Flat Resistant Tires & Riding Alone

So, I flatted again for the 4th time this month and of course, it was the rear tire again. I still don't get how the rear derailleur works and it was only a couple of miles to my car, so I walked. I was by myself and there wasn't any help.... On the way a pick up truck stopped with the owner of a bike shop (who is also a club member) and he asked it there was anything wrong. I said a flat and I'd rather fix it at home. Anyway, how long is a tire supposed to last? He said about 1500-2000 miles. My odometer read 2700+ so I think it is time for new tires.

I have only been riding for 1 1/2 years and had never worn out tires before and did not know that old tires are much more sensitive to anything in the road. I am really sick of getting flats, so I splurged on Continental Gator Hardshell tires. I put them on myself at home for the practice. Anyone have experience with them? The reviews seem good. They have more rubber between the glass and thorns and the road. My first ride seemed faster than with the original tires. I ride a 2007 Specialized Ruby Comp.

I also wonder how people deal with riding alone. I don't like it as much as riding with a group or at least someone else. I feel like there is someone there in case something happens. When I am by myself I tend to stay more in town so that there is cell phone coverage, but the trade off is that there is more traffic. When I am with people I head out to more rural areas, but the hills limit cell phone coverage.

The problem is that I want to ride more than my friends (who ride at a similar speed). The club rides are problematic for me. I am well beyond the beginner rides, but the regular club rides are too fast for me. I can keep up in the flats, but lose the group if I miss a stoplight or on the hills. Then I end up riding alone, and I am out in the country - and I have ended up with a flat tire and no support (hence the reason for the flatproof tires). Any suggestions on coping with this feeling of being left? The only way to get better is to ride more often and I need to get over the fear of riding alone.

I feel your pain. I think I have mentioned on this forum that I get flats more regularly than I get my period.

I just gave up and stuck liners in. I run cheep tubes, and haven't had a flat in a month, which is pretty stinkin' good for goat head riddled New Mexico. For the extra ounces it adds, I just figure I'll get stronger or eat less lunch to compensate.

Flats suck.

We run Conti Gatorskins and like them a lot.
I hope the Hardshells are the start of a long streak of flatless good luck for you.

A spare tube is good and so is a patch kit and a pump or inflator!

They are a little heavier but you could also put slime tubes in your tires.

Veronica

I actually like riding alone - I can do intervals when I'm by myself, and go as fast or stop åş often as often as I want, as well as go where I want to. I ride with a group every Saturday, and with my DH once or twice a week, so I enjoy my alone time. Fortunately for me, it's very easy for me to get a 30-70 mile ride in and still never be more than 15 or 20 miles from help if I need it. I carry my basic tools, always check my bike before and after a ride to make sure it's in working order, and carry a phone with me (fully charged) I also wear a road I'd. I don't remember ever being worried about cycling on my own, though I did worry about motorcycling alone.

As for the group rides, try to find one that's no drop, or mix up which friends you ride with if possible, instead of one ride with all of them.

Riding alone is great as long as you are a little bit self-sufficient and can take care of small repairs. A repair kit with a few patches, cement, and a pump or CO2 cartridges is a really good idea. That way you can repair your flats anywhere, and do not have to waste too much time or walk. You can find those kits in any bike shop and they are very small so they won't take up too much space in your pockets.
As per tires, some of my riding buddies use gatorskins and love them. I don't like them much, heavy rubber and low psi, not my favorite...
I tend to ride Tufo tubulars or tubular clinchers more than anything else - so all I bring on my ride is sealant and a couple of CO2 cartridges. When I ride clinchers then I put one or two patches and some glue in my pocket with the CO2, just in case.
If you think you can end up quite far - too far to walk if you have a mechanical worse than a flat - I would highly recommend that you learn how to make a few basic repairs, and carry along a small multitool and a masterlink or a couple of chain pins. I've seen a few people with broken chains on the road, up for a long walk - and it doesn't seem to be a lot of fun.

Maybe the area has more crap on the ground that causes flats than other areas, because it sounds like a lot of flats for so short a time period. When you flat, take a look at the tube to see where the flat is; is it facing the road or the rim? Is it on the side? A small hole, a tear, a double hole (snakebite). Where and how the hole looks can tell a lot about what the cause is, then you can respond with whatever is needed to deal with it.

