[Fixed]

I think most of us understand the danger of saying things like "I haven't had a flat in over a year," or "These tires never flat." The very next ride, you are almost guaranteed to get a flat.

I say, let's taunt the flat tire gods (or whatever cycling/tire diety you worship/respect/fear), and find out just how strong flat tire karma can be. To participate in the experiment, post something like "I've not had a flat tire in 6 months, and I dare the flat tire gods to give me a flat." (or maybe just the first part) Then, follow up and post when you get your next flat. Maybe we can find out, absent help from Mythbusters, whether taunting the flat tire gods causes flat tires.

Ok, here goes:

I've not had a flat tire since last winter. In fact, I can't even remember the last flat I got.

I dare the flat tire gods to give me a flat.

 

[PdxMark]

Up until my last ride I couldn't remember my last flat, but then I had my first ever blow-out. The dollar bill tire boot trick actually does work...

OK Bike Tire Gods.. take your best shot!!

PS - You actually can wear-out a Panaracer Pasela TG...

 

[Reynolds531]

I have not had a flat since switched to Continental Ultra Gatorskins on my bike 2 years ago.

Funny story about the tires. I ebayed a bike and needed a box to ship it. I went dumpster diving at a very high end LBS and found a set of Ultra gatorskins in the dumpster. They couldn't have had 100 miles on them. I took them home, put them on my bike instead of Panracer Pasela TGs, and haven't had a flat since. The almight tire god led me to the holy dumpster and has blessed my tires. I fear no glass.

 

[old_fuji]

I've never had a flat on a ride. They always seem to come from faulty tubes while installing the new tires.

We shall see.

 

[Fixed]

no flats!

Still no flats! I think the myth is being busted.

I think most of us understand the danger of saying things like "I haven't had a flat in over a year," or "These tires never flat." The very next ride, you are almost guaranteed to get a flat.

I say, let's taunt the flat tire gods (or whatever cycling/tire diety you worship/respect/fear), and find out just how strong flat tire karma can be. To participate in the experiment, post something like "I've not had a flat tire in 6 months, and I dare the flat tire gods to give me a flat." (or maybe just the first part) Then, follow up and post when you get your next flat. Maybe we can find out, absent help from Mythbusters, whether taunting the flat tire gods causes flat tires.

Ok, here goes:

I've not had a flat tire since last winter. In fact, I can't even remember the last flat I got.

I dare the flat tire gods to give me a flat.

 

[JCavilia]

Inconclusive at best

Still no flats! I think the myth is being busted.

For at least 2 reasons:

1. 2 weeks isn't long enough.

2. tempting the gods doesn't work if you do it deliberately as an experiment. It's only when you sincerely observe, "I never get any flats," that they decide to screw with you by puncturing you the next day. When you say, "I'm going to say this to test them." then they'll screw with you by not responding. Next spring, when you haven't thought about flats for 2 months, you'll get 2 in the same ride, and there'll be a hole in your spare tube, and the glue in the patch kit will be dried up.

 

[Fixed]

oh

For at least 2 reasons:

1. 2 weeks isn't long enough.

2. tempting the gods doesn't work if you do it deliberately as an experiment. It's only when you sincerely observe, "I never get any flats," that they decide to screw with you by puncturing you the next day. When you say, "I'm going to say this to test them." then they'll screw with you by not responding. Next spring, when you haven't thought about flats for 2 months, you'll get 2 in the same ride, and there'll be a hole in your spare tube, and the glue in the patch kit will be dried up.

I guess that shows my lack of understanding of the tire gods.

However, I first had the sincere thought, but then decided to combine the expression of that thought with this experiment.

I know what you mean, though. It's those unplanned innocent remarks in casual conversation that get you screwed.

 

[PdxMark]

Capriciousness

2. tempting the gods doesn't work if you do it deliberately as an experiment. It's only when you sincerely observe, "I never get any flats," that they decide to screw with you by puncturing you the next day. When you say, "I'm going to say this to test them." then they'll screw with you by not responding. Next spring, when you haven't thought about flats for 2 months, you'll get 2 in the same ride, and there'll be a hole in your spare tube, and the glue in the patch kit will be dried up.

If this were really true you could use a perpetually-renewed test to keep the Flat Gods at bay as they wait for you to let down your guard. Being Gods, they know your true intent. In that case they'd smite your tires to make clear who is in charge of the tire pressure in your world. I think the test is a valid one to determine the simple issue of whether the Flat Gods will give you a flat just because you make yourself obvious to them. All other factors, together with the capriciousness of Godliness, makes it hard to make a definitive determination of whether Flat Gods exist or the reasons for their actions.

 

[tarwheel2]

Here is a prime example of the flat gods at work. My last flat was on Saturday. In preparation for a century ride on Sunday, I decided to change the rear tire, which was getting kind of thin. I installed the new tire (actually used but it had low mileage), and it went flat while I was still working in the garage. I heard it go psssssssst. Couldn't believe it, and initially thought I had pinched the tube while installing the new tire, so I removed the tube and inspected it. The tube was fine but the valve went bad.

Most of my flats don't happen during rides, but while my bikes are sitting in the garage -- either from a slow leak or a bad valve. I am beginning to suspect that tire valve covers actually serve a real purpose in protecting the valves because I never use the covers and seem to have an abnormally large number of bad valves. So, I put the valve covers on my tires when I fixed the latest flat.

 

[Chain]

Never spite the tire gods or your wife.... neither one will get you anywhere.

 

[JCavilia]

All other factors, together with the capriciousness of Godliness, makes it hard to make a definitive determination of whether Flat Gods exist or the reasons for their actions.

