Too many flats

dutchie936 said:

Do you guys know of any tricks to prevent flats?I have had a run of them lately,and am getting really discouraged.😕

Hello. There was a recent thread dealing with this very subject just the other day; read it here.

Possibilites, in a nutshell, are:

- under inflation (an extremely common cause)
- a foreign body, like a bit of glass or a sharp rock, hiding in your tire, getting you again and again
- a minor defect in your rim, like a rough spot or sharp burr

Read through the other thread. Best of luck!

Perfect,Thanks!! I've been told about a product called "Mr. Tuffy".It goes between the rubber and the tube,and is made of kevlar.The only problem is that it appearantly makes the tires heavy and slugish.Have you had any experience with this?

dutchie936 said:

Perfect,Thanks!! I've been told about a product called "Mr. Tuffy".It goes between the rubber and the tube,and is made of kevlar.The only problem is that it appearantly makes the tires heavy and slugish.Have you had any experience with this?

No, I haven't used those sorts of products myself; I'm sure they do their job, but unless you're positive that the flats are being caused by a multitude of sharp things on your roads, I'd recommend holding off for now.

A properly installed, properly inflated tube and tire on a defect-free rim with well-positioned rim tape shouldn't flat regularly -- if you're being plagued, my bet is that something is wrong with the setup itself.

Have you had a chance to carefully examine the inside of the tire for any lodged culprits? Definitely do so, and carefully scour the inside of the rim for signs that the rim tape isn't doing its job -- look for parts of the spoke assemblies coming through, or sharp bits where the rim hasn't been machined cleanly. Sometimes the best way to figure out what the problem is is by examining the spent tubes, which'll point you in the right direction.

And always, always be sure to keep the pressure up. With most road bike setups, you want to be approaching 100psi; too soft, and you'll get the all-too-familiar "pinch flat" again, and again, and again.

Good luck!