This is What Happens When You're Not Trying to Get a Flat

My tubeless-tired Vaya is in the shop.  You may remember it's the bike I'd been hoping to run over a nail or thorn to test the tubeless tires.  No punctures that I know of yet.  So Tuesday I rode my wife's blue Redline Conquest Sport to work.  It just got a tune-up and I wanted to test the gears and brakes.  It has regular tubed tires.  The result:

 

This is like the worst flat I've had in a long time.  I'm not sure if even the tubeless tire would've sealed very well. I thought it was an eyelet screw and it was stuck in the tire so good that I couldn't pull it out with my fingers.  Had to use pliers; turns out it's a nail bent in the middle.

I got the flat on Ash Street, between Boone and Broadway where there's a lot of gravel.  I'm not sure if the sweeper missed these few blocks, or if it's just gravel spilling out from the alleys, but it's like this every year.  The rest of Ash/Maple has been sweeped.  Been meaning to call the city.

Looking closer at the Street Sweeping Status Map, Ash Street between Dean and Broadway Avenues isn't green, showing that it hasn't been swept.  This is after the left turns lanes that lead to the Maple Street Bridge.  I've suspected the sweeper's route takes them over the bridge instead of down to Broadway.

One thing good about this flat: it made me look closely at the rear tire while fixing it.  The sidewalls of the Pasela TG's are looking old, and there's not much tread left.  Getting near time to replace.  I searched for some smooth rolling tires and saw Panaracer has an updated version of the Pasela with a new puncture technology they call ProTite.  "ProTite is 25% strong than previous puncture materials and advanced technology for puncture protection . "  

I doubt any puncture protection would've stopped that nail.  I will probably end getting the Pasela ProTite. Or the T-Serv ProTite instead since I don't like the Pasela's tan sidewalls.  The T-serv comes in black, red or blue - maybe I should check and see what Debbie likes since it's her bike now.