Im Getting Tired of Bicycle Tires: Alternatives?

B

Blueshift

100 W
Joined
May 29, 2011
Messages
176
Location
California
My ultimate dream is to have tires that are as maintenance free as car tires. Also a tire that doesn't require to be pumped all that often would be nice too. I just put a new tube in my tire and the tube starts to fall out on the way home yesterday. I notice the lining of the tire that hugs the rim is starting to peel off but seriously i bought the bike 2 years ago and I don't ride everyday so what gives? You know quality and durability is so frustrating sometimes. I love putting model airplanes together but with my bike, I just want to be a consumer. Oh I forgot to mention the tire is one of those 24x3 thicker tires.

Any suggestions?
 
I was in the same situation. I just want a maintenance free tire. I've been using the same Specialized Armadillo Crossroads MTB tire for the last 3 years with zero issues. I also use a 2.25mm thick downhill MTB tube (although now I don't think its necessary). These tires are a bit pricey. I bought mine for $45 a piece. It's been so maintenance free, that I no longer carry a flat kit. Its that good.
 
I do a lot of riding over bridleways and suchlike, and I don't want a pucture when I'm miles from anywhere.

I use extra-thick inner tubes like the ones you can get from Kenda
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kenda-Thorn-Resistant-Inner-Tube-All-Sizes-MTB-ROAD-AND-BMX-Types-/200860101307?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&var=&hash=item2ec431eabb

And I use Schwalbe Black Jack kevlar reinforced tires.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schwalbe-Black-Jack-Active-Wired-Kevlar-Guard-SBC-Black-Skin-Tyre-26-x-2-00-/291064703310?pt=UK_sportsleisure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item43c4cee94e

And between the inner tube and the outer tire, I use a puncture protection liner
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WELDTITE-DR-SLUDGE-ROAD-MTB-HYBRID-BIKES-ANTI-PUNCTURE-TAPE-/271276874713?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_BikeLocks_SR&var=&hash=item3f295c9bd9

And the only puncture I've had in the last couple of years, was because I misadjusted my rear brake, it rubbed on the tire, and eventually rubbed it's way through the tire for a sudden blow-out.

It adds a bit of weight, but I think it's worth it.
 
I've heard that Schwalbe Marathons are good for this.

I personally just use Mr Tuffy's Liners and thick tubes. I always carry a mini patch kit with me. Even with the motored wheel, a skilled person can pull out the portion of tire that is busted and patch and stuff it back. I also have some Parks' tube mender patches in case of a large gash in the tire itself. (Hasn't happened yet, but I'm ready and won't be stranded).
 
I was getting 2-5 flats a week for a while, a couple times 2 flats in a day.

I switched to panasonic Ribmo tires and stopped getting flats! They also roll very nicely.
 
I have Slime within the tube, If i get a hole it just fills itself in and stops from deflating unless its a massive puncture..

But nothing beats good quality tyre and tube, I think motorbike tyres would be the best bet.
 
Blueshift said:
... I just put a new tube in my tire and the tube starts to fall out on the way home yesterday...
.. I notice the lining of the tire that hugs the rim is starting to peel off ....
.. so what gives?
.. the tire is one of those 24x3 thicker tires.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I would suggest that you have the wrong rim for those tires. That 3" tire probably need a different/wider rim.
..or find a tire that fits the existing rim.
 
If you don't like bicycle tires, there are a number of threads discussing motorcycle and moped tires, sizes, rims, etc. Might even be an ES wiki article about it by now, but I haven't checked.
 
I have read here in some topic i can't remeber from airless bicycle tires.
Absolute flat free guaranteed. But its still only in research they say
 
Also a tire that doesn't require to be pumped all that often would be nice too.
Click to expand...

That's easy. Just whip out your tank of nitrogen and fill her up. Nitrogen molecules are big so the gas doesn't escape through the pores of your tube as fast.
 
100volts+ said:
Also a tire that doesn't require to be pumped all that often would be nice too.
Click to expand...

That's easy. Just whip out your tank of nitrogen and fill her up. Nitrogen molecules are big so the gas doesn't escape through the pores of your tube as fast.
Click to expand...


When you use your bicycle pump you ARE filling your tire with 78% N2 already. A whole lot of BS surrounds N2 in tires, everything from claims it doesn't change pressure with temp or stays full forever etc.
 
Bicycle tires are designed for light weight and low rolling resistance. Some are better at durability. But you have to understand the main objective. Start riding some 2.5" moped tires and it might be a dream come true. But pedaling those tires is likely adding a lot of work.

My schwalbe marathon has been doing well. On the front I have a specialized semi tread with probably 8k miles and taking it like a champ. $5 at local bike swap.
 
Very happy with 2.4" wide CST Cyclops or 2.3" wide Panaracer Uf Da's on my 26" mtn bike conversion.

Modest amount of Slime and 2.5mm thick downhill tubes for rear motor wheels. I rarely use Slime and/or thick tubes on unpowered front wheels.

Tires are very weird for me - 'can go for years with no trouble and then have 3 flats in a week. Whether or not what I use, or don't use, has any meaningful influence I honestly don't know.

