Saga of the flat bike tire.

Yesterday after riding 20 kms. into the ride, I discovered my back bike tire became flat. No, I didn’t have all the proper tools and this was a folding bike with fenders, etc. So searched around for loose coin change to take bus with bike on their rack. Flagged down the lst cyclist I saw… who also turned out to be a Seattler on her Dahon folding bike (slightly different model). To she had abit of Canadian coin change which she probably wanted to get rid of.
After a blend of riding and walking, got to bus exchange and took bus, light rail to bike store where they fixed the flat. The whole bike “ride” became doubled in time by the time I got to the store. 2 hrs. became 4 hrs. Oh well , could be worse. At least am in city with buses that have bike racks. And no, we don't have a car. And he was out of town..probably on a train in Montana that day.

This morning at 5:30 am, I rode only 2 kms. to train station to catch Amtrak train. Was going to meet dearie in Everett (suburb), WA. He would want to bike after a long 2-day train ride from Chicago. We would bike homeward to Vancouver. While still in train station, even before leaving Vancouver, I discovered….SAME tire went flat again. :mad:
To shorten this story, we are here in Everett to get flat bike tire fixed. Will head out cycling home tomorrow. Will be soooooo glad to get rollin'!

He was not keen to change this back tire because of the wheel set-up (8-speed internal hub) was not totally familiar to him. And I didn’t press him.

Am not sure if this problem was a careless mechanic yesterday who didn't check my tire for embedded sharp objects OR I really did go over something on the dinky 2 km. ride to train station.

Of all the years in cycling, this flat tire problem is the most convoluted experience for me so far.
*****While on the Amtrak train, 3 different people offered me addresses and phone numbers for Everett bike shops.

the road gremlins are after you. :p

God's gift to flat tire repair. Hutchinson Fast Air. Wheels stay on, no pumping. 60 seconds and you're done. Make sure you get the thread on hose version.
http://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...e.php?id=22003

I feel ypur pain I've had 5 flats in 3 weeks (only 1 pinch flat),and I have kevlar tires. My husbands flat tire karma rubbed off on me because in the 8 months previous I had 1 flat.Of course my fixing these weren't quite as extensive as yours.Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers

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Originally Posted by jelee1311

I feel ypur pain I've had 5 flats in 3 weeks (only 1 pinch flat),and I have kevlar tires. My husbands flat tire karma rubbed off on me because in the 8 months previous I had 1 flat.Of course my fixing these weren't quite as extensive as yours.Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers

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I have gone through 3 yrs. of cycling where I probably piled in over 9,000 kms. during that period but no flats. But later things averaged out to around 1 flat annually at least for about 3,000 kms. or more annually of cycling.

They stuck in kevlar tube?. It was a Specialized thorn-resistant tube...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jelee1311

I feel ypur pain I've had 5 flats in 3 weeks (only 1 pinch flat),and I have kevlar tires. My husbands flat tire karma rubbed off on me because in the 8 months previous I had 1 flat.Of course my fixing these weren't quite as extensive as yours.Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers

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I hear ya on this! My husband has had at least a half dozen flats in the last month, 3 on one ride! (he flatted, changed the tire, flatted again- no more tubes, so he called me and while walking to the gas station, flatted the other tire!).
The next ride we went on, my rear tire started going low at about mile 30 of a 36 mile ride. I was able to air it up and make it back to the shop without having to replace it out on the road, but I feel like the gremlins have found me now!

I think our husbands were separated at birth. A couple of weeks ago he flatted twice once riding to a race,then coming home. While changing the second one he broke his tire lever and screwed up his co2 cartridge. He then tried to ride the 15 miles home on a back tire only 70% inflated. When I got his call laughed so hard I almost cried. I'm kinda worried to ride alone incase more of his bad tire karma rubbed off

I started to get flats every other ride and finally realized that I had indeed worn out my tires. Since I don't want to have to fix a flat in the road, I bought Gator Hard Shell tires that will, hopefully, not flat. If you start getting repeated flats, you should have your tires checked out. There is too much anxiety in going out for a ride and wondering when you will flat next.