If it faces the rim, your rimstrip should be replaced, it's either worn or may have moved off of the spoke holes, exposing the metal edge to the tube. Facing the side; tube may be pinched between the tire and rim-like snakebite. Facing the road; check the tire for the cause, if it's still in the tire it will strike again!

Yes a worn tire will flat more, as there is less material on the tire to help prevent something from pushing through the casing. Hopefully your changing the tires will lessen those pesky flats, but flats will happen again. Just be familiar with the patch kit and keep it handy. Take a pump; I'm no fan of CO2, once you use it it's gone and if you then flat again you are SOL.

Part of my fear of riding alone is handling technicals, so I made sure I know how to adjust brakes/shifters, can change tubes/patch flats, carry a multitool that can handle all the 'nuts 'n bolts' on the bike, and take a map if in unfamiliar territory. I often ride alone (as I did today on an MTB ride in the Santa Monica mtns.) To improve general fitness, I've been commuting to work and that has improved my fitness, calmed my fear of riding on a busy street, and even got me acclimated to riding in the dark with lights (and to look ahead, not down at the street in front of my front tire, which I can't see in the dark anyway.)

There is no rule of thumb on how many miles you will get out of a tire. Ask the LBS to show you how to spot signs of wear, as others have said worn tires will flat more. You are putting air in the tire every ride, right? If not you may run the risk of pinch flats. I had good luck with the Conti Gator Skins, not sure I ever flatted on them. The Specialized Armadillos are also a good tire. I figure weight won't slow me down nearly as much as a flat. I am not a weight weenie, the engine (me) of my bike is where I need to shave weight!

I do road ride alone, before DH would let me he taught me how to change flats. Sounds like you know how to do that and I can't blame you for being tired of doing it! Can you take a basic maintenance class? Several of our local shops and REI offer them. I find knowledge is power, knowing if something were to happen I can take care of it makes me less nervous. I worry about wrecking but then I remember how many rides I have done and how few incidents I have had. To be comfortable alone I do let someone know where I am going and how long I expect to be gone. If it gets too far past my time they usually check on me.

Featuretile, I put Continental gatorskins onto my bike last fall after getting 4 or 5 flats mainly due to goat's heads. I'm sold on them. I've only had two flats with over 3000 miles since then.

As far as riding alone, I sometimes enjoy them- it gives me time to think or listen to music, but usually my solo rides are 10- 25 miles. Can you do some shorter but more challenging rides? I know the Santa Cruz mountains have a lot of hills.

I completely understand that frustration you have about being too slow for the club rides. I've only been riding a little over a year. I've improved a lot, but I still fall off the back a lot. I went to a couple of sessions of interval training, where everyone put their bikes on trainers and a cycling coach ran us through the intervals. I think that was really helpful and I plan to do more.

I used to run with the gatorskins and was happy with the feeling of invincibility for at least 3000 miles, but then I got a new bike with something different and lighter which has been just as effective (but not any cheaper..). So I'm thinking anything designed to be "puncture resistant" is going to be good.

We have a lot of goathead thorns in Northern California right now; I had 2 flats this week alone, with relatively new tires.

It would be a good idea to learn how to change flats if you want to ride alone.

I enjoy riding alone - I am not very fast so always wind up riding by myself on group rides anyway (as soon as we get to a stop light or steepish hill). There are a couple of people that I ride with on an occasional basis - they know I am slow so that helps.

Of course the chicken-egg element is the best way to get faster is to ride with someone faster than you and to do intervals. The first happens occasionally, the latter happens a lot.

I do long rides - >70 miles solo. I generally try to plan them so that I am rarely more than 25-30 miles from my car and generally have someone to call for a ride if needed.

I started out on rides < 10 miles and I remember being nervous about riding solo - but it passed as I gained experience. This was just in March, so things do change.

+1 on learning how to change a flat and so forth. I've been fortunate so far, no flats, and I love my Continental Travel Contacts - they are great tires and after putting more than 1000 miles on them they look almost new!

