buzzman

You ever get to the point where something makes you laugh but the joke stops being funny when you have to explain again and again why you're laughing. That's where I've gotten with this now.

I've obviously offended your sensibilities somehow and for that I apologize. I'll try once more to get my point across and then leave it in your expert hands.

Fixing a flat is one of the most basic repairs any of us ever do on a bike. There is a ton of information in these forums on how to fix them, how to prevent them, how to figure out why you keep getting them. Not only that but the internet itself has an abundance of similar information in all kinds of places like blogs and websites. But despite that the OP said, "I searched the forums, and I cant figure out why I get so many flats." Well, I gotta say after years of working in bike shops my antennae go up right there- you learn to look for the loose nut behind the handlebars.

Now the OP says, "I'm aware of common sense stuff like... Installing the tires properly, or avoiding debris." Okay, fine but keep in mind the only information at all provided by the OP is "The only reason (s) ...is maybe something to do with the bike rack on the bus. Otherwise maybe I am buying poorly made tires or tubes? "

And now people start posting with suggestions. Many of which are common sense advice like installing the tires properly and avoiding debris despite the OP's claim of knowledge in that area.

To me it's funny because it's like the old, "How many ------ does it take to -------?". Or it's like putting a target up in a darkened room and having people fire at it until someone hits it but then never even turning the lights on to see if it got hit because the OP doesn't know where the light switch is.

There really wasn't enough information, as is so often the case in BF, for anyone to make an accurate guess. It could be "My knee hurts." or "I keep breaking spokes." Same thing.

And yes, of course I listed lots of questions that may ultimately be irrelevant but that's how diagnostics works other than that it's just trial and error, which is what this thread is. This thread would be really fantastically funny to me if it went on for 3 or 4 more pages with still no more information from the OP but just more and more and more suggestions of what could be the cause. I'm sorry that kind of thing cracks me up but it just does.

And then you, who felt my questions were irrelevant, respond with this:

and this:

None of which do I disagree with but I do feel you're only further proving my point that more information from the OP might have been useful in diagnosing the specific reason why they keep getting flats.

Finally, yes, tires do, for the most part, mount in the same way but what I meant was that sometimes, depending on the rim/tire combination that process can go easy or be seemingly impossible.


And I suggest that, as a rule, the use of tire levers (or any tool) to mount a tire be avoided.