Flats, flats, flats

[onimity]

This is my first real year of cycling and this past weekend I finished my second century. I also broke 3,000 miles for the year. I was starting to get an eerie nervous feeling about the fact that I had yet to get a flat.

When I first started riding to work in March I took a great maintenance class at my LBS & felt prepared to change a flat...for a while. But as the months passed I became less sure and started to worry. Would I still remember? Monday I rode my brand new MTB to work (3rd ride on it, it replaced my stolen bike), I arrived fine, went back to my desk only to have a coworker ask: "What did you do to get a flat like that?!?"

It was completely flat, a sharp white rock wedged in the tire.

I work with a lot of cyclists (all guys) and when I told them they were amazed that it was my first. They started joking: do you know how to use that tire pump?!? Um, yes!

I went to talk to my boss and came back to my desk to find a couple of them had taken my wheel off and were waiting anxiously for my spare tube and tire levers. So I told them thanks, but that *I* wanted to do it, and they guided me through the process. But they helped a lot more than I would have liked.

Today I was riding home and less than a mile from the house I noticed a little brown thing stuck to my tire. Remembering that I had actually seen the white rock that was the culprit with the first flat, I stopped to get ride of whatever it was. Pssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.

Immediately and totally flat.

So I walked up to the edge of a driveway a few feet away and set to work. At least a dozen people stopped within a couple of minutes to ask if I needed help, tools, a tube and I was proud to say, No, thanks! each time. Even though some of them were quite good looking... I changed it in just a few minutes and was off. It seems silly, but that flat really made my day.

I was also amazed at how many helpful people there were! Some people that lived down the road drove by and offered their pump and the guy whose driveway I had borrowed came out as well to offer me help, or a ride and complimented me on my bike. I love living around so many cyclists!

Anne

[amy]

Wow! That is amazing. I don't know what is more amazing... the fact that so many people were eager to help, the fact that you so confidently took care of it, or the fact that you got TWO flats in one day!!

[Jiffer]

Cool story. I know what you mean about the more time that passes, the more worried you get. Dh gave me a thorough tutorial on how to change my tire. He showed me step by step and then I did each step. That was only about 2 months ago and the longer it is before I get a flat, the more I start to wonder how much of my tutorial I'll remember. The good news is, I always take my cell phone and there are several people I could call to come and rescue me if I needed rescuing.

Dh got a flat one day and didn't have the one time pump thingy (don't remember what it's called! ) ... so he called me to bring a pump. As I pulled up, a lady walking her dog was in the midst of asking him if he needed anything because she had bike stuff in her garage around the corner.

I have a feeling if I got a flat, there'd be some guy cyclist pedaling by offering assistance. But .... I hope I can be as confident as you were in saying, "No thanks!"

Good for you in changing two flats in one day!

[salsabike]

I still carry a handout from an REI class I took a couple of years ago on bike maintenance that includes a "how to fix a flat" step by step section. Just in case I forget a step...It lives in my waterproof trunk bag.

That's a great story.

[li10up]

Great story. Glad you could do it on your own.

I still think it is a good idea to have your first "flat" at home. Just let all the air out of the tube and pretend it's a flat. You can practice in the comfort and air conditioning of your home. Then you'll be sure you can fix a flat out on the road.

[onimity]

Actually the flats were a couple of days apart, but I was still amazed that I could go almost a year with no flats then have two in a couple of days.

Honestly, I felt more more stubborn than confident but I was glad that it went so well. The road where I had the 2nd flat is the best ever; both ends are blocked off to cars, one has bike access to a major road and the other turns into a bike path, so it's only residential car traffic and a LOT of bikes. One of the helpful passersby was in a Slipstream/Chipotle kit, I assume it was genuine from his speed! Amazing.

Jiffer, sounds from your other posts like you & your hubby are as consistent as I am about pumping up tires before each ride, I think that helps a lot. I'm sure you'll do great when you get your first on-the-road flat. It was wonderfully empowering.

li10up (love the name), I think that you are totally right about the living room 'flat' ... we got some hands-on experience at the LBS clinic but it wasn't my bike and after a while I started to get nervous that I wouldn't be able to get the thing changed in the living room & would have to bring it into my LBS disassembled. Whereas on the road I figured there's usually plenty of potential help.

Anne

[onimity]

P.S., here's my new mountain bike.

[HappyAnika]

Nice mtb!

I can relate to the flat thing. When I first started riding, I discovered my first flat in the garage before a ride with DH, so that was convenient. I told him I wanted to change it, but wanted him there to supervise and correct. He got so frustrated with my being slow, he ended up doing a lot of it himself. Then the next flat was on the roadside with DH and I firmly stated I was changing this one, he was just gonna have to wait. After I got the hang of it I didn't care about getting the practice.

So now when I'm at work and every guy wants to help me, I just let them. Guys like that. I just supervise to make sure they are doing it correctly (checking for the cause, as many people like to skip that step, ahem, DH).

If I ever get a flat on the road, I know it's only a matter of minutes, or seconds, until help will be riding by if I need it. And hey, if you're single and looking, there's nothing wrong with feigning roadside helplessness to meet a cute one. That would make a great "How we met" story. You can tell him later that you really didn't need his help.

[indigoiis]

You can tell him later that you really didn't need his help.

Don't ever tell them that. That's the kiss of death.
Let them think we need them. Then when we really do need them, they are right there.