And the verdict is..... swallow your pride and go get the stuff to fix the flats. One of the side benefits of fixing flats on the ride is that sometimes you get to meet interesting folks. It's happened to me numerous times.

Fixing flats is so easy. Done it many times.

? Did Lance fix his own flats?

No, you wait for your support truck to come up and give you a new wheel. Or a new bike. Or you catch a lift on a journalist's motorcycle.

I also had 3 flats in one day !! Sandspurs are evil !
As sugested, carry what you need to repair it. Carry an extra tube , also.

Shucks, I'm always late for the beatings! You wife is correct, fix the flat then ride on. If she packs up some snacks ahead of time, she can get them ready while you fix the flat.

This is so true, and it won't matter which of you has the flat and which goes back for the car. In one case you sent her on a forced march of a ride all by herself; in the other, you left her alone by the side of the road to wait, and wait, and wait. And wait.

Your wife is right!
Now listen to what others are saying....

Your wife is right. Be sure to tell her so whenever the opportunity presents itself. She will appreciate her choice in marrying a man smart enough and confident enough to know when he is wrong.

My guess is that you are not comfortable with tire repair. A little practice will soon set that right.

Even if you don't flat you will find plenty of riders on the side of the road/path/trail grateful for your assistance.

I didn't read the whole thread but to the OP, Huh? Why on earth wouldn't you fix the flat on the spot? It takes a few minutes, and you'll need to do it anyway. It's a basic part of riding.

Shoot, back riding in CA we'd get multiple flats on a 30 mile ride, mainly due to thorns. Out here in New England, flats have been rare, but I still wouldn't think of going out without a pump, tube, and stick-on patches.

Helping Others, Too
 

This is an important point. Bike riders (especially older ones) form a community. You can benefit someone else if you're prepared to help them out in a pinch [flat].

One other thing, make certain that your wife is familiar with how to remove a wheel, tire, and replace a tube, remount, operate the pump and re-install. She may be out riding with friends one day when you're not there, and she can be the hero.

Good luck! Phil G.

Do you and your wife ride together on the same road\trail? Do you ride over the same road debris? Like broken glass, thorns? Do you think you just may both get flats at the same time? Do you walk to the car then? Learn to fix a flat, and carry a pump. But most important of all, keep the wife happy.

^^^^^This is very wise. ^^^^

You never run out of air with a pump.

What type of riding is that? Glass, thorns, and other tube-puncturing debris can be found on any type of trail or road. With respect to the miles, say you get a flat at mile 26. The bike (and thorn, for that matter) doesn't know how many miles you rode prior to the flat --- it's just at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that place could be 1/2 mile into the start as well as the end.

If a man says something and a woman is not around to correct him, is he still wrong? Your wife is right.

Just carry a couple of extra tubes, and also a small patch kit. I also have a frame pump.

But, last fall it broke on me! Fortunately mrs az came out to get me.

The other thing you can do is repair the tube when you get back home and carry it as a spare.

Were you never a Boy Scout? It costs so little to be prepared just in case you need to be able to repair a flat tire. It just doesn't make sense to go out unequipped.

Yes. And it follows logically that if you're going to carry the pump anyway, there's no reason to carry the CO2 inflator.

Here I am doing an on-the-tire fix of one of FIVE flats that I got on a ride in Colorado. It was my introduction to goathead thorns.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CR4yNJ2gHA...Loma%2B027.jpg

Al, don't you realize you are baiting the goatheads by fixing your flat with your bike on the grass? I can picture the goatheads creeping and crawling through the grass towards your tires. They are pure evil!

If a man says something in the forest and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong anyway?
If a woman says something in the forest and there is no man around to hear her, does he still have to do it anyway?

The best and safest threads to reply to are the ones where you are absotively, posilutely sure of the answer!

I'd never expect my wife to ride back "alone". Heck, what kind of Colonel leads his troops into battle unprepared?:roflmao2:

At minimum, one should carry a spare tube and a c02 inflator (if you dont want to carry a pump). Chances are you will never have to use it, but then there is always Murphy's law.

Yes. I went back and read my blog entry, and realized that we had 8 flats, not 5. I had never heard of goathead thorns before. I think I could have avoided some of the flats if I'd known.

http://carbiketrip.blogspot.com/2009...o-loma-co.html

We have special goatheads reserved for visitors to Colorado. And, they have little brains and are impossible to avoid if they really want to get you. And, they read this forum.

Maybe the OP got stranded with a flat.

Being from the east I have no experience with goatheads. How do they end up on the pavement?