A friend and I have had some bad luck with getting flats on our recent rides. We declared today’s ride to be a “no flats” day, but apparently we just jinxed it.
About a quarter mile into our ride I hear the familiar hiss. I stop and find this in my tire. A tire, which I’ve probably only put 75 miles on.
It’s the curse of the short-stemmed tube. We must not have disposed of it correctly.
Dude, you must be desperate for stories, that screw is so perfectly centered you must have beat it in w/ a hammer! : )
Last week was my back week for flats. Too bad about the new tire. 🙁
We have some serious bad juju happening.
Dang you caught me. I actually had to unscrew it from my rim and tire.
It penetrated the rim too? Wow!
I can’t recommend Specialized Armadillos enough – haven’t bothered to carry patches for years.
Scott, agree about Armadillos but got the feeling that Specialized wasn’t keeping up in the tire area– we decided to transition (in city commute/utility, some touring applications) to Schwalbe Marathons and variants. No problems. They are, however, heavy, pricey, especially difficult to seat and not routinely carried by LBS in Tucson (special order only takes a few days).
Patch kits? They may be going the way of the slide rule in utility/commute city cycling. At most, carry a replacement tube(s) and pump instead. Cell phone, taxicab company phone numbers, some cash, an understanding and patient spouse can help.
http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires
Stan’s sealant works well. It will usually seal the puncture well enough that you can complete your ride.
Ask at your local bike shop or search on line. The only potential issue is that you need a removeable valve core to get it in. Fat stems are all removable. Several brands of skinny (presta) valves have removable valve cores, but you have to seek them out. Continental brand is reliable and usually not terribly expensive.
Even without tacks, thorns are always present . . .