When your number's up, ...

[donkpow]

your number's up. I go to the grocery store on the weekend. This week, rain is forecast so I got up early in an effort to beat the rain. I beat the rain or at least it didn't rain on me while I was riding. It rained on the bike while I was shopping.

I got a flat on the way home. 

[Longjohn ★]

Was it still raining?

[donkpow]

2 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

Was it still raining?

Nope. I made it home in nothing more that a slight drizzle. Other than the expense of a flat, I'm still a happy camper. 

[Longjohn ★]

I’d rather ride in the rain than fix a flat in the rain.

[donkpow]

Just now, Longjohn said:

I’d rather ride in the rain than fix a flat in the rain.

Oh shoot! I used to carry all my groceries on the rear rack in panniers and a wire basket. I have had to fix a flat in winter rain where I had to totally unload bike to fix it. That's like a half hour of misery.

[JerrySTL ★]

It's amazing how many flats happen during rain or right after. Stuff gets washed into the road. I've also heard that the water can cause things like thorns stick to the tire instead of getting thrown off.

[Wilbur ★]

"Into each life..."

[donkpow]

1 minute ago, JerrySTL said:

It's amazing how many flats happen during rain or right after. Stuff gets washed into the road. I've also heard that the water can cause things like thorns stick to the tire instead of getting thrown off.

Yeah. I was thinking the very thing on the way home on wet pavement, "I hope I don't get a flat." The water just lets things cling to the tire until they penetrate, I'm pretty sure.

[Longjohn ★]

It’s always the rear tire that goes flat. Changed one on the GAP in 100 degree heat and black flies where I had to unload the whole bike. I wheeled the bike into shade and before I had the panniers off the black flies were eating me alive. I had to wheel it back into the sunshine to escape them.

[donkpow]

Living here in the city, it's a nightmare even with Gatorskins on. One winter I got six flats. It looks like to me the rubber on the tire gets soft after some time and starts holding things. The guy at a LBS told me to switch to a touring tire with flat protection. I'd do it except these are 27" wheels.

[Longjohn ★]

7 minutes ago, donkpow said:

Living here in the city, it's a nightmare even with Gatorskins on. One winter I got six flats. It looks like to me the rubber on the tire gets soft after some time and starts holding things. The guy at a LBS told me to switch to a touring tire with flat protection. I'd do it except these are 27" wheels.

I run touring tires on both my bikes. I haven’t had any flats (except the broken valve stem yesterday) Fixing a flat at home is the best, don’t even have to fix it right then just jump on another bike.

[donkpow]

16 minutes ago, Longjohn said:

I run touring tires on both my bikes. I haven’t had any flats (except the broken valve stem yesterday) Fixing a flat at home is the best, don’t even have to fix it right then just jump on another bike.

I got another bike last year. I'll be riding it more often. I've had trouble working on it over the last year but I'm getting back to it now. This way, I can get tires more suitable to like a commuter or touring bike and put decent road tires on the new bike. With one bike, it's a bit of a challenge to get tires that will do "everything".

[Longjohn ★]

I don’t ride in the snow so I just make my touring tires do everything.

[KrAzY]

So what number did you have at the meat/cheese counter that came up?

[donkpow]

12 minutes ago, KrAzY said:

So what number did you have at the meat/cheese counter that came up?

I meant to get some cheese but forgot, which is simply more evidence of what I was saying.

[Tizeye]

I have run flats with no spare so won't be changing them in the rain. But I can drive home at a moderate speed.

Now the bike, that's a different story but I wouldn't choose to ride in the rain, flat or not.