Puncture Prevention?

cianc

Well I got my third puncture in two months, all thanks to the crappy state of Dublin roads. I was a long way from home at the time and only that it was a slow leak and I had my pump with me I would have had a long walk home
I have a road bike and do my best to avoid potholes etc., but inevitably I'll miss one until I feel my back wheel/rim slam into lip of it and a puncture often follows.
I'm sick of changing the tube on my rear wheel (actually I'm sick of struggling to get the tire back on the rim). I have vague memories of seeing some sort of goo in Cycleways that you put in your tube that seals small punctures. Has anyone used this and does it work? Is there something else out there that would help, maybe extra sturdy inner tubes?

Cian

Ghost Rider

Cian, you could try one of those protective strips that go in between the tyre and the tube. I think they're made of kevlar, though I could be wrong. I have one on my rear wheel and, whatever it is, it feels a lot harder to penetrate than rubber. It certainly makes a difference to the number of punctures I get.

By the way, if you're getting an unreasonable amount of punctures, maybe check to see if any spokes are protruding through the rim and threatening the tube?

ciancullinan wrote:

Well I got my third puncture in two months, all thanks to the crappy state of Dublin roads. I was a long way from home at the time and only that it was a slow leak and I had my pump with me I would have had a long walk home
I have a road bike and do my best to avoid potholes etc., but inevitably I'll miss one until I feel my back wheel/rim slam into lip of it and a puncture often follows.
I'm sick of changing the tube on my rear wheel (actually I'm sick of struggling to get the tire back on the rim). I have vague memories of seeing some sort of goo in Cycleways that you put in your tube that seals small punctures. Has anyone used this and does it work? Is there something else out there that would help, maybe extra sturdy inner tubes?

Cian

Sneaky_Russian

your tyres will have alot to do with it.

you can use slime although i dont know about putting them in road tubes. I'm sure you could.

Get a specialized armadillo puncture proof tyre. i was having alot of punctures until i got them

also make sure your running enough pressure in your tyres. (probobly the most important thing)

cianc

Cheers for that. I haven't gotten around to fixing the last puncture yet, but the last couple have not been caused by something penetrating the tube (as best I can tell anyway), but rather by the impact of hitting a particularly nast pothole at speed. I'll definitely have a check for protruding spokes when I fix the tube later though

FergusF

Yeah I second Russian's recommendation on the Specialised Armadillo tyres, ran them for over a year, over 100km a week and not one puncture! They should be available in most bike shops, or order over the web, they come in 25 and 28 X 700C.

If as you say there is no sign of anything penetrating the tyre then it is likely to be a protruding spoke or a 'pinch flat', the latter happens when you hit a sharp edge such as a pothole and the tyre gets 'pinched' between the road and the rim. The solution is to keep them at the max pressure indicated, and try to avoid the potholes!

jman0

Maintaining correct tyre pressure is important in this regard.
I suffer loads of punctures on my commuter bike because the tyres are ancient. However after finally investing in a proper T handled pump and actually putting 60psi in the tyres, i have yet to get a puncture.

daymobrew

I use Continental Sport Contact (26x1.3) on my mountain bike. The number of punctures dropped dramatically, while my speed improved!
Their max pressure is 85psi, I keep it around 70-80.
I recently bought the Topeak Master Blaster Mini Pump (incl guage). Less than e18 at CRC. Very handy for topping up the air pressure.

I suggest carrying a puncture repair kit too. Glue, tyre irons (metal or plastic) and patches. I think you can even buy them in Tesco and the boxes are really small. I have a small under-saddle pack for these.

Getting a puncture is a PITA but if you are prepared and know how to fix one, you'll not be left stranded.

memorex

Yeah, I third the recommendation for Specialized Armadillos. Was getting 1 puncture a week on a set of standard road bike tyres. Made the move to armadillos and 2K miles later haven't had a single puncture. To be honest I don't see why Kevlar isn't made standard in all tyres, if it was punctures would be a distant memory. Same advice about tyre pressure too. Picked up a floor standing pump with pressure guage for about 20 euros. Makes it really easy to keep the pressure up.

dalk

Yes you can have tubes with the puncture stuff in them with a road bike. You can even buy tubes with the glue rubber stuff already in it... Works a treat. It does add some weight (though not much)...

