Avoiding Punctures

Punctures are funny things. Avoiding pinch punctures, which you do by riding tyres which are hard
and fat enough for the weight on the bike, and the surface, the rest is in the lap of the gods. I
find the following tyres good. Continental Top Touring. Michelin Select Kevlar Paselas on MTB,
Specialized Fatboys.

You can get lots of punctures in places where there's lots of glass. Avoid
it.

Check your brakes don't touch the side wall when you are braking. This is a common cause of side
wall puncture and when you inspect the tyre you wont find the culprit, just like you describe

"Vibrant" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:hmFY9.4095$pS2.236774@stones...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

Quoted message said:

What can I do to avoid all these punctures? I have had 5 in the last 3

weeks

Quoted message said:

and less than 200 miles.

Panaracer 737s - Loads of punctures Specialized Nimbus - 1 puncture in a year. Schwalbe Marathon -
No puncture yet. Vredestein Spider - 1 pinch flat.

Also, I ride on glass infested cycle tracks every day.

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

. Then on New Years day cycling in the Cycle lane in a local town I ran over some glass and got
punctures in both tyres. I just put this down to misfortune and repaired the punctures,
however the following Sunday I got another puncture when a very small piece of flint went
through the tyre

On normal roads the car tyres keep the roads swept. If there is a bike lane next to the other lanes,
then car tyres constantly sweep stuff into the bike lane, and there is nothing to sweep the debris
out again.

Separate bike paths do not suffer from this problem. They do, however, suffer from the occasional
idiot smashing beer bottles onto the path.

You may notice that experienced cyclists often dislike and avoid bike lanes (and bike paths
alongside roads) although there are more important reasons to avoid the lanes and paths than mere
punctures.

Jeremy Parker

Jeremy Parker

"Vibrant" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<hmFY9.4095$pS2.236774@stones>...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I wonder if some kind person here could give me some advice on how to avoid punctures this time
of year?

I am relatively new to cycling and spent last winter riding an ancient Dawes Super Galaxy with
Panaracer Pasela tyres and did not have any punctures.

This Winter however I have replaced the Super Galaxy with a Raleigh R200, this came fitted with
23mm Continental Sport 1000s. These seemed OK and between the start of October and the end of the
Christmas period I put 1500 miles on them. Then on New Years day cycling in the Cycle lane in a
local town I ran over some glass and got punctures in both tyres. I just put this down to
misfortune and repaired the punctures, however the following Sunday I got another puncture when a
very small piece of flint went through the tyre. This made me think perhaps the Sport 1000s were
not that good and so I replaced them with some Continental Ultra Gatorskins, which are described
as being practically bullet proof and received a good write up in CW. These were OK for the first
week I rode about 50 miles on them. Then yesterday I got a puncture in the sidewall of the back
tyre, I could not find what had caused the puncture it almost looked like a pinch flat. This
morning I got another puncture in the back when a shard of grit from the road penetrated the tyre.

What can I do to avoid all these punctures? I have had 5 in the last 3 weeks and less than 200
miles. Are the Ultra Gatorskins actually any good? I am now trying running them at a reduced
pressure dropping from 100PSI to 80 (the tyres have 120 marked on them) will this make them any
less likely to puncture or will I be likely to get pinch flats?

I would be grateful for any advice or anyone has to offer.

TIA

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been using these things called slime tyre liners which are basicly tough flexible plastic bands
which go between the inner and outer tyre. They seem to work OK, I've had very few punctures since
I've been using them.

They can be bought for all sorts of tyre sizes and I think they cost about £5.00 each.

Vibrant said:

What can I do to avoid all these punctures?

Ride on the roads (and out of and well away from the the gutter). As you've found out, cycle
lanes/paths/tracks cause punctures.

Quoted message said:

Are the Ultra Gatorskins actually any good?

I haven't used them but suspect they're fine for most normal road cycling. Consider switching to a
more substantial tyre though (simply with a thicker layer of rubber) if you want to continue using
cycle paths, etc.

