dwmckee

I am just curious to hear about your worst flat ever.

I have had countless flats and almost all have been pretty benign, but I did have one that scared the crap out of me. I was on a loaded tour descending into the Finger Lakes near Taylor Winery and was at over 30 MPH with really blurry watery eyes. I suddenly saw a brick in the road and did not have time to avoid it. I did my best to jump, which was pretty lame with a loaded bike and I hit the brick pretty square on. I blew out both tires with double pinch flats but somehow did not collapse either rim (36 spokes, Mavic Open 4 CDs). Both tires went flat quickly but I did have enough time to slow down to a near stop first. I used my last 4 patches and was back on the hill in about 10 minutes, all of my skin in tact, but thinking how bad that could have been if the rim collapsed or if the tires lost all air before I could stop.

DXchulo

I've had a couple scary ones on descents. Luck was on my side for both of them.

A few years back I got a front flat near the bottom of the Mt. Rose descent. I was able to remain calm and came to a gradual stop, mostly braking on the rear. I lucked out because that section of the descent is super straight with a bike lane, so I had time and space on my side.

Last summer I got a rear flat towards the bottom of the US 50 descent. This one was more mentally difficult for me because I was recovering from a bad crash in February of that year and still wasn't 100% confident in my bike handling skills. I was afraid to go much faster than 30mph and I was riding scared at times. Things started out well enough. I was braking slowly and staying reasonably calm. However, when I started braking harder I had a feeling like my rear wheel wanted to slide out from under me. That's when I started losing my cool. I started to get this thought in my mind that a crash was the only option. I was like a pilot looking for a crash landing site. Where was the flattest, softest space to land? I was scared of another crash and scared of another surgery.

Again, luck was on my side. I was on a straight portion of the descent and had time to try to come to a gradual stop. I finally made it to a runaway truck ramp and decided that was probably the best place to crash. I could at least get my speed down to 15mph or so and crash in the gravel. No need. I was able to come to a complete stop just before the gravel.

Granted, a rear flat shouldn't be a huge deal like that. I was probably using too much rear brake and then things just snowballed thanks to my fragile mental condition at the time.

bronco71

35 mph on the decent of Mt. Lemmon. Front tire found a tack followed by a steady stream of expletives from me. Slime in the tube allowed me enough time to squirm it to a safe stop.

The clown who spread tacks on that road needs a nut punch.

anotherbrian

[no flats, but...]

Wow, just wow. In 2012 I was pre-riding some of the Alta Alpina climbs and got a high-speed wobble while descending Kingsbury Grade. All the same things were flashing through my mind. I was certain I was going to crash, as trying to slow made the wobble worse. I was worried I'd get too much speed and crash into the oncoming traffic, so was trying to build up the nerve to just grab all the brake I could and steer off the road.

I did end up stopping safely, and with nothing apparently wrong with the bike I descended the rest of the way with a death grip. At some point I realized I was causing the wobble and if I braced my elbows against my chest the bike was rock solid. I've been down the pass a couple times since, foolishly going as fast as gravity will take me, but at least hoping I know what to do in case it ever wobbles again.

CliffordK

I can't think of any single flat that was particularly memorable. I may have rolled a poorly glued down sewup once or twice... in years past, but I don't think I went down.

A couple of decades ago, I did what I consider my 10 day "megameter" ride in Italy. Maybe 6 or 7 days on the road, and 3 or 4 days in Rome. At that time I was still riding sewups, and had gotten about a dozen used tires with flats for about $5, which I had patched, some more than once.

Anyway, I had about one flat on the trip down to Rome. Then ended up with a half a dozen flats in the couple of days in Rome. Apparently glass, cobbles (with cracks between them), and sewups don't mix very well.

