Flat

[RojoRacing]

I had my first flat on my Vendetta. Front wheel, going about 20 mi/hr on a city street. A catastrophic sidewall failure on a very new tire, so more pop than fizz. By the time I came to a stop most of the air was gone. So, nothing unpredictable or scary, and no loss of control. Maybe I was just luckier than some, and no doubt ANY flat is an adventure on ANY bike if you're hammering through a curve. What it did teach me though - and others have mentioned it - always check your tires before a ride, and maybe even 'during' the longer ones.

Before every big mountain descent is a must

 

[Sonnybea]

I had my first flat on Saturday going about 23mph. It sure got my attention a sidewall puncture,in the first 2 seconds bike did a slight detour to the right but I made it. The one thing I noticed was un-clipping was a little scary but other than that it was just a flat

 

[DocS]

The one thing I noticed was un-clipping was a little scary but other than that it was just a flat

I had the same thought when I had a front tire flat on my Vendetta...
It was only my 2nd or 3rd time riding it...

Blessings,
DocS

 

[Sonnybea]

I had another flat on the rear, I prefer a rear flat over the front

 

[tojesky]

On Wednesday, I had a front puncture on my V20 and went down quickly and without warning. I was on a straight section of the road. I went back and looked at the second by second data from my Garmin 820 - I went from 19.6 mph down to 0 mph in less than three seconds - most of that sliding on the road. There was no warning with a squishy (scientific term) tire or any indication of a flat just before the crash. A rock chip penetrated the tire and tube and the tube lost pressure almost instantaneously. I had Orange Seal sealant but it did not work this time - the puncture was too big. When I pulled the tube out, there was sealant throughout the tire. I have had really good performance from Orange Seal in the past - it has increased my average miles per flat from about 400 miles before sealant to over 2000 miles. The rock chip in the tire is shown in the attached photo.

I have a bad case of road rash on the right hip but luckily my elbow hit the grass beside the road and only slight grass burn.

But this incident is playing on my psyche. This was my first flat on the V20 and I had heard warnings about instability issues with a front flat. I thought the sealant would help prevent flatting and furthermore, most of my flats have been on the rear. Most of the front flats I've had over the years have been pinch flats. I have over 40,000 miles on a CA2-700 and have had a few front flats. None have brought me down.

I bought this V20 in May and have over 2100 miles on it. But now I am seriously considering selling it. I cannot afford to have a broken hip from a crash like this.

 

[ccf]

When I pulled the tube out

Sealant with a tube?

 

[tojesky]

Sealant with a tube?

Yes. As tested in the article below. No reason not to.

I don't have enough posts to post the link. But you can find it here.

"First and foremost, this is just one test. It is well-controlled, but like all tests – it has its limitations. As we mentioned in part one of this article, we’re testing in a manner that most of these sealants are not specifically intended for – inner tubes. "

Tested in Slowtwitch_com in the article Sealant_Test_-_Part_2_4155.

 

[MrSteve]

Your bike is stable enough with a front flat.
Almost all the flatting, deflating incidents on my personal Cruzbikes were front (drive) wheel flats.
The first one I remember happening occurred during a long, slow effort grinding my Sofrider V1 uphill.
The effort required was suddenly much, much more. The front tire was deflated by a beer-bottle flake.
The bike was stable, with me riding.
The latest one was during a sprint, riding my Vendetta 1.5, on a 2.5-mile long flattish road.
The front tire pinch-flatted and deflated instantly.
The Vendetta was stable, with me riding.
No weird handling.
I had a front-wheel suddenly go flat on a motorcycle I was test-riding.
In the fast-lane.
It too was easily controlled.
So, to sum up, maybe a front-wheel-drive bicycle is as safe as a rear-wheel-drive?
It certainly is, in my experience.

 

[DocS]

[QUOTE="tojesky, post: 164315, member: I bought this V20 in May and have over 2100 miles on it. But now I am seriously considering selling it. I cannot afford to have a broken hip from a crash like this.[/QUOTE]

I had my 2nd (and most recent) flat on the Vendetta about a month ago... I was doing about 20mph and banking into a left turn when my front tire deflated from road debris. The bike skidded out from under me and i skidded on my left hip and elbow. It all happened so fast, i didn't have a chance to prepare for going down. My tires were about due for a change (they had quite a lot of miles on them), so I did and all has been well since...