I hate riding alone for this very reason. I have only had 3 flats in 10 years, mostly due to fanatic checking of tires and pumping them to the highest pressure I can. People can tell me to take a class all they want, which I have more than once, but once I have to do something, I forget it all (and I have a good memory, but not for mechanical things). My last flat was just a couple of weeks ago. I was with Pata, so she guided me... I probably could have done it alone, as it wasn't the rear. This was from an obvious source, as I had ridden over glass earlier in the ride.
I truly get anxiety attacks over this. Since I can barely button my shirts or tie shoes, using tools is something akin to nuclear physics to me. One of my former colleagues used to laugh at me because I had trouble separating sheets of paper when I passed stuff out to my students.
As far as finding a group to ride with... I am sort of like the OP. Too fast for the slow groups and definitely not for the fast. I am happy with my speed, though. I did find a group, but now the "main" group is a little slow for me, so sometimes I try and ride with the "spirited" group, which I can usually hang on with. I like the people and it's social, so that makes a world of difference. I have 3 people I ride with, besides DH. Two are much slower than me. Pata and I are very compatible riding together and I thank this list for helping me find a riding partner I can actually ride with!

I ride alone and prefer it, but that's just me. I've had great luck with both Conti Gatorskins and Specialized Armadillos -- both are hard to put on/take off, but since they are very puncture-resistant, you don't have to worry about it.

Sending you lots of "no flat" karma.

If you have flatted that many times in a month, it could simply be a foreign object in your tire. I had a tire, with what seemed to be a dust-sized piece of glass in the rubber, and I kept flatting! I needed a new tire...

And there are ways to change the rear tube without taking the wheel off the bike... heh... I have done it so many times it is sad. My hands just get so dirty touching the rear derailleur when I am cranky!

Anyway, tires last a long long time, unless something makes them unhappy (like an itsy piece of glass or wire). It takes a long while or a trainer fly wheel to wear them out significantly.
http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#replacement

Don't sweat it. And getting more confident with changing flats (even if you leave the wheel on like I do for the rear), will make you so much more relaxed. I like to ride alone...

As for puncture resistance... those tires make changing tubes an absolute PITA! ouchie to my fingers and tire irons! i'd rather change tubes slightly more frequently than deal with those. I inflate before every ride anyway... 115-120psi...

oh, and btw... I had a nightmare last night that I had a rear and front flat and only one tube.

I will be bringing 2 tubes today. I also need a new tire (mine has a lump). Funny I should read your post today, about 2 hours before I set out for another LSD ride. :-)

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Originally Posted by bunny_ninja

Funny I should read your post today, about 2 hours before I set out for another LSD ride. :-)

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That sounds like trippy ride. ;)

when my *mother* was making my training plans when I raced (running - 10k, usually), she had way too much fun scheduling LSD days.

Thank you all so much for all the suggestions! To answer some of yours - the flats were mostly from foreign objects. One was a tiny piece of glass that was embedded in the tire and you could not see it from the outside or feel it on the inside (caused several flats). Another one was near the stem valve (not fixable). I have noticed excessive amounts of glass in the road, and there are so many thorns that I hate to take the bike off the pavement. Another one was from a goat head. I did have the LBS look at the tires, and they said the rear one was worn out and the front one almost worn out.

I do carry all the tools and tubes necessary to change a flat. But, so far, somebody else has helped me. When I did put on the new Gators, it was harder to get the last bit on the rim and my DH supervised the rear derailleur part. I'm just hoping that I won't have to change them so often. I usually fill my tires to 110psi and it was not a problem to inflate the Gators to that pressure. I also think the extra few ounces in the tires will not make that much difference compared to the extra weight on me. There's more weight in all those tools......

I also have some questions - TxDoc - what exactly are clinchers and tubulars? Bunny Ninja - could you please explain how to change a rear tire without taking the wheel off? It my head, it seems impossible.

Not all of my discomfort with riding alone is about changing flats (although mechanical things do not come easily to me). I did take a flat changing class and a bike maintenance class. My DH is an engineer and he can fix anything. Some fear is related to what if you have an accident and no one is there.

I try to ride with more than one friend. I am self employed and work is really slow now, so I have more time to ride. That's why I need to feel better about riding by myself.

it is pretty tricky, because you have to wedge the tube under the brakes and I have to lift the wheel up just a hair in the rear to get in. But -- at least you don't have to monkey with dropping the wheel in again.

