Jan 5: Flat No. 1! - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

01-07-2005, 07:33 AM

Riding to work Wednesday through some light
snow on the local rail trail when the rear wheel
started getting a little soft. At first I
thought perhaps it was some extra light, fluffy
snow softening the ride out. One's brain often
makes up far fetched stuff to avoid facing an
undesirable reality.

Nope! The Avocet cross rear wheel going flat for
the first time in the approximately 5 years of
running it!

And my first, winter flat tire!

Sigh. Last year I had about 6 flats I think, and
five days into the new year, I've got my first
flat. 2005 is looking to be a banner year for flats
based on initial projections.

Oh, and remember to bring a rag along on your winter
commutes through the muck and mire of salt and sand
and slush. Changing flats this time of year is a
dirty business!

SMH

01-07-2005, 10:18 AM

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 10:33:11 -0500, Stephen Harding wrote:

> Changing flats this time of year is a
> dirty business!
>
>
> SMH

Sure is, that's why, as I mentioned in another thread, I rarely remove a
wheel to fix a flat. I locate the puncture, pull out a couple cm of tube,
patch, and shove it back in.

01-07-2005, 10:18 AM

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 10:33:11 -0500, Stephen Harding wrote:

> Changing flats this time of year is a
> dirty business!
>
>
> SMH

Sure is, that's why, as I mentioned in another thread, I rarely remove a
wheel to fix a flat. I locate the puncture, pull out a couple cm of tube,
patch, and shove it back in.

01-07-2005, 10:18 AM

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 10:33:11 -0500, Stephen Harding wrote:

> Changing flats this time of year is a
> dirty business!
>
>
> SMH

Sure is, that's why, as I mentioned in another thread, I rarely remove a
wheel to fix a flat. I locate the puncture, pull out a couple cm of tube,
patch, and shove it back in.

01-07-2005, 10:18 AM

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 10:33:11 -0500, Stephen Harding wrote:

> Changing flats this time of year is a
> dirty business!
>
>
> SMH

Sure is, that's why, as I mentioned in another thread, I rarely remove a
wheel to fix a flat. I locate the puncture, pull out a couple cm of tube,
patch, and shove it back in.

01-07-2005, 05:46 PM

Do I infer correctly from your posts that, over the long run, you've had
fewer flats in the winter, even relative to mileage? That's definitely been
my experience. I mean to calculate 12 years of recorded experience "when i
get around to it", but I've definitely done better avoiding flats in cold
weather. I don't have an explanation. Perhaps the cold makes the tire
harder and less penetrable of something like that. Anyone with similar (or
contradictory) experience?

"Stephen Harding" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:41deabbc$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].umass.edu...
> Riding to work Wednesday through some light
> snow on the local rail trail when the rear wheel
> started getting a little soft. At first I
> thought perhaps it was some extra light, fluffy
> snow softening the ride out. One's brain often
> makes up far fetched stuff to avoid facing an
> undesirable reality.
>
> Nope! The Avocet cross rear wheel going flat for
> the first time in the approximately 5 years of
> running it!
>
> And my first, winter flat tire!
>
> Sigh. Last year I had about 6 flats I think, and
> five days into the new year, I've got my first
> flat. 2005 is looking to be a banner year for flats
> based on initial projections.
>
> Oh, and remember to bring a rag along on your winter
> commutes through the muck and mire of salt and sand
> and slush. Changing flats this time of year is a
> dirty business!
>
>
> SMH
>

01-07-2005, 05:46 PM

Do I infer correctly from your posts that, over the long run, you've had
fewer flats in the winter, even relative to mileage? That's definitely been
my experience. I mean to calculate 12 years of recorded experience "when i
get around to it", but I've definitely done better avoiding flats in cold
weather. I don't have an explanation. Perhaps the cold makes the tire
harder and less penetrable of something like that. Anyone with similar (or
contradictory) experience?

