Flats, Flats, Flats – WTF???
It’s been an interesting season so far – I’ve been plagued with flats.
Here’s the rundown:
June 26 – Flatted on my FS (using tubes) pre-riding the FC50 course
July 4 – 2 pinch flats on my FS (using tubes) during the FC50 race
July 18 – 1 pinch flat on my SS (using tubes) pre-riding the WP Point-to-Point course
July 19th – went tubeless – supposedly this would solve all my problems
July 22 – flatted by tearing a hole in the sidewall of my tubeless tire while riding my SS during the WP P2P race
Aug 9 – flatted due to a rip in the bottom of my brand new tubeless tire while riding my SS
This is friggin’ ridiculous! I’m at my wits end!
Last night was the SMC Penn Gulch Grind. I did this race 2 years ago and it’s a great course. Last year it conflicted with my 3rd annual crit awards so I couldn’t make it.
This year I decided to give it a go on my SingleSpeed and race against the geared Sport women to see how it would shake out.
It starts off with a 1.5 graded road climb, then a 2 mile singletrack climb, then a 2 mile graded road climb – then a 6 mile descent through jeep road and single track. It’s a tricky course for a SS as some of the Singletrack and road portions are ‘big ring’ friendly. But what the heck – I’m always up for a challenge.
I start off around mid-pack unable to keep up with the faster girls - tho I kept them in sight for 3.5miles. through the singletrack climb I battled it out with another geared Sport girl – with me passing when the course got steeper and she passing when the trail leveled out. She passed me on the singletrack ‘big ring’ friendly portion – I was totally spun out on this – but then passed her back on the 2 mile graded road climb and was able to put some distance between us.
The descent is a fun mix of singletrack and jeep road interspersed with large mud puddles and creek crossings to keep it interesting.
The girl I had been battling it out with passed me on the jeep road portion and I was spun out and unable to keep up. I lost a ton of time on the descent due to gearing – I barely touched my brakes but I knew I was losing ground as 2 women cranked by me in their big rings. Then I hit a downhill paved portion where a heavier woman passed me – I was tucked in as aero as possible but she had the weight advantage and the gears. We hit the singletrack and I made up most of the ground I had lost on the uphill and I was right on her tail looking for a place to pass her back when I felt my rear tire go mushy. Uggghhhh!!!!! I stop and shoot some C02 in and I hear it leaking out – I hop back on the bike but my rear tire was so low it was very sketchy on the rocky descent. I stop again and see I have about a ¼ inch gash on the bottom of my tire and it’s too big for Stan’s to seal it. I was low on C02 and I was 1 mile from the finish – I saw a friend of mine, Mike on the side of the trail and he pointed me to a shortcut. I DNFd by riding the road back to the race start.
So here I sit – with my last 3 races having flats. Guess it’s time to keep the air pressure at 30psi or greater…sigh….
Here’s the rundown:
June 26 – Flatted on my FS (using tubes) pre-riding the FC50 course
July 4 – 2 pinch flats on my FS (using tubes) during the FC50 race
July 18 – 1 pinch flat on my SS (using tubes) pre-riding the WP Point-to-Point course
July 19th – went tubeless – supposedly this would solve all my problems
July 22 – flatted by tearing a hole in the sidewall of my tubeless tire while riding my SS during the WP P2P race
Aug 9 – flatted due to a rip in the bottom of my brand new tubeless tire while riding my SS
This is friggin’ ridiculous! I’m at my wits end!
Last night was the SMC Penn Gulch Grind. I did this race 2 years ago and it’s a great course. Last year it conflicted with my 3rd annual crit awards so I couldn’t make it.
This year I decided to give it a go on my SingleSpeed and race against the geared Sport women to see how it would shake out.
It starts off with a 1.5 graded road climb, then a 2 mile singletrack climb, then a 2 mile graded road climb – then a 6 mile descent through jeep road and single track. It’s a tricky course for a SS as some of the Singletrack and road portions are ‘big ring’ friendly. But what the heck – I’m always up for a challenge.
I start off around mid-pack unable to keep up with the faster girls - tho I kept them in sight for 3.5miles. through the singletrack climb I battled it out with another geared Sport girl – with me passing when the course got steeper and she passing when the trail leveled out. She passed me on the singletrack ‘big ring’ friendly portion – I was totally spun out on this – but then passed her back on the 2 mile graded road climb and was able to put some distance between us.
The descent is a fun mix of singletrack and jeep road interspersed with large mud puddles and creek crossings to keep it interesting.
The girl I had been battling it out with passed me on the jeep road portion and I was spun out and unable to keep up. I lost a ton of time on the descent due to gearing – I barely touched my brakes but I knew I was losing ground as 2 women cranked by me in their big rings. Then I hit a downhill paved portion where a heavier woman passed me – I was tucked in as aero as possible but she had the weight advantage and the gears. We hit the singletrack and I made up most of the ground I had lost on the uphill and I was right on her tail looking for a place to pass her back when I felt my rear tire go mushy. Uggghhhh!!!!! I stop and shoot some C02 in and I hear it leaking out – I hop back on the bike but my rear tire was so low it was very sketchy on the rocky descent. I stop again and see I have about a ¼ inch gash on the bottom of my tire and it’s too big for Stan’s to seal it. I was low on C02 and I was 1 mile from the finish – I saw a friend of mine, Mike on the side of the trail and he pointed me to a shortcut. I DNFd by riding the road back to the race start.
So here I sit – with my last 3 races having flats. Guess it’s time to keep the air pressure at 30psi or greater…sigh….
Comments
Although it wouldn't help with pinch flats or torn tires, so nevermind...see ya