Boudicca

Got dressed up nice and warm today (temperature is only a few degrees above freezing), packed up my stuff for the office, carried the bike upstairs and loaded up the pannier. Rolled bike along to road, and oops.

Flat tire.

Options:
Pump up tire and see if it holds (bad idea)
Fix flat and ride in (at the risk of stressing to fix a flat under pressure of being late for work and taking far longer than I should have done)
Change to work clothes and take the streetcar (safe)

So I took the streetcar and was late anyway, although certainly not as late as I would have been if I had biked in. And even though I know I prefer to fix a flat slowly and patiently, without worrying about the world, I felt angry and cheated all the way in because I missed my morning wake-up ride.

What would you have done?

The sad thing is that it's the second flat in two weeks (different bikes) after a long no-flat spell. I guess these things go in threes (at least) so there are more on the horizon.

hyhuu

Made a decision then move on. There is always tomorrow. You can always pick the other option the next time. There is no use fretting (or getting angry) over what you decided.

Boudicca

Very true.

dynodonn 

I have two similar commuter bikes that I trade off regularly in riding, so it's not much of a problem if one gets a flat before work, or has to go down for maintenance.

jrickards

I'm fortunate enough that if I left the house only to discover a flat tire, I can put the bike back in the garage, go back into the house, change and make it to the bus with plenty of time to spare. However, once I'm on the road, I am neither on the bus route (our buses have the bike racks on the front), nor is there anyone I can call on for a ride so I must swap tubes and continue and make up the time if I'm late (only happened once so far).

Boudicca

I thought of roping in one of the other bikes, but neither has a rack fitted right now, so I would have had to switch things from pannier to backpack as well as pumping up tires. And the idea of leaving my titanium baby in the bike room at work is admittedly a little scary.

Can I use a morning flat tire as an excuse to buy a whole new bike?

rumrunn6

when I bike commuted I always arrived ridiculously early so I could wash-up & cool down before anyone else arrived. The added time buffer was also handy for an occasional 15minute roadside repair job like for flats or un-seizing a frozen rear derailleur cable housing.

getting a flat enroute though is different than waking up to see a flat at home. once you're suited up and going it's easier to justify the effort to replace tube, etc. seeing a flat on waking, well that's a demotivator right there and good excuse for another cup of coffee and few extra minutes to relax at home. I've canceled my bike commute for a couple reasons before leaving but only once after I had already left. that was hitting black ice before I wised up and got studded tires. yeah, that 1st patch turned me around right quick.

dynodonn 

Absolutely! It will definitely take care of the N+1 factor......momentarily.

jrickards

I have a nice comfy spot for it right beside my desk!!! No worries my friend!!!

dramiscram

I have a front and a rear spare wheel so it just take a few seconds to switch wheels in the morning and I fix the flat as soon as I can.

I got the wheels and a lot of spare parts from a Specialized Allez 2005 with a cracked frame that I bought last year for a few dollars.

Mr. Hairy Legs

Visits from the flat fairy are the main reason I always have at least two bikes ready to go. So yes, n+1 is your answer.

Boudicca

And I assume it might just not be there in the evening when I come to pick it up, right?

henkie327

Tough luck with the flat tire

Still you were fortunate enough to have the flat before the ride and not during. At least you could still decide to go by car. Which is exactly what I would've done as well. I hate fixing flats and more so if I'm time pressed.

So far I had one flat which I got about 1 mile from work. Since I was so close I decided just to walk the rest of the mile, change into my working clothes and fix the flat later at a not so busy moment.

Artkansas 

I have a multi-prong approach.
1) I leave to arrive 15 minutes early. That gives me time to change a flat or extra time to cool down before work.
2) Have a spare tube on hand so fixing a flat at home is easy
3) Carry a full flat kit onboard the bike
4) Keep a beater bike maintained and ready, just in case. It should be equipped to handle basic commuting/utility duties.

jrickards

Only because I have taken it to another safe spot in my garage, that's all.

Rob_E

My rear tire is a PITA to remove and re-install because of my IGH. I have the supplies to change a flat, but if there's another option, I will put it off until I have more time. So last week when I noticed a flat right after I carried the bike down the stairs and was about to hop on, I just turned around, quickly transferred my junk to my other bike, and headed out. I do a bike and bus commute, so the important thing for me is getting to the bus stop on time, which I did. I would not have made it had I changed the flat. However I do not have a driving option (I do have a bus and walking option, but it takes longer), so being prepared to take the spare bike is part of the routine.

Boudicca

I think the answer is to put the rack on the Friday and have that bike ready to roll as my back-up commuter. I've not actually taken off my rear wheel since I got an Old Man Mountain rack fitted a while back. I suspect it won't be easy.

(The last time I commuted on the Friday, on a Friday, some wag asked if I had one of those for every day of the week.)

Leisesturm

Actually the o.p. said "streetcar" which is more like the bus than ones personal automobile. He and I are in the same boat. If my main commuter and back-up were both down I would have to take the bus. That adds the incentive to make sure one's bikes are always ridable. Actually, none of my bikes are out of the commuter rotation if a really pressing need should arise. On at least two occasions I have pressed the grocery getter tandem into use as a commute bike.

H

200? Schwinn Touring (commuterized)
198? Schwinn World Tourist (commuterized)
2013 Giant Expressway 1 (folding, factory commuterized)
199? Downtube FS IX (folding) (awaiting e-assist)
2009 Kent Dual Drive Tandem (commuter/cargo + trailer hitch) FAMILY CAR
2005 Raleigh Coupe Tandem (flat bar road sport/club ride 40lb)

Boudicca

Actually the OP (me) is a she, not a he, but omitting that detail, Leisesturm has it right. My alternative to biking to work is taking public transit to work -- the time it takes is much the same.

I could walk as well, but then I really would have to leave earlier.

calyth

I would've done what you done (to be frank, I slept in today because it was cold enough for the heater to kick in set at 17C), but just curious, do you patch flats? or just replace the tube?

Boudicca

If I'm on the road, I change out the tube. And then when I get home I pour myself a beer and sit down in comfort and find the hole and patch the tube so it's ready for the next flat.

ItsJustMe

I had a pinch flat on the way in this morning, then realized that the compression bit on the nozzle of my pump apparently fell off at some point. I managed to hold it on by hand enough to get about 30 PSI in which got me to work, then I borrowed a pump from someone to fill the rest of the way.

No big deal for me, I have no set arrival or departure time. The only question was if I had to walk it in or not.

I do get to test the new patches and glue tonight.

wolfchild

That happened to me once. I wake me up extra early and have enough time in the morning to change a tube and still get to work on time.

modernjess

It's happened to me many times over the years. I like that it gives me a chance to practice my swearing. It's like Golf.

I have 3 choices.
A. Fix it, if I have time in my schedule to be late. Done that many times
B. Throw my junk in a backpack and take another bike. Also done this many times
C. Take the car. Sadly I've done this too.

gyozadude

I'm lucky and have lots of flex time. If I have a morning meeting, I take it at home first before riding in. That said, in th OP's situation, I'd have probably fixed the flat and ridden in. I get a lot of practice fixing flats, so I can fix most pretty quickly. Typically, it's less than 10 minutes if I flat on the road. It's less than 5 minutes in my garage bike shop if I find a flat in the morning, and that's because I don't need to hunt for tire levers or flip my bike upside down because I have a work stand, and I can simply grab another spare and go, and leave old tube, tire patch backing and other garbage there; I don't need to pack it all up like on the road.