I was a bit nervous for a little while after that, but i don't really know if it would have been much different if I'd have been on another bike...

I'm not planning on letting my Vendetta go though...

Blessings,
DocS (Rudy)

 

[3bs]

Dude. No reason to sell the v unless you are going to only ride trikes.

My biggest wreck ever was on my m5 TiCa. Front tire on a 451 has less air in it than a little balloon. I rolled twice, skidded and slid into traffic. I lost skin from my shoulder to my ankle some places to the bone. A few years later it still Spooks me.

But, I still ride it and my v20, and I am slowly getting my decent speed higher.

The v is no worse than any high speed bike.

 

[rmrlaw]

I bought a used Silvio a month ago. I have been getting used to it in a school parking lot. This past Saturday I aired up the tires and perhaps put a little too much air in them as my turns felt very slippery. On my third or fourth turn the bike just slid out from under me and I got road rash on my leg and arm, as well as a bashed thumb. I was so shook up that I did not realize the front tube had blown until I got home. I will keep riding but I will put new tires and tubes on the bike now.

 

[cranky cyclist]

Sorry to hear of your crash. I had many when I was learning to ride it. I endured and can now ride without difficulty. I also had a flat and went over in the middle of the road when I was only a few weeks into it. Since I have had a front wheel blowout and didn't go down. If you can do the tubeless tires you can add a liquid latex that fills holes of small diameter. You can also get inner tubes that will take the liquid latex.

 

[3bs]

So the Saturday before last on the first day of the AHD ride (special thanks to Casey, @benphyr, @DocS and @Maria Parker ) I am doing a 125 with a couple guys and I WHACK a chuckhole on a downhill right before a pair of climbs. The first climb seemed extra hard and the second was harder and the bike was a noodle. So I say to the guy riding next to me “this SuUcKs!” He says back “I can believe it, I am amazed you can even ride that flat front tire.”

DUH.

Only flat for the week though. 750 miles on some rough countryside

 

[bladderhead]

WHACK

Bent wheel?

I have never bothered with a helmet, but I think that on a recumbent your most vulnerable bits are your elbows. I crashed my Grasshopper and broke my right one. Every winter, when the roads get icy, I start to consider getting elbow pads like skateboarders wear.

 

[3bs]

did not bend wheel. carbon. didnt not frx wheel. did a lot of hurt to the tire. pure luck. oddly did not blow rear tire, which was on my disc wheel. no explanation beyond the CB gods knew i only had one tube with me and 50 miles to go.

 

[Mathew Fy]

After an impact, I’d consider replacing the carbon rim. I couldn’t find my photo (I think there’s one in the forum somewhere), but I’ve seen a carbon wheel blow. Larry was trying to seat a new tire onto Jim Parker’s wheel when - kaboom!

 

[3bs]

no marks on the rim and i still run tubes so low percentage of a shatter.

 

[tojesky]

Schwalbe has a new tube material development that may provide additional insurance against flatting and provide more security. Of course, more than three time the cost per tube but if it helps prevent flatting, it will be worth it. Better puncture resistance and if punctured, the material slows air loss. Search for it under Schwalbe Aerothan - I cannot post a link.

Also, I bought a tire pressure monitoring system which may provide some notice of a tire going flat and allow one to stop before totally flatting. It is called the SKS AirSpy. Data is sent to my Garmin via a Connect IQ app.

 

[3bs]

i am a schwalbe addict, but the price on those is nutty. also the stem is too short for me. a plastic stem doesnt bother me but it will require careful mounting.

 

[Mathew Fy]

I had a fall today, the front wheel seemed to just slide out. Checking the tire, it was about 1/2 inflated, probably 20 psi. It had been fully inflated before starting about 15 minutes prior, had been holding pressure well since the tube was put in last month. (I usually convert from tubeless in the fall when I transition to more indoor riding.) I checked out the tube and can't find any leak. I'm discarding it anyway, I can't trust it.