Originally Posted by
rnorris
Kudos to all you super cold weather riders!
I gotta ask, though: How do you guys fix a flat in that kind of cold? I had to change out a tube last night on a damp, foggy, near freezing night (forget patching it, too wet) and it was uncomfortable enough- really was glad to have my headlamp all charged up. Can't imagine trying to wrestle a super cold and stiff tire over a rim with your fingers at the temperatures a lot of you normally ride in. I hope all that snow cuts down on flats.
I've only had one flat while commuting in the last 10 years. The road was wet from salted snow and a piece of glass sliced through the tread. The tire was surprisingly difficult to remove. What normally takes me 30 seconds in my garage took me about 30 minutes by the side of the road. Very frustrating. I eventually did repair the tire and get on my way again, but it prompted me to change the tools I bring on my commutes (I now carry a proper set of tire irons and a spare tube). Fortunately, flats are rare if you use the right tires. I had a cheap set at the time, which I've since replaced with schwalbe marathons. No flats since.