Flat tire stories

[ouo]

I was heading over a popular bike/pedestrian bridge once and something just didn't feel right, sure enough my rear tire had gone flat. So I walked over the rest of the bridge to a yuppie urban living development. I didn't have anything on me, but a water bottle, a bike lock and house keys. I decided to ask someone for 25cents to make a call home. There weren't too many people out, but I saw a woman standing outside a cafe. I walked over and asked if I could have 25 cents or use a cell phone.

Instead, I got a lecture about how dangerous cycling is and how a young woman like myself shouldn't ask people for money. I didn't say anything back because I was so astonished by this woman's outlook on the world.

Once I got out of that terrible conversation I just went to the cafe and asked for a phone, and had a nice conversation with the table boy who was avid cyclist. He actually came out and checked out my tire. He couldn't fix it, but still it was cool that he checked it out.

Then my faithful dad picked me up and home I went.

So anyone else have eventful flat tire stories?

 

[jcjordan]

Managed to get 3 flats on saturday, very unhappy.

Got the first one 10km's into the ride, thanks to a small lump of glass.

60km's latter after climbing Willunga Hill, managed to get another one. The worst part was that we got splashed by some twit. If he had slowed down it would not have been a problem, guess it was our fault for not moving up the road. Had to nab a mates spare tube.

Got the last one right near where I got the first one, good thing another cyclist whom I had just met gave me a self adhesive patch. On a side note these are great they really work quick and easy (they are mad by specialised).

I really need to get a CO2 pump.

 

[saviourag]

I was in Baħrija some months ago, and I had a flat tyre. It was like 16km away from home. I didn't even have a pump and didn't feel like calling my dad even though I had a mobile so I started walking home. Half way through I met a guy who was so nice as to inflate my tyre so I could ride for around 5km before it was flat again. Then I kept on walking home again. Good exercise after all!

 

[Chance3290]

A few years ago, on a freezing cold day, we had a benefit ride for a fellow cyclist who was killed by a drunk driver.
George Hincapie showed up to sign autographs. He signed, talked, BS'd etc, with no complaints.
They expected about 200 riders. 400+ showed up.
The greatest noise in the world is hearing 800+ pedals being clipped into for a good cause.
Anyway, after about four miles, I look over and there is Mr. Hincapie. I'm thinking; "I'm riding with George Hincapie..." Then, I hear what sounds like, "Pothole!" And when I look up, its too late. BOOM! Bye George, bye 400+.

 

[Lonnie Utah]

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t254032-this-ever-happen-to-you.html

 

[Cyclist14]

The only time i've flatted is when I forgot to check my tire pressure.


I was riding with a pretty fast group for the first time and I felt this strange bumping feeling. Sure enough my tire was flat. I stopped and two other guys stopped with me. A new tube and C02 cartridge later we were riding at 28+ MPH trying to catch the group. We caught them after two miles.

 

[wheelist]

I once got a flat whilst alone riding in the hills of mid-Wales. Without a repair kit. Or a spare tube. Or a brain it would seem.

I was halfway through the ride and at a pretty high point, so it was all downhill to go (is there a worse time to flat than this?).

Anyway, determined not to let my ride be ruined (and being too lazy to walk) I decided to use the age-old technique of stuffing my tires with grass. Genius I thought.

After 10 minutes of gathering the green stuff and filling my tires I set off.

2 measly yards, before the grass became compressed and I had to add more.

I reckon it took me about 45 minutes before I'd got enough grass to get me down the hill, and then it was like riding a bloody shopping trolley.

I got home though. But now I always remember a repair kit.

The Wheelist
www.wheelism.co.uk

 

[Ottis]

I was around 6 km from my home and got a flat from a piece of shattered glass from a beer bottle Not having a spare tire, repair kit or money for bus/call i started walking home. After about 2km it started to rain really hard. There was no place to wait out the rain so i had to walk through it. Got home all cold and wet. The good thing is that i didn't get sick or anything

 

[TrekDedicated]

This story I shall never forget.

