a deflating experience

I am going to have to bite the bullet and get some real tires.

I was hoping to avoid spending the cash on some good ones, but I am left with no choice.

After winter, I found an old set of Bontrager tires kicking around the house, installed them with some Mr Tuffy tire liners, and used them for a while. They were an intermediate step from the studs to some proper commuter tires. They rolled so well I thought I might keep using them.

Then I got a flat.

Thankfully, I was not in a hurry. They are a pain in the arse to remove from the rim since they are old and stiff and feel a touch small. I could not find anything wrong with the tire or rim or tube. I expect the valve just let go. The tube still held air, but not a lot.

A few days later, I swapped out the old knobbies for a pair of 26x1.5 Continental slicks we have that used to be on my wife's recumbent. Great tires. Nice and fast. Used them twice.

Got a flat.

Hit a minor bump. Pinched the tube or something. The rubber is not that thick on these tires. Oh, and the bike was not loaded down at all. Again, nothing in the tire, nothing in the tube, no holes, nothing. But it would not hold air. 

You have to understand something.

I don't get flats. I just don't get them for whatever reason. I can go well over 15 000km between flats.
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This winter, spear of glass went through a tire.

One flat.

Bad luck. First flat in a year at least (had one two winters ago - someone threw flint on a bike path. Bad luck. Prior to that, last flat was a number of years of heavy riding ago.)

Add to that two flats in the last week...
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I have an old pair of Schwalbe Marathon tires. The original ones. They have seen over 5000km of use. Use that was partially loaded commuting, partially pavement, but mostly gravel and mud rail trail riding. 1000s of km of gravel use.

No flats.

They are about 3/4 burned out.

But no flats.

Ever.
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So tomorrow, I am to haul myself off to my LBS and get a set of 26 x 1.5-1.75 Schwalbe Marathon tires, which ever size they have of whatever Marathon they have in stock.

I should have known better.

Just use the Schwalbes.

Don't kid yourself.