Eventually, I figured the rear derailleur out when I decided to put on a new chain... which was scary at first.

Next time, I get a flat, I will take cell phone pics of how the lazy bunny_ninja changes her rear wheel tube. It keeps the fingers cleaner!

(she says, as she types with road dirt fingers... I just changed the tire on my front wheel. It was kaput. In fact, the LBS dude didn't know how I made it through my 50 miler yesterday. He had me buy Park Tool 'Tire Boots'. I also had a therapy session with the sales guy by the tire selection. Ended up buying a Continental 4-season)

Removing and installing rear wheel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfu96dIcPdA

And a really quick, efficient tire change:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeeOh...eature=related

This totally reminds me of the video from a year ago that was something along the lines of challenging an Olympian. The video showed Levi Leipheimer changing a rear flat. You could tell immediately he wasn't sure how to get the rear tire off & had trouble. Took him 50 minutes. Made me feel less bad.

I read through this rather fast... have you checked your rim tape? I destroyed mine changing a couple of flats and had to have it replaced. I had the LBS do it when I finally put on puncture resistant tires and it didn't cost much. I haven't had any flats since last December or so when I got the new tires (Specialized Armadillo Elite).

I almost always ride alone, but I stick to roads where I know there is likely to be other cyclists just in case I have an issue. It is out in the country, with only a little traffic, but my hope is that one of the other riders might ask if I need help if I did have a problem. Luckily, I haven't had to test this theory yet.

I use tire liners and would HIGHLY recommend them! Certainly gives me some piece of mind, in exchange for a few extra grams of weight. The only flats that I have gotten since using the liners, are those that come through the sidewalls. I run Vittoria Diamante Pro tires, which I love. They have lots of puncture protection, yet still have a low rolling resistance to keep them feeling "zippy". And they're great in wet weather, too.

I must admit...I am not too fond of riding alone, so I can totally relate on that aspect. I have weak hand strength, so getting my tires on/off is quite difficult for me. I tend not to venture out too far if I opt to ride alone...usually I stick to a 25-mile route. The rest of the time, I'm either riding with my DH or a male cycling buddy (who, lucky for me, happens to be a pro at changing a flat tire).

Sorry...can't help with the group riding thing, as I've never even attempted to ride with a group. I seriously doubt that I could hang with any of the club rides in my area. Those guys go blasting by us at well over 20mph. I can do 20mph for short stints (a mile here, a mile there), but certainly NOT for an entire ride.

I ride alone, distances from 30-60 miles, from preference. I have ridden for 5 years with a total of three flats. I ride on bontrager hard case race ultra lights that have kevlar in them. I have great faith in these tires. As for riding alone, I carry a cell phone and cab fare along with telephone numbers for several local cab companies. I wear a road ID and have a copy of my drivers license in my wallet. I have fallen and been injured and was lucky in the care of strangers both times. For the enjoyment of solitude, I am willing to take chances.

That being said, I don't ride stupid. I know how to mechanically manage most small equipment repairs. I can change a flat and I am not ashamed to ask for help from one of the local farms or ranches as needed.

Don't forget to pump up your tire before every single ride, even if you just rode a day or two ago. Full pressure seriously helps minimize flats.

I don't flat that often, maybe once or twice a year, and rarely fix it on the road anyway, but I would find it very very stressful to ride worrying about flatting because I couldn't fix it myself.

The hard part about fixing a rear flat is imagining how the chain and rear derailleur are supposed to go together once the wheel is off, because the rear derailleur collapses a bit in on itself once you pull the wheel off.

Having a simple diagram of what it looks like once the wheel is ON with you would help. You could put it in your seat bag, or tape it under your saddle. I'll make you one if you like :-)

I am very careful to air my tires before every ride - generally before it goes on my bike rack.

I have arthritic hands so changing a tire is very hard for me - the problem is getting those last 6 inches of tire back on the rim. When I practiced it actually took me something like 2 hours from beginning to end for that reason.

