2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

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2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby AUbicycles » Fri Dec 22, 2017 11:37 pm

This is the 2018 Black Cat Award - an award to simultaneously deride and celebrate people who suffer punctures.


The Challenge
Each time you puncture, document it here and your bad luck could turn to good luck because Australian Bike and Body Care brand Pedalit will brighten up your day... and your bike.


The Quarterly Prize
Each quarter (i.e. 3 months) a prize is awarded to the forum member who has documented the most punctures in previous quarter. They will receive Pedalit Bike Degreaser + Wash + Shine. It's Australian, environmentally friendly and ethical - read more in the BNA review of Pedalit Bike Care products

Image


The Rules
Thanks in advance to members Ozkaban and queequeg who have championed the Black Cat Awards. The following rules are an adaption of the rules which these members have created.

1a. To be eligible for the quarterly award, you have to register here with a simple post to note that you are taking part. This needs to be latest one month after the begin of competition period. For example, for the first quarter, you need to post here before February 1. If you have posted once, you no longer need to register for each subsequent quarter in the year.

1b. To be eligible for the yearly award (a prize is however not defined...) you have to register here prior to June 1. It is not possible to simple post "I've had 37 punctures" at the end of the year and expect to be eligible.

2. Every puncture must be listed individually or with some substantiation - "Five punctures on my 16km ride today, three from thorns and two from glass" is barely acceptable, but "I had five punctures last week" won't be counted.

3. You can only claim one puncture if you have not ridden the bike before discovering the next puncture. That is, breaking the valve stem off whilst pumping doesn't mean two flats. However, a double flat (both front and rear tyres at the same time) can be counted as two.

4. It has to be a flat to your bike, fixing someone else's flat doesn't count, and it must be on a bike. No car, pram, soccer ball, or blow-up doll flats please.

5. Flat must have occurred between January 1st 2018 and December 31st 2018 inclusive.

6. To have punctures listed in this competition, you must be a forum member or an immediate family member who has been the subject of amusing/scary/blonde moment stories on this forum. Or have slipped me a $50.

7. No post whoring, let's try and keep chatter to a minimum.

8. Newbie questions re. punctures and prevention should be directed to The Bike Shed. But here is a freebie on how to avoid punctures - if you don't ride your bike, you don't get punctures.

9. When you post your puncture, include a little story. And you have to include a running total of your flats otherwise mistakes will be made and you will have to pay for innertubes for every single member of this forum for an entire year.

10. All other contentious points that aren't addressed by these rules will be decided by me. If you don't like my ruling, read the last sentence of Rule #4 and ask me again. :D

Extra bits
- In the case of a tie, the member who had the most photos and/or best stories will win.
- Open to forum members in Australia and New Zealand only
- The prize is not transferable



Glossary
Fairy Pube : Piece of tyre reinforcing wire.
Caltrop, Goat Head : Tribulus terrestris.


Best of luck in the comp for 2018
Christopher (Admin)
Cycling is in my BNA

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby jasonc » Sun Dec 24, 2017 11:42 am

I'm in. Am sure cancan will be in too

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby queequeg » Thu Dec 28, 2017 6:19 pm

Well, with any luck, I'll be back in for 2018...and hopefully my luck will also mean minimal punctures.

I only did so well in 2017 as I have been off the bike for 9 months.
'11 Lynskey Cooper CX, '00 Hillbrick Steel Racing (Total Rebuild '10), '16 Cervelo R5, '18 Mason BokekTi

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby DavidS » Thu Dec 28, 2017 10:40 pm

I'll join in, hoping to lose. This year I think I had 4 punctures, appalling year, not one last year. Doubt I will be in contention but why not.

