It’s a fact of life: if you do a lot of riding, you are going to get flat tires.

Every year at Interbike there are a few companies touting their flat-less, non-pneumatic tires that are going to revolutionize cycling by eliminating the dreaded flat tire. Despite the claims, these innovations never seem to catch on and the 100 (plus) year old technology of the pneumatic tire roles on.

Which leads us back to the flat. In a typical year, my wife, professional triathlete Paolina Allan and I get on average two to three on-the-road flats every year. This past year, Paolina had two on one day—one going up Mt. Lemmon in Tucson, and another coming down. (The picture above is me changing number two, caused by a small razor-sharp piece of scrap metal that went right through the tire.)

Mine came the day we road the Ironman Canada bike course in August. I ran over a metal screw that perfectly punctured the tire. In all three instances the changeover to a new tube was made quickly, and we were on our way in a few minutes.

On message boards and forums I see many triathletes and cyclists complaining of flats. Here are my six tips, from years of riding, for avoiding flats.

1. Ride on the best rubber you can afford. I see people riding $5,000 bikes and really cheap tires. Upgrade your rubber and it’s win-win: Better rides and fewer flats.

2. Make sure your tires are installed properly. It’s not difficult, and should be a basic skill. Know how to do it at home and on the side of the road, and practice it. Park Tool offers an outstanding guide to changing your clinchers, if you haven’t already perfected it.

3. Check tire inflation and pressure before every ride. Buy and use a good floor pump for home use and for on-the-road know how to use a Co2 cartridge (always carry two) or mini pump.

4. Check your tires over carefully between rides. Look for cuts and small pieces of glass and metal imbedded in the tread/tire. Use a pin to dig the small things out of the rubber.

5. While riding, scan the road ahead for obvious culprits. If you’re on a group ride, alert riders behind you to potential issues. Don’t get too obsessed about this, as you also need to focus on riding and other things.

6. Find a tire and rim/wheel combination that goes on and off easily for both your everyday wheels and your race wheels. Some combos are terrible and require the strength of three men to make a change. (We’ve had great success with the Vittoria EVO CX tires. These clincher tires are on the pricey side, but they meet all of my key tire criteria:

- Have amazing feel for the road.
- Roll straight and true and offer fantastic grip in corners.
- Despite claims of others, reasonably durable. Again, only three flats last year!
- Go on and off our regularly used wheels very easily.
- Are readily available in most good bike shops.

Despite all of this, flats happen. Be ready for them, and don’t sweat it. Make the change, and get on with the ride.

_____________________________

Steve Fleck competed in his first triathlon in 1981 and still has his prized 3rd place medal from that momentous day. Since then he’s been involved in the sport of triathlon at one level or another for 30 years as an elite athlete, writer, media sales-guy, coach, adviser, commentator, race announcer, and product sales manager. He lives in Aurora, Ontario with his wife, son and their dog, Gravy.