Got my first flat, how to avoid in future?
 

I got my first flat on my new Trek hybrid bike this week, luckily it was covered under warranty and they fixed it for free. Got a new tire. I rode my used Schwinn mountain bike for a year on same bike trails over 3,000+ miles rode on it not one flat. The bike trails often do have loose debris on the paved bike trails. fallen sticks and small objects in the road. Maybe it was just luck? I didn't get any flat on the mountain bike, I am thinking because the tire is very thick and bulky that might be a good reason why.

I think I got be more careful with the the thinner tires on the Trek hybrid bike vs the Schwinn mountain bike. I could ride over pretty much any debris in the road and not worry about flats with the mountain bike. I accidentally rode over glass and sharp sticks on that Schwinn mountain bike, never got a flat with those very thick tires.

maybe I got be more picky about the bike paths I ride on. On my Schwinn mountain bike I could pretty much ride on any bike path in my area regardless of how bad the debris was on the bike path and not worry about getting a flat tire. At least over 3,000+ miles over a year of riding not one flat on the Schwinn mountain bike.

I love my trek hybrid though, it rides so much faster and is a lighter bike to ride than the Schwinn mountain bike. Has a much smoother ride. I prefer riding the lighter hybrid trek bike and prefer it over the heavier bulkier Schwinn mountain bike. It is a lighter bike and I can go a lot faster on it. I was wondering what I can do to try to avoid flats on the trek hybrid in the future?

I've had no flats in 3 years since switching to puncture resistant tires, with kevlar belt molded into the rubber. But I wonder... what kind of tires are on the Trek? My daughter's Trek hybrid came with supposedly puncture resistant tires. There are also anti-flat strips that can be inserted between the tire and the inner tube.

Regardless, definitely learn how to fix a flat, and equip yourself to do it while on the road. No tire is invicible. The thicker rubber, and being "further from the road" because of the knobs are probably factors. Despite having much better luck these days thanks to the tires, I still carry pump, tire levers, spare tube, and patch kit.

Flats are part of road riding.

165 road flats for me not counting the garage flats.

Now carry 4 tubes, Pump, CO2 and a spare tire

Like you say, the "thinner" light-weight tires are not as puncture resistant as your older "very thick" tires.

That's just a fact, and one of the reasons your newer Trek is faster than your older Schwinn (but also the Trek's frame and other components are likely also lighter across the board).

There's a trade-off in weight, rolling resistance and speed when it comes to tires.

If you want excellent flat resistance, you need to get into tires like some of the Schwalbe Marathon treking line. There are tires there that are claimed to be flat-proof that will easily fit your newer Trek, but they are heavier (some of them are over 1kg each, compared to 400-500 g's for the ones you have from the factory); and also, due to the extensive puncture protection which is a thick layer of rubber and other fabrics between the carcass and the tread, they will be much stiffer, so will sap a lot of energy in terms of greater rolling resistance.

Also, the factory tires on your Trek probably cost somewhere around $15 each (maybe not if you buy them retail from Trek because they mark stuff up quite a bit, but compared to other similar tires that's the benchmark). Some of these flat-proof or high puncture protect tires are going to run $80-120 each...

You have to choose how far you want to swing the dial on tires here. You can get flatproof, but it's going to slow you down and potentially drain your wallet.

Cheers
TRJB

It's a corollary to Murphy's Law. The time you spending preparing for the possibility of a flat tire is inversely proportional to the number of flats you will actually get.

I rode for 3 years before getting my first flat. Then got 4 the next year. This is my 5th year and not a single one and have 2900 miles on the tires.

All have been Conti GP4000SII

"S" happens and so do flats.

The LBS did you a favor since tires and tubes are not covered by warranty.

Use tires with a puncture-resistant belt, keep them properly inflated, and try not to run over road hazards.

Even then, flats do happen occasionally. It's common practice to keep a spare tube, tire levers, and a pump or CO2 inflator on the bike so you can deal with flats when they happen. Kinda like keeping a spare tire in the car, except flats happen more often on bikes.

I'd strongly recommend practicing a tire/tube change at home so you'll know what to do on the trail or roadside.

I am surprised that the warranty covered flats. Changing out tires, to puncture resistant is not expensive and will avoid most future flats. Check out the reviews first; some are more resistant than others.

Do you mean tube? Punctures happen but usually all you need to do is patch or replace the tube, and you should learn to do that yourself.

I can relate. When I first started riding as an adult 20 years ago, I rode in fear of getting a flat. I had the tools to fix a flat, but was really unsure of myself. Even removing the wheel made me nervous.

As others have said, flats happen. You might go a year or two without flats, then get two on the same ride. It is a bummer, but it doesn't have to end your day. So what do you do? First, carry what you need with you to fix a flat. Second, know how to change a flat. Third, take precautions to lessen the risk of a flat.

1. Every cyclists should have a spare tube, patch kit, set of plastic tire levers, and a mini pump. Keep it with you on your bike so it is always with you should the worse happen.

2. How to change a flat. Lots of videos on youtube explain it. It isn't rocket science, but it does take a bit of practice. My suggestion is, practice at home a few times so when you have to do it on the road, you have a bit of confidence when it is hot, or cold out and you are sitting on the ground by the side of the road.

