madpogue 

Yeah, pulling out a lag bolt like that will make an even bigger mess of the tire. I got one like that ^^^^^ in a rear wheel about 5 years ago. As usual, I was carrying a Leatherman tool, so I could unscrew it and minimize damage to the tire casing. Spare tube and a dollar bill got me to my destination and then home. Patched the tube, retired the tire.

Note to self - cut up an old tyvek envelope and put bits in every seat bag....

stardognine

That's them alright. I forgot what they call those bass-turds. 😒😉 I'm from PA, where they have plenty of burrs, stickers, & jaggers, but no goat heads. Takes some getting used to. 🙄
I just put on a 700x38 Schwalbe Marathon Plus today, on the rear, with "thorn-resistant" tubes from Specialized. I swear, I sat in goat heads
3 times, and only cussed twice. 😉

rhm

Another one yesterday, 25 miles into a 125 miles ride. I first noticed it a mile or so short of my first rest stop so I just pumped up and rode on. When I got to it, I found a tiny puncture through the tread. I couldn't find any glass or wire or anything. I had a spare tube ready but I just patched the leaking one. No further issues.

Panaracer Pari-Moto 650x42b, this tire probably has 1000 miles on it or less.

rhm

Another one. I'm on a roll!

When I took my bike out of its locker at the station yesterday evening, the rear tire was flat. A puncture right through the tread. Could be these tires are nearing the end of their useful life.

I put in a new tube and put some tyvek between the tube and the hole in the tire, patched the tube after I got home.

Rat Trap Pass tire, in service since May or so, two or three thousand miles.

greg3rd48 

@rhm I had one through a Gatorskin on the way into work this morning. A piece of wire perfectly maneuvered its way through a tread. Replace tube and move on. I hate flat tires...

rhm

Well yeah... But i found yesterday's flat while still at the station, bright lights all around, and it was a nice dry evening, ten minutes later I was on my way.

Today it was pouring rain, much darker, windy cold and nasty. Between fallen leaves and torrential downpour the roads were flooded up to five inches deep. If I'd had a flat today, it would have really sucked. Yesterday it was no big deal.

jimmuller 

@rhm, have you tried Stan's Tire Seal in a butyl tube? I have not (yet) but I have put it in all my sewups and found that it works. The only issue is that you should open the valve with the valve at the bottom of the wheel because the Tire Seal fluid can squirt out.

rhm

I have not. I used some other sealant in the past, and found that the sealant prevented me from patching the tube. Patches wouldn't stick. So I gave up on that. Can you patch a tube that has Stan's sealant in it?

I also have my doubts about gumming up the valves. The stuff I used to use eventually made it impossible to inflate a tube.

This thread has gone on so long that I've begun to think I don't hate flat tires nearly as much as some other forum members.

SJX426 

Had effectively 3 recently. All on bikes in storage! Both bikes had been ridden before storing.
The first was a flat on the rear of the Tern Link D8. Couldn't find a hole so pumped it back up. Looked good. Next day it was flat again. Found a pin hole, patched it and put a new tire on. No clear reason for the pin hole on the old tire. Pumped it up, Next day, flat. Found another pin hole. Patched, pumped, good to go.

Third flat was on another bike which was patched without finding the reason for the pucture. Good to go.

jimmuller 

Don't know. I might have to try it one day. Patching or replacing a tube is easy enough. For sewups having it magically seal itself is awesome, and even better when it does so on the road and maybe doesn't even require much more air.

I've found it can gum up a valve if you let it. The first trick is to know that you shouldn't open the valve with the valve on the bottom of the wheel arc, especially if there is much pressure in the tire. If you just put a pump head on it so that little or no air escapes then it isn't a problem. If you let much air blow out into the pump head then the pump head can get gummy. But so far those have not been enduring problems for me. The stuff is latex, not glue, so it can be worked free again easily.

This thread has gone on so long because you are personally responsible for so many of the flats! (and )

jimmuller 

Put one more notch in the door frame. I did 55.68 miles on the PFN-10 yesterday. On the next to last turn with just a few blocks left to get home I felt the front tire lose grip. Of course it was a flat. In a new Veloflex tubular, bummer. When I got home I found tiny shard of glass through the thread. It came out easily. I put some Stan's in the valve, pumped in a little air, spun the wheel a bunch, pumped it up more, spun it some more, pumped it up to maybe 120psi. It seems to be holding air.

rhm

I know, I know, and I'm not happy about it. But you're doing your share, which I do appreciate.

jimmuller 

Yes, well, um, you know that tubular that went flat yesterday? This morning I pumped it up to my usual 140psi and went out for 36.35 miles today without incident. So in the end that flat didn't bother me so much. And that little Stan's Tire Seal bottle contains pure white gold. Or white platinum or something it is worth its weight in.

