2012 Black Cat Awards

[teak81]

Riding to work at 2 am on a tight schedule notice that the front of the bike was picking up a bit of road vibration. Stop checked front tire and it was about half flat. Only had 2kms left so decided to chance it, about 200 meters out from destination started getting the wobbles. Ended up being a small piece of green glass had gone through the tire into the tube. +1. Total-2

[silentbutdeadly]

Up to four now...all in the same week. Dirty big cathead right through the guts...on a fresh tube with no gunk. Rode back the 8 kays to the office on a very squidgy tyre...only needed pumping up the once...just.

I've swapped in a thorn resistant tube with gunk in it but the damn thing has the rolling resistance of a supertanker...

[silentbutdeadly]

I must have punched a deity. Up early on Sunday morning with the intention of a short loop around the place....hmmm 20km/h NE and 25 degrees at 6:30am...OK not much fun weatherwise but can't have everything...stumble out the shed...lower the roadie to the ground....bollocks...rear flat...that's FIVE in one week!!

So I went back to bed...

[Ozkaban]

+1 (1 total) for the year

Riding with the wife and kids around Lake Burley Griffin (my 5 year old did 11km on a 16" single speed kids bike before deciding it was enough, which I was impressed with...). Riding back near the hotel and heard an almighty bang. Wife ground to a halt with front flat. Found a sizeable hole in the tube, but managed to patch it, pump it back up and as we were watching a previously 'slightly suspect' area on the tyre became a 'confirmed split' before our eyes. A bit of tube pushed it's way through like a kid blowing a bubble with bubble gum and then popped much like before. Impressed with the volume of the bang! I rode back to get the car, picked the bikes up and bought a new tyre from Smith Cycles in fishwyck.

On a side note, impressed with cycling in Canberra compared to Sydney. Better infrastructure, flatter and shorter distances.

Cheers,
Dave

[Ozkaban]

Bwahhh haaa haaa! Still none for me!

And Ozkaban is joining us.

0 - Twizzle, Baalzamon, Max, CommuRider, hannos, martinjs, grantw, jcjordan, Ozkaban

Just noticed this. It seems you are to blame for my recent flat then

[twizzle]

Bwahhh haaa haaa! Still none for me!

And Ozkaban is joining us.

0 - Twizzle, Baalzamon, Max, CommuRider, hannos, martinjs, grantw, jcjordan, Ozkaban

Just noticed this. It seems you are to blame for my recent flat then

But unfortunately, as per rule 4, you can't claim punctures on someone else's bike. So you are still on zero.

[familyguy]

Current: 0

New: 1
Reason: piece of glass wedged in tread and worn through to tube.

YTD: 1

Jim

[jcjordan]

Nobody tell Twizzle but I had another puncture today, he is going to give me hell considering that I have been giving him stick for his tire choice.

Well thats two for me.

[wombatK]

One for me = 1 for 2012. Rear tyre has been losing about 20 psi per day for a month or more,
which I'd been putting down to a leaky presta valve (has a removable core).
Decided to investigate further/junk it, and found there was a tiny pin-hole leak in the tube.
And a corresponding tiny sliver of wire (about 1.5mm) embedded in the unsquared
off-center part of the tyre.

Tyre is a continental GP4000s which has done 12300 km, averaged one puncture per 3075 km over its life,
and 2900 km since last puncture. Pretty happy with that. Tyre is worn past the dimples, but still giving
great service. Think it's time to change them rather than push my luck.

Strictly, the tyre was never flat, but since it had a puncture, I'm happy to count it unless the adjudicators
want to over-rule me.

[sturmey archer]

On the way home from work, riding off the gravel bike track though the park into a housing estate, thunk - thunk - thunk. Stopped and checked, drawing pin dead centre in the tread. I pulled it out and got a K to a nice tree on the edge of the path where I swapped over the tube. Tires are Vittoria Randonneurs - at least I don't get punctures now from sand gain size pieces of glass.

0+1 = 1 for me in 2012

[NhiTrac]

Tyre is a continental GP4000s which has done 12300 km, averaged one puncture per 3075 km over its life,
and 2900 km since last puncture. Pretty happy with that. Tyre is worn past the dimples, but still giving
great service. Think it's time to change them rather than push my luck.

Ive got those rubber on mine for about 2,000km and saddly, it hasnt provided much protection going down the M5

[wombatK]

Ive got those rubber on mine for about 2,000km and sadly, it hasnt provided much protection going down the M5

About 25% of my total kms would have been on the M5 - and I can only attribute one of my four punctures to it.

Did a double-take on the wear dimples. I'd forgotten there's only a pair of them and thought the others had worn off,
until I checked a new tyre. Still got about 1/3 to 1/2 the depth on them (front and back). So I'm going to push my luck a
bit further with them.

Cheers

[vander]

While I cant be bothered entering this and I havnet recorded any of my puncutures I just wanted to whinge. I have had 8 puntures since Dec 26th. 7 of them this year. So sick of puncturing. The highlight was either puncturing on the trainer or puncturing on Garie beach climb and my mates not knowing and waiting up the top for me to walk up (I had already used my tube on a puncture earlier that ride).

