mountain bike puncture problems

moon man · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:15

ok so my punctures are becoming a bit of a problem ,12 miles to work on canal path then 10 miles back on main road 4 times a week ,had maybe 14 in 12 weeks ,so its getting silly.
question ,are puncture "free" tyres any good or that slime stuff or maybe you can make your own tyre liners ?

kae2 · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:22

Are you inflating your tyres to the correct pressures? Are they overly worn?

Even on really bad paths, I only very rarely get punctures (over 6 months since my last!).

SpeedFreak · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:23

Google Stan's NoTubes

moon man · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:24

kae2 said:
Are you inflating your tyres to the correct pressures? Are they overly worn?

Even on really bad paths, I only very rarely get punctures (over 6 months since my last!).

65psi and its a 3 month old mongoose ,shards of glass seem to be the main thing and the odd thorn

kae2 · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:27

moon man said:
65psi and its a 3 month old mongoose ,shards of glass seem to be the main thing and the odd thorn

ahh k, they're a bugger, I'm lucky to not have glass as a problem around here.

As the guys above have said, Stan's tubeless tyre stuff appears fantastic on the promo vids, would definitely look into it if I started having puncture problems.

mistercrabb · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:29

Something's wrong, you shouldn't be getting that many punctures.

If it's just one hole in the tube, something sharp is puncturing it, and it is probably still inside the tyre, which is why you are getting so many punctures. Find and remove (run your hand on the inside of the tyre/rim feeling for shark stuff).

If there are 2 holes next to each other, it's a snakebite, normally caused by running a low pressure. Try pumping up the tyres more or using a thicker inner tube.

It might just be that you have terrible tyres and thorns go through them like butter

Edit: I was a bit slow there.

moon man · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:31

mistercrabb said:
Something's wrong, you shouldn't be getting that many punctures.

If it's just one hole in the tube, something sharp is puncturing it, and it is probably still inside the tyre, which is why you are getting so many punctures. Find and remove (run your hand on the inside of the tyre/rim feeling for shark stuff).

If there are 2 holes next to each other, it's a snakebite, normally caused by running a low pressure. Try pumping up the tyres more or using a thicker inner tube.

It might just be that you have terrible tyres and thorns go through them like butter

Edit: I was a bit slow there.

they are kenda and do seem abit budget!

Steve Zodiac · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:34

I have Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres on my bike, Not had a Puncture in over 12 months!

moon man · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:35

cheers ,making notes of these suggestions!

cyber69 · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:41

I think Specialized do some punture resistant semi-slick's called Armadillo's or something.

LordSplodge · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:44

Marathon Plus. Can even stop a drawing pin.

sk3lph · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:49

I think you can also get kevlar strips for lining the inside of the tyre which may help your case. You can also get tyres with kevlar internally in the rubber too.

Nix · 15 Jul 2011 at 12:51

1. What type of punctures are they? Tears/punctures or pinch-flats?

- If it is the latter, you are probably using the wrong tyre pressure. See the side of the tyre wall for ideal PSI - it should say something like 35 Min - 60 Max. Aim for 45-50 at least if you're primarily on hard surfaces like tarmac.

- If it is the former, get yourself some puncture resistant tyres like the Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

2. What type of tyre are you using?

- If you are using knobly mountain tyres on canal paths and pavements, you're not helping your cause - get some slicks/hybrids on. Save the off-road tyres for off-road conditions.

dunker · 15 Jul 2011 at 13:05

specialized armadillo elite "crossroads" tyres are great, pricey but they last for years and it's doubtful you'll ever have another puncure ever again.

sHo0sH · 15 Jul 2011 at 13:42

Continental Sport Contacts are what I use, they are slicks but I have the thickest version, 1.6 on my Zaskar. Not only are they faster than my old tires, they are literally puncture proof - they also come with a free innertube! Should be looking at about £19 a tyre.

Run them at 90 - 100 psi

garylouden · 15 Jul 2011 at 14:00

I do a lot of riding on my mountain bike and punctures used to be a big pain. I only run Specialized tyres now with the Armadillo puncture protection like this one:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/categ...ycles-the-captain-armadillo-elite-20in-31868/

Ran nearly 1000 miles on them so far, rear is needing to be replaced but neither have had a puncture yet.

Nexus · 15 Jul 2011 at 14:00

I suppose the question is also what kind of tyres are you running on it currently?

It sounds like you are running a mountain bike, but the fact you are using it for commuting sounds like you might be using it with more road orientated tyres than big nobly things design for off-road?

If using road tyres, then it certainly is worth getting 'puncture proof' ones. I run Specialized Armadillos on my road bike in London, used to get punctures all the time before, now the only one I've had in well over a year was a result of a huge nail.

Mountain Bike wise, you could convert to tubless, I don't get punctures very often since I switched, but you do still see the odd bit of fluid oozing, which suggests where you would usually have got a puncture. It's probably overkill for commuting though.

jake9891 · 15 Jul 2011 at 14:04

I fixed the puncture on my bike, took it out and came back with a flat tyre :/ it sucks doing it again

Hamster · 15 Jul 2011 at 19:25

Not had a single puncture on with my Continental Travel Contact tyres and also Schwalbe Marathon Plus, as already mentioned, are pretty strong tyres. Look for kevlar lined tyres which are usually heavier but better at preventing punctures.

Moon man, again as already suggested, you really need to take your tyres off and examine them for small fragments of anything sharp. Careful if you're running your fingers around the inside of the tyre for obvious reasons though. Also have you replaced your inner tubes at any stage as I wouldn't be happy keeping an inner tube with 14 patches on it!!

CSA · 28 Jun 2012 at 09:19

Sorry to bump an old thread but thought it better to bump than start a new one

Im currently using a pair of Schwalbe marathon plus tour road tyre and they have been fantastic for my tow path rides,i used to suffer 2 or 3 flats a week due to thorns (averaging 80miles per week) but have suffered NONE since fitting these tyres

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-ma..._Marathon_Plus_Tour_Wired_MTB_Road_Tyre-Black

The only problem with these tyres is they are not very grippy in mud and some sections of the lancashire canal routes that i use are not paved and are very muddy/boggy indeed, so thought i may buy another pair of tyres and rims (quik release) so they are hotswapable depending on the weather

I was going to get the full MTB version of the marathon tour plus but hate the reflective strips on them so wondered about nobby nics,they do some puncture protection ones and wanted to know if they are anygood ? ,has any one used a pair and if so do they offer decent protection against thorns ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110824767910?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649