My puncture phobia

[Brucey]

I have good results with Gatorskin hardshells (If they come in the size you want) Nil punctures in 7k miles on 25mm

Sorry again! My latest puncture was with a Gatorskin! Rear wheel again. Grrrrr!

I won't use Gatorskins on some wheels I have because they are far too tight a fit on the rims. There is a pretty fair chance of pinching the tube on the way in or the way out. Like many other tyres the rubber seems soft and prone to cutting up when the tyres are very new. Once they are a few months old the rubber seems to harden a little and then they seem to cut less easily.

If anyone is having multiple punctures in a few tens of miles then I'd suggest that the tyres they are using are not good enough for the conditions. This time of year there is a lot of crud on the roads and using winter tyres makes a lot of sense.

It is a good idea to get into the habit of checking the tyres for flints etc on a regular basis, and for anyone using a tyre with shallow tread, I'll put in a good word for tyre savers; they stop a lot of flinty deflations.

If fixing punctures at home is more bearable, but by the roadside is a nightmare, carrying sealant of some kind can at least postpone the fix until you get home.

cheers

[Vorpal]

I will (as usual ) recommend Continental GP 4 Seasons. I've yet to puncture on them before they near the end of life. They are relatively easy to fit and remove, and they get better traction in wet and even frosty condtions than anything else I've tried. I use use them in 700 X 28, but I've also used them in 700 X 25.

I'm sure a few people will come along now and say that they're too expensive, but I'd rather pay my money than change an inner tube in cold, dark rain.

Oh, and they roll nicely, too.

[Vorpal]

I will say that I have abandoned normal tyres for studded ones. And I'm on those for at least another month, maybe two, with the possible exception of a Sunday ride or two in good conditions.

[Cunobelin]

More on the "old git" rather than the puncture part of the post



Cycling home one night on a recumbent trike and had a puncture on the front inner wheel

As I was patching the tube, a rather svelte young female roadie stopped and asked if I had all I needed. I assured her I had, and we chatted. (Big ego boost)

Then as I was levering the tyre back into place, she commented that it is possible to put tyres back in place by hand and it can be quicker.

Then before I could say - "Not with Marathon Plus"she added the fatal, ego deflating:

But, I suppose at your age Arthritis must be a problem.

Cheeky mare - I'm only 55

[NUKe]

I have good results with Gatorskin hardshells (If they come in the size you want) Nil punctures in 7k miles on 25mm

Sorry again! My latest puncture was with a Gatorskin! Rear wheel again. Grrrrr!

try the Hardshells then as I said in the above post Not the Duraskins

[mjr]

Forget Marathon. Go for Specialized Armadillos. (As you can probably guess, I'm an 'Armadillo' man). Grip on wet or greasy roads is not as good as M+ or Gatorskin, but from my humble experience fairy-repellent properties are better.

I found Armadillos the other way round after the last compound change a few years ago: the grip improved to beat M+, but they also started holding debris onto the tyre long enough for wheel rotation to hammer it through the protection.

There's also the small problem of Specialized being rubbish about both Roubaix and sexism.

Personally, I prefer softer tyres (Schwalbe's level 3 of 6) and accept the rare puncture. I'll probably go for Marathon (5 out of 6) on next hub gear wheel change, rather than M+.

Problem is, I've been having difficulty getting tyres on and off the rim - being an old git doesn't help. So I worry - if I get a flat, will I be able to change the tube? And as we all know, a flat is nearly always in the rear wheel (more difficult to change) and when it's peeing down.

Possible things to try:

• Crank Brothers Speedier Lever - I'm testing this at the minute and so far so good
• VAR tool - others say this works
• Sealant canister - to get you home when it's awful weather

[FarOeuf]

which type of punctures are you getting, pinch punctures or foreign object punctures?

pinch punctures: inflate your tyres properly (invest in a track pump?), and inflate them properly after fixing punctures (a frame pump?), check tyres pressure regularly, ride more sympathetically to avoid hitting potholes, etc.
foreign objects: lots of puncture protection tyres, look where you're riding, try riding a different route if commuting

I've ridden (toured) with Marathon Plus for years and never had a puncture with them. But I have pulled nails and glass out of the tyre (it embeds in the punture-proof strip). I did have a nail go through the standard Marathon's though.

cheers,

[Vorpal]

When I have a spate of punctures on visibly worn tyres, I usually discard or repurpose them. I figure if they are no longer puncture resistant, they are at the end of life, even if I could get more miles out of the tread.

That said, in my experience, narrow tyres puncture more easily. They require higher pressure to prevent pinch punctures, and experience more of other sorts. Tyres that are 28 mm or wider are much less susceptible to punctures, especially in foul weather.

