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New Commuter

siberianskisiberianski Posts: 26
edited May 2015 in Commuting general
Hi i need a bit advice i have a lapierre raid 200 mtb and i have recently started commuting home from work on it. The distance is around 11-11.5 miles now the problem i am having is punctures, my ride home from work is mainly on road/some old railway lines hard packed surface etc. i have in the past 4 weeks had around 5 punctures.

Can anyone recommend a tyre etc or what too do too prevent punctures etc the bike has on schwalbe black jacks 26x21.25 size.

I have fitted heavy duty inner tubes ie the slighly thicker ones but i still keep getting them.

Posts

  • drummer_boydrummer_boy Posts: 236
    What type of item is causing the punctures? Is it thorns, flint or glass? Looking at the black jacks I'd be tempted to find a better commuting tyre. I ued to have a lot of puncture issues with Conti Mountain Kings and then swapped to Double Fighters. The problem I found with off road tyres, is the tyre thickness, one you get past the tread, is quite thin, so getting a thicker rubber tyre with puncture protection worked well for me.
    My commute is road and towpath (both cinder and mud).
  • whoofwhoof Posts: 756
    Are you getting puncture with the same tyres? There could be a very small piece of glass or thorn just sticking through and when you hit a pot-hole or lump at the same point you puncture. Take your tired off and check them thoroughly.
  • The RookieThe Rookie Posts: 27,748
    Not my first choice of tyre for that commute, but they are puncture protected and I suspect whatever is causing the punctures is still there after you sort the tube.
    10.1Kg FS Litespeed Niota Al
    retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
    The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
    The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
  • siberianskisiberianski Posts: 26
    drummer_boy wrote:
    What type of item is causing the punctures? Is it thorns, flint or glass? Looking at the black jacks I'd be tempted to find a better commuting tyre. I ued to have a lot of puncture issues with Conti Mountain Kings and then swapped to Double Fighters. The problem I found with off road tyres, is the tyre thickness, one you get past the tread, is quite thin, so getting a thicker rubber tyre with puncture protection worked well for me.
    My commute is road and towpath (both cinder and mud).

    First time was a pot hole i am assuming as i went through the tube and inside and outside of tyre etc and there was nothing no glass/thorns etc.

    Second time was a tiny piece of glass

    I have since my first post took my black jacks off the bike and put on some kenda kw18's that i bought off amazon and touch wood no issues since. I did want too pop on marathon's by schwalbe but i had 35 quids worth of amazon vouchers and bought these as a stop gap.

    The seem okay the kenda's but they don't take minor bumps well, are bloody uncomfortable on the ride. I think come payday i will buy x2 marathon plus's as i need something reliable i work nights in a call centre ten hour shifts. I need something that will not puncture or is resistant as possible
  • Cousin NickCousin Nick Posts: 27
    Schwalbe Marathon or Marathon Plus will handle almost anything. I have them on my commuter and they generally wear out before they puncture.
    N
  • siberianskisiberianski Posts: 26
    Well after my last post i left work and the kenda's let me down i dropped down from the pavement down too the main road and 2 mins later 8miles from home in the pxxsing rain my tyre went down flat as a pancake.

    Net result the marathons are on order.lol

    I had the bits too fix my bike 20mins later and 2 leaches later i was back on route with a fixed bike and a ratty cyclists journey continued.
  • oxomanoxoman Posts: 9,045
    Sounds like when you drop off kerbs or hit potholes you are getting pinch flats, these are normally caused by having to low air pressure in your tyre. This program is normally a mtb problem, suggest you pump them up a bit harder and also be careful on potholes and kerbs.
    Too many bikes according to Mrs O.
  • The RookieThe Rookie Posts: 27,748
    Does sound like a pinch flat problem, user error!
    10.1Kg FS Litespeed Niota Al
    retired 9.6kg Carrera Kraken
    The Carrera Hardtail combined thread - come on all you Carrera's!
    The Sons Scott Genius RC20 build
  • roger_merrimanroger_merriman Posts: 6,156
    I run my MTB/commute bike with lightweight tyres such as Racing Ralph's at 40psi they cope with being dropped off the odd kerb with full paniers and yet are quick and grippy.

    They give a much nicer ride than puncture proof type tyres.
  • RutlandGavRutlandGav Posts: 144
    In 10 years mtb commuting, I never had pinch flats, just penetration by pins, thorns and glass. I go for about 45-50lb in the rear and 30 in front.

    I do however, find that even the tyres with the best puncture resistance are only good for 3000 miles/ 1 year before they start to weaken. Tyres which hadn't flatted in a year, would get two punctures in one month, then two in a week, then twice in one journey. Just replace them - still cheaper than fuel, MOT, insurance, road tax, parking fees etc etc etc
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