Rode over broken glass - odds of a puncture?

pinkteapot
pinkteapot Posts: 367
edited April 2013 in Road beginners
Rookie mistake - noticed the patch of broken glass in the road too late. It was the sort you get from a broken car light - small pieces but fairly chunky/rounded rather than the shards of a broken bottle.

To the more experienced here - anyone know the odds that I'm going to return to my bike at 5pm and find a flat? :(

p.s. Hybrid tyres, not road tyres....

Comments

  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 17,195
    if it wasn't instant you are probably ok

    before riding again, check for embedded bits of glass, if you see any just pick them out with something pointy
    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    As above if you didnt deflate instantly or notice any sponginess in the rest of your journey you should be ok. Although it may be worth popping out at lunch to have a quick look and check for any embedded pieces.
    Scott Speedster S20 Roadie for Speed
    Specialized Hardrock MTB for Lumps
    Specialized Langster SS for Ease
    Cinelli Mash Bolt Fixed for Pain
    n+1 is well and truly on track
    Strava http://app.strava.com/athletes/1608875
  • estampida
    estampida Posts: 1,008
    err 50:50 on whether it is still inflated at 5

    if the tyre or ground was wet there is a greater chance of a flat

    and yup lunch time assessment on flat repairs.......
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Do you have a spare tube and tools to deal with it if it is flat?
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    Nope because I only commute 4 miles. There's a train station half a mile away where I can get the train to another half a mile from home, so it's not worth the faff of carrying kit and trying to fix it in the car park. :)

    Alternatively I have a husband with a Mondeo that the bike fits in the back of who can be on rescue duty!

    I carry bits on longer weekend rides.

    Tyre and ground were dry. Tyres were hard as I pumped them up to a slightly higher PSI than previously just the other day. :?
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    You should be fine. Just check it over at lunch.
    Scott Speedster S20 Roadie for Speed
    Specialized Hardrock MTB for Lumps
    Specialized Langster SS for Ease
    Cinelli Mash Bolt Fixed for Pain
    n+1 is well and truly on track
    Strava http://app.strava.com/athletes/1608875
  • alihisgreat
    alihisgreat Posts: 3,872
    estampida wrote:
    err 50:50 on whether it is still inflated at 5

    if the tyre or ground was wet there is a greater chance of a flat

    and yup lunch time assessment on flat repairs.......

    not really.. the only reason punctures are more frequent in the wet is since more debris get washed into the road.

    It has no bearing on whether a particular piece of debris will puncture or not.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Also the moon is low in the sky because we are approaching the summer equinox ;-)
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    A sharpened spoke! That sounds a bit unhinged :shock:
    Guessing its a bladed one ;-)
  • topcattim
    topcattim Posts: 766
    Try letting the air out of your tyre before you look for any previously inserted bits of glass - they will be easier to spot and to dig out if necessary.
  • goonz
    goonz Posts: 3,106
    topcattim wrote:
    Try letting the air out of your tyre before you look for any previously inserted bits of glass - they will be easier to spot and to dig out if necessary.

    I was wondering this, thanks for confirming.
    Scott Speedster S20 Roadie for Speed
    Specialized Hardrock MTB for Lumps
    Specialized Langster SS for Ease
    Cinelli Mash Bolt Fixed for Pain
    n+1 is well and truly on track
    Strava http://app.strava.com/athletes/1608875
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    Thanks for the tips all. Just checked and the tyres are still firm and I couldn't see any bits of glass. I'll have another look at home tonight when I've got more time and better light just to be on the safe side. :)

    Learning a lot from these forums!
  • marylogic
    marylogic Posts: 355
    Good luck.

    I am amazed at the number of times I've been anxious that I may have hit glass (some of the bike paths round here are a nightmare) only to discover things are fine. I've only punctured once and that was due to something unknown lurking in a puddle. After that I got puncture resistant tyres which I would thoroughly recommend if you're into riding rather than racing.
  • hipshot
    hipshot Posts: 371
    Completely deflate the tyres and squeeze them all the way around to open up any cuts, carefully flick out any flints/glass with a large sewing needle, its amazing how much cr#p gets sucked in .
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    marylogic wrote:
    Good luck.

    I am amazed at the number of times I've been anxious that I may have hit glass (some of the bike paths round here are a nightmare) only to discover things are fine. I've only punctured once and that was due to something unknown lurking in a puddle. After that I got puncture resistant tyres which I would thoroughly recommend if you're into riding rather than racing.

    Only had my new bike a few weeks and I'm just on the tyres it came with. Whyte WTB All Terrain Comp 700 x 35c with Flat Guard apparently....? Not sure what the flat guard is/does...
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    I think the clue is in the name. Stops people breaking into your flat, obviously.

    Lots of tyres have some kind of puncture protection strip built in. Some it's just a thickish layer of denser material, other dearer ones employ a thinner lighter kevlar type.
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    I just meant I didn't know whether "flat guard" was actually something that might be effective, or a marketing fluff phrase. ;)

    And greetings Suffolk boy, from the Essex/Suffolk border. :)
  • pinkteapot
    pinkteapot Posts: 367
    Just checked the tyres more thoroughly and did find a small piece of glass embedded in the tread, so I prised it out. Thankful I have hybrid tyres with tread that's probably 4mm thick as it was stuck in a piece of tread so hadn't made it all the way through!

    Thanks for the tip, and I'll be checking my tyres regularly in the future. :)
  • team47b
    team47b Posts: 6,425
    There's two days Im not gettin' back :D
    my isetta is a 300cc bike
  • Mikey41
    Mikey41 Posts: 690
    pinkteapot wrote:
    I just meant I didn't know whether "flat guard" was actually something that might be effective, or a marketing fluff phrase. ;)
    It will likely be a kevlar band under the tread or something similar. It's getting harder to find tyres without some form of puncture protection now, though their effectiveness varies. I've only had one puncture so far, which surprises me as I thought the standard Giant tyres might be vulnerable, but they've proved to be pretty tough.
    Giant Defy 2 (2012)
    Giant Defy Advanced 2 (2013)
    Giant Revel 1 Ltd (2013)
    Strava
  • not really.. the only reason punctures are more frequent in the wet is since more debris get washed into the road.

    It has no bearing on whether a particular piece of debris will puncture or not.

    I've always been under the impression that water acts as a lubricant which makes rubber easier to cut/puncture.
  • estampida
    estampida Posts: 1,008
    Bike Radar wrote:
    not really.. the only reason punctures are more frequent in the wet is since more debris get washed into the road.

    It has no bearing on whether a particular piece of debris will puncture or not.

    I've always been under the impression that water acts as a lubricant which makes rubber easier to cut/puncture.

    yup that was my point as well

    it does act as a lubricant, and this is a very logical and reasonable idea, unsure why he is a thought fascist

    but its been obvious for some time that some people on here are bigger experts in things they know nothing about..........

    its weird that people will come barging in and say outright "your full of sh1t" when i'm clearly not....