Punctures - How To Stop Them??

Fantasia

Hi

Can anyone advise on the following -

I've had 3 punctures in my back wheel in the last 9 days.

After the 1st puncture I had a plastic strip put in between the tyre and the tube to stop anything going through the tyre into the tube - but that doesn't seem to have helped.

Can anyone advise a tyre that's guaranteed not to allow material through into the tube so that I don't get punctures.

I've got a hybrid bike.

Frank the tank

No tyre will have a 100% guarantee to not puncture I'm affraid. Get one with a kevlar anti-puncture strip within its construction. This will greatly reduce the chances of puncturing.

whyamihere

http://www.greentyre.co.uk/28inch.html

rally200

I put Schwalbe Marathon plus on the hybrid i use for my commute. I was getting 4 or 4 punctures a month on my short (4 mile) but unfortunately glass strewn route. I haven't had a puncture for 2 years now - but they are heavy as hell, and roll badly - still overall I must be saving a hell of a lot of time (not to mention money on tubes). I put 35s on - I'm wishing I'd used something narrower.

martinwitnam

I find that using presta valves reduces my chances of getting punctures.

balthazar

martinwitnam wrote:

I find that using presta valves reduces my chances of getting punctures.

Type 1 error, I reckon!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_posi ... pe_I_error

Anonymous

I use Krylions on my main bike, they are really good, as fast as these GP4000's but hardly ever puncture, not had one yet, allthough tyre did go down, dunno why, tube was fine no punctures!?!?!

On my commuter bike I do a commute every 3 times a week, about 6 miles a day, havent got a puncture yet, using old Conti sport 1000 or something tyres, lasted like 4000 miles, have only had one puncture, I changed em last night tho, got a GP4000 on front and a Tricomp on the rear.

When you get a puncture you just have to check you have got all the glass out etc... And that you dont get the inner tube caught under the sides of the tyre as that will cause a flat.

Eat My Dust

I reckon road positioning has a lot to do with it as well. I only had a couple of punctures last year and that was with over 6000 miles. Most road debris ends up at the side of the road, so if you're riding closer to the kerb than others, I'd expect you to pick up more punctures.

Headhuunter

I agree re road positioning. It sounds pretty obvious but avoid areas of the road that you can see are covered in small stones and gravelly bits, don't go where cars don't go as cars often flick all the rubbish and detritus to the edge of roads, especially when it's rainy. Try to stay firmly along the strip of the road that car tyres pass over. Make sure your tyres are pumped well up and if you get a puncture check very, very carefully for bits of glass, stone, twig etc buried in the tyre itself. They're often not obvious but it's well worth spending a good amount of time checking. If you're getting 3 punctures in 9 days in the same tyre, it's probably the same piece of glass still stuck in your tyre.

fossyant

Eat My Dust wrote:

I reckon road positioning has a lot to do with it as well. I only had a couple of punctures last year and that was with over 6000 miles. Most road debris ends up at the side of the road, so if you're riding closer to the kerb than others, I'd expect you to pick up more punctures.

+1 - I ride Mich Pro Race on the road bikes - had two 'deflations' same spot, a ride apart - 2nd ride looking for the blooming hole....that's it in 2 years..... on two bikes...

Commuter MTB - use lightweight Hutchinsons 26 x 1.2's - had two incident's in 8 months, 1 was 'on ride' - changed within 10 minutes and on my way - easy tyres to work with though..

I don't ride 'puncture proof' tyres - they are horrible - hard, un-responsive and HEAVY.....

John Stevenson

It's impossible to make a proper pneumatic tyre that will stop all punctures. I find the best solutions are sealant in the tubes, which adds a little weight, but doesn't stiffen the tyre wall, so the feel is essentially the same, and not riding through piles of broken glass. That can be hard to avoid in traffic, though.

You get more rear tyre punctures that front because when you hit a glass shard with the front tyre, it flips up and presents an edge to the rear tyre. Glass edges are sharp - there's a reason the Aztecs used obsidian knives for human sacrifice.

And you get more punctures in the wet because the water acts as a cutting lubricant. There's not much will stop a wet glass shard.

ElLawro

can only support most of above.........keep out of he gutter

kaimag11

If the tyre is old and worn out, you will get more punctures. Maybe time to buy a new tyre?

Frank the tank

The only way to guarantee not to get a puncture is, to leave the bike in the shed/garage/hall, wherever and walk to your destination. But how crap would that be. :!:

Headhuunter

John Stevenson wrote:

It's impossible to make a proper pneumatic tyre that will stop all punctures. I find the best solutions are sealant in the tubes, which adds a little weight, but doesn't stiffen the tyre wall, so the feel is essentially the same, and not riding through piles of broken glass. That can be hard to avoid in traffic, though.

You get more rear tyre punctures that front because when you hit a glass shard with the front tyre, it flips up and presents an edge to the rear tyre. Glass edges are sharp - there's a reason the Aztecs used obsidian knives for human sacrifice.

And you get more punctures in the wet because the water acts as a cutting lubricant. There's not much will stop a wet glass shard.

Interesting what yuo say about rear wheel punctures and the front wheel flipping bits of glass up. Had never thought of that....

cedargreen

Punctures are inevitable, and like all bad things can come in three's

After a spate of punctures a couple of years ago, I discovered they were caused by the wheel rim.

I replaced the thin plastic rim tape with adhesive cloth tape (Velox is the most famous brand) and this cured it.

Advice about tyres is difficult- some people swear by certain brands, but objective comparison is impossible. The most important thing is to keep the tyres fully inflated- get a track pump with a pressure gauge- and to replace tyres if they appear worn.

I did try puncture resistant tyres but I didn't like the wet weather grip and went back to using Vittoria rubino tyres which seem to suffer small cuts easily but don't puncture easily. Hope this helps.

tiny_pens

Keeping the tyre pressures up helps a lot.

I think every puncture I have had in the last couple of years is always after a spell where I am lax at checking the tyre pressures. Checking the opposite tyre always shows that the pressure is down to the min pressure setting.

I have a friend who pumps his tyres religously every single time he leaves the house. He has even gone as far as buying an electric compressor to take some of the hassle out of it. Mind he does run skinny tyres at something like 130psi where as I run fat tyres at 95psi.

Tiny

Crapaud

As above: stay out of the gutter (and scan the road ahead for debris), keep the tyre pressure up, use punc**re resistant tyres.

I always inspect my tyres after a ride and pick out anything that's managed to embed itself. Even with a pu***re resistant tyre, bits of glass etc. can work their way through over time.

I think I've only had 3 pu****res in the last 6 years.

beverick

Go for Specialized Armadillo "all conditions". They're not punctureproof but they're the next best thing.

Don't ride in the gutter and be prepared that this may mean riding outside of on road cycle lanes where they're in place (especially on right hand corners where road dirt is brushed to the side of the road).

Keep away from off-road cycle paths unless you can see that they've been swept.

Ride in the wear lines along the road and avoid areas of gravel.

Keep your eyes open. It may sound obvious but avoid broken surfaces, glass and other debris.

Check the tyres regularly and remove anything sharp stuck into the surface (glass, thorns, metal, etc).

If you have to ride anything that looks like broken glass stand on the pedals and distribute your wieght evenly between the front and rear wheels.

Replace tyres with "substantial" damage, either to the tread or sidewall.

Keep them pumped up to the recommended pressure (maximum rim or tyre pressure as appropriate).

Bob