3. Precautions - go with a tire with some flat protection. Examples include Continental Gatorskin, Specialized Armadillo, Panaracer Ribmo, Vittoria Randonneur, Schwalbe Marathon, and many others. This is no guarantee as a shard of metal, or wire can still work its way into the tire over time, but a lot less likely than with tires without flat protection.

Check your tires before each ride. Spin the wheel slowly and inspect the tire visually for anything embedded in the tire. Lightly run your hand over the tire to feel for any pieces of debris.

Check your tire pressure before each ride. If there is a leak, this will be apparent when you do this. All tires lose air over time, but a tire with a slow leak will lose a lot more air. If you find a leak before your ride, change the tube and find what caused the puncture and remove it.

Top off your tires with air before each ride. Riding with severely under inflated tires can cause something called a pinch flat.

I've got Schwalbe Marathon Plus Tour tires on my bike. These are very tough tires! I don't get flats often, but just a few days ago a long staple went right through and punctured the tube. I patched the tube by the side of the rode and continued on my way. Flats happen!

Consider (for ride comfort reasons) getting decent tires and puncture-resistant ("thorn-proof") tubes. Heavy tubes weigh less than heavy tires, and are not going to take as much energy to spin. Also, this means you can shop for tires using other criteria than puncture-resistance. i't the difference between wearing a bullet-proof vest versus riding in an armored car.

To continue that analogy, a vest can be punctured and even an armored car can be blown up, There is only one way to prevent flats, which is to park the bike.

There are other only slightly less extreme solutions, like solid tires. In all cases it is a matter of compromise---how much of the pleasure of the ride do you want to sacrifice to assuage your fear of getting a flat?

Once you are comfortable swapping a tube, flats won't dominate your purchasing and planning. Riding will be a lot more enjoyable.

Fixed it for free, nice of them. A new tire just because it flatted, you sure?

I didn't expect to get a flat the other day, riding continental GP-4 seasons with only about 1.5 seasons of riding on them, but lo and behold it happened. Flats happen, even with puncture-resistant tires. As they age, they become more prone to punctures as the tread wears away, and they get little cuts in them. Inspecting your tires closely for wear/cuts/nicks/etc before and after rides can go a long way to helping prevent unnecessary flats. Then again, sometimes you get a bit of bad luck and cut open a brand new tire on something in the road. Just the nature of riding on the road.

The best way to prevent a flat is to not puncture the tube.

Puncture resistance helps, but no guarantee. Make sure your tires are inflated properly. Carry extra tube. Learn to change it. Practice at home first. Then you won't stress over it. It's just a routine flat tire.

Speaking of mini pumps, I am in the market for two pumps. One for schrader and one for presta so I do not have to switch around and use adapters. Any reccomendations?

Many do both with no adapter.

Example:

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/eq...sjwaAhtd8P8HAQ

I have one, light, small and works pretty darn well for a small pump.

Took me about two and a half years after getting back into riding to flat. Flatted a second time two weeks later. They are part of riding. Carry a pump, tire levers, and a spare tube or patch kit, and the knowledge to use them.

Also, I'd be willing to bet your old MTB had knobby tires, which really help with flats on road. Kinda suck to ride on the road, though.

Topeak Road Morph G. Use it as your every day pump, it is strong and quick enough, if you really want. IT'll do both, although annoying to change the internal bits around.

I'm working towards a pump on every bike, nothing more discouraging than starting a ride knowing you left the pump on the other bike and hoping for no flats.

I have a Topeak Road Morph which I liked. Drawback: comes with a lousy bracket that uses up a waterbottle location. I have a side mount bracket, and it's great; but I'll probably get a Blanst for my new bike.

There is probably some value in unmounting tires at home, when not under pressure. Err, not under pressure on the side of the road. For several years I road some "bombproof" tires and didn't flat. They wore out so I replaced 'em. And boy was it a battle. A battle that wasn't going to be done on the side of the road.

I zip tied the bracket to my top tube. 4 years this way. Works fine.

Learned that the hard way .... and not the first time, sadly. Like mini-tools and spare tubes/tires irons .... Cheap enough to have on every bike and Well worth it.

+1, the better prepared and practiced you are at dealing with a flat, less likely to have any. Learn to change your tires, rotate them once in a while. Pay homage to the flat fairy, she will bother you less while riding. Also try touring type of tires - reduces road debris elements.

If you are going to ride, you are going to get punctures. Learn to deal with them. My wife can take off the wheel, remove the tire, check for the cause, replace with good tube, remount the tire and replace the wheel in about 10-15 minutes., depending on which wheel the puncture is on. She demonstrated how to fix flat tires during a bike maintenance presentation we put on at 2 wellness conferences.

Those little round washer looking things are stem nuts from presta valve tubes. I started throwing them in my tool box several years ago. They roughly represent the number of tubes we've used in the last 6-10 years; and many of those tubes were patched several times.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/y...b3f68e25b8.jpg

If you got 3000 miles without a flat, you'll never win the lottery, because you used up all of your luck.

If you are a regular rider, flats are a way of life, and changing a flat is as easy and fast as getting a burger at McDonald's. It is rare that I go as long as a month without a flat, and I run quality tires, and maintain their pressure religiously. Asking how to avoid flats when riding regularly is like asking how to avoid getting diarrhea when drinking tap water in India.