Is that a little flint in there?
Frank’s maddening post about doing things because, well, because that’s the way to do things made me question some of my own questionable cycling behavior.
My sensi taught me to clean off my tires immediately after riding over something that might cause a puncture. This was done while riding, finger tips floating over the tread to dislodge any potential trouble. The front wheel is easy, the rear requires some technique, indexing one’s hand against the seat-stay. Did sensi mention the indexing part? I don’t think so, sensi did not have to state the obvious all the time. The obvious being: if your hand gets too close to the seat tube your hand becomes firmly wedged between tire and seat-tube, hilarity ensues.
Drunk people are not interested in recycling or redeeming the $0.05 deposit on their beer bottles. It is much more fun to throw them out the window, resulting in me wiping off my tires, usually a few times a ride. I do this and have not had a flat tire in a long time so you must all start doing this, except my wife’s bike roll with the same Veloflex Arenberg tubulars and she never does this and she has not had a flat in a long time either. We train together and she blithely rolls over the same glass that I’m madly wiping off my tires.
The conclusion is, on dry roads glass rarely punctures tires. I have found tiny wire segments are what sometimes punctures my tires, possibly from destroyed car tire radial belts but one never rides through a glittering, highly visible, pile of those. All bets are off when the tires, road and debris are wet. My current theory is the water provides enough lubricity to let glass and other fun things go right through the tire tread. I have no data to prove this; it might be standing on the side of the road in the rain makes a more vivid memory of getting a flat.
Paul Sherwen is always saying the rain causes more “flints” to wash into roads, hence more punctures on rainy days. I’m thinking, if anything, the rain washes “flints” off the road but in any case the wet causes the troubles. Again, Paul was a Pro but I’m one year older (we share the same birthday, I did not know that) so that’s a wash.
Have we learned anything today? Not bloody likely as I will continue to wipe off my tires as I ride over bad things despite no evidence that it helps. Have I cursed myself and my wife by mentioning our lack of flat tires, quite possibly. Does this mean I should shift my bike into the small/small cogs when putting her away for the night, no.
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What Simon said. Easily done on the front, carefully executed on the rear. Carefully, as I've had embedded glass slice through most of the leather on one pass. Not easily done on the CX bike, and why bother? Thorns and the like hide between the knobs.
With over 10,000 k in 2015 and still riding into 2016 north of the US border where cold really is cold as in more than just a long sleeve jersey and arm warmers I have had only one flat and only because the tire was almost worn to the casing ,with that being said I never wipe my tires although I do now and always have left my bike resting in small ,small .
Haha, I've jammed my hand not once but twice! Luckily only once at slow speed did I topple over, but it was only sheer fluke the full rear wheel lock-up at 35kph on a busy arterial route didn't result in my ending up under the wheels of much traffic - I managed to get my foot down somehow, but my shoulder, arm and hand weren't happy!
I find changing tyres prior to them being bald/perished is the secret to reduction in flat tires. Sure you're thinking 'that must cost a fortune' however a tube is $10 + canister $3....so a flat is $13. Changing your tyres over when they are still healthy is a small price to pay.
Tangentially related, but something I haven't figured out yet. Perhaps another intensive study of The Rules would answer my question. Perhaps just flat-out asking would be easier.
There seems to be a certain distain for gloves among some of the supplicants, which I "Frankly" don't understand. Back when my standard cycling kit consisted of a pair of red nylon gym shorts, whatever T-shirt, Nike sneakers, Aviator sunglasses and a Weyless cap, gloves were the first cycling specific addition to the wardrobe. I've always felt they served a useful function, offering better grip, some padding, protection whilst doing The Wipe Down, and hopefully sparing some dermatologic trauma in the event that you do get hand jammed between the rear tire and seat tube and go over the front.
So WTH is there not to like about gloves?
More confirmation that tires tend to flat in the rain. Less than 10% of my rides are on wet roads, but at least 50% of my flats are in the wet.
@Simon
Yep, the web of the glove!
Like I said yesterday, been doing this forever, last flat was a pinch flat I'll attribute to improper application of talc before seating the bead. Use the palm not the fingertips when sweeping the rubber. This lesson learned when knit fingerless gloves were de rigeur. Works on cross tires too.
Thirty-odd years ago there were still devotees of Pelissier tyre savers using them as they racked up the miles across rural South Auckland where I trained. About the same time I managed to jam my hand between rear tyre and seat tube while in a depleted and fatigued state. Stayed upright, but slid the wheel for a bit... Ever since I've only used fingertips to brush both tyres, without repeating the feat or getting cut. Once or twice I've felt something on the tread, stopped and found a piece of glass, and removed it before flatting. I'll brush both tyres at the mere sight of broken glass, and reckon I do better than most flats-wise. I do less than most mileage-wise, but that's another story...
Having got in the habit of brushing the rear tyre without reference to seat stay, it's also become an ongoing coordination self-test...
These are little risks I'm prepared to take along the journey. But any ride without cycling gloves/track mitts? Never. Madness.