2nd flat in 2nd week

[Grog]

Flats do come in swarms. Sometimes for a reason, sometimes not.

Just last week I had two flats on my commuter bike. Totally unrelated events.

Before that I can't even remember when I had a flat tire last. I think it's the time I had a slow leak, my Dear Partner decided to change it (against my will), and he caused a big pinch that ripped the tube and exploded less than a foot from my ears. Ouch!!!

This being said sometimes there's a reason for multiple flats. When you change a flat you should thoroughly inspect your tire (sometimes little shards of glass hide in the rubber and you don't see them unless you really check closely), and if you keep getting them also have a look at your rims. Sometimes rim tape slides...

Good luck!! Do learn the skills (it's really empowering), but do not worry too much.

[salsabike]

My husband commutes to work 2-3 times a week. Last year, he had one week in which he got six flats. Three in one day.

It's good flat-fixing practice.

[Chicken Little]

Ugh, the goat heads are blooming in New Mexico. 4 flats last week. I gave up and bought the heavy duty tubes with the goo in them. They weigh like 5 lbs. each, but I just figure I will get stronger. I could loose 20 lbs and forget about it!

[ibcycling]

2 flats in 2 weeks is nothin'. I live in goathead country too and was getting frustrated with my constantly flat tires. I decided to get Bontragers with the Kevlar strip which came highly recommended to me by a fellow rider. Ummm, I got 4 (yes FOUR) flats on the first ride with them! I was not amused then but now can see the humor. Nothing is gonna stop a goathead so I decided to carry 2 extra tubes and a patch kit.

Oh, to live somewhere without goatheads. It would be bliss!

Lora

[vinbek]

I got three flats in one 62 mile ride. Turns out, it was the rim tape. It had pulled loose from a spoke hole and the rough edge was cutting through the tube. So check the inside of your rims, and along the tube.

[SouthernBelle]

ditto checking the rimtape. I kept getting flats and it was where the ends of the rim tape overlapped. I covered it with a spot of teflon tape.

[lph]

Indeed, flats come in swarms. I had a slow flat Monday afternoon ready to ride home from work. Had 3 spare tubes, all the wrong size... luckily a patch kit so I patched in a hurry and got home. Noticed my tires were looking pretty crappy, crackly and splitting, didn't find the actual culprit sharp thing in the tire though so the slow flat I had the next morning wasn't unexpected. Pumped it up, got to work, pumped it up again before leaving, got home. Pulled the elderly tire off again, *still* couldn't find the culprit, but oops, the patch was blowing in the wind... Redid the patch. All fine. Then yesterday I was out in the woods with a little less air in my tires. Flat on the *other* tire. Fix with spare tube, and on my way home I flat AGAIN on the original "slow flat tire".

Got home and threw my tires away.