#1
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
Well tonight I got my first flat with my new bike... worst possible place
and time too (don't we just love Murphy? Anyhow, tomorrow I will have to go to the bike shop, I plan on installing a kevlar tire to reduce the risk. I also heard of a product that can be installed inside the tire to prevent flats... anyone ever used it? Is it worth it? |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
yes, i have some kind of green strip thingys that go between the tube &
tire. havent had a flat since i installed them but wonder there is any effect on efficiency. "Daniel Crispin" wrote in message ... Well tonight I got my first flat with my new bike... worst possible place and time too (don't we just love Murphy? Anyhow, tomorrow I will have to go to the bike shop, I plan on installing a kevlar tire to reduce the risk. I also heard of a product that can be installed inside the tire to prevent flats... anyone ever used it? Is it worth it? |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
"dreaded" wrote in :
yes, i have some kind of green strip thingys that go between the tube & tire. havent had a flat since i installed them but wonder there is any effect on efficiency. Doesn't work as well as a kevlar belted tire. Also, some people report that the inserts flats themselves through friction or rough edges. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
"Daniel Crispin" wrote in message ... Well tonight I got my first flat with my new bike... worst possible place and time too (don't we just love Murphy? Do you know for certain what caused the flat? Anyhow, tomorrow I will have to go to the bike shop, I plan on installing a kevlar tire to reduce the risk. Kevlar-belted tires can help against some kinds of punctures. Not much use against pinch-flats or flats caused by rim problems or rim tape issues. Be sure you know what actually caused your flat before you panic. I also heard of a product that can be installed inside the tire to prevent flats... anyone ever used it? Is it worth it? Mr Tuffy and similar strips add a layer of kevlar or similar material, for additional protection from punctures. On a bike with wide tires and heavy wheels you probably won't notice their presence. On a bike built for speed they will slow you down a bit. RichC |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 22:19:07 -0400, Daniel Crispin wrote:
Well tonight I got my first flat with my new bike... worst possible place and time too (don't we just love Murphy? Anyhow, tomorrow I will have to go to the bike shop, I plan on installing a kevlar tire to reduce the risk. I also heard of a product that can be installed inside the tire to prevent flats... anyone ever used it? Is it worth it? One other procedure that might be useful: Check your tires periodically for little bits of embedded glass or metal that haven't yet worked their way in deep enough to puncture the tube. Often, little shards will stick in the surface layer of the tire, then gradually be forced in deeper and deeper as you ride. When they eventually penetrate the tube, pffffft... If you do a careful inspection now and then (especially if you ride through much broken glass, or in other industrial-wasteland-type environments), you will probably find a couple of small, sharp objects embedded in your tires, which you can then remove (carefully, of course, lest you inflict a puncture yourself), possibly averting a flat before it occurs. An ounce of prevention... Now that I mention it, I'd better go and check my tires... AMG |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
Daniel Crispin wrote:
Well tonight I got my first flat with my new bike... worst possible place and time too (don't we just love Murphy? Anyhow, tomorrow I will have to go to the bike shop, I plan on installing a kevlar tire to reduce the risk. I also heard of a product that can be installed inside the tire to prevent flats... anyone ever used it? Is it worth it? We talked about this on a club ride yesterday. I tried kevlar-belted tires for a year or more. I noticed the increased rolling resistance more than I noticed a reduction in flats. The guy on the ride who was using them (they came on his brand new touring bike) seemed to agree. And Mr. Tuffy tire liners got the same review. Several people had tried them, then given them up. I don't doubt these things can help somewhat, but they're certainly not cures. Far more effective is to watch the road surface and avoid the glass and trash. In particular, stay in the area that the car's right tires sweep clean, at least as much as you possibly can. -- --------------------+ Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com, replace with cc.ysu dot edu] |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 02:48:03 +0000, Ken wrote:
"dreaded" wrote in : yes, i have some kind of green strip thingys that go between the tube & tire. havent had a flat since i installed them but wonder there is any effect on efficiency. Doesn't work as well as a kevlar belted tire. Also, some people report that the inserts flats themselves through friction or rough edges. They can indeed have an effect on handling and efficiency since the tire will effectively be stiffened slightly, losing suppleness. I just think they feel "weird" but that's pretty subjective. Worth a shot I guess, I've heard folks rave about them, so they can't be totally dismissed either. A Kevlar belted tire's a good bet. They aren't foolproof, if you get a piece of glass stuck in the tread, it will work it's way in slowly, so it's worth having a quick gander at your tires after every ride. Do carry a patch kit and inflation device/pump and learn to use it--consider flats part of the challenge of cycling, just like a pit stop for auto racers--it's par for the course. I can personally get back on the road in 5 minutes or so with my road bike. I don't even remove the wheel, just open the tire on one side, slip out the tube, patch, inflate and ride. Never had a patch fail in over twenty years of riding either. Proper inflation is crucial, and think about tire style. Are you on a super racy bike, or a mtb, or hybrid? It might be worth looking for a little heavier rubber in addition to the kevlar. I run 70x25s while most other folks around here use 21s and 23s on their sport bikes--I find just that added bit of width helps enormously. If I had a cyclocross bike or touring ride that could handle the width, I'd probably go for some 32mm wide touring tires since I ride solo and worry more about long distance comfort. In my experience, if you get more than one flat per thousand miles on a regular basis, there's something amiss. Between my city and sport bikes, I average a flat every 1000 -2000 miles, the sportier ride getting perhaps 50% more flats due to the thinner rubber. As always, YMMV. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
On Sat, 10 Jul 2004 22:48:33 -0400, Rich Clark wrote:
Kevlar-belted tires can help against some kinds of punctures. Not much use against pinch-flats or flats caused by rim problems or rim tape issues. Be sure you know what actually caused your flat before you panic. well said--check your rims for rough spots on the inside, with particular attention to the valve hole. sometimes you have to smooth it with a round file--though I'm a lazy ******* and often "soften" the edges with electrical tape. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
Daniel Crispin wrote:
Well tonight I got my first flat with my new bike... worst possible place and time too (don't we just love Murphy? Anyhow, tomorrow I will have to go to the bike shop, I plan on installing a kevlar tire to reduce the risk. I also heard of a product that can be installed inside the tire to prevent flats... anyone ever used it? Is it worth it? Carry one or two spare tubes and a pump. Learn to replace a tube in less than ten minutes and then you wont bother worrying about flats anymore. -- Perre You have to be smarter than a robot to reply. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Preventing flats
Ken wrote:
"dreaded" wrote in : yes, i have some kind of green strip thingys that go between the tube & tire. havent had a flat since i installed them but wonder there is any effect on efficiency. I concur. I have some Mr. Tuffys I've used for over ten years and never had a flat with them. They increase rolling resistence a little - it's barely noticeable. Doesn't work as well as a kevlar belted tire. Also, some people report that the inserts flats themselves through friction or rough edges. I disagree. I think the quality of the tire is a more important factor. My on-sale kevlars a full of holes and I got plenty of flats. I re-instlled the Mr. Tuffys and haven't had a flat since. Installation is important. A folded Mr. Tuffy WILL abrade your tube and give you flats. Of course, the little bump every tire revolution will annoy you first. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Bike to Work Day Tomorrow in Seattle Area | cheg | General | 24 | June 5th 04 04:12 AM |
Dumb question - repeated flats | Jamie | General | 15 | December 8th 03 04:47 AM |