"Stephen Harding" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:41deabbc$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].umass.edu...
> Riding to work Wednesday through some light
> snow on the local rail trail when the rear wheel
> started getting a little soft. At first I
> thought perhaps it was some extra light, fluffy
> snow softening the ride out. One's brain often
> makes up far fetched stuff to avoid facing an
> undesirable reality.
>
> Nope! The Avocet cross rear wheel going flat for
> the first time in the approximately 5 years of
> running it!
>
> And my first, winter flat tire!
>
> Sigh. Last year I had about 6 flats I think, and
> five days into the new year, I've got my first
> flat. 2005 is looking to be a banner year for flats
> based on initial projections.
>
> Oh, and remember to bring a rag along on your winter
> commutes through the muck and mire of salt and sand
> and slush. Changing flats this time of year is a
> dirty business!
>
>
> SMH
>

01-07-2005, 05:46 PM

Do I infer correctly from your posts that, over the long run, you've had
fewer flats in the winter, even relative to mileage? That's definitely been
my experience. I mean to calculate 12 years of recorded experience "when i
get around to it", but I've definitely done better avoiding flats in cold
weather. I don't have an explanation. Perhaps the cold makes the tire
harder and less penetrable of something like that. Anyone with similar (or
contradictory) experience?

"Stephen Harding" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:41deabbc$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].umass.edu...
> Riding to work Wednesday through some light
> snow on the local rail trail when the rear wheel
> started getting a little soft. At first I
> thought perhaps it was some extra light, fluffy
> snow softening the ride out. One's brain often
> makes up far fetched stuff to avoid facing an
> undesirable reality.
>
> Nope! The Avocet cross rear wheel going flat for
> the first time in the approximately 5 years of
> running it!
>
> And my first, winter flat tire!
>
> Sigh. Last year I had about 6 flats I think, and
> five days into the new year, I've got my first
> flat. 2005 is looking to be a banner year for flats
> based on initial projections.
>
> Oh, and remember to bring a rag along on your winter
> commutes through the muck and mire of salt and sand
> and slush. Changing flats this time of year is a
> dirty business!
>
>
> SMH
>

01-07-2005, 05:46 PM

Do I infer correctly from your posts that, over the long run, you've had
fewer flats in the winter, even relative to mileage? That's definitely been
my experience. I mean to calculate 12 years of recorded experience "when i
get around to it", but I've definitely done better avoiding flats in cold
weather. I don't have an explanation. Perhaps the cold makes the tire
harder and less penetrable of something like that. Anyone with similar (or
contradictory) experience?

"Stephen Harding" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:41deabbc$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].umass.edu...
> Riding to work Wednesday through some light
> snow on the local rail trail when the rear wheel
> started getting a little soft. At first I
> thought perhaps it was some extra light, fluffy
> snow softening the ride out. One's brain often
> makes up far fetched stuff to avoid facing an
> undesirable reality.
>
> Nope! The Avocet cross rear wheel going flat for
> the first time in the approximately 5 years of
> running it!
>
> And my first, winter flat tire!
>
> Sigh. Last year I had about 6 flats I think, and
> five days into the new year, I've got my first
> flat. 2005 is looking to be a banner year for flats
> based on initial projections.
>
> Oh, and remember to bring a rag along on your winter
> commutes through the muck and mire of salt and sand
> and slush. Changing flats this time of year is a
> dirty business!
>
>
> SMH
>

01-08-2005, 07:54 AM

Ron Wallenfang wrote:

> Do I infer correctly from your posts that, over the long run, you've had
> fewer flats in the winter, even relative to mileage? That's definitely been
> my experience. I mean to calculate 12 years of recorded experience "when i
> get around to it", but I've definitely done better avoiding flats in cold
> weather. I don't have an explanation. Perhaps the cold makes the tire
> harder and less penetrable of something like that. Anyone with similar (or
> contradictory) experience?

Only have three years of winter experience so it may not
be significant enough to say, but definitely fewer flats
in winter (1 in 3 years, versus perhaps 10-15 during the
summers).

Riding distance is about the same per month winter or summer
since most all of my miles are commuting. Given that the
MTBs get used less during the nice months, and exclusively
during the winter, it makes the flat rates between winter
and summer even more pronounced.

I'd always attributed it to the type of tire. I ride a
MTB during the winter and they're just more resistant to
flats.

Yet I've definitely noticed more flats (during summer)
during or after a rain. I believe the wetness makes a
type of "cutting fluid" that promotes punctures, and also
water washes nails, staples, metal fragments, glass, etc.
back out into the roadway from the very edge where it has
been accumulating during dry spells.

This should imply winter would have more dangers to your
tires, since the snow melts and freezes moving stuff back
out into the roadway. But that doesn't seem to actually
be the case.

SMH