Now I have a trunk bag, I understand there is a tool that is safe to use to assist getting the tire back on the rim :D

I've never been shy about using levers to get a tire back on (plastic ones, so I don't mar the rim, and they slide a bit better on the tube as well). It's rare enough that I trap the tube, that it's totally worth it to me to go ahead and use levers when a tire is being balky. All you have to do is be careful, and check the bead carefully both before you air the tire and after you've got a good amount of pressure in the tire. I've never holed a tube during installation with plastic levers.

I think lubricating the tube with corn starch or baby powder, besides letting it slide freely inside the tire, helps avoid pinching during installation also.

You defiunitely have received lots of good advice here!

The one thing that I want to add is that it sounds as though you are riding closer to traffic/city? If so, riding in areas with increased traffic also means more crap on the roads, and unfortuantely that can increase the chance of flats.

Good luck with your new tires, all the advice here and enjoy your riding!

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Originally Posted by bunny_ninja

oh, and btw... I had a nightmare last night that I had a rear and front flat and only one tube.

I will be bringing 2 tubes today.

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I just carry one tube and a patch kit. Multiple flats are unusual enough that I hate to drag three or four tubes everywhere ... but common enough that I don't want to be unprepared.

Also (if you use CO2), two cylinders and a back-up mini-pump.

Sundial - what great video clips. I wonder why it looks so confusing when I am doing it and so easy when the guy in the picture does it. And lph - a picture would be great!

I'm really excited. My son, 22, working after college is getting a bike. The last few times he has come home I have taken him out for rides on his step-dad's bike. He's a gym buff and with no gym for him here, he wanted some exercise. Liked it so much that he is going to start riding. Wanted all this help in determining what bike to buy and what gear he needs to get. He wants to skip all this intro bike stuff and get a Trek Madone. Will probably soon leave me in the dust..... Anyway, I'm going to send him the video clips because he asked me how to change a tire.

One thing to remember is if you call 911 from a cell you don't always get the local operators. I believe this is still true so you must know where you are. To speed things up for me I program the dispatch number for the three local county sheriff's. Where I live I could easily be in one of three counties, I have found when I had a driver throw a beer can at me and swerve that the local sheriff was able to respond immediately. Now my cell phone has those so if I am able to call myself and know the county I am able to get help quickly.

That's a really good idea.

I've had a couple of occasions where I've witnessed a wreck (thankfully everyone was OK) and called 911, only to have the operator berate me because I was connected to the wrong jurisdiction! These were times when I was miles from home and had no idea where the various jurisdictional boundaries were or whom I should have been connected to, but I would sure like to avoid that experience if I could, and especially if it was a situation where seconds really might count.

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

One thing to remember is if you call 911 from a cell you don't always get the local operators. I believe this is still true so you must know where you are. To speed things up for me I program the dispatch number for the three local county sheriff's. Where I live I could easily be in one of three counties, I have found when I had a driver throw a beer can at me and swerve that the local sheriff was able to respond immediately. Now my cell phone has those so if I am able to call myself and know the county I am able to get help quickly.

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I missed the referring post, but I really, really hope the suggestion wasn't to call 911 for a bike flat or mechanical!!! That is a real misuse of EMS money and personnel.

You are lucky to get a response on a throwing things at cyclist complaint, though.

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Originally Posted by featuretile

I wonder why it looks so confusing when I am doing it and so easy when the guy in the picture does it.

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You have to not think about it while mounting the rear tire if that makes any sense. Just remember to shift down to the smallest chainwheel in the front and smallest cog in the rear before removing and mounting the rear wheel.

Another thing to consider carrying with you on those long solo rides--a Spot.

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Originally Posted by Irulan

I missed the referring post, but I really, really hope the suggestion wasn't to call 911 for a bike flat or mechanical!!! That is a real misuse of EMS money and personnel.

You are lucky to get a response on a throwing things at cyclist complaint, though.

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Not for a flat. :) She also asked about just being comfortable in general if something were to go wrong. I was thinking how scared I was of wrecking and being injured which is why I programmed the numbers. In this part of the country I probably got assistance (and a follow up call to make sure I was home okay) because I was a woman. That is the other thing the numbers I have are good for general help, I stated "this is not an emergency but I want to report this...." I wasn't injured but they were being a nuisance by littering in addition to harassing me.