Punctured tire prevention?

[biohazardman]

Really not that hard to patch in the field just leave the wheel on the bike remove one side of the tire, pull out the tube, or part of it if you can see the puncture, patch it and replace things. Easy if the bike is upside-down but too not bad on it's side either. I have some Kevlar reinforced tires, Bontrager Hardcase, and still got quite a few flats for a time. I just changed my route seldom ride the offending road anymore and no more flats last 2K.

 

[Paul_G]

I ride a Bomber and have tried many type tubes and sealants. If running any tube use a sealant as it will get you home. The best is Mr Tuffy tire sealant, I tried slime and it may or may not seal the leak but it will spin green snot all over you and the bike. Tire liners also kill the ride.

http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Tuffy-Tire-Sealer-Bottle/dp/B004V4I4L8

The problem with a thick tube or any tube is a harsh ride. So I tried Stan's no tubes and I'm more than happy so far. The bike rides very plush now and so far no flats and it holds the air.

I removed the tire strips, and used Gorilla tape to cover the holes, I added two layers just by the valve stems....no rubber liners used. I used Stan's Pesta valves and just tightened the nuts down well as the bomber used the other larger type valves. I did not use any rubber tire liners as the Bomber uses wire bead tires and lock in very tight.

I had to use a 16 gram CO2 cartridge to get the tires to lock into the bead, a pump or a 12 would not do it.

F wheel had 0 leakage on the bead, no foam at all.

R wheel foamed at the bead for a while.....the R is a bitch to shake....my arms cramped up

Time will tell but I had a hole in the tire and the sealant fixed it....only problem with Stans you need to add 2 oz every month if you ride a lot.

Stan's video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTlZvOVG8zs

 

[MadRhino]

I hardly have one flat a year with 2.7 Stick-E Nevegals mounted with their special DH tubes, but suddenly I made 5 in 2 days. I filled this tire with one pound of slime cause I'm disgusted. It worked and I am riding but still, I'm shopping a new tire and tube for this wheel, 2.7 are getting rare here.

 

[Kingfish]

Last year I used the Specialized Desert Tube w/ Slime on my first Road Trip to California. I ran over something nasty, pulled it out of the tire, rolled it backwards so the Slime could do its’ thang – and it sealed it fine after a few seconds.

This year in preparation for the 2nd Road Trip I had several rim-flats caused by the cutouts of the Kris Holm Rims. I resolved this by armoring the inside of the rims with Stop Flats 2 rim tape with an additional wrap of Velox to hold it in place; no more rim flats after that. However I did get one flat whilst on the Road Trip and it was one nasty bugger! A ¼ inch lag bolt went all the way through the armored Hookworm tire and DH tube clean through to the rim, ruining the DH tube completely. I had armored the inside of the tire with another wrap of Stop Flats 2, but it just moved out of the way and allowed the bolt to pass through. The inside of the DH tube was filled with that latex stuff with a foaming agent – and that spewed out all over making my tire look as if it had Rabies! The latex made a gawd-aweful mess, sticking to everything it touched: twigs, leaves, bugs… a complete waste of money. To fix the tire, I removed the DH tube, repaired the only spare that I had – which was a thin-walled Arrow tube with a rim-flat by using the old sandpaper-glue-rubber patch method. Stuffed the whole business back into the tire – not bothering to repair the hole in the ¼ inch Hookworm (though I had the patch for that). When I got to the next big town I purchased a 16 oz bottle of that new Slime stuff with little black bits in it and pumped the whole business into the 2.5 inch wide tube. I ran like that for the next 1500+ miles; it’s still mounted on the bike.

You can read about it here with pictures.

For my money, the next Build will use DOT tires. :wink:
~KF

 

[mat h physics]

After installing Slime 10x thick tubes, I have had no problems the past year or so.

 

[itchynackers]

The flat I got Wednesday was a pencil sized hole at about a 45 degree angle from the top (road surface) of the tube. Seemingly, just enough of an angle to miss the kevlar liner. I thought maybe the liner caused it, BUT it was a round (slightly jagged) hole. Stan's didn't seal it. I patched the tube since it is (was) a brand new Michelin C6 downhill racing tube (1.2mm thick). I had the original Bontrager LT3 tires on there. They seem a bit flimsy/thin, so I've got the Armadillos on the way now.