63rickert

noglider 

I got a flat on Thursday. It happened as conveniently as possible: I didn't notice anything on the way to work, and while my bike was sitting in my office, I noticed the rear was flat. I changed the tube before leaving for work.

I discovered the cause was some form of chafing about an inch from the valve, on the rim side. What is there on the rim? It's the edge of the overlap of the rim strip. I don't remember the brand of rim strip, but it's not Velox. Once again, it seems that nothing is as good as Velox. I don't think I'll patch this tube, as patching near the valve is risky.

jimmuller 

I took the PFN10 out today for 49.7 miles, a good day. Got home, parked the bike in the living room, did some stuff. A few hours later I noticed the flat front tire. Hmm, it wasn't like that when I pulled it in the front door. There were a number of small granules in the tread. One of 'em must have worked its way through to the tube. Of course they were sew-ups. I pumped it up some, noticed it started to hold air. Deflated it, added a bit more Stan's, spun the wheel, pumped it up and spun some more. Noticed some white fluid on part of the tread. Wiped it off. Pumped it up more. Last time I checked it was holding air. We'll see in the morning.

gearbasher

On Jan. 1, eleven miles into my first ride of the new year (very wet road conditions) I get my first flat of the year. I just hope it isn't a sign of things to come. I hate flat tires!

malcala622

First ride on new vittoria tires and next day rear tire has a metal sliver the size of a fingernail.

Now i gotta learn how to patch a tire.

jimmuller 

Sew-up or clincher? If sew-up, check out TireAlert.com. It's cheaper than a new tire and doesn't cost you so much time.

malcala622

Clincher

jimmuller 

In that case it is easy. (You've never had to fix a flat before?? Man, you are lucky!)

Some tire irons make removing the tire from the rim easier, depending on the tire. Pull one side of the tire off the rim, pull the tube out. Note how it is oriented on the wheel because you may need to look for a shard of glass in the tire casing. Pump the tube up with air and look for the leak. If you can't find it, put the tube under water one section at a time until you find the leak. Get one of those Velox tire patch kits with a small tube of glue and half a dozen patches, Rough up the surface around the hole, put glue on it, give it a few minutes to dry, apply one of the patches, press it down good and tight. In another few minutes put a small amount of air in so you can fit it into the tube. Put the valve into the valve hole win the rim. Working your way around the rim stuff the rest of the tube into the tire. Work the tire bread back over the rim's edge. Be careful not to pinch the tube. Don't use tire irons for this if you don't have to. A tire jack is better. Pump up the tire and ride away!

Lenton58 

THE MOST UNUSUAL TIRE REPAIR EVER
When I was in grade seven (back in the Cretaceous) our class had a most eccentric home-room teacher — an Oxford graduate, WWII vet, calligrapher and composer of sonnets who sometimes wore an RAF Regiment tie as a belt in his baggy trousers. One day he told us of a puncture as he rode his bicycle way out in the English countryside. He had a pump on the frame, but no repair kit. But, he remembered a postage stamp in his wallet. With a bit of scuffing and a careful lick, he pushed the tube back in the tire, pumped up and was on his way — successfully completing his journey.

Slightspeed

Best flat tire ever. Almost done with a 40 mile ride today up thru Ojai, one stoplight from my car, the back tire felt squishy. I checked it, it was soft, but rideable. I walked about 1/2 a block, then jumped back on and made it to the car. After driving an hour home, it was totally flat when I pulled the bike out of the car. Much rather change it in the garage, than alongside the road. 😀 Maybe 2019 won't be such a bad year after all.

squirtdad

I was all excited put on the super duper Vittora Corsa tires with matching latex tubes. Super carerful putting the tubes in, don't over inflate.

Today coming home from work I het a huge Ka-Blam and I am riding on thr rims. the tires went almost flat and I didn't grind the rims, I was going slow and didn't fall.

this was with about 75 miles on the tires/tubes

took out the tube.....it looked like a pink snake skin...... blown apart for maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of it., sealant all over the tire

put a spare light weight (butly) tube in and finished the commute

The ride was truly great, but I am rethinking latex tubes.....What is your experience?

this was also the first time I had complete blowout flat like that..... had I been at any speed I am pretty sure I would have gone down, so I am thinking even harder about going tubular (was already playing with this)

On the absolute positive side every cyclist that went by (4 or 5) slowed down, asked if I was ok and if I needed anything (I always do that also) and so did the people walking by (it was on a MUP)



The

rhm

I'm confused. You don't mean both tires went flat at once, I hope?
It sounds like a tire blew off the rim, and if that's the case, it either wasn't seated right, or it didn't fit right at all. I would be cautious about that tire, or maybe that tire-rim combination.
I don't use latex tubes, just because I'm a cheapskate. But what you describe can't be blamed on the tube. When a high pressure tire comes off the rim, the damage to the tube will usually be catastrophic