Originally Posted by
davester
What are the chances of that happening? For me, it's close to zero. Throw in Murphy's Law and the chances of getting a flat near a bike shop are negative zero.
Let me just add that I usually have a tube or two with me, but since my typical weekend rides are 50 to 100 miles, the chances of occasionally getting two or more flats on a ride are moderately high (in my experience, flats come in threes). My normal procedure is to use my spare tube and then when I get home patch the punctured tube so that I'll have a spare for the next ride. Rinse, repeat. I usually only get around to ordering new tubes when I order new tires.
Here in Minneapolis were quite fortunate to have so many bike shops. I pass within a few blocks of 7 of them on my 5 mile commute. I agree with you about longer rides though, in which case I employ the same method you do. Bring a new one with me and patch when I get home.