Originally Posted by
TechKnowGN
My concern for quite a while hasn't been my phyiscal readiness, rather that of my equipment. With all the flats I'd been having, I didn't want to get out a ways and have serious issues with no easy way to get back. With getting the wheel retensioned and the way it rode last night, I think I'm ready to try 10 out, and 10 back.
There are three ways to deal with flats, first is a tougher tire like the Hardcase or the Armadillo. This works quite well for a lot of people, tires are usually heavier though.
Second is to put a chemical sealant like Slime in the tire, this chemical hardens on contact with air. This can make removing the tire extremely difficult and if you get a blow out you can end up with the stuff everywhere, on the road, on you, on your bike, etc. It's not easy to remove,
Third learn to change a flat, with practise you can get very good and reasonably fast at it, you need to carry a pump or CO2 inflater and several cartridges, carry at least 1½ times the number of cartridges as potential repairs if using an inflater only (if you have 2 tubes then carry 3 cartridges, if you have 2 tubes and 2 patches, carry 6 cartridges). Some riders like the convenience of CO2, but the reliability of a pump and carry both.
Personally, I think if you have trouble with flats combine method one and method three.
