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10 Things Worse Than Getting A Flat

That unmistakable “hissssss” is the sound of the fleeting hopes and dreams of a flat-free ride.

By: Aaron Rickel Jones + Save to a List

There's not much worse than getting a flat tire while on a bike ride. Except these ten things...

  1. Getting two flats.

  2. Not riding your bike at all.

  3. Getting laughed at for getting a flat because you haven’t switched to tubeless yet. And then you don't even have a comeback because they’re probably right, you should’ve switched to tubeless a long time ago if you’re riding gravel in Los Angeles in the fall.

  4. Trying to impress some cute girls with a track-stand at a stoplight while on a ride with your best friend in San Francisco, losing your balance and tipping over because you couldn’t unclip fast enough and never being able to live it down. Not a true story...

  5. Getting hit by a driver who isn’t held legally liable even though they were in the wrong because we live in a car-and-driver obsessed society. (Too political? Don’t care.)

  6. Realizing you will have to work for 20 years to make what Judge Judy makes in one day for being a fake judge ($900,000).

  7. Getting made fun of by “real cyclists” because your socks aren’t the right height or your water bottles are from Amazon or you’re wearing the wrong color jersey for Tuesdays.

  8. Getting dropped on the “Chill AF No Drop Sunday Group Ride”.

  9. Being stuck in gridlock traffic in a car.

  10. Actually, nothing. Nothing is worse than getting a flat, but nothing is better than riding a bike. Getting the occasional flat is a small price to pay for two wheeled freedom.

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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