Murphy's Law (or a good Saturday ride ruined)

[FlashUNC]

This morning started around freezing and was cold for the duration of my usual 50 mile loop with a small six man group of Crazy Legs, Power Meter Slave, "I Haven't Ridden for Three Weeks" Even Though He's at Every Saturday Ride, Just Started Riding and Totally Overdressed Even For Cold Conditions.

One of those rare days when the legs feel good, pulling more than my fair share to make up for those that are hurting in the cold. And things are grand for the first 40 or so miles.

But on the small rollers back into town, that familiar bang of a tire rapidly deflating in the group happens, and this time I'm the unlucky one.

The tire -- a Michelin Pro 4 Service Course Tubular -- rides phenomenally, but I get the wheel out of the bike and see the tire is just shredded. Whatever I hit that Just Started Riding didn't point out annihilated the tire. Fourth ride with these mounted up. Four.

If I had clinchers, I'd be using the phone already -- the cut was far too large to boot, it was seriously epic gash. Power Meter Slave rode back up the road and found bits of a tail light assembly from a tractor trailer, and his theory is I caught a piece of that. So after wrestling with the tire to get it off for a good while, all's off the rim save for get the valve out of valve hole. And it's inadvertently glued in. No amount of elbow grease will get it out, and it eventually rips off the tubular, which is all the same as the tire was ruined anyways.

I used every epithet in the book. And picked up the phone to call the sag wagon from home.

Just got the wheel over to the shop, they had to take a rubber mallet to the valve to get it out.

If this is the price of good legs, I'll take being slow any day.

[AngryScientist]

yup. you ride enough miles and your ticket gets punched sooner or later. luckily it was the tail end of the ride.

[mike p]

Been there done that! As Angry says, sooner or later your number comes up. Fortunately 99.999% of my rides are uneventful in that respect.

Mike

[veloduffer]

Breaking down in the winter is only better than breaking down in the pouring rain. And at least you had some company. Tell your buddies to watch out, flats (like all bad luck) comes in 3's. :bike:

[ultraman6970]

That's the reason I get cheap stuff, if the tihng gets totally ruin, then is only like 12 bucks and mount a new one, sucks when a expensive tubular dies with a big cut, in your case looks like was disintegrated or something. Obviously my cheap stuff doesn't ride as yours but isn't that bad either :) Definitely I have used worse stuff tho :D

Lately I'm not even carrying a pump, last flat was last year... rode back home flat.. :D Like 40 miles riding flat :D

Sending you good vibes :)

This reminds me, saw at ebay a 25 or a 28 mm tubular from vittoria that was more like a cx tubular with road band strip, anybody have used them? cant remember the name and probably vittoria discontinued them years ago.




The tire -- a Michelin Pro 4 Service Course Tubular -- rides phenomenally, but I get the wheel out of the bike and see the tire is just shredded. Whatever I hit that Just Started Riding didn't point out annihilated the tire. Fourth ride with these mounted up. Four.

[FlashUNC]

You're right ultra, big cut. Woulda killed just about anything save for a solid rubber tractor tire.

Just one of them days...

[thegunner]

You're right ultra, big cut. Woulda killed just about anything save for a solid rubber tractor tire.

Just one of them days...

that's the reason i don't get cheap stuff :) life's too short to ride bad rubber. just think of it as getting it out of the way, right?

[ultraman6970]

Never had a single problem with the 3x50 ones, way better than vittorias IMO and they ride the same, even the tubes inside are vittoria brand (had to replace the full tube in one like a year ago) :) I'm w/u nothing like a super expensive tubular but since have to sponsor myself... well the 50 bucks last me long enough so can't complain either. hehe :)

Seen old expensive tubulars at ebay going really cheap but in general when you dont know how the tubular was stored and stuff is a risk, rather play with the 3x50 hehehe

[Peter P.]

I don't mean to sound nasty, but if you're gonna complain about wrecked tubulars, then they're too expensive for you.

I'll admit they're wonderful to ride on, but considering the aggravation you had to go through and you couldn't even pull it off presumably to install your spare, are they still worth it for group rides and training?

My rule is, if I can't crash it on Sunday and replace it on Monday, then it's too expensive.

Sorry about your misfortune, but if it caused you enough grief, then I recommend saving the tubulars for racing or special events.

[alastair]

I don't mean to sound nasty, but if you're gonna complain about wrecked tubulars, then they're too expensive for you.

I'll admit they're wonderful to ride on, but considering the aggravation you had to go through and you couldn't even pull it off presumably to install your spare, are they still worth it for group rides and training?

