Bicycle Austin forum

I had 5 flats in a single day before i realized my front rim strip was wacked. I replaced it, and all was fine.

This is the condition I had - the rim strip wasn't completely covering one of the spoke holes (nipples):

I've also considered, but never actually used Specialized Armadillo tires. Not sure how much they actually work, but fixing flats totally sucks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKCSGbWbPyE

I usually recommend to newbies, "don't get a skinny-tire bike!" -- because I'm afraid flat-tire syndrome will ruin them in the first week they have their new bikes - like it did for me a couple years ago.

I worry about this from a convenience/advocacy standpoint, but more importantly from a safety/security standpoint. I feel like bicycles should really never get a flat, ever - or, at a minimum, we need to be able to let folks spend a bit more money so that they can avoid a flat in perpetuity. And if we can't guarantee even that, then we need to find a way to guarantee that someone with a flat can use some kind of quick fix where they can get going again in a couple of minutes, tops - something that gets them on their way and can at least get them to their destination, where they'll be able to work out a long-term fix.

The whole notion that fixing a flat tire via a patch and tube kit, or with tire levers and whatnot, at night, in some area you're not completely familiar with and don't necessarily feel safe in, possibly on the side of the road, either an isolated road/path or an extremely noisy road, possibly freezing or sweating your butt off - let's just say I'm 'not in agreeance' that this is an acceptable situation. I don't think it's ok for wannabe-bike-advocates like me to kick that problem down the road and say, "don't worry about it". 

</rant> 

:-D