I bascially began my ride set on doing 80 miles. I was feeling awesome, legs felt amazing, mind was focused cause I had my big race of the year 6 days away. 22 miles away from campus I feel my back tire swaying back and forth as I was climbing. I looked down, and much to my dismay, a flat. Now, at this point in time, I had no spare tube. I was out of cell range. I love my cycling shoes, and I didn't want to ruin them, so I took them off. Well, on a burning September day with hot asphalt, I had made my big mistake. So I had to walk 1.4 miles to finally reach some signal and have someone come pick me up. The 5 or 6 HUGE blisters on my feet emerged towards the end of my walk of shame. Needless to say, I could barely walk and having to drain those bad boys was not pleasant for the next couple days. But, I recovered just in time to come in 3rd place in my biggest race thus far.

Needless to say, I went out and bought a bike pouch and tubes to have on me at all times.

 

[Fhernand]

Ah! flat tires. I was going down hill at about 35mph when I had to jump a pot hole. I cleared the front tire but did not the back thus, Powww! I repaired and kept going when 5 miles later the front tire was flat. It's frustrating trying to get in a good bike run and having to fix flats. The positive side of the story is that I can now change a flat much faster.

 

[cucamelsmd15]

This story I shall never forget.

I bascially began my ride set on doing 80 miles. I was feeling awesome, legs felt amazing, mind was focused cause I had my big race of the year 6 days away. 22 miles away from campus I feel my back tire swaying back and forth as I was climbing. I looked down, and much to my dismay, a flat. Now, at this point in time, I had no spare tube. I was out of cell range. I love my cycling shoes, and I didn't want to ruin them, so I took them off. Well, on a burning September day with hot asphalt, I had made my big mistake. So I had to walk 1.4 miles to finally reach some signal and have someone come pick me up. The 5 or 6 HUGE blisters on my feet emerged towards the end of my walk of shame. Needless to say, I could barely walk and having to drain those bad boys was not pleasant for the next couple days. But, I recovered just in time to come in 3rd place in my biggest race thus far.

Needless to say, I went out and bought a bike pouch and tubes to have on me at all times.

Do you go to Wake? If so, where did that happen? I used to live in that area, and still know it pretty well, as well as more than a few people who go to Wake/Wake Law.

 

[Scoffin]

My story is not so exciting but one of those "Figures" type of stories. I rode RAGBRAI last year and rode all 7 days over 500 miles and didn't get one flat. I commute to work on the same bike and the very next day I got about half way to work (8 mile trip) and the rear went out. I had a spare tube, but no pump. Got the flat at 5am in the very bad part of town. Had to walk the rest of the way to work in bikers shorts, my carbon road shoes, and helmet through the "Hood". Not possible to look tough if confronted in that get up. I'm also pretty sure I had a brief conversation with a Hooker about a mile into my walk. All I could think was that I didn't have any money on me.

I still don't have a frame pump.. Some guys never learn.

 

[Dieseldan]

The result of a flat tire at an inoppurtune time:

 

[bianchigirl]

What really pisses you off is when you are ahead of the pak and 2 miles from the century...and then you get a flat.

Everyone you just passed rides right by you...it's miserable!

 

[blackbird05]

Two flat tire stories.

We'd just picked up our spiffy new touring bikes and decided to try them out by biking 20 km to the next city and back. Both of us total newbies to this "long-distance" biking thing. We brought two friends, even bigger amateurs than we were, and what do you know, my rear tire blows out just as we reach our turnaround point. No tools, no spare tube, no patch kit, no pump, no knowledge whatsoever on how the hell to take the tire off, let alone fix the flat. So the friends head off in search of a store selling patch kits, while I hang out with the bike on the corner of a busy intersection. An hour later, they're back with the patch kit. We canvas the neighborhood to borrow the tools needed for the fix, call my dad to find out how exactly this patch thing works ("You mean we don't plaster it on the OUTSIDE of the TIRE? Ohhh, cool, there's a tube on the inside!"), get sandwiches to keep the friends happy, and get down to work, right there on the street corner. Almost two hours later, we're finally ready to ride back. Longest flat I've ever fixed.

