Flats



jjiam25

New Member
Jun 29, 2005
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Which tire do you guys feel is the best for flats? I have tried a few. Currently on my new Trek 5.2 they are race lite tires, and already 3 flats in the last 3 rides, just side of the road trash nothing razor sharp. So I need some new rubbers (tires that is). So any suggestions would do fine, and please do not say anything about slime, one just punctured today on a 30 mile ride, and i got it all over my hands ugh!
 
jjiam25 said:
Which tire do you guys feel is the best for flats? I have tried a few. Currently on my new Trek 5.2 they are race lite tires, and already 3 flats in the last 3 rides, just side of the road trash nothing razor sharp. So I need some new rubbers (tires that is). So any suggestions would do fine, and please do not say anything about slime, one just punctured today on a 30 mile ride, and i got it all over my hands ugh!

Continental Ultra GatorSkins have pretty good puncture protection, if that is your primary consideration. The foldable version is little tougher to find sometimes, but they weigh about the same as your Race Lites. The wire bead versions are a bit heavier.
 
jjiam25 said:
Which tire do you guys feel is the best for flats? I have tried a few. Currently on my new Trek 5.2 they are race lite tires, and already 3 flats in the last 3 rides, just side of the road trash nothing razor sharp. So I need some new rubbers (tires that is). So any suggestions would do fine, and please do not say anything about slime, one just punctured today on a 30 mile ride, and i got it all over my hands ugh!
Are you getting punctures or pinch flats? Proper inflation might just be the issue. If bad rubber is the culprit as you suggest, I have had good luck with Hutchinson Fusion Comps and Vredestein Fortezza SE's. I race on the Hutchinson's so I'm really more concerned with performance over anything aelse. That being said, I have had only one flat in the last 5k miles using Hutchinson's and that was from hitting a nasty pothole. I buy three at a time and I get about 2,000 - 2,500 per rear and a full 5k out of the front. Good tires.
:cool:
 
I've had so many flats it's ridiculous. I've found a pretty good combination that seems to cut flats down by about 75%, if not more (and flats happen regardless of what kind of tire you're riding on). On the front tire I run a continental "duraskin," and on the back I put a superthick specialized "armadillo." I'd run two armadillos, but I haven't worn out the front one yet. Besides, duraskins have better traction than the armadillos. The armadillos are nearly bulletproof, except when you run into broken glass, like what happened to me the other day. I don't know why bike tires haven't been updated in flat-protection technology... if you ask me, it's a monopoly run by the tire companies to sell more tubes. And we're all getting screwed.
 
AmpedCycle said:
I've had so many flats it's ridiculous. I've found a pretty good combination that seems to cut flats down by about 75%, if not more (and flats happen regardless of what kind of tire you're riding on). On the front tire I run a continental "duraskin," and on the back I put a superthick specialized "armadillo." I'd run two armadillos, but I haven't worn out the front one yet. Besides, duraskins have better traction than the armadillos. The armadillos are nearly bulletproof, except when you run into broken glass, like what happened to me the other day. I don't know why bike tires haven't been updated in flat-protection technology... if you ask me, it's a monopoly run by the tire companies to sell more tubes. And we're all getting screwed.

I run a set of armadillos as well; the only time I've ever had a flat is when the rear tire needed to be replaced (it had a flat portion worn into it from too much time on the trainer) and I got a heavy-duty staple that managed to work its way through the kevlar, but I didn't even notice it until the next day when I went to inflate the tire and it was flat. I've found cut resistance to be very good as well, and I agree about the traction not being fantastic; they're long-wearing tires, so they just don't grip as well as a nice soft racing slick. Good for training/casual riding.
 
AmpedCycle said:
I've had so many flats it's ridiculous. I've found a pretty good combination that seems to cut flats down by about 75%, if not more (and flats happen regardless of what kind of tire you're riding on). On the front tire I run a continental "duraskin," and on the back I put a superthick specialized "armadillo." I'd run two armadillos, but I haven't worn out the front one yet. Besides, duraskins have better traction than the armadillos. The armadillos are nearly bulletproof, except when you run into broken glass, like what happened to me the other day. I don't know why bike tires haven't been updated in flat-protection technology... if you ask me, it's a monopoly run by the tire companies to sell more tubes. And we're all getting screwed.