Just ordered new tubes too. I'm gonna try the Kenda dowhill tubes at a whopping 2.5mm thick! Niagara cycles seemed to have the best price shipped. Now my system will be the following:

-Double rim strip
-Kenda dowhill 2.25mm thick tube
-Automotive (green) slime sealant
-Kevlar liner
-Specialized Crossroads Armadillo tire

Baahhh!! If that doesn't do it, I don't know what will!

 

[gensem]

what size of motorcycle tires would fit in:

24 inch rim
and
26 inch rim

 

[jateureka]

I've had great success with Zefal tyre liners, the green ones for 24" and 26" wheels, coupled with thornproof tubes and el cheapo tyres.
SOme tyre liners have hard edges and can cause pinch flats but the Zefal ones are good.

 

[amberwolf]

Remove valve stem, and pour it in. Easy, but can be messy.

Just to be clear, to anyone that has never done this, it's actually the valve *core* you remove, using either a tool made for the purpose (often included in bike tire repair kits), a thread-on valve cover made for the purpose with a slitted end (I have had metal and plastic ones), or a pair of very thin-ended needlenose pliers. One of those tools is used to unscrew (counterclockwise) the valve core from the stem, so then you have a large-diameter tube to squirt the sealant into the tube thru.

Some of those, like some Slime brand types, come with a tool that is just a soft-plastic valve cover with the slitted end on it. I don't like them because the cores are usually too tight for those things to take them out. I prefer the old metal caps with the tool integrated in.

A flatblade screwdriver or allen key that is large enough diameter can easily be turned into a tool, by dremelling or filing a 1/8" slit into it's end, at least 1/8" deep and preferably more like 1/4" deep.


BTW, it's a good idea to take those cores out of any old tubes you're repurposing or tossing, because they typically all fit each other, and some cores are better made than others. If you find you have a leaky or jammed valve on a tube, you can just swap the core out instead of changing the tube.


@Harold in CR: http://forums.aaca.org/f169/vulcanizing-tire-patches-tube-repair-268643.html
Apparently they are not sold in the USA anymore according to that thread. But it does have a link to a place in Colombia. Might be worth a shot trying to reach them.

Other links like this one:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/446003-Tire-Tube-Vulcanization-patch-kit
don't even have *that* much helpful info.

FWIW, they sound like a wonderful idea, and I wish I'd heard of them before--regular patches *can* work, but often don't or don't stay on properly, unless they are in the road-contact area of the tread of the tire.

 

[Harold in CR]

Just sent an email "en espanol". :lol: :lol: :lol: Lets see if I get a response. Lots of negativity from some people. One guy even talks about how the acrid smoke contributed to low level smog and was 1 reason these were banned in the USA ??? Sheesh. Hope I never fall off the edge of the earth

 

[amberwolf]

Yeah...FWIW, with all these high-powered batteries on our bikes, it'd certainly be easy enough to build a heating element to do the same thing as the fire did, and just plug it into the pack. I'd just likely have to have one of the old kits so I could work with it to adapt it to the electric heater instead of whatever comes with it.

But it would be better done by someone that can figure out the temperature of the fire's effect, then calculate what is needed to heat it electrically the same way, and find or design a heating element that would do that. (I expect a cigarette lighter element from a car could do it; perhaps have to tone the power down).

 

[stingray17]

I second the Schwalbe Marathon Plus for pavement riding. Never had a flat yet (fingers crossed) and still in good shape after around 3000 miles. I actually drove over a rusty nail which went into the center of the tire, and the "SmartGuard belt" worked, actually deflecting it out through the sidewall! The nail sticking out the side of my tire jammed on the brake caliper, which was startling -- but the tube wasn't pierced, I pulled the nail out and kept riding.

 

[Harold in CR]

@Amberwolf--Don't know what the compound was, but, it was a buff color and you scratched the surface a little, to get some fuzz standing up. That is what was lit with a wooden match. The whole thing smoldered. If you go to that link you posted for me to look at, click it and view the clamp and patches. Some were pretty small and worked very well on Bicycle tires.

