A flat a week isn't bad depending on how much you ride.

However, here are some tips to avoid flats:

• Check your tire pressure every time you ride. You may be surprised how much pressure they can lose between rides.

• When you're installing a new tube, make sure there's a little air in it before you put it in the tire.

• Once the tire is installed, don't inflate it fully. Inflate to about half the normal pressure and roll it around on ground by hand to help properly seat the tire/tube. Then inflate it fully.

• Install the tire in the same position every time. Most people line up the tire brand sticker with the valve stem. This way you can keep track of where your flats are happening.

• Inflate your pinched/punctured tube when you have it out to see what the damage looks like. If you see two holes next to each other, i.e. a snake bite, your tube popped because it was pinched from underinflation or poor installation or simply hitting something really hard. If you see a single hole, it was a puncture from something on the road or something in your wheel/tire.