[Smiles]

Had to comment as I feel your pain. I ride 700 X 23 Schawalbe Durano Plus tyres for a 20 miles commute. I gave up on Specialised. My route through London is a river of glass. I tried Marathon Plus previously. Four points

Following the observations of a group of friends during a VERY wet ride London to Paris where we got a lot of punctures, I now avoid riding on the day immediately following a very heavy downpour. We had a spate of punctures and the opinion that these types of really heavy storms wash debris on to the road and cause a far higher rate of punctures has been confirmed by my subsequent experience.

I no longer patch inner tubes. I made this irrevocable decision stuck in at a petrol station with a gradually deflating rear tyre (yep it was an absolutely filthy day) that turned out to be a poor patch. I am sure this can be done absolutely reliably by someone with more skill than me but I am not longer prepared to take the risk.

I have come to accept that no tyre will prevent you getting a puncture with absolute reliability. I abandoned Marathon Plus tyres because, running high pressures, I found the wet grip unacceptable and not justified by the supposed puncture resistance.

Part of my weekly routine is digging the stones and shards out of both tyres. I never get less than 5 per tyre, mostly fragments of grit but frequently serious shards. It may not actually make any difference but at least it is better than just waiting for it to happen!

Best wishes and safe riding.

Smiles

[mig]

given that re-fitting the tyre is a struggle is it possible that has dislodged the rim tape and it the spoke ends causing your run of bad luck?

[Grandad]

I have taken a wheel into the LBS and tried several tyres until finding an easy fit. Not bothered on the so called level of puncture protection as ease of repair is more important tonme ( and virtually every tyre has someone saying it's the bees knees)

[Vantage]

After a lifetime of cycling, I've developed puncture phobia. What I mean is that every time I go out I fear I'll get another b----y flat, after a run of them. Problem is, I've been having difficulty getting tyres on and off the rim - being an old git doesn't help. So I worry - if I get a flat, will I be able to change the tube? And as we all know, a flat is nearly always in the rear wheel (more difficult to change) and when it's peeing down. This puncture phobia is spoiling my cycling and as a near-10,000-mile a year man, I don't like that. I've fitted new tyres - again - and am trying slime tubes. I'll try anything! Solid Tannus tyres anyone?

What size tyres are you using? The reason I ask is that not all tyres are available in all sizes and as such my suggestion might not fit your bike.
I use Vittoria Voyager Hypers in the 35c variant. Vittoria claim the tyres have some puncture resistance built in which I'm not too willing to believe based on my experience. They have gone flat on quite a few occasions. They have been a pain to find the offending sharp object causing the air leaks and I very nearly gave up on them at one point.
But (and it's a big but) they are incredibly easy to remove, refit and properly reseat on the rim. One lever to get the thing off and as long as I don't rush things, it can be on the rim and reinflated without a single lever (or profanity strewn sentence) involved. Plus their biggest advantage....
they are sooooooooo supple and nice to ride on.
There have been times when I've rode through glass filled minefields and wondered how I got through without a flat but when they do succumb to the fairy, they play nice.

[Grandad]

Vantage, I think we are both singing from the same hymn sheet

[Terrytrek]

Thanks for all your responses. I'm a pretty experienced cyclist - as well as an old git! - so consider myself well aware of pinched tubes, etc. What bugs me most is finding a tyre that isn't a devil to get on and off. Maybe my fingers aren't as supple as they used to be. I'm riding a Trek 7.5 at the moment with Trek's own hardcase tyres. Just fitted new ones and I'll see how the slime inner tubes perform. The Trek Bontrager tyres have superb grip, better than the Gatorskins in my experience. Good point re checking regularly for bits of glass and grit. I took seven out of the front tyre the other day. I'll admit to forgetting to check the back tyre very often, as most of it is hidden by the mudguard. You're never too old to learn something in this cycling lark! Funnily enough, the other day I was riding with a mate, who is a bike mechanic. After we had exchanged 'Ow do's! he started grumbling that he was p----d off by a spate of punctures. None of us is immune. Any other thoughts always welcome.

[bobzeller]

For what it's worth, after moving to Northern Ireland and constantly getting punctures in my Continental Grand Prixs, I switched to Schwalbe Durano Plus tyres for my audax bike. A few years earlier, when living in London, I had put Schwalbe Marathons on my commuter and never got another puncture. I have had exactly the same result with the audax bike - no punctures and that includes riding thousands of miles on Northern Ireland minor rural roads loaded with thorns, the most rubbish I have ever seen on roads anywhere in the world and very large potholes.

Frankly, I have not noticed any difference in rolling resistance or anything else for that matter. But even if there had been, any loss of speed over a day's ride, is offset by the time savings from not having to stop and repair punctures.

Cheers

Bob