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September 08, 2005
Another flat
As I wrote this morning, I didn't take my bike to work. After dinner I had a look at the flat rear tire.
The hole in the inner tube was one of the smallest I've seen so far. It was small enough that I almost missed it, even when I held the tube under water. Repairing it with a patch turned out to be impossible. The only patches I have are twice the diameter of the 19-23 mm inner tubes.
Hope it doesn't go flat tomorrow. The tire has 3 deep cuts in the surface, one all the way through to the inner threads and two that stopped at the layer of Kevlar or whatever it is that lines the tire. That's why most people who weigh 83 kg (183 lb) don't commute on road bike tires.
Posted by Mark at September 8, 2005 09:26 PM
Comments
Are most of your flats and tire damage on the rear wheel? You might save a lot of problems by buying a second wheel for just the rear with a heavier, commuting tire. I would think you could get a wheel with freewheel for under $100, even less if you tried to economize, such as seeing if the local bike store has a used wheel. Then use a heavier, wider tire, maybe a 28mm or even a 32mm if the wheel will take it, and possibly a lower pressure like mine, 85-90 PSI. Less cost and more durability and a smoother ride. It might feel far less sprightly but in reality would probably bring your speed down only by some tenths of a MPH. Save your best, light tire and wheel for sporty, non-commuting rides. You might have a reduction in frustration and last minute changes in plans with only a little lost of sport and bounciness. I have no flats on my current rear tire in the 2350 miles it has been on the bike, plus my bike and I are 30 pounds heavier than you and your bike, plus the design of my bike puts a greater percentage of the weight on the rear wheel. But to be fair, my rural roads are probably freer of flatting materials than yours. Incidentally, my rear tire is a 700 X 28 "Continetal Top Touring 2000," probably lists for $45 each but got two last fall from Perfromance on sale for $19.95 each.
Posted by: Dana at September 8, 2005 11:07 PM
All my flats are on the rear wheel so far.
What you suggests sounds like a good idea, since it means I could still enjoy performance when not commuting, but suffer from fewer flats when they're really inconvenient. Will have to look at wheel costs.
Posted by: Mark at September 9, 2005 09:53 AM