Andy_K 

Between business travel, holidays and working at home for various reasons, I've only biked to the office 8 times in the last 4 weeks, which is frustrating enough. In those 8 days, I've gotten 4 flat tires! Ordinarily I'd take this as a sign that my tread was getting thin and I needed a new tire, but in this case these four flats have come on three different tires.

Flat #1 came on the rear tire of my Grand Prix 4 Seasons and was a slowish leak caused by something that took a small chunk out of the tire but left no other evidence of its identity. I got home before the tire went flat, but by the next morning there it was. This was disappointing because it was my first flat in over a year other than when this tire's predecessor gave up the ghost with a split in the casing this July. I bought this tire used so I don't know its actual mileage, but it looked good when I got it and I had put about 700 miles on it. Whatever. Flats happen. I fixed it and rode the next day without incident.

Flat #2 came a week later, same tire but this time it was an inch-long wood screw buried in the tire. That left a pretty tasty hole in the tire, but I booted it and it didn't bulge so I figured it would be OK for a while.

Flat #3 arrived this Wednesday, this time the front tire on the GP 4 Seasons. I posted about this that day. I noticed a half inch cut across the tread in the morning but decided to ignore it. I made it to the office, but it was leaking. The cut went through the casing, causing a slice in the tube. Another boot went on, but this one did bulge. It got me home but the tire is toast, so I'm riding a different bike until reinforcements arrive. This tire had around 3000 miles on it.

Flat #4 was on Thursday. Because the tires on my Jake met a rapid and unexpected demise, I rode to work on the back-up bike with fairly fresh Panaracer T-Servs (~350 miles). When I unlocked to leave for the evening I discovered that the rear tire was flat. Ugh! So I brought the wheel into the comfort of my cubicle for repairs (I keep a floor pump in the office). The flat was caused by an absurdly tiny sliver of glass, which annoys me. Due to poor planning, I didn't have a spare tube but I did have a patch kit. Patch, pump, turn my back and...POP! In my haste, I guess I pinched the tube under the bead. Public transit got me home.

Clearly I have angered the tire gods. What do I need to do to appease them?

531phile 

I think it is the universe's way of saying you need to get some specialized armadillos.

Andy_K 

The universe asks too much.

hubcap

Obviously for self-flagellation purposes.

Andy_K 

That's it. Maybe I'll use Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires during Lent next year. Heavy tires are the new hair shirt.

droy45

Just get 2 new tires with the kevlar casing or whatever they are, (just more flat resistant, I think). 3000 miles is a fair amount especially for the rear one. You really don't know about the used one so throw it. Put new tubes in and pay close attention on your route if there might be a spot where hidden glass shards may be laying around. Best of luck to you, things will change, thats just a streak of bad luck.

Andy_K 

Well, I'm pretty sure there is a spot on my route where screws, shards of glass and miscellaneous other debris lie waiting to pounce. It's a six-foot wide, leaf-covered strip extending from one end of my route to the the other. They call it a bike lane.

The GP 4 Seasons have actually done amazingly well, to the point that I got lazy about even checking them over. When the front tire died this week it had so many tiny pieces of glass in it that it looked like it had been bejeweled. Those tires have a two-ply Vectran breaker, which Conti claims is harder than Kevlar. The T-Servs have Panaracer's PT Belt, which makes similar claims but I guess can be foiled by something with a fine point -- the Achilles heel of all fabric-based puncture protection. Nothing but a lot of heavy rubber stops that.

Mr. Hairy Legs

I had a week like that in October where every single day I got a flat tire. Probably in two of those cases I just hadn't removed the wire/thorn whatever when I replaced the tube, but the rest was just bad luck.

droy45

Ah yes, I thought you were on the road. Generally roads don't stay littered for too long when traffic is present. Those bike paths can be brutal. Too bad the municipal street sweeper couldn't make a pass up and down there once in a while.

Andy_K 

This is actually a bike lane on the road, which is worse because the debris from the auto lanes gets kicked into the bike lane. The local agency claims that the street sweepers clean the bike lanes on a regular basis, but you can frequently see the line where the street sweeper stopped just where the bike lane starts. I suppose even once a year is 'regularly' if you do it every year. It's one of my pet peeves.

ThermionicScott 

fietsbob

With 20" wheels, being smaller, I don't notice the Mass change from the Schwalbe M +
and adding belt and braces thorn resistant inner tubes, much, on my Daily rider,
a Bike Friday Pocket Llama . think i stopped noting any change, within a few hundred feet.

droy45

OK, I see how that can be, part of my commute has this breakdown lane as they call it here, and it seems to get that type of debris in it too. All bikers use that section so I guess it could be called the bike lane also. I notice potential hazzards now and then but it's not too bad. Now that snow has arrived, the plows keep that lane pretty well cleaned up.

nkfrench 

Call the city and give them specifics where they need to re-sweep the bike lane.
Can you ride in the regular street lane?

Big Lebowski

Put some sweet Gatorskins on.

Andy_K 

I could give them specifics, but it's everywhere. I do complain to the county periodically. I could ride in the street if I judged it to be safer, but I don't. I'll take my chances with the flat tires.


Why would I downgrade like that?

Seriously though, I've used Gatorskins before and I honestly think the GP 4 Seasons do better. I would get them again, but I decided to fatten up a bit and add a reflective strip, so I went with 700x35 Schwalbe Marathon Supremes.

scaryseth

What a run of bad luck. What is your normal route so I know to steer clear of that area

superfred

Which side the the tubes flat on? If it flats on the outside, it's the tire. If if flats on the inside, check your rim/rim tape.

waynesworld

I believe that giving me your new Jake would appease the Bike Gods.

Seriously though, just give me the bike.

Andy_K 

SW Baseline between Beaverton and Hillsboro

scaryseth

That is outside my ride. Have not had that issue riding into Portland from Beaverton and back. If you had not gotten any other flats this year, you are getting a years worth in the last few weeks of the year.

Snowman219

Stans Notube liquid latex and a Lezyne pump that screws right onto the valve (very easy and quick to use). And of course stop flats 2, and spare tubes in case of a pinch flatty. The liquid latex is amazing. I had a flat the other week, had a pump that was missing some parts so I couldn't just simply pump up the tire and go, and had to walk home. Went to the shop to get a Lezyne pump that I use on my road bike and tested it on the tube with the flat and it's sealed hanging around waiting for me to use it. The info on the bottle says you can even pour it into the tire (in case you don't have removable presta caps or a valve core puller for shrader). I even got the tube to seal outside of the tire, that's pretty amazing given that the tire actually helps sealant seal properly.

robble

I put a set of those on yesterday. So far they feel great. Granted I don't have a lot of experience with different tires but they are much nicer than the x32 bontragers that came stock on my trek.

got them for ~$50 each on amazon.

RGNY

ha! luxury! i swapped them out for Top Contact Winters, and now studs. HTFU!

K'Tesh

Perhaps you should sacrifice a pair of tire irons...