Hi all, this is my first post here. I bought my first raod bike 3 weeks ago (Felt f90). Coming from the mountainbike craze of the 1990's, road bikes amaze me how fast and responsive they are. I like the Felt a lot. The shifters are a little skimpy for me (Shimano Sora and tiagra), but I've gotten used to them. But hey! for $550 (on sale) I can't complain. Plus, I have a lot of technique and muscle ot gain before I can worry about silly expensive components.

Anyway, I did my first real bike "race" today. It was the "Tour to Tanglewood" in Winston-Salem, NC. It's a bike ride to raise money for finding a cure for MS. I'm did 25 today and was feeling pretty good about it, until I hit a pothole and a couple seconds later I got a back-tire flat. I pulled over, and got out my spare tube and CO2 cartridges. The guy I was riding with was pretty experienced and he helped me out with everything. I got everything on alright and filled up the tube and BAM! tube popped again!

I don't have anymore tubes, but the guy I'm with does, so I get one from him, and use another CO2 (I brought only two). I change everthing again, fill it slower (pro guy thought that I filled the other one too much) and everything seemed good. I put it back on, and spun it to check everything. Well, there was a bump on the tire. I guess the tread wasn't properly seated... So, I deflate it and have to borrow another guys CO2. I reseat the tread and reinflate, put the tire back on my bike, spin it, and everything is great.

So, I got about 4 miles and it looks like the tire is getting low... I pull over and check it and the tire is really squishy... Another flat. So, I pull over and wait for someone to stop. I take off the tire, and pull out the tube and start checking the tread. Bingo... Huge shard of glass in the tread. I get another spare tire, and CO2. I reinflate and the tread isn't seated again! I was so careful..

So, long story short, i had to wait for a support vehicle to take my tire away and get it fixed and then bring it back to me.

After all that, I made it back in 2.5 hours. Total ride time: 1.5 hours I averaged right at 15 mph.

Moral of the story: Always check your tire. Don't be in a hurry to change a flat, because it'll just cost you more time in the long run.

When you get the tire mounted after a tube change, start at the valve stem and inspect the beads to make sure the tube isn't pinched between the bead and the rim. That's what caused your tube to flat when you inflated it. I check this by pushing the tire to one side so I can see between the tire bead and rim. Go all the way around the tire and check both sides.

A lot of times the tube will get between the bead and rim at the valve stem.
When you are starting to mount the secod bead start at the valve stem. Once you get both beads seated near the stem, push on the stem. This will pull the tube out from between the bead and rim. Then you can push the tire down and make sure the bead's seated in to the rim.

Practice tire changes at home.

Consider using a pump instead of CO2.

Glad you're enjoying the bike, and you can probably count on the flat experience being a fluke. I've had months when I've averaged about one every 30 miles, but I'm at about 2000 miles this summer and I've only had one (I got in the habit of noting flats and other problems in my training log years ago, and I've just never stopped. It doesn't really serve any purpose).
Still, they're common enough that it's worth learning to fix them fast and right. I don't EVER go for a ride without at least a patch kit, levers and pump, and if I'm going any distance, I make sure I have a spare tube, too (I have two saddlebags, a tiny one with minimal gear and a larger one with combo tool, tube, wipes etc). A spare tube is always handy--I helped a newbie change one today, gave him my spare and brought his old one home to patch (there's no reason not to use a patched tube, by the way).
I second the motion to carry a pump, rather than CO2 inflators. It's cheaper, you can't run out of air and a good frame-fit pump, like a Zefal HpX, can run a tire up to 100psi in 30 seconds to a minute, depending on tire size and your strength.

the moral of the story could also be to bring a hand pump.

Hi everyone, thanks for all the advice and replies. In response to the hand pump thing, I bought one originally, and it sucked. The only one at a local dealer with a PSI guage just couldn't pump up past 70 psi. I'm not weak by any means, but I just couldn't get the angle right without worrying about too much pressure on the valve. I'll look into the Zefal Hpx. The pump I had was really small, so that might have been part of the problem.

I like CO2 a lot, and really I don't think that was the overall problem. Just not taking out the glass to begin with.

I rode 42 miles today on the second leg of the tour and I think I did well. The first 10 miles, I averaged about 17.5 mph, but by the time I got to the finish line, I had averaged 15.2 mph. I finished in about 2' 45. I was pretty happy with the result.

One thing that really started to bother me was teribble pain at the base of my neck. It was awful. At every rest stop I would adjust my seat and bars to see if that would make a difference. Is this something I will eventually get used to and it will go away?

Oh, P.S. in the 42 miles today, not a single flat. Go figure...

when you get a flat, note the location of the tube in the tire and check the inside of he tire for any foreign matter, like a screw, glass, or wire. there are some weird things along the roads. i once found a diamond ring!

Also sounds like you could use Armadillo's. Renders the whole CO2 vs pump debate almost moot.

When I first got my bike, I was on my 3rd ride when I pulled my rear wheel out of the dropout and poped the tube. I was about 200 ft into the ride, so took it home and replaced the tube. Went riding a week later and at about the 10 mile point by tire went flat for no reason. Replaced tube and inflated but it poped during inflation.

Root cause: I had actually put a small hole in the tire during the first mishap.

Lesson. If you pop a tube there is a good change there is a problem with the tire. Mark the tire where the stem is when you remove it for repair. When you remove the old tube and find the hole, go back to the tire and check it carefully in the same place where you found the hole in the tube.

One thing that really started to bother me was teribble pain at the base of my neck. It was awful. At every rest stop I would adjust my seat and bars to see if that would make a difference. Is this something I will eventually get used to and it will go away?
...

It sounds like your bike isn't adjusted properly. You are getting that pain in your neck because you are having to look 'up' to look down the road. Raise your handlebars to within an inch of the height of your saddle. This will take care of the neck pain and any hand sorness you may experience.

Coupla thoughts.

First, small matter. But charity events are "tours" or just "events" but not "races." Not a big deal but the right nomenclature will just help avoid scoffs by cyclists that truly race (of which I am NOT one).

You need to carry a patch kit so that you won't be out in the cold when you get sequential flats. Stopping to patch is a bummer but still a lot quicker than waiting for a SAG wagon.

Secondly, you've learned the same lessons many of us have about taking the time to check a tire carefully when changing a flat. Bummer, but my guess is you'll be good at it in no time flat.

Finally, the neck pain. Lots of factors. Proper bike size, proper bike setup, improving core strength. All can be an issue. But it threw up a big red flag for me that you said you started fiddling with seat and bars to get relief in your neck. First, your saddle position should generally remain fixed and should be set to accomplish a proper leg extension (to the bottom of the pedal stroke) and a proper fore-aft position relative to the crank arms. It should not be adjusted to address perceived problems with reach. Reach needs to be addressed by changing bar height and distance (with spacers and stems).

Brian McG's advice is good. Get the bars up for now (or for good). Paying for a fitting, even.