Got a flat tire from a staple last week on my ride to work

I was cruising down the bike lane on Broadway around 7:30 AM last Tuesday and felt that sudden wobble. Pulled over and found a roofing staple buried in my rear tire. It was a tiny thing but went right through the tread and tube. Cost me $15 for a new tube and 20 minutes to swap it out on the curb. Now I check my tires every morning before I leave. Anyone else finding random hardware in bike lanes lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia_carter20d ago

Used to think flats were just bad luck or cheap tires. But after finding a nail in my back tire three weeks ago, then seeing your post, now I'm a believer that something's going on with maintenance crews sweeping up after construction. My neighbor found a bunch of tiny screws in the same stretch of road last month, all the same type. It's making me paranoid too, I run my hand over the tread every time I park now.

riverowens20d ago

And now I've got a new ritual where I run my hand over the tire like I'm checking a fine wine for quality. It's not working, I still got another flat two days later from a tiny piece of wire that looked like it came from a brush. I'm starting to think the universe just wants me to get real good at changing tubes in my work clothes. At least I've gotten my time down to 12 minutes now, which is a personal best I didn't want to set.