Jump to content

Punctured


TrentonMakes

Recommended Posts

I mentioned on my last ride I suffered a bee sting and a flat tire. 

The bee made a nice little pinhole in my neck. 

Today I finally got around to addressing the flat. I removed the tube and put air in it, heard the hiss - and found a nice little pinhole in it. An easy patch. 

My neck, it seems, patched itself.

Any fun flat tire stories (since this one wasn't)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

no, but, I had to change a flat 1 1/2 miles from home the day we rode the double century.  The front tire started to feel soft about a half mile before that.  I used a 16 gram CO2, hoping the leak was slow enough that I could ride 2 miles.  I made it a half a mile then had to change the flat. 

  • Heart 1
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rode my mountain bike the first time I did DC-Pittsburgh. I had a spare tube that had been in my seat bag for years so I stopped at my LBS before I went and bought a new tube. The owner of the shop showed me a trick, he used a ziplock bag and put some baby powder in it. He took the new tube out of the box and put it in the bag with the powder. He said that will keep the tube protected and easy to use.

i took Amtrak to DC and started my journey. I did the trip in five days, on the fifth day I came to a place where they had dug a ditch across the trail and filled it in with real coarse crushed limestone. As I rode across the ditch I heard my tire pop. One of those large sharp pieces of limestone had cut my rear tire about a one inch cut. I removed my panniers and back wheel. Took the tire off and looked at the cut. I carried duck tape wrapped around one of my water bottles so I figured I would boot the tire with a dollar bill and duck tape. Checked my wallet and the smallest bill I had was a $5. Used that, got out the new tube in the baggie with the baby powder and discovered he had sold me a 20” tube. :facepalm:

I took a look at the old tube. Same one inch cut as the tire. I got out my patch kit and found it contained a bunch of little patches and one big rectangular patch about three inches long. I used that and put everything back together. I had twenty miles to go to get to where my ride was going to meet me and I had already called them before my flat. Five miles later I came to a bike shop, I didn’t want to take the time to change the tire and tube but if my repair didn’t hold I would wish I had. I stopped and bought a tire and tube and strapped it on top of my bags. I didn’t need it, my repair held up the last 20 miles.

  • Heart 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was driving on a majorish road with a bike lane on the shoulder. Cyclist passes & goes over a rough railroad crossing. I've done that hii/RR crossing 100's of times. You really need to unload (stand up a little) while crossing it. About a 1/4 mile down the road he's got the rear wheel off & pulling out the tube. Pinch flat!

The best kind of flat...someone elses's

  • Heart 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, TrentonMakes said:

I mentioned on my last ride I suffered a bee sting and a flat tire. 

The bee made a nice little pinhole in my neck. 

Today I finally got around to addressing the flat. I removed the tube and put air in it, heard the hiss - and found a nice little pinhole in it. An easy patch. 

My neck, it seems, patched itself.

Any fun flat tire stories (since this one wasn't)?

I got a flat on my second ride here in CA from a staple on the road shoulder :(  It's not so bad doing a tube change when you have the time and tools.

I get stung relatively often - maybe every other year - on a ride.  I no longer ride with an unzipped jersey as yellowjackets seem to love getting trapped in my jersey and sting away!  Sometimes they get me on my thigh as well.  They don't bother me too much after the initial OUCH. 

  • Heart 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Razors Edge said:

I got a flat on my second ride here in CA from a staple on the road shoulder :(  It's not so bad doing a tube change when you have the time and tools.

I get stung relatively often - maybe every other year - on a ride.  I no longer ride with an unzipped jersey as yellowjackets seem to love getting trapped in my jersey and sting away!  Sometimes they get me on my thigh as well.  They don't bother me too much after the initial OUCH. 

That’s why I like the full zip jerseys, if it gets hot enough you have to unzip you can unzip the whole way so the bees don’t get trapped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was riding up South Mountain in PHX a few years ago. My first time. I was near the summit and a guy was walking his bike down. Said I have a tube he could us. He declined, but accepted my offer to use my frame pump. I could tell it was going to go flat again and once again offered the tube. He again declined. Said he had a buddy at the base. 
I reached the summit. Rested. Took a couple photos and headed down. There he was walking again. I offered the tube again. No again. 
About a mile later I see a car driving up with a guy in a matching kit. At least he got a ride. He could have been at the base by then if he took my tube!

  • Heart 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No good flat tales to tell...  Funny bee sting story though.

Some years ago WOChrisL & I were riding in a busy MUP when she shouts out in pain. I look back & don’t see her so slow & make a U turn.  Now keep in mind there are maybe 20 or so people riding, walking & such in the general vicinity. 

As I make my u turn & head back WOChrisL has her riding shorts pulled down to her thighs inspecting her hip area looking for the bee stinger as the litter fecker got her through the Lycra.  Yeah and she’s flashing bush & ass to the people on the trail!

Uh honey, might want to pull your shorts up before you cause a crash...

  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/19/2021 at 7:10 PM, TrentonMakes said:

I mentioned on my last ride I suffered a bee sting and a flat tire. 

The bee made a nice little pinhole in my neck. 

Today I finally got around to addressing the flat. I removed the tube and put air in it, heard the hiss - and found a nice little pinhole in it. An easy patch. 

My neck, it seems, patched itself.

Any fun flat tire stories (since this one wasn't)?

I wonder why he stung you on the neck?

I was hiking through a park, reached across my body with my left hand to grab the water bottle on my belt, and unluckily, accidentally trapped a bee between my arm and belly. He stung the arm.  By the time I completed the loop trail, the mild sting had disappeared.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, ChrisL said:

No good flat tales to tell...  Funny bee sting story though.

Some years ago WOChrisL & I were riding in a busy MUP when she shouts out in pain. I look back & don’t see her so slow & make a U turn.  Now keep in mind there are maybe 20 or so people riding, walking & such in the general vicinity. 

As I make my u turn & head back WOChrisL has her riding shorts pulled down to her thighs inspecting her hip area looking for the bee stinger as the litter fecker got her through the Lycra.  Yeah and she’s flashing bush & ass to the people on the trail!

Uh honey, might want to pull your shorts up before you cause a crash...

:TTIWWP:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve been stung twice while riding. Second time was last year on the Mickelson Trail by a wasp. Nothing much to tell. It really didn’t hurt or swell until that evening. 
The first time was on the Calamus Half Century several years ago. It was very windy that day. The first half into the wind was touch, but 2 buddies and I started a pace line. At the halfway point the wind became our friend. We all got separated on different agendas. It was a strong tail/crosswind. I saw a big black dot sailing across the road and hit me in the thigh. I immediately felt the sting and realized the dot was a bumblebee! I stopped to check on it, but couldn’t get my shorts leg rolled up enough. We were in the Sandhills. Nothing to hide behind and a large amount of mixed company at that time. I was not about to drop my shorts so just toughed it out. Pulled out the stinger in the shower room at the finish. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...