DS
Allegro T1, Auren Swift :)

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby V17L » Mon Jan 01, 2018 10:24 am

Had a puncture late last year. Replaced the tube with a 700x23mm tube as this is all I had on hand. Bit tight in a 32mm tyre but it seemed to hold air well.
First ride of the year, thinking nice thoughts of the world and good will to all mankind, when a mighty explosion and I'm fighting for control of the front wheel. Catastrophic failure of the front tube I had replaced last year. No prob's, I'm prepared, replaced the tube with a spare tube (right size this time) and then get my new CO2 catridge out, as I'm hip and don't need a pump. Well, the CO2 cartridge doesn't work, the pin is not piercing the canister. A walk to a mates house, reflecting on where I had kicked the black cat.
Moral of the story, don't be hip carry a pump. Also, use the right size tube for repairing a flatty, maybe the manufacturers do know something after all.
Happy new year to everyone

V17L punctures = 1
Giant Defy 1

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Kronos » Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:27 pm

I had a puncture over the Christmas break, popped a tube also. That was a complete and catastrophic failure of both the tyre and inner tube. Not having a puncture repair kit I did the walk of shame to the local guys at Venture Cycles in Noosa. They got me a new inner tube and a patch so I could get home and change for a new set of tyres. A couple days early so I don't suppose it counts but I'll register to be the black cat this year.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby cancan64 » Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:43 pm

I dont like this competition... I think I have won it 2 out of the last 3 years without logging all my punctures, although I have marathon plus tyres on the commuter wheel now... just needs to put commuting wheels back on...woops sorry chatter...I'm in
“Some say he isn’t machine washable, and all his potted plants are called ‘Steve’.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby skull » Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:56 pm

I am in and 1 puncture in

Riding the MTB at Mt Stromlo heading down boy wonder, launced off one of the beams and got some good air. The landing wasn't the best and came in sideways against some rocks causing the side wall to rip and blow the tyre off the rim.

Didn't notice the whole and put the tyre back on and filled it, gu and air blew everywhere. Thought I could be tricky and use the foam to fill the tyre and stop the leak then chucked another co2. More gu and air everywhere.

Walked 2kms back to car.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Philistine » Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:54 am

I'm in, and I'm off the mark with a quick single (or I might have run two).

I got a flat on Thursday coming off the M5. I had been pushing my luck trying to steer a path through all the truck tyre debris (it seems to be worse than ever at the moment - they really need to bring back capital punishment for truckies who drive on dodgy tyres!), and my luck finally ran out. When I came to fix it, I found two bits of reinforcing wire embedded in my tyre, but apparently only one hole in the tube. This I duly repaired, and when I blew up the tube to test my repair, I found the second (smaller) hole.

Does this count as one or two?

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby jarwil80 » Sun Jan 07, 2018 12:12 pm

Didn't think I would enter this award but last couple of days have changed my mind.

Thursday night was out for a ride and 4km from home felt the back tyre get wobbly. Stopped and tyre was a little flat but hopped back on. Rode another 50m and tyre was down more. Hopped off and started walking. Wife ended up picking me up. Took bike to LBS and had tube replaced and sealant put in tube. Was told either glass or bindi caused flat. Left shop happy that it had been fixed.

This morning went for first ride since back tube replaced. Ride was feeling good and not much wind around. 3km into ride felt the back tyre go suddenly flat and hear air coming out. After a few expletives hopped off bike and walked the 3km home. When home checked the tyre and couldn't find any evidence of object causing puncture. Tried to pump tyre up and as I am pumping air and sealant is coming out of the base of the valve on the tube. From my limited knowledge I don't think this is a good thing. Assuming tube is damaged at valve. Going back to LBS tomorrow morning.

Think it is time to get spare tubes and tool bag to carry on the bike.

Not a great start on new road bike.

Flat tyres = 2
Giant Talon 4 2015
Giant Defy Advanced 3 2017

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby kenwstr » Mon Jan 08, 2018 8:28 am

Lost count already. Been picking up thorns every ride. Friday, got a flat about 4 k into a 44 km ride. Turned from road onto path and nearly lost the front end. Swapped out the tube and completed the ride. Checked the bike the next day and found both tyres flat. So 3 flats in one ride. It's been happening a lot lately where I complete a ride but find the tyres flat next day. I note the location of the leaks and go over the tyres very carefully to pull all thorns. I line up the tyre label with valve, the pin pricks are all in different locations so it's not undiscovered thorns and it's not existing holes or patches leaking either. All brand new thorns every time.....(unusual season)

Have used thorn resistant tubes to no avail. Really resisting slime as it eventually leads to having to carry a wet drippy tube home in my jersey, hate that...... But I am about ready to cave on that again, Sigh! Currently carrying 2 spare tubes.