I have kevlar reinforced tires with the rear tyre also getting the self healing tube.

It works like this. You get a puncture. You check the tyre to remove/make sure the offending pointy item is not lodged in the tyre. That done you pump the wheel with a bit of air, give it a spin to coat the inner tube, then pump fully. As long as the puncture isnt a gash you're good to go...

randomname2005

I have also used the specialized nimbus/armadillo tyres. The last time I bought them (probably about 2 years ago) there were various models. I went for the second from bottom and after 2 years at about 100k per week I have only had one puncture (touching lots of wood and knocking on head etc!!) and Im pretty heavy (15stone) and always have a bag on my carrier.

(Asssuming you already have one side of the tyre on) if you are having trouble getting the second half of the tyre onto the rim, keep the bead already on the wheel in the middle of the rim, this makes it a lot easier to get it on.

R

cianc

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I went out and bought a floor-standing pump with pressure gauge and will be keeping my tyres up around 85PSI from now on. I have a feeling that was my main problem. I haven't had any sharp object related punctures yet and money's a bit tight so I'll hold off on the kevlar tyres for a while, but they're on the list.
Also managed to improve my tyre fitting techique. Suffice to say I was doing it arse ways before
Cian

kincsem

I haven't had a puncture for 37 years. Ok, I've just bought a Specialized bike this summer. I'm 55 and last cycled in secondary school. The bike has Specialized Armadillos and no problems.

cianc

I splashed out yesterday and got a pair of armadillos, so here's hoping to a future without punctures
Just wanted to check with people what pressure they are inflating theirs too. On the pair I have it says min/max 115/125PS which seems a bit on the high side to me. Nevertheless I went ahead and inflated both wheels to about 115-120PSI. The front tire seems fine with this, but the back tire keeps popping out of the rim at this pressure. Now maybe I'm just fitting the tire unevenly and that's why it's coming out, but I'm curious what pressure people are using on their armadillos.

Cian

Morgan

What width are they? For narrow road tyres 115psi is fairly standard. If they're coming off the rim as the recommended pressure then there's something amiss. Is the tube getting caught between the rim and tyre?

Les_Paul

best way of puncture prevention ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????


dont cycle ha ha sorry joking,

try Kevlar reinforced tyres and unfortunately u wont stop all punctures but will go along way in helping you

cianc

Please read the thread before replying (and unstick your ? key mabye). I have bought a pair of armadillos, which are reinforced, as advised by several people on this forum. My follow up question was to do with tire pressure.

SeanPuddin

buy a downhill tube, i've had no punctures in a year, only blow outs

wideangle

Tubless tyres = no more punctures ever!!They are hard to get hold of allways look like the tyre is flat when you ride on them and are a pain to get on the rim...But beware the luas lines when crossing them as the tyre may come off rim!!

Cabaal

wideangle wrote:

Tubless tyres = no more punctures ever!!They are hard to get hold of allways look like the tyre is flat when you ride on them and are a pain to get on the rim...But beware the luas lines when crossing them as the tyre may come off rim!!

Always curious about this, when I was up in dublin I saw the tracks and thought they'd be pretty dangeruous if you were on a bike.
Has anyone's wheel got stuck in between the tracks?

cianc

Yup, a couple of months ago it was raining heavily. I was cycling home, and a section of the tracks was covered by a pool of water. I had to guess where the tracks were under the water, and I guessed wrong.
Front wheel went into the track, back wheel skidded sideways, bike went over, and I went too. Landed a bit heavily on my hip and tore my jacket, but nothing too serious. This was on a road bike though, I'm not sure if a mountain bike with wider tires would suffer the same fate.

rubadub

wideangle wrote:

Tubless tyres = no more punctures ever!!They are hard to get hold of allways look like the tyre is flat when you ride on them and are a pain to get on the rim...But beware the luas lines when crossing them as the tyre may come off rim!!

