Too many flat tires for my tastes - Suggestions?

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I have a Giant OCR (of little concern here) but anyways, I bought a pair of Bontrager Race Lite wheels last year but unfortunately because of sickness, got no use out of them. I am rather happy with the weight and stiffness the wheels have, but perhaps the most important thing is lacking... the ability to stay inflated. So far this year, I have gotten 2 flat tires while riding the trails around my house. I am riding on the I&M Canal (Illinois & Michigan) which for the most part is crushed limestone. I have never had a problem riding on this trail before and NEVER had any flats on the trails.

Both times it has been the rear tire that has gone flat. When I looked at the tube after I got home, it is on the outside of the tube lending me to believe that it was caused by something I rode over.

The tires themselves are the standard ones that come on the Race Lite wheels and the tubes are Bontrager tubes that the bike shop carries stock. There is nothing in the tubes that would lead to a punctured tube and the wheel surface feels smooth as well. There are a few bumps on the trail but nothing too serious. Should I get new tires? any suggestions? And I am not too worried about weight since I am not racing on these. I just like to ride as hard as I can for the feeling of being drained at the end of the day.

Check the tires for any material that might puncture the tube. I had a similar problem and found a small wire that was puncturing the tube.
Sometimes they are imbeded in the tire and very hard to locate.
No way to know if this is your problem but I think it is worth checking.

Are you vigilant about your tire pressure? I had a similar problem riding crushed limestone trails. No problems on the asphalt section but I got a series of flats on the crushed limestone. I finally realized I was getting pinch flats (aka snakebites) from the rim slamming against the tube with insufficient pressure. It was always my rear tire and was usually occasioned by hitting a slightly larger rock than usual or going into a small ditch on the trail.

I now air up my tires each and every time I ride. I forgot to do this a couple of weeks ago and...you guessed it...another pinch flat. I am now resumed vigilant tire inflation before every ride.

You might also try spin skins (a kevlar reinforced tape that sits between tire and tube). There are a few other equivalent products out there. Spin skins are a bit of a pain to install but they do help.

Best of luck to you.

I now air up my tires each and every time I ride. I forgot to do this a couple of weeks ago and...you guessed it...another pinch flat. I am now resumed vigilant tire inflation before every ride.
Yes I am very watchful of it. I check the pressure every time before I go out on a ride. I fill it to the 110lbs. the tire says to fill to. Also if I go over some really rough surfaces, I will stop, pull over and check just to make sure. I would rather find out sooner rather than later that I have a flat or a leak. There are parks about every 3-5 miles on the trail i ride on so If I can make it to a park, I have an easier time patching and at worst, I can call for a ride and pick me up at the park.

besides the kevlar things, is there a thicker tire that would help with it? I love riding on asphalt because it is so smooth, but where I live, the roads are all too busy and I don't get a chance to go out to the country that is about 20 miles away to ride on back roads. So I am left with riding on trails :(

You might try Continental Gatorskins or Specizlied Armadillos. I have used both and they do seem to help with flat prevention. They are a fair bit heavier, particularly the Armadillos.

I would also suggest running a wider tire as they have a bit more rubber thickness (I believe, not completely sure). I usually run a 25mm tire for mixed asphalt, crushed limestone. The 25s are also more stable when pushing past 20mph on crushed limestone.

Also, check to see that your spokes are not intruding onto your tube. Spoke tightening can make that happen sometimes and cause flats.

Lastly, i have given up patching tires. I just replace the whole tube. It seems more reliable to me but does have added cost.

I use "Dutch Perfect No Flat" tires. Due to the amount of broken glass and other sharp detritus on the cycle paths here I find they're finely sliced and diced before the tread is actually worn out. No flats - touch wood. I occasionally try another make, against my better judgement, but go back pretty soon.

I am actually on 25's and still getting the flats. I am going to look to see if there is a tire that is thicker or something. Maybe I will look into those "Dutch Perfect No Flat"

I use "Dutch Perfect No Flat" tires. Due to the amount of broken glass and other sharp detritus on the cycle paths here I find they're finely sliced and diced before the tread is actually worn out. No flats - touch wood. I occasionally try another make, against my better judgement, but go back pretty soon.Are these used on road bikes?

i went with spinskins two years ago and haven't flatted in that time. prior to that, didn't seem to go a week without swearing by the side of the road.

i went with spinskins two years ago and haven't flatted in that time. prior to that, didn't seem to go a week without swearing by the side of the road.I think I am going to give these a try.

Are these used on road bikes?I'm using them on all commuter bikes and the racers I use for Audax/Radoneur etc. Used them on the PBP last year. for example. The time and effort saved from not having to worry about flats makes a psychological difference, also not having to watch out for glass so much improves safety, I feel.

