P*Fairy prevention

slowbike

My wife wants to cycle Little Slowbike to nursery and back - it's 2 miles each way along a hardpack dirt track - no great issue - it's even flat (ish). The concern is punctures - once you're loaded up with child (in seat) plus bags etc - getting a puncture is going to be a major ballsache.

She's got standard 700 wheels - with disc brakes and 32mm original tyre on the back, 28mm conti 4000 on the front - I'm intending on changing the 4000 back to the original tyre as they're a bit more solid than the 4000 - and speed isn't the name of the game.
Q1 is - can I put gunk - or more specifically - Stan's No Tubes - in the inner tube - to seal any puncture should they occur ... or would I be wasting my time.
Q2 - do you _HAVE_ to remove the valve core to apply the gunk?

oxoman

You could use stans no tube, or fit a slime filled innertube. For pretty much puncture proof experience fit schwalbe marathons. Depending on the valve I might remove before filling.

daniel_b

I have a similar situation with the child carrying bike.

I use Vittoria Hyper Voyagers with one of these in each tyre:
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-maintenance/bike-puncture-repair/panaracer-flataway-bike-tyre-liner-700c

If I hadn't gone that route, I would have gone Marathon pluses - I am a big fan of the Durano Pluses.

fenix

Marathon Plus will answer your prayers....

PhilipPirrip

I've Slime tubes on my commuter but I imagine Stans No Tubes would do the same job.

Just looking at the Stans No Tubes website they supply a valve core remover with their injector kit which would suggest removing the valve cores before injecting. It's what I've done when putting slime into vehicle tyres.

Another idea might be Tannus tyres but they're ~£40 a piece.

slowbike

We thought about Tannus - but yes - £40 a piece ...

We've tried a tyre liner before - but it was fairly stiff plastic that didn't stick onto the tyre - it just didn't work - that Panaracer one looks a bit different - might give that a go.

Marathons - yes - may go down that route....

daniel_b

Slowbike wrote:

We've tried a tyre liner before - but it was fairly stiff plastic that didn't stick onto the tyre - it just didn't work - that Panaracer one looks a bit different - might give that a go.

Yes it is mate, it's material based, so you can shape it to the inside of the tyre - officially you can't reuse it if you change tyres, but my brother said he has managed to remove it before and re-use.
The easiest way I found to install it was to turn the tyre inside out, and then it's easier to see where you need to stick it - if you take my meaning ;-)
Halfords are the cheapest - everywhere else seem to be £15, plus I get BC discount, and 8% off through work, so makes it about half the price of other places.
Also used them on my SS bike, with some lowly Michelin tyres - lithions or something.

wolfsbane2k

I'll second the Panaracers Flataways if tannus or marathon plus's are out.
Used to ride with them regularly when XC'ing around the new forest or SDW with Maxis Hi Rollers single ply fitted 8-9 years ago or so, and they aren't well known for their puncture resistance...
Yes, I got pinch punctures, but that technique & rock/gravel, not thorns etc, but did pull a lot of stuff out of the tyres.

slowbike

Ta - Flataways seem like the way to go - for now ...