Be prepared for repair is what I do know. And constantly maintain tire air pressure. Teach your hand to "feel" approximate tire air pressure for almost every ride but also use a gauge every week. 2.5mm thick tubes seem to hold air better over longer periods of time than normal thickness tubes.

99% of Nail, Staple, Screw, Bolt punctures happen exclusively to rear tires due to the front tire kicking the item up at an ideal angle to skewer the approaching rear tire.

Bottom line is the "best tire" is the one that's holding air and reasonably round, LOL....
 
Here are the layers I used.
From outside to inside:
Maxxis hookworm
Tuffy lining
Used swhalable big apple ball on
Tuffy lining
Thorn resistant tube with slime

Never had a problem. 2K miles so far.

It is a bitch to assemble and is crazy heavy, but it should be good for 4-5K miles if you don't go too fast.

Had a few staples and glass shards removed from the hookworm layer, but so far nothing is getting through.
 
In my dreams I'd get two years from any bike tire. I wear out dirt bike knobbies in 6 months, but often end up riding a shitty tread till spring before shelling out for new ones.

I tend to run pretty cheap tires on the street rides, I ride through way too much broken glass, loose nails and screws to think I'd get much more than a year out of a tire. Sometimes I get lucky though, and get a tires tread worn out before it's slashed all to hell. Then I get about 1500-2000 miles out of even the cheap tires. At my current rate, almost two years.

Flats are limited to the punctures that go in one side of the tire and out the top. We have thorns that long here. I run a ton of slime in the tires, but carry a pump since I might need to fill up some more anywhere anytime. I may be riding with 100 thorn holes in the dirt bike tires. So a slow leak is always happening. Generally I only have to fill the street bike tires about monthly, but the dirt bike often goes flat if it sits 48 hours.
 
Punx0r said:
1) Good quality tyre that fits the rim
2) Good qaulity tube that fits the tyre
3) Slime
Click to expand...

May I add?
4) Regularly check/maintain air pressure and tire condition.
 
Blueshift said:
I just put a new tube in my tire and the tube starts to fall out on the way home yesterday. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Some pics for comedy value? lol


Does slime stop the air permeating through the tube?

I have had one flat in 1300 miles. Front tyre. Farmer had threshed his black thorn hedge across the path. I have had nails go in, turn around and come back out again. Big apples. They say they can tackle a drawing pin. They have a light tread, then a weave, then maybe 5mm of really elastic goo before the tube.

Ir really depends where you ride. I did buy slime, but at ~275g I don't want to use it
 
Choose a decent tyre like the Schwalbe's or panasonic Ribmo as LfP suggested.

I can't stand slime as it only works well for small punctures which a good tyre should resist anyway. Then when you try to patch the tube, it fails because of the slime. :(

Tyre liners weren't much use for me either as the end of the liner would end up puncturing the tube in a few thousand km anyway. Which is about how often I run over a nail or whatever.
 
Some of you guys are riding around with some serious wieght revolving around underneath you. :shock:

One of the single best things I ever did on any of my bikes was put on lightweight wheels. The difference in the feel, acceleration and ability to change direction was like night and day, and that's just with human power. It's was like I'd dropped about 40lbs of ballast, such was the snappiness of the acceleration.

Now I have a set of Crank Brothers Cobalt 2's running tubeless Continental Mountain Kings, and a set of Mavic CrossMax ST', also tubeless running either Continental Double Fighter II's, Geax Tattoo's in white, or Schwalbe Ice Spiker's for winter use. Stans no-tubes sealant takes care of sealing and minor punctures, and they all hold air really well. I was very sceptical about tubeless tyres, but they are actually very very good. I don't know why I was so sceptical, after all, my cars have always had tubeless tyres.

With Tubeless I don't even know about punctures until I strip the tyres off and find the latex plugs that have formed on the inside of the tyres, and they can be run at lower pressures than tubed tyres when you're on soft ground. They don't get pinch flats, and loosing the weight of the tube is a massive performance bonus.

Race car engineers will tell you, a pound taken off the wheels is worth 3 lbs taken off the chassis...

image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg
 
CEGB said:
…Race car engineers will tell you, a pound taken off the wheels is worth 3 lbs taken off the chassis...
Click to expand...
The energy math without steering dynamics:
http://pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-027/index.html

… when accellerating, a gram on the wheels is like 1.5 grams on the frame.

Put another way, for a gram on the wheel, 2/3 of the acceleration energy is simply being mass anywhere on the bike. 1/3 comes from being rotating mass.
Click to expand...
Thanks for posting pictures of the Whyte bicycle.
 
Exept during ice and snow I use Schwalbe Marathon supreme or Marathon dureme tires. I even use extra thin tubes for weight saving reasons and less rolling resistance. I drive daily through the city and a hit quite some broken glass and stuff. I had the last flat tire 4 years ago with a Schwabe Big Apple hitting a nail. Such things would also kill a typical motorcycle tire.

I do not use slime, extra layers or such stuff. Just quality tires (they last around 10.000km) and quality tubes. I use a small amount of Talkum powder when mounting the tubes.

I have to add some pressure maybe every 4-5 weeks or every 1000km, which takes maybe a minute for both tires. That's the only disadvantage I have had from the extra thin tubes, the normal thick tubes hold air a bit better...
 
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