Nearly a year, and 1500 km later, my friend and I are touring in Eastern Europe, when my back tire goes out again. She's ahead of me, out of sight, and I've got no way of calling her back. Hoping I don't lose her, I drop the tire in about 5 minutes, and have the spare tube on when an old car passes by. I flag the guy down. He doesdn't speak english, so I write a note on a scrap piece of paper and give it to him. Miming that he should give it to the next cyclist he sees, I wave thanks and he drives off. 15 minutes later I'm packed up and ready to go, and my friend returns, having gotten had the note passed to her by a driver she's never seen before, telling her I've been held up. Who needs cell-phones when you've got the kindness of strangers to rely on?

 

[StartTday]

I hardly ever get a flat, but when I do, its the oddest thing.

Since owning my road bike, Ive only had one flat. And that was the very first ride. At the time, I had only been riding my fixie and my bmx. On those two bikes I havent had a flat in over two years. Anyway...

I had built up my "Magenta Reign" road bike the night before and couldn't wait to go for a ride. I got up early in the morning to fit in a quick ride. Less than 5 miles into it. Something felt odd. I pull off and look into my tire. I kid you not, a thorn, 2 inches long right into my puncture resistant Michelin Pro Race tires. Wow...

I couldn't believe it and started to get very superstitious that I got a flat on my very first ride. I began to think that me and this bike were a relationship that was doomed from the start.

I always believe in "what comes around goes around" so I have always given people tubes or CO2 canisters knowing that someday, this is going to happen to me. Well it did. I didn't have any CO2. Someone stopped to see what was going on. Once I asked for air, he responded with, "Oh, I dont have time for that." Luckily a couple guys stopped because they recognized me as one of the bike shop guys (I part-time at a bike shop.) They helped me out and I was on my way.

So yeah, not a very good first ride but I havent gotten another flat since and that was last year. (crossing fingers now, grabbing lucky rabbit's foot, throwing salt over my shoulder and any other thing, haha... )

 

[lehowe0]

I'd rather have 3 flats on the front tire than 1 on the rear.

I went out with a friend one day and we both had flats. I had one on a normal tube type tire, and fixed it in ten minutes. He had one on glue-on racing tires and had to walk home. I learned a good lesson there.


Anyone have anything good or bad to say about the Gatorskin tires?

 

[RuuTu15]

Last 2 times I went riding, prior to today Flats ... first time I had a bunked up spare tube that did nothing, had my girlfriend drive 40 minutes to pick me up. On top of that, the nail that got me cracked the rim on my rear wheel (and I didn't notice). Luckily the tube was bunk or it could have been very dangerous to continue riding.
Second time ... forgot to pack some CO2 cartridges, had my girlfriend drive only a few minutes to pick me up.

 

[ABG]

I know I'm rehashing an old thread, but why not?

I've gotten flats before, and carried a wrench, one spare tube, spare patches and glue, and tire levers. But I was not prepared for the pothole that I didn't see last night while riding in the dark on a state forest road with a rather dim headlight. Has anyone ever hit a pothole that was so bad it flatted both their tires at the same time? Yeah... I had only one spare and didn't feel like trying to patch in the dark, so I had to walk a mile to the nearest open busines at 9 PM, a Dunkin Donuts. It also dented my front rim in so that I can't ride on it without a bump every revolution and the braking being effected.

I now carry 2 spares! And I'm going to try to get reimbursed by the town of North Andover for the pothole-induced flat. Except that the road is in a state forest, so the Commonwealth of Massachusetts might own the road. This is going to be fun.