how often you get flat?
03-07-08 | 02:06 PM
#27
"this is not suck"
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 387
Likes: 3
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?"
03-07-08 | 04:39 PM
#28
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
From: brighton
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.
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.
03-07-08 | 04:54 PM
#29
どうでもいいよ
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 238
Likes: 0
From: West Tokyo Japan
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.
03-07-08 | 11:44 PM
#31
cab horn
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 28,353
Likes: 30
From: Toronto
Bikes: 1987 Bianchi Campione
for me, my personal experience wasnt with tires, ive always ridden gatorskins, it was with the TUBES.
gatorskins with bontrager tubes I would get pinchflats atleast twice a month. i changed the PSI from 120, 110, 100, then up to 115. still pinch flats. this continued for about 5 months, spending money on patch kits and new tubes.
anyway, i switched to continental tubes and after that i haven't had a flat in 8 months!(my streak broke 2 weeks ago when those stupid iron "patch-me-up" construction plates on the road gave me two flats, put some orange paint or a cone f*ckheads !!!). this is my belief, my superstition. i only ride continental tubes.
SHORT ANSWER: try changing the brand of your tube?
gatorskins with bontrager tubes I would get pinchflats atleast twice a month. i changed the PSI from 120, 110, 100, then up to 115. still pinch flats. this continued for about 5 months, spending money on patch kits and new tubes.
anyway, i switched to continental tubes and after that i haven't had a flat in 8 months!(my streak broke 2 weeks ago when those stupid iron "patch-me-up" construction plates on the road gave me two flats, put some orange paint or a cone f*ckheads !!!). this is my belief, my superstition. i only ride continental tubes.
SHORT ANSWER: try changing the brand of your tube?
03-08-08 | 01:01 AM
#34
Thread Starter
Bad News
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 397
Likes: 0
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!
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!
03-08-08 | 05:07 AM
#35
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 1
From: Santa Barbara
Bikes: SE Quadrangle, '82 Venus NJS, '03 Bianchi Pista, '86 P'sonic Mt Cat, Fat City Yo Eddy '91 + '93, B'cuda A2E, '86 Trek Elance 400, '88 Centurion D.Scott Expert, '88 Fisher Mt Tam (and no longer with me: SE OM Flyer, Umezawa/B-stone/Samson NJS)
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.
And that was a sewer grate with something sharp in it that cut open my entire sidewall....so I don't blame the tires.
03-08-08 | 05:09 AM
#36
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,506
Likes: 1
From: Santa Barbara
Bikes: SE Quadrangle, '82 Venus NJS, '03 Bianchi Pista, '86 P'sonic Mt Cat, Fat City Yo Eddy '91 + '93, B'cuda A2E, '86 Trek Elance 400, '88 Centurion D.Scott Expert, '88 Fisher Mt Tam (and no longer with me: SE OM Flyer, Umezawa/B-stone/Samson NJS)
wait a minute i take it back. tires wont help you. those were all your fault! 
03-08-08 | 08:08 AM
#38
Run What 'Ya Brung
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,694
Likes: 5
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.
03-08-08 | 10:25 AM
#40
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Long Island, NY
Bikes: 700c Schwinn World conv. to fixie; 24" DK Gen. Lee (Black)
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.
03-08-08 | 10:43 AM
#41
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,083
Likes: 0
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.
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.
03-08-08 | 12:21 PM
#42
Dismount Run Remount etc.
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,235
Likes: 0
From: Some Latitude and Some Longitude
Bikes: A couple customs and some beaters.
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.
03-08-08 | 12:55 PM
#44
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,744
Likes: 1
From: Van BC
I puncture flatted a hardcase *once*. They do get more vulnerable as they wear. Great tires though, I love em.