I've run 2 sets of 4-seasons,6500K and 1 flat. Been on GP4000's for 1K and no flats.
 
tetsuryuu said:
I run a set of armadillos as well; the only time I've ever had a flat is when the rear tire needed to be replaced (it had a flat portion worn into it from too much time on the trainer) and I got a heavy-duty staple that managed to work its way through the kevlar, but I didn't even notice it until the next day when I went to inflate the tire and it was flat. I've found cut resistance to be very good as well, and I agree about the traction not being fantastic; they're long-wearing tires, so they just don't grip as well as a nice soft racing slick. Good for training/casual riding.
For commuting and training rides, I've switched over to Panaracer Pasela Tourguard tires. I got tired of the Armadillos' weight and lack of traction, esp. on wet pavement. You give up sidewall kevlar protection with the Pasela TGs, but the streets I ride don't have too much larger debris. The belt is kevlar-reinforced, and it comes in a foldable version. I can't speak to how long they last yet, but so far, so good.
 
I have to second the recommendation for the Hutchinson Fusions. . . I have a pair currently on my training bike and I've easily ridden 700 miles with no flats. They are also a nice rolling tire.
 
I'd recommend Continental GP4000's and Vittoria latex tubes, Have a had a glass shard embedded in the centre of the tread but it did not get through the vectran layer. Latex also assists in puncture resistance.
 
Thanks for the opions, I took a few, and today bought two Armadillo tires. So hopefully my flats will be done
 
They should be with those. Heavy but about as flat proff a tire as you can get.
 
I've been riding Conti 4 seasons. 1 flat after 30 miles but no problems for next 1000.

Shokhead -- how long have they lasted for you? 6500K? how can you tell when they need to be replaced?


shokhead said:
I've run 2 sets of 4-seasons,6500K and 1 flat. Been on GP4000's for 1K and no flats.
 
shokhead said:
3-3500 on rear for me.
The GP 3000s have be lasting me 3000 on the back also. No flats in 12K miles. They have 5 casing plies, and seem pretty tough. The new 4000s should be good also, and maybe lower rolling resistance.

Also, when I switched to Conti from Michelin slicks, lowered the pressure to 100/105 psi. Believe running max rated pressures contributes to cuts and punctures on any tire, as well as the other disadvantages with too-hard tires.
 
PeterF said:
Are you getting punctures or pinch flats? Proper inflation might just be the issue. If bad rubber is the culprit as you suggest, I have had good luck with Hutchinson Fusion Comps and Vredestein Fortezza SE's. I race on the Hutchinson's so I'm really more concerned with performance over anything aelse. That being said, I have had only one flat in the last 5k miles using Hutchinson's and that was from hitting a nasty pothole. I buy three at a time and I get about 2,000 - 2,500 per rear and a full 5k out of the front. Good tires.
:cool:
Are the Hutchinson fusion Comp similar to the Carbo Gold Comp? Because I had no luck with those. I liked the lightness and ride but I kept getting flats continously until I installed Tuffy Liner on the rear.
 
same question,miles or kilometers? (I assume miles in your case)



dhk said:
The GP 3000s have be lasting me 3000 on the back also. No flats in 12K miles. They have 5 casing plies, and seem pretty tough. The new 4000s should be good also, and maybe lower rolling resistance.

Also, when I switched to Conti from Michelin slicks, lowered the pressure to 100/105 psi. Believe running max rated pressures contributes to cuts and punctures on any tire, as well as the other disadvantages with too-hard tires.
 
li rider said:
same question,miles or kilometers? (I assume miles in your case)
No need to assume, since I said 12K miles. But, even if I hadn't, here in Huntsville AL USA, miles would be a correct assumption. Appears you were eager to make the point that the rest of the world uses km, not miles....can't blame you for feeling superior that your country has adopted SI, while we stay in the 18th century :)
 
Dont be half arsed when it comes to tires because there is nothing more annoying than fixing a flat on the side of a road 50km's out of town in the middle of winter. You have to go all out training/ puncture resistant tires for training and treat yourself with a pair of veloflex pave's or prolights even supersonics with a superlight tube on race day.

My current combo
Vittoria rubino pro & Veloflex Pave (Lighter tubes on the pave's)
Ideally you want a heavy training tire so you feel like youre going much faster with much less effort on raceday so my next training pair will probably be michelin speediums ($23 on probikekit) and the pave's (maybe supersonics for a change) which have been the fastest tire i've ever used by a country mile.

Recommended training- vred tri comp, mich speedium, mich carbo, conti gatorskin, spec armadillo, vittoria zaffiro pro matched with a heavy/ cheap/ bulletproof inner tube

recommended racing- any veloflex, supersonics, mich pro light, vred superlite and a set of michelin aircomp ultralight innertubes or inner tube supersonics by conti