Under pressure

There have been times when I thought I was doomed with flat tires. There wasn't a week where you wouldn't see me stopped somewhere on the ride, setting a tube in a rim or pumping frenetically! This reached a point where I simply thought I was doomed! I would blame this on the ride itself (and the debris that would cross my path), my heavier complexion compared to the previous season, my position on the bike (thought i might put too much weight on the rear tire, mainly in climbs), the quality of the tires, the quality of the tubes, the wear of the tires!

I think I figured out the very main factor, since my rides have remained inflated for more than a month.

You need to check the pressure of both tires EVERY WEEK. I ride every day. I noticed that I lose 20 PSI a week. I need 100 PSI all the time. Checking and inflating tires every week, keeping them hard, makes a great difference. Makes debris harder to pierce through. It also keeps my rides smooth.

As a recreational rider, I don't mind a little weight addition, so I have opted for the Continental Gatorskin tires, very strong on the contact surface as well as the sides. They look great, and are tough. At $40 a piece they are not cheap, but are worth every penny.

Other than that, to avoid the nightmare of walking back home or hitch hiking, I always carry 2 tubes with me, a box of glue less patches, and a pump (not the tiny ones, often too awkward to use, but a full size pump, that I fix to the frame). This way I can ride worry-free.

Oh I almost forgot: I have had very bad experience with both compressed air cartridges and slime tubes.

This post applies to road bikes. For mountain bikes the game is different, since you should not put that much pressure in the tires to keep traction. The riding technique is an important factor, mainly because of the risk of these snake bites (double punctures) you get when jumping stuff like curbs, when the rim slams against the tubes. Anticipation and smoothness are a very important factor in mountain biking.

Have tricks to keep your tires hard? Please post!
JL