Quoted message said:

I am now trying running them at a reduced pressure dropping from 100PSI to 80 (the tyres have 120
marked on them) will this make them any less likely to puncture

I don't think so.

Quoted message said:

or will I be likely to get pinch flats?

Yes, although 80 is probably still enough if you avoid all the worst potholes and bumps.

As you are running these tyres way below the optimum pressure (and on less than optimum surfaces),
there isn't much point in using them. Might as well use tougher tyres if speed and efficiency isn't
much of a concern.

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>, "Gearóid Ó Laoi, Garry Lee"

Quoted message said:

You can get lots of punctures in places where there's lots of glass. Avoid
it.

Biggest problem I have is with hawthorns on wet days - beware of the mechanised hedge trimmer.

--
A T (Sandy) Morton on the Bicycle Island In the Global Village

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Vibrant said:

What can I do to avoid all these punctures?

Avoid cycle paths and places where they've been flailing the hedges, check your tyres for embedded
flints every few days, and keep the pressure high. 23mm tyres are a bit thin, mind, there's less
scope for a decent thickness of rubber on the tread (the treads on my tyres are slick, but there
is more rubber there).

I think you're bang on here: Keep your eyes open for "road diamonds" and assorted shrapnel.

Part of my morning ride goes through the local bar zone, so on Monday mornings, I'm *well* away from
the curb to avoid the proceeds of a weekend's-worth of hilarity (usually about half a ton of
assorted broken glass).

Quoted message said:

You could also make a "tyre wire" if you're really having trouble, which is a loop of wire which
brushes flints and thorns off before they puncture (they stick into the tyre as you run over them,
then on the next revolution they centrifuge outwards so when they get back to the bottom they
stick straight in - or so the theory goes).

I dunno about this Guy. This one's been done to death many moons ago on RBT. As far as I could see
the "tyre saver" was beloved only of the spoke-tying brigade, and for reasons which seemed to rely
largely on voodoo. Jobst Brandt proposed a workable (to me at least) mechanism for tyre penetration
whereby repeated impacts on an embedded object have a marginal effect on it's depth of penetration.

Cheers,

Tim.

"Jeremy Parker" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

You may notice that experienced cyclists often dislike and avoid bike lanes (and bike paths
alongside roads) although there are more important reasons to avoid the lanes and paths than mere
punctures.

The most important reason for me using off road cycle tracks is that I can't get knocked off my bike
there and since things supposedly come in threes, I'm not tempting fate by duelling with traffic
anymore than is necessary ;-)

--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

"I've been using these things called slime tyre liners which are "basicly tough flexible plastic
bands which go between the inner and "outer tyre. "They seem to work OK, I've had very few punctures
since I've been "using them.

"They can be bought for all sorts of tyre sizes and I think they cost "about £5.00 each.

I've recently invested in a pair of these for the winter... £7.50 for 2 from the LBS. They fit
really neatly in a set of 23's. Oh, and now I carry a pair of surgical rubber gloves (ooh err
missus!) to avoide getting black hands...geez don't ya hands get dirty changing a tyre when it's
been raining!

--
Mark
______________________________________

"Just ask yourself: What would Scooby Doo?"

Simon Mason said:

Schwalbe Marathon - No puncture yet.

Hmmph! I've had 6 in the last 2 weeks (4 back, 2 front) :-(

That's unusual, though, and they *are* good tyres. The rear tyre had come to the end of its useful
life - I've now replaced it with a Vredestein S-Lick (because I happened to have a couple lying
around, and they're good tyres too) and I intend to make a pair of flintcatchers.

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( juggler.netdannyOpen ↗ ) Recumbent cycle page:
speedy5.freeserve.co.ukrecumbentsOpen ↗ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

"Gearóid Ó Laoi, Garry Lee" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Punctures are funny things. Avoiding pinch punctures, which you do by riding tyres which are hard
and fat enough for the weight on the bike, and the surface, the rest is in the lap of the gods. I
find the following tyres good. Continental Top Touring. Michelin Select Kevlar Paselas on MTB,
Specialized Fatboys.

