front tire went flat just as I was turning, I took a bad fall and sprained both wrists... now I am alittle "gun shy" of getting flats while riding.

Problem with these thorns, the flats are almost always front not rear tire. Rear flat is a drag to fix but not dangerous to get like a front flat...
That's really bad luck given your hard work to get riding again following your injury earlier in the year.
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Old 11-23-15, 11:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Gerryattrick
That's really bad luck given your hard work to get riding again following your injury earlier in the year.
You have no idea how much it sucks. Couldn't ride this weekend and probably won't be able to ride over Thanksgiving. I was just getting back into the swing of things... in fact, before this last accident, I was having a "best day ever"; did a hard climb without much problem, wasn't all that tired, feeling good and then =WHAM= down and out... oh well!
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