# flats vs time frame means nothing

# flats per mile ridden means something

2007 I got 3 flats and rode just over 14k miles

2008 zero flats so far

the ONLY time I get flats, is when I give some poor stranded guy my spare tube, or use my last patch, repairing some poor stranded cyclists whip,.....

then about 3 miles later, I'M the poor stranded cyclist,...with a cell phone, and a nice wife that will pick me up, after she has some fun with it: "help another cyclist, did we?" :D

This month I have had five flats.
I roll continental pro race tires.

1. tack in front tire, which I patched
2. puncture in rear tire, which I patched
3. puncture in rear tire, which I patched *again* after I found the miniscule piece of metal wire that caused it. Helped that I aligned the tire name with the valve.
4. flat caused by my pump (silca pista) pulling too tightly on the threaded valve of my continetal tubes. I've since switched to Michilen tubes, which do not have threads on the valve so the pump head slides on and off easier.
5. Puncture in front tire after rolling over a piece of someone's exhaust system in road. Not enough time or room to dodge, ce la vie.

Got 2 flats total in the last year. Roughly 120km a week riding. One was on a tubular that was worn out but good thing about tubulars is that I was able to ride my bike a couple of kilometers to a local shop to replace it. The second flat I got was last week. Of all the tires...Gatorskins that were only 2 weeks old. The side was torn for some reason. Kinda bummed because I built a set of clinchers for commuting but I never had any problems with my tubulars.

1 flat in 200 miles. STaple action.

No the short answer is learn how to inflate your tire and buy proper tube sizes.

No such thing as continetal pro race tires.

I put on new continental gatorskins in maybe october, and haven't had ONE flat! But I don't ride much at all.

i got flat today 2 times!!! that makes it 3 times this week... its all came from front tire....

1st it was my fault for not putting it on correctly

2nd pinch flat!

3rd i dismount and let my bike go i ran with it but it was faster than me, and i couldnt catch it.... it went all the way to the curb, hit the curb and fly to a small tree, the branch went into my cheap ass tire! and PSHHHHHHHH! im ****ed.

yay Rae!:mad:

Gatorskins I put on one of my bikes last May lasted flat free until two days ago.

And that was a sewer grate with something sharp in it that cut open my entire sidewall....so I don't blame the tires.

wait a minute i take it back. tires wont help you. those were all your fault! :)

About once in a thousand miles, perhaps even less frequently. I'm light.

FWIW, I was going through all my old tubes just the other day, trying to figure out which ones caused problems and which didn't, and I realized that almost every patched or otherwise usable tube that I have is Continental. I run the same bar on the same tires, and the only variance was the tubes, and Continental seemed to last the longest.

About 6 hours after being opened.

what?? that sucks why would you walk and not go anywhere but school!?

anyway.. when dealing with flats, first check the tire itself, inside and out slowly, run your fingers along the inside and see it there's anything puncturing it

then if there's nothing it's probably a pinch flat or you have a slow leak

take out the tube itself and blow it up really big like a tube for swimming and put your nose above it while turning it to feel the air coming out of the tube. if you find the hole, fix it if you want or buy a new one

if you don't find the hole it's probably a slow leak and will go flat again and again every night until you buy a new tube.

I'm not sure where the OP is in the world, but this time of year is made for flats in MA. There is a fine grit of salt, and and ground glass on the edge of roads. It also tends to grind chains and components quickly if you are not careful on your maintenance.

Others have suggested good options, but I will add the Michelin Krylion Carbon to the list of choices. They ride fairly well and offer good flat protection for a road tire.

I've never seen a puncture flat on one of these tires. It seems like the only thing to ever take one out was a curb at 20 mph which one customer managed to not see until he was face first on the ground with a bike splayed on top of him.

hey, you're right. I was drunk. They are continental ultra race 700x23.

I puncture flatted a hardcase *once*. They do get more vulnerable as they wear. Great tires though, I love em.