News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by PaulHoule on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @11:11AM (#36957003)
I quit riding my bike for exercise because I had 45 minutes to exercise but 50% of the time I’d spend 30 minutes patching a flat tire instead.
Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by Rebelgecko on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @12:13PM (#36958016)
You could try better tires? I haven't had a flat in thousands of miles, even going over glass and goatheads. If you really wanna go nuts you could get a tubeless setup.
Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by mrzool on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @12:21PM (#36958140)
Been riding daily for most of my life (I’m 39) and had to patch a flat maybe 4 times in total. Try thicker tires?
Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by nzrf on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @12:40PM (#36958473)
Thicker tires solved most my problem and would agree to try something more durable. Though no idea what type of flat they are getting. Also make sure to be riding at a good tire pressure.

Personally I started having quite a few flats with some conti 5000s for couple years. Decided to move to Conti Grand Prix 4 season tires have not had but one flat and pretty sure that was a pinch flat. Self induced pot hole I didn’t hop over.

Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by nradov on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @12:28PM (#36958263)
Flats are a huge pain in the ass. With practice you can get used to changing a tube in a few minutes but it's never fun and kind of kills your workout.

Here are a few tips. For training rides use thicker tubes and puncture resistant tires such as Continental Gatorskin; they will slow you down a little but when riding for exercise that doesn't matter. Don't try to patch a tube in the field; carry a spare tube as a replacement and then maybe patch the puncture later when you get home. Carry a pair of disposable gloves to keep the grime off your hands. Use CO2 inflator cartridges instead of struggling with a portable air pump.

I know some cyclists like self-sealing tubeless tires now. Those may work well for road racing or mountain biking, but they're not great for road training rides. I've had friends get stranded several times because the sealant didn't work as advertised.

Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by MostlyStable on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @12:29PM (#36958279)
How old is your bike? I had a similar problem with a very old road bike I had. I'd get a flat every couple of times I did a ride. Turned out the inside of the wheels had gotten corroded, creating lots of sharp edges and the result was that it took _very_ little to puncture the tube. New wheels fixed it for me, but a cheaper solution that might work (didn't for me, but could) is tube tape to help protect the tubes from the wheels.
Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by avidiax on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @12:38PM (#36958433)
Having "fast" tires on a bike is often a false economy. A little more drag is something that you can negate simply by having more endurance by riding more.

I run Schwalbe Mondials w/ tire slime in the tubes, and have never had a flat in hundreds of miles of riding, despite plenty of broken glass, thorns, and staples trying.

Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by stcroixx on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @12:44PM (#36958542)
Something wrong. I've been riding several times a week for decades and get 1-2 flats a year, maybe.
Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by slaymaker1907 on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @01:54PM (#36959704)
If you live in an area with puncturevine, either tubeless or slime filled tubes is a minimum requirement. People don’t do this and are then shocked when they have tons of flats.
Re:Bicycles: An Antidote to Throw-Away Culture by Beaf on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @04:18PM (#36962125)
I ride a hybrid and use thorn resistant tubes now. As my daily rider when I first started I was getting about 2 flats a week. After I made the switch my tubes last so long they fuse to my tires from time, heat, and friction.