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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@DeKerr
I feel vindicated. And I had to work at juggling "lubrication" and "penetration" in this post without the usual adolescent male remarks, and it was work!
@freddy
Wow...that's what I meant to write.
@frank
Yeah, me neither, on the finger cutting. I have done it wiping my finger around the inside of a clincher trying to figure out what had caused a flat...oh hell yes, it was that shard of glass still embedded in the tire.
But on the outside, just light grazing of fingers, as Frank says.
What really matters, here, is that Gianni used the word "lubricity."
That is a word with a long and storied history, and there are reasons why it shows up here and almost nowhere else.
I have always wiped them, an always will. Just what I do.
@Glenn
Top of of your shoe?! Are you serious man? Your shoes must look like they've been run over by a thousand b-doubles!
I wipe, and yes usually nothing comes of it but occasionally I feel something for a rotation or two then it's gone so for me it works and I'll keep doing it.
As for the rear, I prefer to use the brake bridge as a rest and lower slowly from there.
Obviously we wipe them. Especially the back one.
Learned to do it in the 1970's on silks, expensive tires at the time. Still do it today and get a lot of looks. Never wedged a hand or finger, but have definetly dislodged what ever was in my tire and lodged it into my hand/finger/glove. Much cursing and bleeding and splinter removal later, proud that maybe I saved that flat.
@EBruner
A-Merckx brother. I have also heard mythical stories of people amputating their fingers doing it, but those are usually told by the dude who flats just after you clean your tire.
@frank
I've managed to cut myself quite spectacularly. Kicked myself afterwards cos my sensei taught me to use the web on the glove between finger and thumb and the one time I didn't...