Goat Heads

(From 8/12/06 on my old blog)

Goat Heads are the bane of many bicycle tires. They are little burrs that have two pointy stickers that will easily puncture a bicycle tube. They will also embed themselves in your shoes or feet (ouch).

I have ridden my bike many times in Chatfield State Park in Colorado and have acquired a collection of these burrs in my tires. Yet, I haven’t yet had an immediate flat tire from them. I have had cases where my tire was flat the next morning though. One time, when I got home, I removed 15 of them from my front tire alone. Most of the head part of the goat head had broken off leaving the nasty little thorn still in the tire.

To combat this problem, I have replaced my tire tubes with puncture resistant tubes. The rubber is thicker and the tubes add a couple of pounds to my bike. I have also put some gunk inside the tubes that will immediately fill a puncture with a little fibrous plug. These two things have kept me from needing to repair any flats for the last 1000 miles or so. In fact, I rarely even have to add air to my tires. They simply don’t leak. The other thing I am always sure to follow, is to stay on the path, stay on the path, stay on the path. Goatheads are usually just off the path in the weeds and grasses or on the plant they come from.

Goat Heads come from a plant that is actually called puncturevine. They are also called bullhead, Mexican sandbur, caltrop and Texas sandbur. The plant is native to the Mediterranean area of Europe but can now be found in most states in areas that are sandy, dry, or gravely. These nasty little burs are the seeds from this plant which is an inch or two high and as much as five feet across.

A couple of years ago, I was riding my bike along the Highline Canal and I came upon a fellow who was walking his bike. He had two flats and each tire was covered with goatheads – at least 20 in each tire. I asked him if he had gone off the trail and he said yes. The Highline canal trail ends just north of Acequia on the west side of Santa Fe Drive. Well, actually, the trail continues beyond but it is full of, you guessed it, lots of weeds including, obviously, puncturevine. That’s where he acquired his problem. When I found the guy, he told me where he was heading to. It was about 5 miles away. I offered to ride my bike to my home and get our van and then give him a ride home. He accepted. Turns out that he was from Switzerland working for a company in Highlands Ranch and it was his first time on that trail. I told him how I avoid the goatheads and now I have told you, too.

Next time I pick one up, I'll post some pictures.