My rule is, if I can't crash it on Sunday and replace it on Monday, then it's too expensive.

Sorry about your misfortune, but if it caused you enough grief, then I recommend saving the tubulars for racing or special events.


I did some contracting work for a man that routinely makes the Forbes list and is famous in his hometown for having the D-Day landing re-enacted on his birthday, complete with tanks and spitfires. It's safe to say that NOTHING was too expensive for him. Yet he was more loathed to throw away or waste money than almost anyone I've ever met. The correlation between relative affordability and not wanting to throw money away is not as simple as you're suggesting.

[merckx]

Those oversized Vitoria tubs were called Utmost. I think they were 28cish.

[FlashUNC]

I don't mean to sound nasty, but if you're gonna complain about wrecked tubulars, then they're too expensive for you.

I'll admit they're wonderful to ride on, but considering the aggravation you had to go through and you couldn't even pull it off presumably to install your spare, are they still worth it for group rides and training?

My rule is, if I can't crash it on Sunday and replace it on Monday, then it's too expensive.

Sorry about your misfortune, but if it caused you enough grief, then I recommend saving the tubulars for racing or special events.

I'm not complaining about the wrecked tire or the cost of replacement. I'm fortunate enough that's its NBD. Yeah, it's crappy to have a tire crap the bed on the 4th ride out on 'em, but whatever it was would have killed any tire. More the existential angst of a tire ruining an otherwise great ride on a rare good day.

Appreciate the judgment though. I'll take it under advisement.

[Fixed]

I remember in the seventies I had no job and I rode only tubulars ,when something is important to you ,you find a way to make it happen .clinchers today are much better than they were back then .if I were buying a carbon wheel set today it would be for tubulars though
Cheers :)

[pbarry]

What a drag. That sound of a tire blowing stays with you. Get out there tomorrow if you can. Sounds like you've got some good fitness going. :beer:

[bobswire]

I liked your story Flash, up until the ending. Serves you right for not carrying a rubber mallet in your seat pouch. :)

[Louis]

I'm not a tubular user, but it seems to me that one moral of the story is to not glue the last inch or two of the base tape near the valve stem.

Flash, did you glue the tire on yourself, and if so, what glue did you us? Sounds like this particular brand was perhaps too good.

[FlashUNC]

What a drag. That sound of a tire blowing stays with you. Get out there tomorrow if you can. Sounds like you've got some good fitness going. :beer:

The worst feeling is hearing that sound and realizing its you as you feel a tire go immediately soft.

[FlashUNC]

I'm not a tubular user, but it seems to me that one moral of the story is to not glue the last inch or two of the base tape near the valve stem.

Flash, did you glue the tire on yourself, and if so, what glue did you us? Sounds like this particular brand was perhaps too good.

Conti. Oh I think the glue job on the tire was fine. Just a freak occurrence of some glue on the valve stem mucking things up. Otherwise I would have ridden home.

Just a series of random bad luck strung together. I'm hoping I've hit my karmic quota for a while.

[Louis]

Just a series of random bad luck strung together. I'm hoping I've hit my karmic quota for a while.

You have my sympathies. Today was my first ride on a new rear wheel and tire.

I had a Velocity A23 wheel that I've been having trouble keeping true, and when the Michelin PR 3 25mm tire finally started to show threads I took them both off. Replacement was a Velocity Fusion with GP 4000 23mm tire.

Happily, I had no problems with either the wheel or the tire. Maybe it's my imagination, but I do think I felt a difference between the two setups.

[Uncle Jam's Army]

I can empathize, Flash.

Two weeks ago, I got three flats on what was supposed to be a long ride. I've had only one flat all year prior to that.

Feeling really good, too, before the first flat. Got only half the miles in I wanted before having to call the mrs. to pick me up after the third flat (only had two tubes, and the boot I was using wouldn't hold). All because I wanted to get every last bit out of a worn rear tire. Lesson learned.

[Elefantino]

I admit I don't care much about the flat tire aspect of the story but really enjoyed the names of the fellow riders.

I think I have been all of them at one time or another, perhaps simultaneously.

[FlashUNC]

I admit I don't care much about the flat tire aspect of the story but really enjoyed the names of the fellow riders.

I think I have been all of them at one time or another, perhaps simultaneously.

Names have been changed, obviously, to protect the innocent.

:banana:

[Spin Diesel]

Names have been changed, obviously, to protect the innocent.

:banana:


which one of the named characters were you?