Sometimes our quick tips are so deceptively simple that you just shake your head and mumble to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
Such is the case with this tip originally sent to us by Steve Shepherd. Here’s what he wrote:
“I carry a small cotton ball in my seat bag. If I have a flat, I can sweep the inside of the tire with the cotton ball to see if a piece of glass, thorn, or similar hazard is still penetrating the carcass.
“If there is something, it will snag a small piece of cotton. This is a much better alternative to a bloody finger in determining if there is something in the tire that will soon flat your new tube.”
Terrific idea!
Most riders are wearing the perfect thing to use to check the inside of tires for sharp objects – their gloves. Just remove one and use it to slide around inside the tire. Be sure to slide it around in both directions since sharps can go in at an angle and won’t snag the glove except in one direction.
Jim
yup gloves
Wow! That is a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
If you have kids you have plenty of single socks floating around your house. Use one to hold your spare tube, fold it back on itself and slide your tire levers, CO2 cartridges , etc inside. Put this in your seat pack. When you have a flat, take everything out, slide the sock over your hand to act as a glove/rag/thorn finder. Works great. Afterwards pack everything back up and continue the ride.
Not about flats, but here goes.
To clean white bar tape, use a “Magic Eraser” pad. Works pretty well.