Flat tires suck

I read Commute by Bike's recent post about flat tires with a bit of smugness. My last on the road flat tire was in 2001. I remember it vividly. I was doing the GOBA trip. I was between Wellston and Nelsonville. I was busy chatting to my riding partner and hit a giant piece of metal in the road. It went right through my tire and sliced the tube. I was able to patch the tire with a Power Bar wrapper and electrical tape. I always carry extra tubes, so that was an easy swap. It was also the first time I realized using a mini-pump while sitting with my back to the road looks a lot like I was masturbating. I still hear about it from friends who saw it.

That flat tire sucked. If you have ever been on a trip like GOBA, the best camping spots go to the people who ride the fastest. Because of the flat, I spent the night on pea gravel. To tell you it was uncomfortable would be a joke. It was awful. It was not as bad as the next night where the rain flooded my tent, but it was awful.

After that, I became obsessive about preventing flats. The day I got back, I ordered Conti's Ultra Gator Skins. I religiously checked air pressure. I started carrying two tubes, just in case. It must have worked because I have not found myself changing tires on the side of the road in almost seven years.

My luck ran out yesterday. I took the girls up to the post office to buy some stamps. My general pre-ride check did not turn up anything. We rode around the neighborhood with the four-year-old saying hello to everyone she saw. We got to the post office without a problem. On the way back, the trailer felt funny. I pulled off and found a chuck of glass in the trailer's tire.

I never thought about beefing up the standard tires on the trailer. I'll be heading to the bike shop tomorrow to figure out my options.

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