Originally Posted by
WhyFi
A lot of my miles are done during the commute and I'm debating the approach that I'll take when it comes to flatting. I never had a flat with my MTB, but this morning was flat number 2, in two months, with the road bike and it's got me thinking. What do you do? Walk a few blocks to the nearest subway? Pack a patch kit/tube and pump/CO2? If I didn't live someplace with such ready access to public transportation, I don't think that there'd be any question, but we DO have that access and I just hate to carry extra... stuff.
I do not leave the house without a patch kit and my pump. There are no tires that are impervious to flats and keep in mind it's not just debris that will cause a flat as there are pinch flats to contend with as well. Considering shops charge you for fixing/changing a tube I'd rather carry one and do it myself than hope there's a bike shop close to where I got the flat. It isn't much stuff to carry at all so that shouldn't even be an issue; a patch kit, tire levers, and pump can fit in your jersey pocket.
I commute to NYC from NJ all of the time and haven't come across anything my Conti 4000 S tires can't handle which I prefer since they roll nicely and don't weigh as much as Armadillos. If I remember correctly Armadillos aren't foldable tires and I've never been a fan of dealing with non foldable tires.