Homebrew01

During state TT championships.

ghughes20

I had a full on blow out on a ride with a buddy. It was a 30 mile ride and about halfway though, I ran over and kicked out a big rock from my rear wheel. I was surprised how fast the rock kicked out. Anyway, I stoped and the checked out the wheel and everything seemed fine and we continued on our ride. As we continued home at a normal pace I noticed a growing bulge in the wall on the rear tire. I don't ride with a spare tire, only tubes, so we slowed down and continued. When I was about 1 mile from home, I was in front and I heard the blow out. BANG - ptssss.. At first I thought it was a car behind me because the sounds seemed too loud to be coming from a bike tire. Anyway, I was able to stop easily enough and my buddy went home, got his car, and picked me up.

I must have damaged the tire on that rock and it was only a matter of time. Luckily, I was close to home when it blew out and on a flat section of road with without much traffic.

indyfabz

You removed two wheels, found four punctures, patched them, reinstalled everything (including possibly panniers) and got moving again in about 10 minutes? I call B.S.

Seattle Forrest

It was 35 or 40 F and pouring. Stopped being warm as soon as I stopped. Fingers got cold and it felt like it took forever.

Lazy Dog

I was once riding and got a nail in my tire. I changed the flat in about three hours and kept on riding. I am, what you call, Super Human!!!

PaulRivers

Got a flat on a remote trail through the Wisconsin wilderness during the summer. I'm trying to pull off the wheel and replace the tube while being eaten alive my mosquitos. If you're going 15mph they can't catch up with you, but if you're stopped you're a human buffet... :-/

TrojanHorse

I was bombing down a mountain road and hit... something. Maybe a metal plate that fell off somebody's car or motorcycle? I have no idea what it was but it very nearly yanked the handlebars out of my hands. Heard a lout BAM and lo, one of my tires went flat (at 30 mph or so)... so I was able to coast to a stop in a straight line. After my heart rate came down from 1,000 I was able to patch the tube, reinstalled it. I checked the wheels, and except for some damage to the front rim (dinged it) I thought it was safe to continue. Got back going again and about 2 minutes later BAM - the other wheel. Again coasted to a stop from 25 mph or so (this was a downhill stretch obviously), fixed THAT flat and got going again.

This was on Glendora Mountain Road coming back from the village for those of you familiar with the area. I hit the plate at the intersection of GRR / East Fork and continued on towards GMR. I was really luck that I got both blowouts before the shack because it would have been ugly to blow out on those switchbacks down the mountain. I ended up replacing both tires and the front wheel as a result. Ugh. But lucky.

Gege-Bubu

My worst flat was two day ago. I was riding 5 min from home, and got into the pot hole. I knew it was there, but forgot to look for it. Then, I spent some time to replace the tube in the front wheel, inflate it, installed the wheel back, but when I started to ride again, I realized that the rear wheel has flat too! But I did not have second spare tube.
I had to walk back home, it took me about 30-40 min. Replaced the tube, inflated both wheels, took 2 spares with me and finished whatever I planned for the day.

TGT1

When I was a kid just starting my freshman year in high school I was screaming down Grand Ave on my Western Auto 10 speed when I was almost right hooked by someone cutting onto the freeway onramp.

Locked up the rear and burnt the rubber off clear to the rim.

Walked back up the hill and home.

Walked home and got chewed out for missing XC and band preseason practice the next day.

dwmckee

I am just that good! Actually, I did not remove panniers or wheels. When flats are easy to find like those, I just leave the wheel on the bike and pull the tube out the side, patch it and replace (I have patched a LOT of flats). Quite a bit faster that way as long as you know where the puncture is.

I did not have a stop watch going, so maybe it was 12 minutes if you are really concerned about accuracy.

mgwilder

During a club training race. A 45 min. + 5 laps crit in a new housing project. The bell had rung for the +5 and we were off. I was in the middle of the pack and my front blew just before the last turn. I thought this would be a monumental pile up on my account but the seas parted and in front of me was the remnants of a corn field. Somehow I was able to keep rolling straight as the pack went around me in the turn and I Baja'd through the corn field until I came to a stop.

