The Longest Lasting Tube Ever

19
Jan
2011

You aren’t going to believe this one….on Monday I had my first flat tire in two years.  Yeah, it’s been at least two years and over 20,000kms on the road since I last had to change a tube.  That’s like an eternity for a road bike tube.  I can’t even believe it myself.

The thought has been lurking around in my mind for a while now.  Each time I zoom past some broken glass or see a screw laying on the road, I think that this has got to be the time.  Well, that time finally came and what did it was hitting a big rock with my back tire going down a hill.  Something as simple as that and my tire changing streak was done.

Thinking back, I can’t honestly remember the last time I had a flat.  What I do know is that I’ve had my Trek Madone for almost two years and this is the first flat I’ve had with it.  I also know that I was living in Canada two years ago so I wasn’t outside riding between December and February.  So the earliest date that my last flat could have occurred is pre-November 2008….incredible.

What the heck are they putting in the tire tubes over at the Trek factory?  I’m not sure if it was the tube or the fact that I live a charmed life (like my friend Torsten tells me).  Whatever it is, I’m totally okay with my next flat coming sometime around March 2013.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering…when I pulled out the flat tube, what I found was a Cheng Shin. Serious.

Enjoy Your Ride

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14 Responses to “ The Longest Lasting Tube Ever ”

  1. PedalmanTO on January 19, 2011 at 3:34 pm

    That’s crazy! I average about 2 a season on each bike. I’ll bet a big part of it is the streets you ride and the upkeep of them. That and you are charmed.

    • Darryl on January 20, 2011 at 7:51 pm

      Whatever it was, I’m looking for the magic to continue in the future. The road conditions are definitely a factor. When I lived in the Caribbean it seemed like I was in Flatsville all the time.

      Darryl

  2. Meremoth on January 19, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    You should have put the top of you shifters in the grass. Now they will be scratch, so your life is not all that charmed with that lazy mistake.

    • Anonymous on January 19, 2011 at 2:46 pm

      Thanks Mermoth,

      I actually don’t ride with a camera on me so that picture is a stock photo and not my bike. But you’ve got a great point and is something everyone should keep in mind when fixing a flat.

      Darryl

    • Jim @bikerly on January 19, 2011 at 3:16 pm

      Sometimes I think scratches add charm.

  3. samantha on January 19, 2011 at 2:31 pm

    When I switched to Armadillo tires on my old Trek mtb/hybrid I didn’t have a flat for over 5 years. Those kevlar-lined tires may be too heavy for some folks, but for riding on the crappy city streets of Chicago they are the only way to go in my opinion. I hope your charmed life continues – flats are always a pain.

    • Anonymous on January 19, 2011 at 2:47 pm

      Wow, that is a long time. Thanks for your comments and keep on loving the bike in Chicago…even if they are crappy streets.

  4. Clive Chapman on January 19, 2011 at 2:29 pm

    You live a charmed life, end of!

  5. rorowe on January 19, 2011 at 2:18 pm

    That’s impressive. My Trek hybrid’s been going on about a year and a half, with only 1 flat (rear tire, of course). I remember this being a bigger problem when I was younger, but I also didn’t have QR wheels on my Huffy bikes.

    • Anonymous on January 19, 2011 at 2:48 pm

      Yeah, it’s always the back tire isn’t it?

  6. Anonymous on January 19, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    A few months ago (when I was actually riding) I went through a period of 3 flats and two cut tires. All on two rides.

    How do your tires look after all those miles?

    • Anonymous on January 19, 2011 at 2:50 pm

      I’ve had to replace the tires, but I’m pretty sure they used the same tubes when the bike shop did it. I totally forgot about that….maybe they put new tubes in at that point. I’m not sure.

  7. Tim Starry on January 19, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    I hate you. 😉

    • Anonymous on January 19, 2011 at 2:49 pm

      If it keeps me flat-less, I’m okay being on your hate list….hahahahaha.

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