Mountain Bike Monday...Enough with the Flat Tires!

This is the typical scene when we bike....

And, again the other day before we even got started this was the scene in the parking lot...


I'm assisting (as best I can...notice I'm taking pictures and not in them) while Dynamo changes my tire. Those that know me will attest that I'm not girlie all the time, so I'm not afraid to change a tire, but my theory is that eventually after watching Dynamo change my tire enough I'll be able to to this myself. Yeah right! (Side note...One day I was doing some loops on the 2 mile dirt road we live on and I was about 1.5 miles from our house when my back tire went flat. I rode that flat all the way home. It was a trek, but it can be done!)

I'm proud to say that I am getting much better at conquering obstacles! The flat tires are few and far between now, but the other day it happened. I was riding along and things were going quite well until I hear this really loud hissing sound. No, it was not a snake, although that was my first thought. It was my tire...again! I think that at most I've gone through 2 tubes in one ride. It does get a little expensive at $5 a pop or so, but it's all a learning experience right?!?!

So, why am I getting a flat? This is why...

Because I can be like a bull in a china shop. Yes, I know...I'm rough. When I approach an obstacle I sometimes go thump right into the log instead of timing it correctly and lifting the front tire up. I'm convinced that guys are better at this because when they were boys they rode over stuff and jumped stuff. As a kid, my little pink bike never popped a wheelie that I can remember. So, guys have a little advantage if you ask me. I'm not saying girls didn't ride like the boys, but I was not a daredevil, so don't get offended by that statement.

Timing is so important I've learned. Like any sport...it takes coordination. Some days my timing is better than others and some days it's not. On those off days when I hit the logs a little too hard and too many times, the tube shifts inside the tire and eventually the pressure on the valve stem causes it to rip away from the tube and then...ta da...a leak! I'm sure there's a more techical explanation for this, but it's me and this is what works for me.

So, for those of you who have never changed a bike tire, here's a little help. If you have kids you might need to know this as well. It's just good information to store away. I'm so thankful for the internet. What did we do without it?!?!