Debris and Broken Glass On The Road
 

I was so worried today while I was riding my bike, for the first time I've seen so many broken glass and debris all over the place, almost all the road...

Last week I took the precaution to buy a spare inner tube just in case, but I still worry cause like it or not there is always the chance to get in trouble on the road.

Now My question is do I need more than the spare inner tube for safety and quick fixing? Just trying to carry the necessary, I also carry a pump.

You want a pump, tire levers, patch kit, and the knowledge to fix the flat in a timely manner.

I carry three tubes and a spare tire.

After 2 flats Im going home
3 flats before I get home and Im calling the wife
I obviously am not supposed to be on a bike today :D

You absolutely must practice replacing an inner tube, before venturing out. That's not something you want to do for the first time, once you have a flat.

Also, practice using a patch kit on an old inner tube, before you venture out.

I've only used tire levers on a few rare occasions...

I think the basics start with a good puncture resistant tire. After that most of the items scoatw listed. Also a cellphone.

Just don't ride over the glass! ;)

Not that easy when there is glass just about everywhere.

It is much easier carrying a couple of tubes, pull the glass or wire out of the tire, put the replacement tube in and patch the old tube at home.

Here are some puncture proof tires

http://www.besportier.com/archives/b...roof-tires.jpg

http://www.thecycler.net/photos/nu_t...e-w600h395.jpg

On my road bike I carry this and a mini-pump.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6159/6...46b8629f31.jpg
1 tube, 1 Park tire boot, 1 glueless patch kit, 1 tire lever with some duct tape wrapped around it, 1 folding tool, CO2 cartridge and inflator. On a longer ride I put another tube and cartridge in my pocket.

The CO2 is for group rides when I don't want to keep everyone waiting or they're pedalling away from me.

On my commuter, I carry the same thing but the tubes are bigger (700x35 vs 700x25). I also carry a full sized pump on the commuter, either a Zefal HPX or a Road Morph.

I totally agree with @exile on the quality and puncture protection of the tire itself. I've done around 1700 miles since last year, with only 1 flat and that was because of a faulty/broken presta valve. And the conditions which I ride are probably much worse than most since the roads I take are littered with broken glass and small metal debris from car crashes; also being overweight probably doesn't help either!

Bare necessities:

Spare tube
Pump or CO2 inflator (pump in this case is a back-up plan)
Patch kit (I recommend Rema)
Tire levers
Multi-tool
Knowledge how to use them all. Ask you LBS to show how to do it or look it up on YouTube.
Dollar bill to boot a tire (ask LBS again). Legal tender is unbelievably tough.
Cell phone
Pepper spray (if legal where you are)

Nice to have:
Leatherman-like tool with needle nose pliers (easier to pluck debris out of the tire). Sears sells one under 10 bux.
Pair of latex or nitrile gloves
Multi-tool with chain function.

Fancy stuff:
Puncture-resistant tires, preferably with Kevlar/Aramide bead (aka "foldables"). Sometimes possible to remove and mount with bare hands and manicure intact.
Tubes in size to match the tire. For example, both 18-25 mm and 28-35 mm inner tubes will work in 28mm tire, but 18-25 wall will be stretched thinner than 28-35, providing less puncture protection.

Ride on!

As said before, minimum is pump, 1 tube, tire levers, tweezers, wrench if your bike doesn't have quick releases.
Better - the above plus 1 more tube, patch kit.
It's useful to check out for shards imbedded on the tire and remove them after going over broken glass. Sometimes a little shard doesn't puncture a tube immediatly, but does after some time.

Yea the Lunar Rover wheel was made to not get a flat, either, just have to go up and salvage them.

In Mass. there hasn't been an increase in the cost of bottle deposits in 20 years. When the law was first enacted I saw an immediate decrease in the amount of broken glass on the road. Now it's creeping back up there. I think it's beyond time to increase the deposit.

I've not really had problems with the broken glass. It's the steel wire from the disintegrated tire treads, and the goatheads, which have done me in.

I pull a Burley trailer with an extra bicycle in case I puncture. I used to carry a big air compressor in the trailor along with 25 spare tubes, but the extra bike is a lot lighter.:thumb:

In two different states that I have been in when bottle deposits have been enacted, the amount of broken beer bottles did not decrease. Raising the drinking age to 21 and passing open container laws has ensured that more beer bottles are tossed out of cars by more people to avoid cops ticketing them for open containers and/or under age drinking. Even on bike paths, the glass remains because once homeless are drunk they do not care about the deposit no matter the amount, they are drunk and it is more fun to break the bottle. The bike path is full of broken glass the day after Independance Day and New Years from the people using the path to party with fire works and drinking beer, then breaking the bottles.

Beer companies came up with plastic bottles when glass was banned from beaches. You want to get rid of the glass, allow beer companies to only bottle in plastic.

or have citizens that don't smash bottles.

The last thing we need is more plastic in the environment! One would think you'd be aware of this living in Hawaii. Do you ever go to Kamilo Beach?

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=285358

And is there any country in this world that has such perfectly well behaved citizens ??

Always amazed by how little glass I see on the streets and roads of Indy and Central Indiana.

Have always carried patch kit, levers and pump but now also carry a tube, or two tubes, if I am riding a bike with different sized wheels.

My first (and so far only) flat came early one morning that had me changing it in a dimly-lit area. I was so glad that I had practiced and had everything I needed.

Get puncture resistant tires. Mount the tires yourself, do not have the bike shop do it, you need to know how to do it. Carry two spare tubes, tire levers, pump. Practice replacing the tube. Remember to feel the inside of the tire to find the wire or glass that punctured the tube, or the new tube will puncture too. Test inflate the spare tubes before packing them. I carry a few patches too, for really unlucky days, but usually just replace the tube. And do you best to steer around the worst of the glass.