bing181

I'm another who's had flats on my trainer. But only when using the Continental Trainer Tyre ... ironically enough. It just seems to have some kind of internal friction problem that brings out the worst in the tubes. Went back to Conti 4000s's, never a puncture since.

noglider 

I think you win.

I got rear flats on the side of the tube on one bike at weird intervals. One day, I got three such flats in eight miles. Really weird. Then I would ride the bike for months with no flats. Then I'd get another such flat. I finally discovered that one of my brake pads was a little too high and rubbed against the tire. The rubbing created heat. Eventually, I wore out the sidewall. The reason the intervals between flats was so uneven is that I rarely use the rear brake on any bike I ride.

rubic

I was riding down the street and all of a sudden I hear the clang clang clang that usually indicates a broken spoke in the rear hitting the frame. So I stop and low and behold, its a drapery hook stuck into the sidewall of my rear tire. I replaced the tube and was able to get home.

maddmaxx 

Cats.


Looking up and seeing your cat stretch up an sink her front feet into the tire on your bike bolted to the trainer..........................no! stop!


sigh, too late.

David Bierbaum

I seem to remember someone on the bike forums mentioning the discovery that they didn't tighten down their presta valves enough, when they discovered that their cat was the one deflating their tires while playing "slap at the valve and run from the hiss"

My own tires have never been deflated by anything odd. Only the usual suspects for me...

noglider 

This is excellent. What was the cat's reaction?

B. Carfree

This one isn't unusual except in number. Many years ago, the famous Grizzly Peak Century in Berkeley started, lunched and finished at Tilden Park up on Grizzley Peak. Lunch was to die for, much of it prepared at Chez Panisse, so everyone took their time at lunch. It was one of those typical Spring days where it's 45F when everyone rolled (with their tires freshly pumped to max) out and 90F at lunch. First one tire burst from being overheated in the sun, then another and another and five more. In less than a minute there were eight or nine blowouts and everyone else had frantically put aside their lunch and run to their bikes to let some air out of the tires.

RoadTire 

Getting a pinch flat right out side the LBS that did the work. I was embarrassed enough for not checking the tires I didn't go back. Ever.

babyshoe36

24 miles and 5,270 feet into a 25 mile commute into work, I hop up onto the curb outside the school where I work and BOOM...taken out by a humorous push pin.

OldsCOOL

And anything but humorous at the time. Silly frog eyes staring at you while you fix your flat......

babyshoe36

HaHa- I DO hate to be silently mocked by frogs. I brought that thing home and stuck it to a bulletin board in my kitchen waiting for the day I could publicly exact my revenge. Its been 7 months and 3 days but who's laughing now frog ?!!--- oh wait... everyone is...at me. dang.

tattman23

Nothing to report - but like my dad in law used to say, "that reminds me of a stooorryy..."
I'm at the LBS in a tony neighborhood, (not my usual shop or stomping grounds). Chatting with staff about trunk bags and seatpost racks for my commuter, and a gentleman wheels his bike up to the counter, and orders up 2 tubes as he's flipping his bike over...
I tried to look busy so I could keep in earshot for the tale of woe; it seems his girlfriend had inflicted multiple straight-pins upon both tires, so while the punctures were teeny, the sheer number of them, spread all around the circumference (at least that's how I'd do it, lol)...
What a way to learn you've been "grounded" by your SO.

CandSAdventures

OK, I'll bite.......explain!

Love this thread....

B. Carfree

It wasn't my flat, but here's the story of the most-deserved flat I have ever seen. While touring in Colorado, I was having one of those days. As I was sitting on a rock on unpaved Marshal Pass fixing my fourth flat of the day, one of my riding partners (and eventual wife) came by laughing hysterically at my woe. As she passed, she hit a rock the wrong way and got an immediate pinch flat. It was all our other riding partner and I could do to not laugh in turn.

I usually repaired all her flats, but I don't remember if, fearing to interfere with karma, I made an exception for that one.

EvilWeasel

It's not so funny if i explain it. But since you asked...

I accidentally rode through the debris of a shattered yard gnome on trash pick up day. I discovered the flat the next day when leaving for a club ride. I hurriedly changed tubes and forgot to find the source of the flat in my haste. A few blocks later i had a flat again. When i changed the tube again i looked for the cause.
Sure enough, i found a small red ceramic shard that could only have come from the lawn gnomes hat.

See... Not as funny now.

qcpmsame 

Its still hilarious, you win Weasel, you win my man.

