Stupid Decision (longish story)

[Louis]

I got a late start on my ride today, and I knew that I was barely going to make it back before sunset. I was 50 minutes in, at what was just about my farthest point from home, when I hit a smallish rock with my front wheel. About 20 yards later I heard that nasty phishh, phishh, phishh sound with each revolution of the tire. It was either a sidewall tear or a snake-bite flat.

I walked over to a grassy patch to take a look, but for some reason did not feel motivated to fix the flat so I started to think about just hitching a ride home. 1) I'm still not quite 100% because I'm recovering from a cold, 2) I had a longish ride yesterday, so I was thinking, well, maybe this is enough for the weekend 3) I was in a valley and there was a range of hills to the west and the sun was already below the ridge line so it was not terribly light.

Just the same, I took the wheel off and tried to pump up the tire to figure out where exactly the leak was. After messing around a bit with this I decided that by the time I get it fixed even if I start riding, I won't be able to make it home due to darkness anyway (it's pretty dangerous riding in the dark around here unless you have big-time lights, and I had none at all). So I decided to start walking, figuring that someone would give me a lift.

What I hadn't considered is that 1) It was a late Sunday afternoon, and 2) I was on a super low-traffic country road. I ended up walking (in my thin socks) about 1.5 miles without seeing a car in either direction. I then turned onto a county highway which I knew would have more traffic. Sure enough, after about 100 yards of walking somebody in a Jeep (with a bike rack) stopped. To make a long story shorter, because he couldn't take me all the way home and I had to do more walking before finding someone who did take me all the way, (Russ - if you ever read this, thanks for turning around and going as far out of your way as you did!!!) I ended up walking at least 2.5 miles total and now have the beginnings of blisters on the heels of both feet...

MORAL OF THE STORY: In most cases, it's probably best to just fix the darn flat and ride home. At least you won't have to walk.

Louis

[Ken Robb]

or wear shoes that you can walk in

[weisan]

This would never have happened if I am there with you on the ride. :rolleyes:

[Peter P.]

Great story, Louis! You'll be telling that one to your grandkids when you're in the rest home! And thank goodness you learned the right lesson, "In most cases, it's probably best to just fix the darn flat and ride home. At least you won't have to walk." I'd be miffed if you said something like, "next time I'll bring my cellphone." Cellphones don't fix flats or teach you anything. They just make your problem someone else's problem.

You're right about fixing it. Your other alternative, which I've done, is just plain ride home on the flat. Yeah; you'll ruin a tire and a tube but at least you'll be moving. And if you think you can't do that because you might ruin a rim, then your wheels are too expensive.

[Blue Jays]

"...Your other alternative, which I've done, is just plain ride home on the flat.
Yeah; you'll ruin a tire and a tube but at least you'll be moving.
And if you think you can't do that because you might ruin a rim, then your wheels are too expensive..."That is potentially an expensive approach with virtually any wheels.

[Sandy]

I think the real moral of the story is to plan your ride with a little extra time so that you will be able to get home before it is dark if something unforseen occurs....for example, I know a really nice guy Louis who had a flat....


Sandy

[BBB]

I ended up walking at least 2.5 miles total and now have the beginnings of blisters on the heels of both feet...

MORAL OF THE STORY: In most cases, it's probably best to just fix the darn flat and ride home. At least you won't have to walk.

Louis

I did something similar some years back. Went out for a shortish ride (about an hour and a half) and discovered after about 30 minutes that I did not bring a spare tube. I keep going deciding to risk it. Sure enough I get a flat. Have to walk downhill, part of it quite steep, for about 1.5kms before finding a place to call someone to pick me up. I ended up with nasty blisters on both feet.

[david]

think about putting some of those knogs on your bikes.
i have a white one on my handlbars and a red one on the seatpost on all my bikes.
they're so small you never even know they're there.
but when you get caught in low light, they really do provide an extra measure of visibility.

[Steelhead]

Sorry to hear about your ruined ride. I would suggest mounting a rear flasher at least on your seatpost, also I carry a Co2 kit, spare tube and a Soma Steel core lever, and sometimes a small pump in a jersey pocket, makes fixing a flat quick and easy and you can patch the punctured tube later for a spare.

I had a flat Sat. where a small sharp screw stuck into the tire tread, just outside the center bead all the way through till it almost poked through the other side. Had it been longer it would have. I replaced the badly punctured tube with a new one, booted the tire with an empty Gu wrapper and got back on in time to catch my club right after the turn around. When I inspected the tire after I got home, the pressure had squezzed all the remaining Gu out of the packet and it had oozed out of the hole in the tire. :)

[dekindy]

I carry a full size frame pump all the time. Mine has been borrowed twice in the last two weeks. One of the times was on a night ride after a tube blew using CO2. At least carry a mini so you can get the tube started and verify it is not pinched and the tire bead is seating properly.

[bigman]

This time of year I always make sure that I take a set of front and rear knog lights - best 20 bucks you could spend. Not for seeing but for being seen.

[pdmtong]

on the knog lights and mini-pump to get the tube started. C02 works great...but you can blow the tube or freeze the valve stem off leaving you completely hosed.

[SoCalSteve]

on the knog lights and mini-pump to get the tube started. C02 works great...but you can blow the tube or freeze the valve stem off leaving you completely hosed.

Thats never happened to me....How do you do all that? Seems using a C02 cartridge is the easiest thing in the world (if you have the proper dispensing tool).

Just sayin'

Steve

[pdmtong]

SCS
Frankly, I have no idea. I seated the CO2 head onto the valve. pulled the trigger, the tube inflated. While pulling the C02 head off the valve, somehow they froze together, the valve stem ripped away from the tube.

You can imagine my shock, followed by the realization of the obvious implications. A one-in-a-million JRA. Glad I had a mini-pump and a patch kit for plan B on the original. To make matters worse it was getting late and my wife and I were out on the tandem. At least I had company for my misery.

Just sayin' ****e happens. I've also had the unfortunate experience of having a bad valve core on a brand new tube and discovering this in the field.

As for blowing the tube...thats totally pilot error in not getting the tube/bead seated properly. Obviously the tube will blow if its caught between the bead and rim when going from 0 to 100psi. Doh!

Imagine our multi-thousand dollar dream machines brought to their knees by a lousy $5 tube.