op46
Active member
So was coming home from ACE hardware and just turned onto the road to my community and felt a side to side shimmy in the rear. Was going about 20 mph so slowed down and stopped and damn if the rear wasn't flat (kinda). The rim was sitting on the pooched out tire sidewalls and had not let the tire lip off. I was about 2 miles from home and my trailer was 45 miles away at my other house in town..... yeah, yeah... will fix that tomorrow. I have been building a tire fix kit including tools, irons, patch kit and pump to re-inflate but of course had none of that. Will fix that too. Decided to ride home on the flat since rim wasn't contacting pavement. Was able to ride the two miles in about 15 minutes at about 10-15mph above which the shimmy was bad and I was afraid the tire would come off the rim. As far as I can tell the rim didn't ever touch the pavement but will have to verify after I remove it from bike and see about why the flat and effect a repair. Might be a good time to upgrade the tires. Got new tubes already. Did put a little air into the tube which was pooched out a little on the side of the tire and it dump the air in about 2 minutes. As I was leaving the house I ran into the edge of a leaf pile in the neighbors back drive that I noticed had some branches with thorns and thought about getting a flat from them for a second, might have been a self fulfilling prophecy. More to come on this thread when I get into the why the flat and the fix, probably including some slime?
Next Day Update: So finally had time to look for flat problem. It was a one inch wire baseboard brad nail that had gone in backwards thru gap in lugs. pointy end was in lug itself. Thought for a second it was a big staple or U shaped fence wire nail, but was not. I should pay attention more to the ground around a hardware store me thinks....... See picture below. I pulled it out and now will look at removing tire and checking out tube which I suspect is a loss and eaten up due to my driving it home.
Next Day Update: So finally had time to look for flat problem. It was a one inch wire baseboard brad nail that had gone in backwards thru gap in lugs. pointy end was in lug itself. Thought for a second it was a big staple or U shaped fence wire nail, but was not. I should pay attention more to the ground around a hardware store me thinks....... See picture below. I pulled it out and now will look at removing tire and checking out tube which I suspect is a loss and eaten up due to my driving it home.
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