Can Road Bikers ride on a flat???

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I saw two road bikers earlier and neither had a backpack and I was wondering what they would do if they popped their tire..I know most Mountain bikers carry a spare tube in their backpack and fix a flat stuff but is it the same with road bikers...I was thinking maybe cause the wheels are so thin on a road bike..they can just ride on a flat..just wondering..

 

[Greg]

I know most Mountain bikers carry....fix a flat stuff ...

:blink:

I can't believe I've been forgetting my can of fix-a-flat all this time!

:lol:

 

[Marc]

Most roadies carry tubes, levers and cartridge inflators in a small saddle bag (like me) or some just stuff them in their jersey pockets.

Or it could have been that you saw people riding on tubular tires (lace ups) so if they get a flat, they basically have to walk or call for a ride.

But no, no roadie in their right mind would try to ride any distance on a flat.

 

[marcski]

Just like Marc said, I carry spare tubes. I'd ride my car with a flat before I ride either of my bicycles with one.

For the road, I carry CO2 cartridges...as I don't mount a pump under the top tube and most mini pumps can't get the psi needed for most road tires. Although, I recently started seeing some mini pumps advertised that get 100+ psi.

 

[Marc]

Just like Marc said, I carry spare tubes. I'd ride my car with a flat before I ride either of my bicycles with one.

For the road, I carry CO2 cartridges...as I don't mount a pump under the top tube and most mini pumps can't get the psi needed for most road tires. Although, I recently started seeing some mini pumps advertised that get 100+ psi.

Mini pumps are a huge PITA anyway. It takes so long, and it's so difficult to hold the funkin thing on the valve stem. If anyone's making mini pumps good for 100 psi, they must be low volume pumps, which means, it'll take even longer to inflate. I'm with you I'll stick with the cartridges. Cheap, light and convenient.

 

[Mildcat]

Just like Marc said, I carry spare tubes. I'd ride my car with a flat before I ride either of my bicycles with one.

For the road, I carry CO2 cartridges...as I don't mount a pump under the top tube and most mini pumps can't get the psi needed for most road tires. Although, I recently started seeing some mini pumps advertised that get 100+ psi.

Mini pumps are a huge PITA anyway. It takes so long, and it's so difficult to hold the funkin thing on the valve stem. If anyone's making mini pumps good for 100 psi, they must be low volume pumps, which means, it'll take even longer to inflate. I'm with you I'll stick with the cartridges. Cheap, light and convenient.

I wish I read this two weeks ago. I inflated mine with a mini pump and it was a Mo Fo! The first 80psi were a piece of cake but the last 20 sucked. I thought it was because it's a cheap Bell pump from Walmart.

 

[KevinF]

In all the years I've been road biking, I don't think I've ever carried a backpack, camelback, or anything of that nature. I just stuff a spare tube, patch kit, co2 cartridges, mini tool, etc. in my saddle bag. They make some awfully small saddle bags. Some roadies like stuffing everything they need into their jersey pockets (a practice I've never understood, but I know people who do it).

Basically, just because you didn't see anything indicating that they could fix a flat doesn't mean that they weren't prepared.