Flats are a fact of life

Flats are a fact of life, I use heavy duty inner tubes, and they are three times thicker than a standard tube. Thorn resistent is their claim. I haven't had a flat in over a year since I started using them. I had two flats in two months before switching.

Keeping your tires inflated to the proper setting is a key to less flats. Many come from pinching the tube inside the tire/rim, from improper tire pressure. If the pressure is too low, it allows the tube to become pinched between the tire and rim when hitting a bump, pinching a hole in the tube. Besides it makes for more rolling resistence of the tire. I.E harder to pedal. I ride at least ten miles out, and am restricted to a time limit, since I work in the afternoon. I ride in the mornings, and if I get a flat, I do not want to have to walk 9 miles to get back to my vehicle. Pushing a bike with a flat tire, could get real tiring after the fifth or sixth mile...

A new spare tube, tire levers, and a patch kit are in my bag, along with Allen wrenches to fit the bolts on my mount. A small flat hex handle screwdriver, with a phillips at one end, and a slotted tip at the other. And of course, a small open/box end wrench to fit the ajustment nuts on my cables. Everything else is quick release.

I tried to amass a common sense approach, to being light weight. It took a while to figure what I needed to take with me, and I still learn from every ride. Experience is the key. There are some solid tips, from the more experienced, on the internet. Use your favorite search engine, and type in "cycling tips", or "bicycle tips". These web sites will give you many useful ideas, and start you on the road to "safe cycling".