Quote Originally Posted by FloridaGal
Okay i am in the process of buying 1st road bike... I've got it narrowed down to a couple of bikes. One of them has 700x23c tires..The other 700x25
thought i love the way the bike rides.i am afraid of getting flats. Is it inevitable? i am not mechnically inclined and will be riding solo a fair amount..

There's a neat article right here on the TE site that you may want to check out. It's called "Levers? Levers? We Don't Need No Stinking Levers!" (Although I'd invest the $2 in a pair of levers, if I were you. :P)

I use Mr. Tuffy and that has worked pretty well for me. I've also learned to be more careful about avoiding potholes as well as broken glass and other junk lying on the side of the road.

When changing the tube on the rear wheel, put the bike on the highest gear (that would be the smallest cog) before you remove it. That will make it easier to put the wheel back in once you're done. You never want to rest the back of the bike on the rear derailleur, so while you're changing the rear wheel, you should rest the bike on its left side or set it upside down. I personally find it easier to have the bike right side up when I'm putting the rear wheel back on, but that's a matter of preference.

If you don't already have one, get yourself a good sturdy floor pump (Topeaks are great) that can inflate tires up to 160 psi. Always inflate your tires shortly before you ride. At the high pressures recommended for road bike tires, they'll lose enough pressure overnight so that you'd have to fill them again in the morning anyway.

Also, make sure your spare tube is protected inside your saddle bag. I keep mine inside a thick Zip Lock pint-size freezer bag. Sometimes the stuff inside your saddle bag, like a multi-tool, can damage your spare tube and you'll never notice until you actually need the tube. I learned this one the hard way. Oh yeah, and that extra cash you carry in your saddle bag can double as a boot for your tire, so try to put a couple of nice crisp $1 bills in there.

Now go buy the road bike of your dreams.

Cari