 

[Harold in CR]

Quien es interesa ??? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have a response from the Hot Patches Company, in Colombia, EN ESPANOL.

Anyone interested ?? No prices yet, but, I want to send for a price quote on --- pieces and --- clamps, if anyone is interested ???

 

[alan]

I have well over 10,000 miles over the last three years on Michelin City Pilot with only a single puncture caused by a box cutter razor blade. The blade left a clean 1" slit in the tire, and Michelin replaced the tire for me. I just took the tire in to my LBS to show him, and did not ask for or expect a free replacement, but I got a call a week later from him saying the Michelin rep said it was covered under warranty.

My ebike is a 55lb hardtail commuter converted from a Univega mountain bike. I do not use Slime, or thick tubes or any thing else to help guard against punctures. Prior to using the City Pilots, I was getting punctures every couple months minimum. Michelin also makes cheaper City (not City Pilot) tires that do not have sidewall protection, and those managed to pick up a few sidewall punctures on my ride and did not last as long (treadwear) either. The City Pilots are getting over 2000 miles on the rear (more on front), but I change them when the tread is still fairly good (others might want to ride them down further).

The negatives about the Michelins are: 1) somewhat expensive, 2) come in only one size for my rims (26x1.75), 3) are quite hard to get on/off the rims, and 4) need 80-85 psi to get really low rolling resistance, so they ride hard but fast (or not-quite soft and somewhat slow!). Another positive is that they have a nice silver/white reflective sidewall.

-- Alan

 

[llile]

I'm all about Slime, but apparently that opinion isn't shared. Slime can get into the valve, clogging up a tube, but here is how to keep it out: remove the valve (Slowly, with a rag, if the tire has any pressure to prevent a Slime-plosion) take an air compressor hose, and inflate the tire a little without the valve in place, and the valve at the 12:00 position. Blows all the slime out of the way. Install a valve (a new one, if the old one was clogged with slime) and you'll be good to go for a long time.


I was having a rash of flats - I ride along a 4-lane (legal, in my state, but intimidating to the faint-of-heart) in rivers of glass and shards of metal. Kevlar tires, extra-thick tubes, and slime - no problems for about 600 miles so far this summer.

 

[Pure]

The only problem with running large tires at such a low PSI is they are dangerous in high speed turns, ok really any turn at any kind of speed. They will fold in on themselves causing the rider to lay the bike down. Trust me, this does happen and does suck!

I've never had this happen, but then I usually run at around 30-40psi on the back, and 25-30psi on the front. 20psi is too bouncy. [/quote]

My bad man, I should have been more clear. We all know that bicycle tires loose pressure over time. The problem when running them this low is you have less wiggle room and if you are not careful and have a laps in memory and forget to check your pressures you can easily run them too low, causing what I described.

 

[Kingfish]

<snip>

My bad man, I should have been more clear. We all know that bicycle tires loose pressure over time. The problem when running them this low is you have less wiggle room and if you are not careful and have a laps in memory and forget to check your pressures you can easily run them too low, causing what I described.

My rim flats with the Kris Holm rims were caused by having too much pressure; about 50-55 psi: The thin rim tape provided by the manufacturer is insufficient to prevent the tube from being sliced – although the tape strangely is not. To resolve this, I added the Stop Flats 2 layer on the INSIDE against the rim, then a layer of Velox to bind and prevent slipping, and then ensured that the 2.5-inch wide tubes were maintained about 36-40 psi. That was the end of flat problem, however the lower psi reduced the sidewall strength and I had more handling/wobble issues when under full load (cross-country); everything is a tradeoff. However, for commuting – the lower psi is not an issue.

Learning the hardway, KF

 

[Timelord]

It's amazing that more than a year after they were introduced, I still can't find anything resembling a review of the Michelin Protec Max inner tubes. They're supposed to be self-sealing with their unique shape that's designed to squeeze punctures shut, as well as factory sealant. You'd think somebody would have bought some in the past year and commented on whether they work or not.

 

[alsmith]

I have well over 10,000 miles over the last three years on Michelin City Pilot with only a single puncture caused by a box cutter razor blade. The blade left a clean 1" slit in the tire, and Michelin replaced the tire for me. I just took the tire in to my LBS to show him, and did not ask for or expect a free replacement, but I got a call a week later from him saying the Michelin rep said it was covered under warranty.