Ken

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Philistine » Tue Jan 09, 2018 10:15 am

Second puncture for the year. I came to get my bike out yesterday morning and the front tyre was flat. It appeared to be fine when I put it away the day before. I swapped out the wheel because I was in a hurry to get out and beat the heat.

When I finally got around to fixing the puncture, it had the look of a pinch flat, and I could not find any wire or thorns in the tyre. The M5 shoulder strikes again.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby queequeg » Tue Jan 09, 2018 11:53 am

Nothing for me yet. My commuter bike is half way through reassembly after an extended downtime due to my injury (DVT). While I was off the bike I decided to give it a major overhaul, then found a crack in the frame, so had to send it back to the USA for warranty repair.

Anyway, I see the Doc next week. He'll tell me to stay off the bike, and my 15kg overweight self will tell him life is short and to thank him for his advice. Hopefully then, my slow road to recovery will begin...and hopefully it will puncture free!
'11 Lynskey Cooper CX, '00 Hillbrick Steel Racing (Total Rebuild '10), '16 Cervelo R5, '18 Mason BokekTi

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Philistine » Fri Jan 12, 2018 10:39 am

My front tyre was flat again this morning. It was another pinch flat, no doubt acquired on the M5 breakdown strip. That makes three punctures in eleven days (it would have happened yesterday). At this rate I could be looking at a century of punctures by the end of the year.

I'm not all that bothered about "winning" an award. I had a vague idea (call it a superstition if you will) that by documenting the punctures on the forum, the cycling gods might realize their nefarious activities were being scrutinized, and would lay off me. It doesn't appear to be working.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Philistine » Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:40 pm

Puncture # 4 yesterday morning on the M5 - this is becoming repetitive! My back tyre went flat just after I had passed the M5 office complex at Hammondville. My overwhelming desire to hobble back down the road and smash all of their windows was topped by the more urgent need to change the tube. By the time I was ready to go, I had calmed down, and the windows survived.

To give the Motorway Authority its due, I ride the M5 enough to see that they put some effort into keeping it clean. It's just that there are more dirty sods (can I say that on here?) dropping the rubbish than sweepers cleaning up after them. A truck tyre doesn't go from AOK to falling apart in ten kilometres. If the people responsible for the M5 had any brains (fat chance), they would be holding random inspections of trucks and utes as they are about to enter the motorway, and issuing infringement notices for every dodgy tyre and unsecured tray item they find.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Mulger bill » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:34 pm

I'm in and hopefully off the back...
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Philistine » Sat Jan 20, 2018 12:20 pm

Puncture #5 yesterday, caused yet again by some lazy slob failing to clean up after himself. I got a pinch flat riding over a lump of concrete that had been broken off the corner of a manhole cover and just left on the bike path.

I was on the same bit of path a few days ago and I noticed a couple of workmen fiddling around with the manhole cover. My guess is they had to inspect the drain / sewer / gas tap / water tap (choose one) and used a crow bar to pry up the manhole cover, breaking off the corner while doing so, then leaving the broken piece on the path for some unsuspecting cyclist to find. I would fire off a complaint if I had any idea where to direct it. It could be the local council, RMS, gas board, water board, or some body I haven't thought of.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Philistine » Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:43 am

It's getting lonely on this thread, have I scared off the competition?

Puncture #6 on Saturday (another pinch flat on the M5). This was a classic "snake bite" with the two holes too far apart to be properly covered by one patch and too close together to accommodate two patches side by side. I had one unsuccessful attempt to fix it before throwing the tube away.

Puncture #7. I went to wheel out my spare bike on Sunday morning, only to find the rear tyre flat (cause unknown). It was fine the last time I used it (Thursday). The hole took some finding - it was a tiny one that would take a day to go down, and was probably another pinch flat.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby cancan64 » Mon Jan 22, 2018 10:13 am

Philistine wrote:It's getting lonely on this thread, have I scared off the competition?
Jan is normally my worst month and sometimes I would think I was a scratched record posting puncture after puncture, but so far (touch wood) I have had none. I do have newish tyres on all wheels but then it is wet here which normally brings the glass to the surface
“Some say he isn’t machine washable, and all his potted plants are called ‘Steve’.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Noviss » Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:05 am

I have been getting slow flats after long rides. Had tow in the last month. To find the hole I have had to do the bucket of water trick. In both cases the bubbles were barely perceptible. Thinking there must be a slash in the tyre allowing small shards of glass in I decided to put on a new tyre.