Rick@OCRR

My most "odd" flat tire was caused by a fishing hook. Which is odd, since I don't fish; never have. This was between Oceanside and Carlsbad on PCH a few years ago.

So, okay, I stopped, saw the fishing hook, pulled it out, put in replacement tube . . . pssssssst. Instant 2nd flat.

Well, it turns out (you fishing guys know this) that fishing hooks have a little "barb-like" thingie on the end and when I pulled the (external) fishing hook out of the tire, the "barb" part had broken off and stayed on the inside of the tire, hence the 2nd flat.

Less "odd" but even more perplexing, riding my folder (16" tires) home from work, a screw became embedded in the back tire and while the flat was fairly instant, by the time I got the bike stopped the screw had "screwed" inself into the tread/sidewall (edge of tread of bottom of sidewall). Once I got the wheel/tire off the bike I tried to pull the screw out . . . but no way. I had to get a screwdriver out on my multi-tool and actually un-screw if from the tire .

So, okay, that done I booted the tire where the screw had been, installed a new tube and set off. Only to have a 2nd flat a few blocks later when the tube poked out through a 2nd hole, on the opposite side of the first. Yes, as the tire deflated that screw's pointy end had penetrated the sidewall on the opposite side of the tire! ,

Then it was re-boot, install 2nd (my last!) new tube and ride on home. When I got home I took off that dual-punctured tire (Schwalbe Marathon) and threw it away. Never had that happen again.

Rick / OCRR

groth

This morning I had a very soft tire which I had to repair and missed my ride. Anyway, I put the tube in the laundry room sink and held the tube under water and didn't find a leak on the first time around the tube. The second time, I found a stream of bubbles if I bent the tube. The bubbles stopped if I put the tube back to its normal shape.

Took me a while to find the actual leak even though I had the stream of bubbles. There wasn't a small hole. Instead it was a small slit on the side of one of the ridges from the mold. When I checked the tire opposite this slit, there was nothing. I'm currently going with the theory the tube is defective. But I think I've been running that tube for over a year. Weird! Anyway, I put a patch on it and we'll see what happens. (Of course, my wife pointed out it was probably penny wise and pound foolish and I should have just put a new tube in!)

- Ed

Lincoln325

My new bike, purchased in April 2014 has yet to experience a rapid deflation, knock on wood. I had many flats on my last bike, the most stunning being when I had just gone over a one lane bridge in the middle of nowhere and pow, Im on the rim on the back. I stop to examine the damage and there on the ground are a bunch of industrial razor blades the type for box cutters. I figured a truck hit the bridge bump too fast and lost the box of blades which spilled onto the road. The tire was cut clean right across one side to the other, same with the tube. It so happened that a good old boy in a pickup was just approaching so I waved him down and he drove me and my bike all the way to my front door which was good since there was no way to use that tire again.

nkfrench 

It sounds like Lincoln325 had his flat before a77impala had one.

qcpmsame 

A somewhat related question about tubes, presta valve equipped in particular. Do any of you find that the stem for the closure is a weaker metal alloy than in the past? I have had several tubes either bend this part, or break it off, as I was taking the pump head off of the valve after inflating my tires. I have tried to watch how I am removing the head to see if I am twisting or moving it to an angle, as I pull it off. I don't "wrench" it off, or wiggle it, as I take it off the valve.

Either the wire like part is a lesser quality alloy for its application, of I am doing something differently, that I am not able to discern. This wouldn't surprice me, I don't claim to be coordinated much, or be the most gentle guy with the ham sized hands I was issued. Oh, they are Continental Race tubes, 700X25 with the 42mm length valve (shortest I can find, and that are proper for my rims). I have Fulcrum Racing7 wheels so I don't have the longer valves that aero rims require.

TIA, Bill

TGT1

Had a Presta stem and brain fart related flat Monday.

The lock nut and top of the core had broken off my front tire months ago and this has never presented a problem since the pressure makes the stem act as a check valve.

Picked up a bullhorn, found the hole and the thorn in the carcass quickly, threw a patch on and hit the CO2.

The blast sent the loose valve core into the tube and it was an " oh Sczit" moment when I disconnected the CO2

Took the tire off again, and put on the spare tube.

Went home early.

BadBikerDude

Ran over a framing tie - you know those metal T's with traigular divots. Perfect puncture maker

OldsCOOL

That cant be good.

bandroadman

How about a wooden clothes pen? Never saw it and it went through the side and through the middle of the tread. I took the wheel off and took it to my LBS just to have someone verify.