Quote from: tekla on September 18, 2012, 03:47:54 PM
I always carry a spare fresh tube (and a patch kit too, just in case), mostly because 90% of my riding takes place in either odd times or odd places, or both. Getting a flat in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge at 3am puts me a long way from any bike shop and a 7 hour wait for them to open. Annadale is even worse. But I've found that using real good tires (currently on Michelin City Tires with Protek Plus Layer as my main use tire - I have big knobbies too, but only use them up on the trails in the rain - with either thorn resistant or slime tubes has kept flats to a minimum (and I'm riding about 100-120 miles a week - 80 urban/20 trail-single track %) - say about twice a year.
I should start carrying tools and a spare tube with me everywhere. NYC roads stink, to be honest. They're filled with potholes and some are uprooted, leaving a jagged mess behind. Drivers just never notice because they're in their precious automobiles. I never liked the slime tubes, either. If you are ever caught going down a steep hill and have to skid or brake hard, then the heat makes the tire explode. I've seen it happen. It looks like Predator got stabbed

. Also, knobby tires don't really make much of a difference in the rain in terms of slipping. I only use them for increased traction on dirt.
What sucks is that I'm still in school, so I don't have money. Heck, I use butter knives as tire removers. When I become an EMT, the first thing I'm getting is a custom cross bike. 27-speed, break lever shifters, steel frame, double-layered tires, disk brakes, and all sorts of other great stuff. Glad to see that I'm not the only bicycle enthusiast here.

Being poor stinks sometimes...