So, brand new tyre (Conti GP4000SII) and tube; 15kms into the ride and I hear the familiar click of something flicking against the rear brake housing. Sure enough puncture. Even though it was a hot day the tyre hadn't warmed up enough to come off easily. The new tyre was a bit tight on the rim but first bit of force exerted with the tyre lever and it snapped. Still had one lever so I managed to get the tyre off, new tube in and inflated. All good.

Another 10kms on and rounding a corner there's the click again. Another puncture. Rear tyre again. Luckily I carry two tubes but I am out of CO2. Fortunately, one of the others in the group had a spare cartridge. The new tube had been in my saddle bag a while. The valve seemed to be slightly gummed up but still worked but wouldn't fully inflate with the Co2 cartridge. Managed to get the tyre inflated with a hand pump.

Rejoined the group at a meet point with another 50kms to go. I reached down and sure enough the tyre isn't as firm as it was. I had had a gutful by this stage so nursed the slowly deflating tyre home with my tail between my legs. Pulled the tyre off and the tube had a small split on the seem. It had obviously been in my saddle bag too long and had degraded.

50kms, three tubes, a tyre lever and a brand new tyre that seems to attract punctures! Hopefully, next week will be better.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Philistine » Tue Jan 23, 2018 10:24 am

On Sunday and Monday, I rode my flat bar bike with 32 mm tyres to try to break the cycle (pardon the pun) of pinch flats I have been experiencing on the M5. Sunday was OK but on Monday, barely 100 metres on to the motorway I got a 2 inch nail through the tread and out the sidewall. Looking on the bright side, puncture #8 was not a pinch flat, and so my plan was not a total bust. Also, if I had picked up this particular nail on my roadie, I would have written off a tyre.

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby AUbicycles » Thu Jan 25, 2018 7:44 pm

I have the perfect 'puncture'... A slow leak which means that on my road bike before each ride the front wheel is flat and needs to be pumped up. But technically it is not a puncture so I am not qualified... and as the BNA admin think I am ineligible anyway :)
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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby find_bruce » Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:08 pm

My first puncture of 2018 - marathon plus couldn't stop a nail. Cant remember when I last had a flat, don't think it was in 2017, so I am unlikely to be "winning" here

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby V17L » Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:06 pm

Australia Day weekend started off well for me with a full soft drink bottle being turfed and hitting at me from a passing car. I was lucky I didn't fall off my bike, as I was cruising at 30kph. I did manage to give the two finger salute. Always makes you feel better, and in control of the moment.

I had changed the tyres and tubes yesterday. Obviously expecting no issues now. However, today the black pussy struck 2km into the morning ride, with the back tyre letting all its air come out. I carry a pump now, so fixed the flatty, no cause apparent. Another 8km down the road, another flatty, this time I found a thorn as the cause. Just as well I carry two spare tubes. Spent the afternoon looking online for more puncture proof tyres, and other bike parts that I absolutely want, but don't really need.

Some days you are the fire hydrant, some days you are the dog. This weekend I was the fire hydrant.

V17L punctures = 3
Giant Defy 1

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Re: 2018 - Black Cat Award (Punctures) - Prizes from Pedalit

Postby Philistine » Mon Jan 29, 2018 12:56 pm

Puncture #9 on Wednesday on the M5 (where else?). It was a tiny shard of steel - the sort of thing you might see on the floor of a machine shop! How does this kind of thing get on to the motorway?

Puncture #10 on Saturday on a different section of the M5. I thought it was a pinch flat because I had just failed to dodge a piece of debris. I checked the inside of the tyre (not very well apparently) and changed the tube. Sunday morning the tyre was flat again (#11) when I went to get the bike out. It turned out to be a bit of truck tyre reinforcement (fairy pube?), that I had missed the previous day. All three punctures were to the rear tyre of my roadie. The tyre itself appeared to have a few more kilometers left in it but I replaced it anyway to try to change my luck.

Today puncture #12 to the front tyre. I had just left the M5 when I noticed the tyre was soft, and getting softer. I did ride over one piece of debris on the M5 but the impact did not seem sufficient to cause a pinch flat. I shall know more when I repair the tube.

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