PedallingATX

I can change out a tube in 5 minutes. Probably not much quicker than that, but definitely around the 5 minute mark.

OP- detonators might not be the best tire out there, but they should be fine. I went 2.5 months without flats on Michelin Speediums (worst tires ever) and Detonators are WAY better than Speediums. I definitely think you had a small piece of something caught on the inside of the tire.

If you are planning to buy new tires soon, I recommend gatorskins. They are only ~ $27 from probikekit.com. They are really good at not picking up flats and they roll relatively nice. Nothing like GP4s or Evo Corsas, but they are decently fast and you never have to worry. I have them on both my bikes and for that price there is no better bang for ur buck.

das_pyrate

everwears are pretty good, but sometimes have sidewall issues. i'd say armadillos maybe.

PedallingATX

dillos are indestructable, but they don't ride well. They are heavy and slippery in the corners. But, they won't get flats and will last forever.

Everwears aren't good tires, IMO. Too heavy and the whole thing is a gimick. Sure, they may last forever, but they will square and ride like crap. Personally, I would rather just buy a new tire rather than ride a squared up everwear.

jakerock

Well... Going from flat / f'ed to rolling again in five minutes is inspiring to me!
Awesome.

jpdesjar

good rim tape and some randonneurs
i rode the detonators on my steamroller for a while...they were alright as long as i kept checking the pressure, i remember getting a couple pinch flats

icyclist 

Specialized Armadillo Elites - not cheap, but they rarely flat, and they're reasonably light, given the amount of protection they offer.

ianjk

Survival skill for remote area winter riding. Getting back in business before body temp drops and hands freeze. Record is probably in the 5 min. range on a day well below 0F.

i2oss

i just got my cog put on today and was riding around town taking in my first fixed gear moments loving the speed, control and freedom i had. then i went to go up a curb and got and flat and bent the rim. now i want to cry.

does anyone know how much a typical lbs will charge to true a rim? thanks in advance.

PedallingATX

depends how bad the rim is. It might be toast. Pics

i2oss

just dropped it off at the lbs, they said they could make it work. 15 dollars for rim repair, 6 for the tube. good, bad, average cost?

Sixty Fiver

Yep.

These hands have changed and mounted up so many tyres that I have been able to do a tube change in three and a half minutes and know a guy here who can do it even faster than me.

We have had little competitions in the shop to see who is the fastest tyre changer (it isn't me) and a lot of this has to do with the wheel and tyre combination... the folding tyres on my mtb can be off and back on in no time at all but they are a pita to get them seated properly.

Tomo_Ishi

Tire-dou. A way of the tires. I think I am still a white belt with 15 mins is probably the best I can, right now. ... But it would take an hour with LBS's, because there is always a line. I wanna be on my way, so there isn't a contest for me.

Lately, I am also hitting truing into my set of skills. It takes me 1-3 hours for a small wheel fix. LBS told me there is a looong chain for truing it will take about a month. Screw that, I can start a two-movie-session and I will be done by the end of it. I don't do a great job, but it isn't worth a penny to wait a month, I tell ye.

T

PedallingATX

I just bought a spoke wrench the other day and learned how to true my wheels. Watched a video on youtube (plus what I have seen at my LBS when they have trued my wheel) and just messed w/ it for 20 minutes. I didn't get it completely perfect, but I got it a lot better than it was, and I got out all of the major off-spots. It's fun!

JohnDThompson 

Also a survival skill for a busy bike shop.