[Jake]

Well, if this is how the year is going to go I am in with a chance of being in the top runners .

I did a nice 100km loop of Lake Macquarie on Australia day and got 3 punctures for my troubles.

First one was front tyre going down the hill in the wet. Carefulll!!!!!
Next was about 60km in, picked up a nice sharp bit of bluestone in the rear which wore it's way through the NEW tyre.
Last flatty was another km down the road on a lump of rock, causing a pinch flat which has really rendered the new tyre rooted.

And as I left home in the morning both my shoes fell apart!

[sdnelson19]

brand new vittoria open corsa's were going beautifully until 200m from the end of their maiden voyage.. hope this isnt a sign of things to come.. sharp gravel near roadworks was the culprit- i guess it could've happened with my old tyres too (which also punctured on their maiden voyage (maybe i should get a mate to 'test' my new tyres from now on))

1 + 1 = 2 (so far)

[Wal42]

Found a flat on the Trek when I was about to take the Pro for a ride this morning, leaking freaking valve, but I wasn't intending to take the Trek & it wasn't really a flat just the valve failed.

So +0 which makes 0 for the year.

[NhiTrac]

Hello thread, long time no see

Nasty green triangle glass this morning on M5 brings me to 8

[Kev365428]

Thought I'd posted my second flat for the year, but seems as though I missed it.

Happened on Jan 12th on the way into work. Rear was going down slow and I thought I might just make it in to work, but alas, it wasn't to be. Ended up being a piece of fairy pube again. Gee I love that stuff.

+1 = 2 in total.

An also had a third last week (25th Jan). This time in the wet, and big mother piece of glass went straight in the rear and stayed there.

+1 = 3 in total (AT) 336km per flat.

Kev.

[The_Eggman]

Thought I'd debut in style. +2

Discovered the first ever flat (I'm a newb) on the front when I was about to ride on Sunday. Busted out the tyre levers, and was quite pleased at how quick and seemlessly the first puncture repair went. Then 10km down the road I discover I made the newb error of not addressing the source of the puncture. Flat #2. I then parlayed up that error by realising I had now idea how to use my mini-pump (didn't realised I needed to invert two pieces to make it fit a presta - I was inverting only one).

Thankfully a fellow generously cyclist bailed my newb butt out (cheers Doug)

[coffeeandwine]

Found a flat on the Trek when I was about to take the Pro for a ride this morning, leaking freaking valve, but I wasn't intending to take the Trek & it wasn't really a flat just the valve failed.

So +0 which makes 0 for the year.

could you replace the valve or did you need a new tube? if a new tube, then surely that should get you off your duck?

[Wal42]

could you replace the valve or did you need a new tube? if a new tube, then surely that should get you off your duck?

The tubes I use are non-replaceable presta valve types, it was on the Superlight & I was taking the Pro, so it didn't happen on a ride, the valve failed not a puncture per se, so in the interests of fair play I wouldn't call it a puncture.

Maybe I should ask for a referral from the third umpire.

[Kev365428]

+1

Small piece of glass snuck into the rear tyre again.
Funny thing is that last night I looked at that tyre and considered replacing it, but decided to give it one more go.

Needless to say a new tyre will be fitted tonight.

Total now = 4 (AT) 271km per flat.

Kev.

[briztoon]

Well I had my first flat ever today (4 months proper cycling). Going around a roundabout at slow speed I felt my rear tyre slide out a little. Thought it strange, but I have been looking at my tyres recently wondering if it was time to buy new ones. Thought to myself, definately time for new tyres. About 100m down the road I realised I had a flat. Luckily I was only 50m from Rival Bikes in Wynnum, so walked the bike down, "Hi guys, this may sound strange, but I've never had to change a tube before, I could lose a little help". The shop assistant recognised me from my work (pub) and lives two streets over from me. So I got my first lesson in how to change a inner tube Oh it turns out my tyres are still good.

So big shout out to the guys at Rival Bikes, thanks for the help, and as soon as I have a Wednesday night off, I'll be joining you for a Thursday morning ride up Mt. Gravatt.

So 1 flat every 2000km+.

[teak81]

Same as last flat. Only this time i was only 500 meters from home.
Monday morning, hopped on bike after 50km run on sat. Pumped tires up on sun night ready for monday. 500 meters down the road at 2.30am on the way to work hear a sound like the brakes are rubbing on the rim. Stop checked front tire- Half flat. Rode home and jumped on the commuter. When i finished work put in a new tube, it ended up being another piece of beer bottle worn through tire into tube. GGRRRR
+1 Total =3

[Kev365428]

And to round it off for the day............

+1.

Don't know what caused it. Maybe a small pice of glass, but I had a lsow leak in the rear tyre on the way home, and to top it off, my pump wouldn't push above 40 psi.
New tyre when I got home, and a spare pump from the MTB fitted to the Gitanne.

New total = 5.

Kev.