I'll chime in,
Yesterday morning I was riding to work and had a front flat tire on my S30. The tire (28mm continential) was low before I left so I pumped it up before leaving. I didn't think it was anything special as I haven't ridden that bike in 2 months, but it was. I got 1.4 miles into the ride, going down a short steep hill pumping like mad to crest the hill on the other side and it went totally flat and unstable. The wobble was major and then I was sliding on my left side (est from 25mph to 0 in 20 ft or so) the front wheel grabbed on the pave as I slowed down and flipped over to the right. My left hand caught between the pave and my brake levers and give me a deep cut in the smallest finger. I remember pulling it out of the pinch of road and brake handle to save it from further damage. The rest of my injuries are road rash up my left side in random spots and a sprained ankle which I have no idea how it happened, except that maybe it was the force ripping my foot out of the pedal cleat. (SPD's) I was able to walk home dripping ooze slightly. Trip to the doc in a box, for bandages and a scrubbing...
The only thing weird was before the crash I noticed my flag had a weird wobble that I could see in the shadow. I am not sure if it was because the tire was going soft earlier (good chance of this) or the light I've got on the pole causing an oscillation by it's location on the pole. I haven't had light behind me with a shadow like this since I put the flag on. So normally I can't see the flag at all.
It was pretty scary as the bike went from full speed to wobble to totally out of control in a flash. Looking back on it, I suspect had I been on my DF bike I could have had a header, but I have had front tires go flat without any of those issues on my DF unless I was in the middle of a turn. Which has happened and I slid into a curb and that tossed me ass over teakettle onto my back.
I suspect that the front tire flipped because I had to let go of the handlebar. There is really no choice here, the skin on my fingers isn't going to survive with basic bicycle gloves that kind of slide. I have kevlar extraction gloves which I can wear in the colder months, but at 80F they are way too hot to wear now.
I haven't looked at the bike closely but at first glance it seemed to have survived except for some scrapes on the left crank, and on my headlight (mounted on the steerer tube), the ends of both brake handles and the top of both brake handles. The chain also came off the front sprocket as well. I have no idea how that happened either. I assume that the brakes got the rash treatment first as I went down, and then as it flipped back at me.
Anyway at the moment of the crash I was like, that's it, I've had it! But now I'm not so sure. I have had that wobble feel before riding this bike, but never like this. And I have let it rip up to 37mph which is about as fast as I feel comfortable riding anything, my DF included.
On my experience level, I have thousands of miles on my DF, and maybe 1K on the S30 over the last calendar year. (Aug to Aug) I did hours and hours of slow speed drills in a parking lot before heading off on the road, and then first shorter then slightly longer then bike trails, then more shorter trips. My commute is 46 miles round trip so just by riding that I get a lot of miles in. But I still am not getting the full hill climbing power that I expect and I usually limit my descent speed to 35mpy or less unless there is a clear run out that I know is free of potholes etc. But mostly I ride 18mph on the flats, and way less up the hills.
Judging from the video of the V20 crash from a front tire flat this is not uncommon. I had been considering going to a 25mm tire but now... not so much. I don't think there is clearance for a 32mm which is what I have on my DF.
Anyway I'm sore today, my ankle is double the size of the other one, but I suspect in a week or so all that will be left are some scabs and that deep cut still healing on my finger.