I fully agree, and I'd add that the same reasoning applies to all gods and other made-up beings.

_______________

May the Flying Spaghetti Monster reach out with his noodly appendage to protect your tires.

 

[BikeRider]

Here's another example of the flat-gods at work. I went to visit my cousin up in Colorado a while back. While I was there his son who mostly mountain bikes but occasionally road bikes said to me before heading out on a ride "I've never had a flat on the road bike". So naturally he had unintentionally damned himself, on that very ride he got his 1st ever flat. He was so unprepared for it that he wasn't even carrying a spare tube and had to hitch-hike back home.

As far as I go I've had flats recently so I can't even make any claims about not having any in a long time.

 

[Jesse D Smith]

I think most of us understand the danger of saying things like "I haven't had a flat in over a year," or "These tires never flat." The very next ride, you are almost guaranteed to get a flat.

I say, let's taunt the flat tire gods (or whatever cycling/tire diety you worship/respect/fear), and find out just how strong flat tire karma can be. To participate in the experiment, post something like "I've not had a flat tire in 6 months, and I dare the flat tire gods to give me a flat." (or maybe just the first part) Then, follow up and post when you get your next flat. Maybe we can find out, absent help from Mythbusters, whether taunting the flat tire gods causes flat tires.

Ok, here goes:

I've not had a flat tire since last winter. In fact, I can't even remember the last flat I got.

I dare the flat tire gods to give me a flat.

I admit, I was superstitious enough to avoid this thread when I scanned the topic title. But after 14 months and 3330 miles on Schwalbe Marathon Supreme's, I got my first flat.
I discovered it tonight. It was a very thin small piece of wire. The tire was not flat when I last rode it home from work Wednesday night.
Rather than bemoan my bad luck, I took advantage of the opportunity to rotate the tires, check the wheels for true, and get a reference point for uninflated spoke tension on a spare rear wheel I'm building. Plus, I discovered the nds locknut on the Nexus IGH hub was completely loose.
So for my part, I'm flouting the "flats come in 3's" phenomena. If I get another within a week, I'll take it as a sign it's time to install the new wheel, and disassemble, inspect, and relube the original Nexus.

 

[Fogdweller]

I'm in.

I'm in.

I, the Foggy, have not had a flat tire in over 8 months. I taunt glass by riding dangerously close to it, just outside the blast zone of broken bottles. I also no longer wipe tires after these encounters out of pure confidence.

Will report back next week or the week after...

 

[Fixed]

spare?

OMG, not carrying a spare tube is 10 times worse than verbal taunting of the gods. That's like guaranteeing a flat. I would not try that, ever.

If I wanted to guarantee a flat, I'd mount some track tubulars with hard glue, pump to 200 psi, and go for a long ride with no spare, tools, pump, money, or phone, after announcing publicly that I never get flats and I dare the tire gods to give me one. Don't think I'd try it with road cleats.

Here's another example of the flat-gods at work. I went to visit my cousin up in Colorado a while back. While I was there his son who mostly mountain bikes but occasionally road bikes said to me before heading out on a ride "I've never had a flat on the road bike". So naturally he had unintentionally damned himself, on that very ride he got his 1st ever flat. He was so unprepared for it that he wasn't even carrying a spare tube and had to hitch-hike back home.

As far as I go I've had flats recently so I can't even make any claims about not having any in a long time.

 

[froze]

I don't tempt faith because I won't buy Conti tires! Had the Gatorskin and even the up scale GP 4-Seasons with the Vectran belt and they all got flats on a weekly basis, sometimes 2 or 3 a week; but most frustrating was the lack of tread life at around 1800 miles...and that's if the tire survived!! The sidewalls are notoriously weak and rupture if you just look at them wrong. So I finally gave up and went with a little known tire called the Kenda Konstrictors. Now I ride without a thought to flats, and with the tires having 1800 miles they don't have any signs of wear...not even a cut? That's just plain weird.

 

[Fixed]

flatted

Got my first flat in a while last Monday morning about 5:30 a.m. 8 miles out of town. It was the rear tire, a Conti Gator Hardshell (sort of a super Gatorskin) of my fixed gear. Did not find the cause, but it went fast, so I suspect glass. Not sure of any tire gods causation here.

 

[Gnarly 928]

Speaking of flats: It is now prime Goathead season in the Pacific Northwest wheat country. I have been seeing those creepy little green plants growing dramatically these last few weeks at one spot I often ride from.
Last year at this time, some "helpful soul" went and hand-pulled all the Goahead plants out. But he tossed them into this little dead end road where I sometimes park under some trees, and he did this while I was out riding a loop. So when I finished my ride and rolled up to my van, I rolled across a few....like I had about 4 punctures in each tubular tire...

Watch for those...they grow very close to the ground in a long bright green 'ground cover' style plant. Once the growing season ends, they turn brown and hard and last a long time, until they find someone's tire or bare foot..

 

[JCavilia]

Infidel!

Got my first flat in a while last Monday morning about 5:30 a.m. 8 miles out of town. It was the rear tire, a Conti Gator Hardshell (sort of a super Gatorskin) of my fixed gear. Did not find the cause, but it went fast, so I suspect glass. Not sure of any tire gods causation here.

Oh ye of little faith. You dared them, and the event happened. Had you the least tendency to be even a little religious, you would be utterly convinced of the causal link now, and you would be at this moment burning incense in front of a shrine built of old Vittoria tubulars, and begging forgiveness for your unbelief. Unless you repent, you're on the road to tire hell, my friend.

 

[froze]

Oh ye of little faith. You dared them, and the event happened. .

I too durst thine gods, and yet I endure to tarry forth with nary a bloody flat, it's so brill.