You can get lots of punctures in places where there's lots of glass. Avoid
it.

Avoid where I ride!

It takes a 3-4mm shard to get through a specialized nimbus, and I regularly get the tweezers out to
see what I've picked up - plenty of alarming but not all-the-way-through chunks of glass. The fat
boys have nice thick rubber, which seems to be one of the main things required.

Tim Cain' tcain@you_know_what_to_cut_clara.co.uk said:

I dunno about this Guy. This one's been done to death many moons ago on RBT.

Well, as far as I can see the tyre saver is of very limited benefit on a big thick tyre, but more
likely to be useful on a skinny race tyre - according to the crumblies in our club, anyway. But most
cycle products rely on a degree of voodoo, so maybe the OP could save some punctures by sacrificing
a chicken in the correct way :-)

Guy
===
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Simon Mason said:

The most important reason for me using off road cycle tracks is that I can't get knocked off my
bike there ....

Don't you have dogs round your way then? Or kids with footballs, or yobs dropping rocks off bridges?

--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( juggler.netdannyOpen ↗ ) Recumbent cycle page:
speedy5.freeserve.co.ukrecumbentsOpen ↗ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine

MSA said:

Oh, and now I carry a pair of surgical rubber gloves (ooh err missus!) to avoide getting black
hands...geez don't ya hands get dirty changing a tyre when it's been raining!

Yes, that [censored] is mainly from the brake blocks. Don't use the brakes in the rain: is one
solution :-)

~PB

"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tim Cain' tcain@you_know_what_to_cut_clara.co.uk said:

I dunno about this Guy. This one's been done to death many moons ago on RBT.

Well, as far as I can see the tyre saver is of very limited benefit on a big thick tyre, but more
likely to be useful on a skinny race tyre - according to the crumblies in our club, anyway. But
most cycle products rely on a degree of voodoo, so maybe the OP could save some punctures by
sacrificing a chicken in the correct way :-)

Could be so. Unfortunately I ain't rich and unemployed enough to test the tyre thickness theory
empirically. I'll stick with a keen eye on the road and crossed fingers (aka "English Voodoo"😉.

Cheers,

Tim.

"Danny Colyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

The most important reason for me using off road cycle tracks is that I can't get knocked off my
bike there ....

Don't you have dogs round your way then? Or kids with footballs, or yobs dropping rocks off
bridges?

Yes, but not in their thousands and they're rarely fatal if you collide with one!
--
Simon Mason Anlaby East Yorkshire. 53°44'N 0°26'W simonmason.karoo.netsimonmason.karoo.netOpen ↗

"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Danny Colyer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Mason said:

The most important reason for me using off road cycle tracks is that I can't get knocked off
my bike there ....

Don't you have dogs round your way then? Or kids with footballs, or yobs dropping rocks off
bridges?

Yes, but not in their thousands and they're rarely fatal if you collide with one!

My fave was a bollard placed to prevent the ingress of four wheeled traffic, but on a blind bend on
a shared-use path in Reading. It hurt and it caused a fair amount of damage.

Perhaps Guy knows that of which I speak?

Tim.

Tim Cain' tcain@you_know_what_to_cut_clara.co.uk said:

My fave was a bollard placed to prevent the ingress of four wheeled traffic, but on a blind bend on
a shared-use path in Reading. It hurt and it caused a fair amount of damage. Perhaps Guy knows that
of which I speak?

That woudl presuppose that I'd knowingly ridden on a sh*r*d us* p*th (spit, spit). Whereabouts? Not
the one by Star Road?

Guy
===
** WARNING ** This posting may contain traces of irony. chapmancentral.comchapmancentral.comOpen ↗ (BT ADSL and
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NOTE: BT Openworld have now blocked port 25 (without notice), so old mail addresses may no longer
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