I had my first flat relatively recently, too. Well, first flat on the ROAD BIKE. MTBs are different. I just load those w/ slime, when I get a puncture, I hop off, inflate, let it re-seal, then go. Wouldn't work the same on the road bike. So in one go, I got to learn how to operate those scary Prestas, take off my FREAKIN' TIGHT tires, pull out my patch kit (first time for that, too. No idea how it's taken me so long to need to use that...) and realize how woefully inadequate the tire levers on my multi tool are.

So I decide to go up on the sidewalk to avoid the bus that's stopping every 100 yards (or less) because the rush hour traffic up Hall had been *quite* prohibitive in going *around* said bus. All of a sudden I hear "Pop!" like running over a sizeable bit of gravel on a mtb or something. I think nothing of it until the bike starts going squirrelly and I start 'feeling' the bumps a little too much. Oh, yes. I was flat.

I patched the one hole (easily located by the chunk of glass protruding thru the tire) and sat pumping, pumping, pumping. It was only as I was telling the immensely kind recumbent cyclist who stopped to help that I couldn't pump it up, that it occurred to me that I might have more than one hole. Off came the tire (as I curse myself for not having a spare tube on hand, just my patch kit "It should be good enough!") and a 1x2" area was all chewed up, multiple holes etc. Eff. in addition to another hole further up. Recumbent Man (here RM) had a touring patch kit including a very large patch that just fit the area. I felt like that damsel in distress type, so typically saying "THANK YOU, Recumbent Man!"

but the tube was repaired- a learning experience- then I went to the bike shop w/ X and got a couple new tubes, new tires and a tube for my bag. Problem solved.