Coping with flat problems

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
December 29, 2017

I had two flats when I biked last Wednesday at Calumpang diversion.  Blame it on the rain:   you cant see the broken glass and the broken glass.  Why cant the LGU or DPWH clean the road of broken glass debris.

It was miserable day for me.   Fixing the flat, then being flat again.  And looking for bike shop and vulcanizing shop. (And even heckled by a Vulcanizing shop owner that I should have brand new tires and interior, instead of attending my problem -  some souls could be so cruel and inconsiderate)   Hailing tricycles or jeepneys to take me  home, to be rebuffed.  I had all ready walked two km until Tito Fabay saw me on a motorcycle.   He hitched me, initially I put the bike up my shoulder.  It was tiring though then I just pulled along side to roll  (pretty risky and daunting too when he overtakes and or stops)

And so I had  to fix the flat:

1.  First, I bought an extra interior tube to replace the punctured interior (as a response to the haughty vulcanizing shop owner)

2.  Then I removed the exterior, (a Continental GP)   and was difficult to remove because my tire levers were broken.   And searched for offending objects. And there it was, a long sliver of broken glass which I failed to feel after the initial flat.  It was difficult to remove because it was embedded in the rubber.

3.  I patched the two interiors with holes using dry patch.  I was not in the mood to go to a vulcanizing shop because it was still raining.   One thing that I learned from vulcanizing shops is that dry patch usually work on exterior (of cars) because  they do not move during inflation..  But as you inflate the interior, it expands and weakens the patch adhesion to the interior.  And so what I did was to do the patch after the interior was inflated.

Lo and behold the patch was successful. and my problem with flat was over. (The obnoxious vulcanizing shop owner was mistaken sayang ang business niya sa akin albeit small)

I thought:  I had to replace the conti tires,  I would avoid riding in the rain again.  I would like to ride at the middle of the road to avoid the broken glass;  I had to make  soc media comments on broken glass.
But not need to do that, I was able to fix the flat.   I am ready to ride again with courage.