Giant Defy 4 too many punctures!!

musclebeach

New into road biking with my bike, every single time I've been out on it (4 times since just before Xmas) I've got a front puncture which is an instant flat, I'd almost love a slow puncture but I'm not that lucky it seems! Usually Glass is the problem too so no problem with the rimtape or tyre internals. Running at 120psi.

Am I just unlucky? Running on the factory fit Giant tyres, think it is finally worth changing onto a better tyre?

cougie

Are you removing the object that gave you the flat entirely?

Either you're not or you need to find broken glass free roads. A puncture every ride is not normal.

meanredspider

It's unlikely that the OEM tyres are particularly good either.

musclebeach

Yes fully removing the unwelcome foreign object each time, is there a specific brand of tyre to go for? My cannondale MTB has schwalbe's and not had a flat for about 5 years and they get used ALOT! It's good to hear it's not a common thing to happen, I'm just very unlucky I think! Probably need to browse the forum to find which are the best tyres for the hazardous roads I seem to ride on!!

Moonbiker

Also unless you are very fat or tall/heavy there is no need to run a front tyres at 120psi

Moonbiker

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/03/ ... take-home/

Also make sure not to ride in the gutter ride where the left car tyre would go on the road = less glass etc

meanredspider

musclebeach wrote:

Yes fully removing the unwelcome foreign object each time, is there a specific brand of tyre to go for? My cannondale MTB has schwalbe's and not had a flat for about 5 years and they get used ALOT! It's good to hear it's not a common thing to happen, I'm just very unlucky I think! Probably need to browse the forum to find which are the best tyres for the hazardous roads I seem to ride on!!

There are loads of threads on this - probably not much consensus. FWIW I've found Vitoria Rubino Pros to be excellent against punctures (better than Gatorskins etc) but I don't know you can get that same tyre now. I think Schwalbe Durano get good press. Broken glass, though, is possibly the most difficult to prevent punctures against. As above, try to avoid it. Tyres will help and regular inspection and removal of small shards is a good practice.

Bobbinogs

Yepp, as above, if glass is the recurrent problem then there are not many tyres that can withstand that so change where you ride...either move out from the gutter or ride on different roads.

ZMC888

Have you ever seen a random pattern? Random is weird it goes in patterns.
You make enough offerings to the puncture fairy and eventually you'll get rewarded with fewer.

My roads are covered with glass and sometimes metal shards. It's often a case of learning which kinds of roads and where are the road you'll pick things up.

I've used Schwalbe Durano Plus and Conto Gatorskins. I prefer the Gators. Personally I like to run a 'normal' tyre on the front.

hsiaolc

musclebeach wrote:

New into road biking with my bike, every single time I've been out on it (4 times since just before Xmas) I've got a front puncture which is an instant flat, I'd almost love a slow puncture but I'm not that lucky it seems! Usually Glass is the problem too so no problem with the rimtape or tyre internals. Running at 120psi.

Am I just unlucky? Running on the factory fit Giant tyres, think it is finally worth changing onto a better tyre?

I've been road riding for 6 years. Two hour commute round trip 3-4 times a week. A bit less during winter when the road conditions gets really bad.

I've had in total 2 punctures. It is one of those things really. Bad luck?

Now I run tubeless and I can't recommend them higher. Never had a puncture since I had tubless for a year and half now running on Hunt Aero Wheels with Schwalbe S One Tubeless running at 50 psi.

If glass is the problem I suggest you try for now the schwalbe Durano http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-durano ... 60685265uk

They are brilliant. I have one spare at home just in case my tubeless fails.

slowmart

@ OP are you careful which lines you pick when cycling? It's best to stay out of the broken hatched areas as all the detritus usually ends up within the road markings.

Just try and pick a clean line, avoid gutters and cycling on the left hand side of a continuous white line for the same reasons.

your tyre pressure is high but while most stock tyres are not the best they usually balance longevity, grip, cost and speed to an acceptable level.

meursault

http://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/ Is a decent comparison site.

perfectmark

meanredspider wrote:

It's unlikely that the OEM tyres are particularly good either.

Agree, the tyres that came with my Trek mountain bike used to puncture every other week until I finally changed them. My specialised road bike used to puncture at least once a month. Currently running Continental 4seasons on the rear and GP4000 2 on the front, on my road bike and haven't had a puncture for about 18months.

burnthesheep

I'm on the factory Giant tires on a Propel. They're acceptable until I put some Conti 4000's on it.

It's your route and path. I ride road, street, and greenway here in the US. If you're riding in an alleyway or near row houses, bars, groceries then you need to be away from the curb/gutter.

Those areas have more risk for the glass because they use glass there. Beer bottles and such.

A true road road that has somewhat frequent car traffic will have less glass. Even if it does it will end up in the gutter as the frequent traffic of cars crushes the glass to bits and the wind of the cars slowly blows it to the gutters.

musclebeach

Hey folks just to let you know I like road biking again after buying a new road the for the bike thanks to a Schwalbe Durano purchase