And, I have already tried all the tubes, liners, Armadillos, etc., you can tell me about. They don't work. Met a guy and helped him fix a flat - his 6th goathead flat this week.

MYSTERY

Mountain bike sitting in the garage, went to load it into the van for a trip, totally flat front tire. Took another bike. Pumped the mtn bike up, came back 4 days later, fully pumped, hasn't lost any air since - it has been a week. **********? I have ridden it with no problem. Schrader valve.

We have goatheads here, but your posts on the subject would give the nod to Colorado as the goathead empire.

And you were doing so well. Sigh.

We don't have goatheads around where I ride out here on the plains, but I am pretty sure I can already hear the sandburrs plotting against me as I ride by on the bike paths.

Two of my bikes have tire savers and that does more than anything else I have tried. They scrape the burrs off before the wheel can make even one revolution. Of course they only work with relatively smooth treaded tires. No MTB tires.

We don't have goat heads here, but we do have thorn bushes.

I once sold a new tire to a fellow who then took his bike out to the park behind the shop for a test ride. About 15 minutes later he brought it back. I pulled SEVEN (7) thorns out of his back tire and sold him a new inner tube. I didn't have the heart to charge him labor for fixing the flat.

I am glad that I don't have to contend with the great goat head. Those things look like they could take out a tractor trailer tire. They look like miniature tire jacks that are used to flatten car tires.

If I was getting 4 flats per week, then I would have to go with solid tires. I just don't think that I could coupe.

Are you sure we don't have 'em in this area? I just had a flat from a goathead equivalent two days ago.

After exercising my google-fu, I realized that I've actually seen these plants themselves, growing near the curb on the route I take to the grocery store. The pretty yellow flowers caught my attention, and the neat rubbery leaves make it a somewhat pretty plant, actually. But the next time I pass by, I'm gonna KILL that plant!

Armadillos PLUS THORN-RESISTANT INNER TUBES is your slam-dunk cure. I have riden straight over a bah-zillion goatheads with this combo and never flat unless you get hit high on the side-wall.

This way you'll spend no time fixing flats and more time EATING GOATHEADS which are reputed to be good for hair-growth and virility. Notice how appetizing they look in your excellent photos!

Geez, Denver, ever thought of moving?

A pox on you for even showing such a picture.

He showed the picture and he started the last "count your flats" thread, too. Denver did this to us, the flat gods are angry with 50+ and we must come up with a suitable sacrifice to appease them, quickly.

Aw crap, what am I whining about, I replied in the thread and that is why I had my second puncture from a rock with sharp edges yesterday. Wasted exactly 7 minutes changing the tube, at least it didn't cut the tyre open like the last one did. Cost me a set of new tyres and tubes. (actually I needed to get some decent rubber anyway, original tyres were shot. The Gatorskins did well and I do like the ride much better than the bottom end Lugano stock tyres.) I hate the local large aggregate paved roads, these are really old pavements, it isn't used here any longer. Lots of loose sharp edged rocks come loose.

Bill

I am retired, and have all the time in the world. So when I ride the in town bike paths (Lincoln has 125 miles of bike paths) when I see goat head plants, I alway stop and pull them. They are easy to pull, just locate the center and a whole huge plant that may be as big as a bike wheel will come up. I feel that I am protecting myself and of course others from the dastardly thorns. If you have time I encourage everyone to do the same. BTW goathead thorn plants seem to come on late in the summer.

Arrrrghhhh!!!



The sand burs have struck! Looks like I will have to spend more time on the bikes that have tire savers installed for the rest of the fall season.

We are blessed in the UK in that we do not have goats heads or anything like them. We must be blessed in some way but it is the time of the year when the farmers start cutting the hedges. Down here they are mainly blackthorn and although they are no-where near as bad- they are not good. Very thin needle like thorns and plenty of them. It has got to the stage where when I see a hedge has been cut- I either turn round or carry the bike. I only have to go near a newly cut hedge and it is repair time.

Enjoyed the enthusiasm Reminds me of a sign I had in my toolbox for people thinking of borrowing my tools. The work kill was big, squiggly and scrawly, and looked like a psychotic put it together.

Let's get this bit of info on wikipedia fast. We might make progress slowing sown the plant's spread. (people tend to believe what they want to believe)

DF, I feel your pain! I've had to NOT use the local MUP with my road hybrid, which uses Serfas Seca 130 psi road tires, strictly streets and roads as the FPS (flat protection system) is a JOKE and even using "True Goo" doesn't help. Now I've got Vittoria Ranndouer-Cross tires on my utility hybrid and I've had no flats as of yet, using the local MUP! Still I wish we didn't have to deal with the dreaded GoatHead's!!

My road bike is the one getting the flats. My mountain bike is OK. My utility road bike so far is OK, but I haven't ridden it much on the MUPS.

As far as "True Goo" - I find it only holds up to about 80 psi, same with Slime. I ride at 120 psi.

As far as tire lliners, Armadillos, etc., those are fine on my utility road bike (I have an Armadillo and some other supposedly thorn resistant tire on it) - which already weighs about 1.5 tons - but I really have my road bike set up for some speed and ease of riding, so I sorely avoid tire liners, Armadillos (one of the slowest and stiffest tires in the world) and goop, etc., and the price I pay is having to fix flats during goathead season. I will pay that price for the increased fun of riding the rest of the time.

Although this is one honor I'd rather not have, where I ride in So Cal IS the goathead capital of the Universe. Just recently I encountered three of the little buggers in one 80 mile ride.

On aside note, the leaves/flowers of the goathead plant are supposed to be some sort of natural Viagra/aphrodisiac.

Next time I will chew on it while fixing my flats...all kinds of puns included here.

Seven in one blow beats your three in one ride.

What's a flat? Wait, oh yes, had one four years ago.

There is a special place in heaven waiting for you.

You will get lots of flats now...bad mojo to brag about no flats.

Anybody tried Stans no tubes?

Yes I run tubeless and have NO trouble with goatheads. I used to live in Colorado and they have alot less goatheads than New Mexico or Arizona.

Here's a picture from the offending curb. The infestation has lost the yellow 5-pointed flowers since I first spotted them. I had no tools or gloves, or else I would have tried going postal on them!