I use the I&M trail a lot. I had some Panaracer Pasela TGs and they didn't flat although I scraped through three sidewalls and gave up on the whole concept of skinwalls. I just use a regular kevlar belted tire now.

Local trivia: the paved north end of the I&M canal trail finishes up a few hundred yards from the Willowbrook Ballroom, where Mary liked to go dancing. A couple of miles further north up Archer avenue, we find the Resurrection cemetery.

Lastly, i have given up patching tires. I just replace the whole tube. It seems more reliable to me but does have added cost.Try carrying a spare tube so the tube you patch doesn't have to be pressed into immediate service. Works much better that way.

I use the I&M trail a lot. I had some Panaracer Pasela TGs and they didn't flat although I scraped through three sidewalls and gave up on the whole concept of skinwalls. I just use a regular kevlar belted tire now.

Local trivia: the paved north end of the I&M canal trail finishes up a few hundred yards from the Willowbrook Ballroom, where Mary liked to go dancing. A couple of miles further north up Archer avenue, we find the Resurrection cemetery.I am in the joliet area so I do not make it up there ever but I know the story of Resurrection Mary very well.

As for the kevlar belted tires, do you have a brand you prefer to use or would suggest?

I used to have the same problem until i started using tire liners. they aren't totally flat-proof, but i rarely have flats anymore. they have been so successful in reducing flats that i have installed them on my two road bikes and my tandem.

The restaurant across the street was owned by one Alphonse Capone. He may have had someone "whacked" in the bathroom. You can still hear him, they say. :eek:

Here is a solution that works for me(for my training bikes - not used for racing) and for a friend who's done this for his daily 38kms commute in which he'd average 3 puntures a week!:o
He's now only had one punture(a builder's staple) in over 9 months of riding!

Get another tyre of the same size (700 x 23). Cut the beading off it on both sides. Take out your tube. Put the other tyre inside your current tyre. Put the tube back inside both tyres. Reseat your current tyre. Inflate as usual.
Your bike will be a bit slower to ride(you may loose 1 km/hour average say) but you won't flat your back tyre!
Only do it to the back for as we all know - we hardly ever flat on the front compared with the rear tyre.

If you do a race etc - just remove the inner tyre = you'll feel like your flying again!:)



I have a Giant OCR (of little concern here) but anyways, I bought a pair of Bontrager Race Lite wheels last year but unfortunately because of sickness, got no use out of them. I am rather happy with the weight and stiffness the wheels have, but perhaps the most important thing is lacking... the ability to stay inflated. So far this year, I have gotten 2 flat tires while riding the trails around my house. I am riding on the I&M Canal (Illinois & Michigan) which for the most part is crushed limestone. I have never had a problem riding on this trail before and NEVER had any flats on the trails.

Both times it has been the rear tire that has gone flat. When I looked at the tube after I got home, it is on the outside of the tube lending me to believe that it was caused by something I rode over.

The tires themselves are the standard ones that come on the Race Lite wheels and the tubes are Bontrager tubes that the bike shop carries stock. There is nothing in the tubes that would lead to a punctured tube and the wheel surface feels smooth as well. There are a few bumps on the trail but nothing too serious. Should I get new tires? any suggestions? And I am not too worried about weight since I am not racing on these. I just like to ride as hard as I can for the feeling of being drained at the end of the day.

GP4000 is what I use, they are not 100% puncture free; but I only experience a puncture every 500miles or so, and I only ride on the streets.

Call me lucky, but I have not had a flat yet on the stock tires that came on my trek 1.5...the tires that came on it are the crappy 12 dollar bontrager tires. I have about 950 miles on them. The tread is wearing down very quickly, so I think I might buy some michelin kylion carbons...

The Centennial trail now goes through Lemont (Le Mont, good for climbing) and can be ridden from Joliet to its end in Willow Springs. It is paved from where I355 crosses it to its end.

I think people who ride unprotected tires and don't have a lot of flats are probably road bikers who ride inside the white line where the cars blow the debris off the road.

As I already told the OP elsewhere, I don't use a 700C and can't comment on the tires available for them but for path use I prefer a wider blackwall or gumwall with a kevlar flat protection belt. Roadbikereview.com or the search feature on this column should tell which ones work well.

I just want to add that no method is foolproof. You have to inspect your tires after a ride and check for embedded objects. I have had glass shards eat their way slowly through even a kevlar belted tire and cause a flat. It only happened to me twice but then again I am good about inspecting. When the glass imbeds itself, it's only a matter of time before it eats through the kevlar, which is tougher by far than regular tire cords but by no means impervious to glass.

Also, gravel paths can abrade and ruin the sidewalls of certain skinwall tires so it's something to keep an eye on.