I'm tempting fate

vorsprung
vorsprung Posts: 1,953
edited December 2014 in Commuting chat

Comments

  • vorsprung wrote:
    latest on the blog
    Three ways to avoid punctures

    bhahaha

    oddly enought, since switching to the old MTB see here.. http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p489/rogermerriman/IMG_1239_zps76410035.jpg

    from this http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p489/rogermerriman/imagejpg1_zps509a1eb8.jpg the puncture fairy seems to have almost entirely left me.

    I've had one pinch flat, where I hit a kerb at speed with full panniers and which was unwise. But riding home on wet evening on gravel paths etc, and glass strewn cyclepaths and so on, which I do far more now than I ever did before, The SS tyres would get cut up and punctured by wet rides home on the gravel paths. not normally at the time but over night... so I'd find it flat next mourning.

    the MTB has far more performance minded tyres where as the SS has durable training types. so you'd of though the reverse should of happened.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Indestructible Tyres: Check

    My Snow Studs have never punctured on me, nor have My Maxxis High Roller DH but neither set are exactly commuter tyres at around 1.4kg for a pair. Duranos and Specialized Espoirs work well for me on the road, plenty of grip, not too heavy and decent puncture resistance.

    You also missed the two most important and cheapest steps to puncture free riding.

    1: Ride in the tyre line not the gutter. The tyre line is constantly swept, the gutter is full of debris and fairy teeth.

    2: Check for fairy teeth in your tyre regularly remove them before a wet ride gets them all lubed up, ready to bite. Fill larger holes with a dab of superglue gel. Ideally do this after each ride or before a wet one.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • Fill larger holes with a dab of superglue gel. Ideally do this after each ride or before a wet one.

    I tried this a few times but it never seemed to last the next ride, even if given time to dry properly. Work for you?
    "Mummy Mummy, when will I grow up?"
    "Don't be silly son, you're a bloke, you'll never grow up"
  • vorsprung wrote:
    latest on the blog
    Three ways to avoid punctures

    bhahaha

    oddly enought, since switching to the old MTB see here.. http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p489/rogermerriman/IMG_1239_zps76410035.jpg

    from this http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p489/rogermerriman/imagejpg1_zps509a1eb8.jpg the puncture fairy seems to have almost entirely left me.

    I've had one pinch flat, where I hit a kerb at speed with full panniers and which was unwise. But riding home on wet evening on gravel paths etc, and glass strewn cyclepaths and so on, which I do far more now than I ever did before, The SS tyres would get cut up and punctured by wet rides home on the gravel paths. not normally at the time but over night... so I'd find it flat next mourning.

    the MTB has far more performance minded tyres where as the SS has durable training types. so you'd of though the reverse should have happened.

    could the lower pressure mtb tyres are normally at have anything to do with it I wonder?
  • vorsprung wrote:
    latest on the blog
    Three ways to avoid punctures

    bhahaha

    oddly enought, since switching to the old MTB see here.. http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p489/rogermerriman/IMG_1239_zps76410035.jpg

    from this http://i1152.photobucket.com/albums/p489/rogermerriman/imagejpg1_zps509a1eb8.jpg the puncture fairy seems to have almost entirely left me.

    I've had one pinch flat, where I hit a kerb at speed with full panniers and which was unwise. But riding home on wet evening on gravel paths etc, and glass strewn cyclepaths and so on, which I do far more now than I ever did before, The SS tyres would get cut up and punctured by wet rides home on the gravel paths. not normally at the time but over night... so I'd find it flat next mourning.

    the MTB has far more performance minded tyres where as the SS has durable training types. so you'd of though the reverse should have happened.

    could the lower pressure mtb tyres are normally at have anything to do with it I wonder?

    They are lower psi and wider 40psi/55mm vs 100psi/25mm on wet gravel paths they don't dig in like road tyres do, I've yet to find any embedded flints...
  • xbnm
    xbnm Posts: 116
    Hmmm

    I once got a puncture in a marathon winter a long thorn seeming made of titanium went straight through the tire. Now changing that tire was a nightmare in the dark, standing on snow ice and slush and figures like blue blocks. Finally gave in and called in the cavalry when i snapped the second of three metal reinforced tire levers snapped. I now carry three complete metal ones when the winters are fitted.
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    Some somewhat dubious advice in there IMO. Replace tyre when it has three or four nicks in it? The fourth nick has no more bearing at all on the likelihood of getting a puncture soon than the third did.

    Here is a tyre of mine. There's more than four nicks visible in just this part of the tyre and there's plenty more all over it (this isn't even the worst bit!!). It has thousands of miles left in it. Of course, if as well as cycling, you count throwing perfectly good things away as one of your hobbies then go for it but otherwise, don't waste your money - just spend a few moments every so often picking out those little bits of glass you can see which are the things that do cause punctures (though they can be in the tyre a long time before they do).

    P1020718_zps2724a9ba.jpg
    Faster than a tent.......
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Fill larger holes with a dab of superglue gel. Ideally do this after each ride or before a wet one.

    I tried this a few times but it never seemed to last the next ride, even if given time to dry properly. Work for you?
    Use the gel, it stays pliable where normal superglue goes hard and falls out or you pick it out next time thinking its a bit of glass.
    XBNM wrote:
    I once got a puncture in a marathon winter a long thorn seeming made of titanium went straight through the tire.
    I pulled a thorn like that out of my Snow Studs once, it stayed up, the end appeared to have bent as it hit the kevlar belt. I've ridden them enthusiastically on and off road at as low as 25PSI with no pinches. They seem to be as bombproof as a tyre can be without being made of springs, just what you want in the slush. But... I have lost the odd tyre lever fitting them.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.