My ebike is a 55lb hardtail commuter converted from a Univega mountain bike. I do not use Slime, or thick tubes or any thing else to help guard against punctures. Prior to using the City Pilots, I was getting punctures every couple months minimum. Michelin also makes cheaper City (not City Pilot) tires that do not have sidewall protection, and those managed to pick up a few sidewall punctures on my ride and did not last as long (treadwear) either. The City Pilots are getting over 2000 miles on the rear (more on front), but I change them when the tread is still fairly good (others might want to ride them down further).

The negatives about the Michelins are: 1) somewhat expensive, 2) come in only one size for my rims (26x1.75), 3) are quite hard to get on/off the rims, and 4) need 80-85 psi to get really low rolling resistance, so they ride hard but fast (or not-quite soft and somewhat slow!). Another positive is that they have a nice silver/white reflective sidewall.

-- Alan

I got the Michelin City Pilots too. I've only had them on for a few hundred miles but I'm happy with them. They were less expensive than the other ones which is why I got them. They're 700C's, and I found them easy to fit. I run around 55 psi and find it's comfortable and fast- I've not tried at 80psi having first tried 55psi and was happy at that. I think I'll maybe try higher next week but think I'll be back to around 50-55psi
These are the first new tyres I've bought in many years and thought I'd try a different make next but now think I'll probably stay with these ones.

 

[alan]

I got the Michelin City Pilots too. I've only had them on for a few hundred miles but I'm happy with them. They were less expensive than the other ones which is why I got them. They're 700C's, and I found them easy to fit. I run around 55 psi and find it's comfortable and fast- I've not tried at 80psi having first tried 55psi and was happy at that. I think I'll maybe try higher next week but think I'll be back to around 50-55psi
These are the first new tyres I've bought in many years and thought I'd try a different make next but now think I'll probably stay with these ones.[/quote]
Hope the work well for you, too. What I found is that while they roll fine at 65 psi (the lowest I've run them), there is noticeably more drag then when I am over 75. It may only be 1-2 MPH difference, but I can tell. I have to work harder to maintain the speed I usually run when the pressure is lower. I usually keep them between 80-85. My size has a max pressure rating of 87.

-- Alan

 

[Arlo1]

Motorcycle tires.

+1

 

[wojtek]

Motorcycle tires.

+1

what motocycle size for 26inch please?

I use pretty much the same setup as Oatnet , Maxxis Hookworm, 2 layers of liners, downhill tube. I also added anti-puncture tape between the tyre and inner tube.

 

[Arlo1]

Motorcycle tires.

+1

what motocycle size for 26inch please?

I use pretty much the same setup as Oatnet , Maxxis Hookworm, 2 layers of liners, downhill tube. I also added anti-puncture tape between the tyre and inner tube.

You need to measure the dia of the part of the rim where the tires beads. Or the smallest dia of the tire with it removed. That will be your rim dia for a motorcycle tire! eg. Our 20" bmx tires have a 16" bead so we ordered 2.25 x16 or 2.5 x16 tires. Luke might have tried 3 x16 I remember him asking me but with out major mods they don't work.

 

[Kingfish]

Motorcycle tires.

+1

what motocycle size for 26inch please?

I use pretty much the same setup as Oatnet , Maxxis Hookworm, 2 layers of liners, downhill tube. I also added anti-puncture tape between the tyre and inner tube.

The problem is that there is no direct replacement or mapping for 24" and 26" bicycle tires. Like Arlo1 suggested, BMX 20" maps to Motorcycle 16". :wink: Otherwise you're looking at adapting motorcycle 18", 19" and 21" tires to bicycle frames, and unless the frame is specifically designed to handle the extra width, you're SOL

On the Road, I had a problem with my fatty 24" x 2.5" wide Hookworm interfering with my frame; there was about 1/8 to 3/16" tire clearance on either side within the rear suspension; the ghetto fender and rear-mounted controllers would occassionally hit when the wheel flexed under load. Very annoying! :x However, a customized frame could avoid that altogether - if given the option.

Next year my plan is for picking a different or possibly custom frame to facilitate DOT tires.
~KF