Are these tubeless tyres just solid rubber? how much are they usually?

I was thinking of getting a kevlar liner for mine. My front is a continental sports contact like somebody else mentioned. I have had 3 punctures this month already (not in the continental).

EDIT: I have ordered the kevlar liners for a MTB, £8.99 (€13) from www.chainreactioncycles.com that is for a pair. Even if it stops 1 puncture it is worth it IMO. Wanted to change back to my old tyre rather than the slick in this weather.

mockerydawg

The cheapest way to prevent pinch flats or snake bites on MTB tyres is to line the tyre with an old tube so the new one fits snuggly inside it. Its far cheaper than any other solution and works incredibley well.

SimpleSam06

kincsem wrote:

I haven't had a puncture for 37 years. Ok, I've just bought a Specialized bike this summer. I'm 55 and last cycled in secondary school. The bike has Specialized Armadillos and no problems.

A lot of people are talking about armadillos here... what will a pair of them set you back, does anyone know?

randomname2005

ciancullinan wrote:

I splashed out yesterday and got a pair of armadillos, so here's hoping to a future without punctures
Just wanted to check with people what pressure they are inflating theirs too. On the pair I have it says min/max 115/125PS which seems a bit on the high side to me. Nevertheless I went ahead and inflated both wheels to about 115-120PSI. The front tire seems fine with this, but the back tire keeps popping out of the rim at this pressure. Now maybe I'm just fitting the tire unevenly and that's why it's coming out, but I'm curious what pressure people are using on their armadillos.

Cian

I usually inflate mine to about 90psi (thats all my foot pump will do without serious amounts of effort!), but it could be a rim problem. If you are using a very wide rim the tyre might not be able to grab it.

Also, how are you inflating your tyres? The pumps in garages arent suitable for two reasons; they are very inaccurate and (cant find source) because they are so pressurised they can cause pressure differences which can cause blowouts
R

daymobrew

SimpleSam06 wrote:

A lot of people are talking about armadillos here... what will a pair of them set you back, does anyone know?

A pair of Specialized Nimbus Armadillos (26x1.5) looks like it would cost e46.

Cassiel

sorry all but a not unrelated question, how well do the conti contact sport and armadillo's handle.
I have michelin Transworld city tyres and have never had a puncture but they are the most evil handling barstards ever:mad: just come of my bike this evening taking a corner, dry tarmac, no gravel, at a well used junction. There had to be some kind of oil or diesel residue. You lean over with these tyres and if the road surface is anyway uncertain, wet etc. - and the front tyre feels like it is losing grip or actually does lose it. effing sore.
They are 26" tyres on an MTB with front suspension.

daymobrew wrote:

A pair of Specialized Nimbus Armadillos (26x1.5) looks like it would cost e46.

HusseinSarhan

There are a few pretty important things to keep an eye on when talking about tyre pressure. Firstly, you shouldn't really exceed the manufacturer's reccomendations.Secondly, don't pay too much attention to what other people run the same tyre at because weight is a big factor in how many PSI you run. Thirdly, check your rims for damage. Old damaged rims sometimes cannot support the pressure of someroad tyres. You really want to strike the balance between a low rolling resistance and a somewhat harsh ride.

All has already been said about pich flats and that sort of thing. I have not gotten any punctures on my current (€50 junkshop 30-year-old raleigh solo racer) after 100's of kilometers by keeping an eye on pressure etc.

Also, when putting your new tyres on, place the logo beside the valve on the rim. That way, if you do get a flat and find out where it is on the tube, you can easily locate the relative place on the tyre and feel about for any sharps still there, waiting to give you another puncture. I've just started doing this as it makes sense.

rubadub

HusseinSarhan wrote:

Also, when putting your new tyres on, place the logo beside the valve on the rim.

Great tip. I got my liners and they seem really good. I could barely put a corkscrew tip through the stuff. They are very oversized and at first I just cut them a bit and overlapped them, but when cycling I had little bumps at the overlap. I cut them to size and taped them to stop overlap on inflation, all is fine now. I could reuse them when I get new tyres without having to fork out for more fancy kevlar tyres again.