Slime Time

One of the first things I learned about Arizona is to be wary of the vegetation. Apparently the "blade" defense mechanism is the only one that has materialized out west, because even fluffy-looking plants can get you if you rub up on them the wrong way. For example, the ocotillo in bloom has a false sense of security about it. Lesson learned.

This can be rough on other sensitive areas as well -- like your bicycle tubes. This past spring, Aaron and I spent 3/4 of our weekend bike rides either (1) racing as fast as we could back to the house as soon as we heard the telltale hissing, trying to beat the clock before the air ran out or (2) sitting on the side of the road waiting for his dad to come rescue us and our deflated tires. The culprit: goat head thorns, last but not least of the evil plants.

Aaron dutifully patched our tubes each time, and we continued to operate on the mantra of just-one-more-time. However, Sunday we rode out several miles to Willow Lake in the beautiful weather, and no sooner had we turned onto the dirt path, Aaron started picking thorns out of his tire. Racing (uphill) back to town to beat the hissing . . . I decided THIS was the last time.

Turns out, it took ten minutes and less than $10 to squish some Flat Attack into the tubes. Flat Attack is the original tire sealant -- born the same year as me -- and seals any holes in your tube as fast as you can roll over a prickly-pear. Plus it's non-toxic and a very attractive shade of booger green! And it's probably the only slimey substance on earth with it's own mascot. You can also get pre-filled slime tubes if your bike has presta valves.

Don't fall for the just-one-more-hole trick! Make your life easier and protect against flats with thorn-resistant tubes and/or some slimey green filler. No more flat tires, no more patch kits, no more telltale hissing ruining your morning commute or afternoon joyride.