It wasn't the flat that scared me, but the potential of being on the bottom of the pile.

alexvpaq

Was in the middle of nowhere, tire had a flat, first time trying to use a co2 cartridge without practice or any explanation. Was very hot outside and while trying to use the co2 I managed to fail it. Tube exploded. Had to call for a ride home. While waiting, there was like a ton of mosquitoes but that wasn't the real issue.
Annoying but that's it.
The real issue was I probably was close to a spider nest because it took like 5 minutes and my bike had over 10-15 spiders on it...

Almost left it on the side of the road.
When my dad arrived 15-20 min later they were already starting to build a web...

KantoBoy

At the START of a race.

/thread

LesterOfPuppets

Ouch. I did that at a TT once. And I was on 26" wheels at a roadie event.

hairnet

My group started our mountain descent some time around midnight, training for the all nighter part of an upcoming brevet. At some point I ride over a fairly deep pothole while I was looking back to check on my friend. It was shocking, horrible and I knew something g bad happen as to my wheels. Tires stayed inflates until I reached a flat section. There they both deflated. My friend catches up and helps me fix the flats and inspect the damage. Double pinch flat with BOTH rims dented in. Still had to finish the ride with thumpy brakes and a bump on ever rotation of both wheels.

Gatorfreak

The circumstance wasn't bad but the flat itself was. My bike suddenly felt like I was repeatedly running over a rock with the rear wheel. I stopped to discover that a large screw had gone right through the center of my tire AND through the rim. It poked out the other side of the rim like it was growing a new spoke.

Fortunately I carry a multi-tool with phillips screwdriver or I wouldn't have been able to pull it out. After unscrewing it from the rim and tire I was able to ride home. At home I filled the hole in the tire with shoe-goo and it's been fine since. I taped over the hole on the inside of the rim and hammered back the new spoke hole so it's mostly flat again.

79pmooney

Easy. Blew a tire two years ago doing an easy 25. No warning., Next thing I knew I was fighting to keep the bike from hitting the adjacent curb. (That had been a nightmare of mine since I heard the scream of a rider of the wheel I was on hit one many years ago in a sprint finish. He moved over to avoid contact with the rider on his left. A friend described his injury. The scream was justified.)

I knew instantly that I was down on the aluminum rim. It was like riding on ice except the bike wanted to steer me. I finally got it to settle down, thinking "maybe I can ride this to slow enough that a crash won't be so bad". Next instant, the rear tire jammed in the seatstay and i was launched into the road. Collarbone, cracked rib, smash on my hip, bruises and abrasions on both sides, helmet trashed on both sides. 10 bandages to change every night.

Got me seriously thinking about going back to sew-ups. I often go far faster. This is Portland. I have hit 49 on a good day on my only bike with a speedo, far faster on my good bike.

Ben

hoiten22

Didnt happen to me but once on a charity ride i was riding in paceline of about 4-6 riders. All of a sudden a loud BANG was heard followed by a clang, clang, clang, clang. The rider slowed safely without going down but when we stopped to ask what happened she looked at her tire and it had a knife in her rear tire. Like a kitchen knife. What?!?!? She had caught it in her side wall and then broke off/disintegrated on the frame. it was quite a crazy situation

10 Wheels

Bang Boom Front tire Blow out.

Jakedatc

Hit a pothole and pinch flatted and put a small hole in the sidewall of a brand new tire... 500' from my car at the end of a ride :/ walked it to the car, went home and put a boot in it and rode it for a few thousand more miles without a problem. just depressing for a new tire.

other worst was exactly 50mi into a century, pouring rain, front wheel hit a pothole in a puddle. I coasted it down to 5mph and tried to pull it to the side but hit the grass still a bit too sharply for a rim and went over the bars. luckily it was wet grass and didn't hurt but amusing for my friend behind me. fixed the flat while the tire kept filling up with water. didn't realize there was a sidewall cut until 10mi later when it blew again. booted it and finished no problem. rainy flats are no fun.