Originally Posted by AndyAdams .
Hi everyone, I am new to cycling and have only had my bike for about a year. I bought a used 2001 Trek AlphaSL 2200 online and I am slowly upgrading and repairing some things. I have been having trouble with flats lately and I think it is due to the tires and type of surface I ride on. I ride roughly 10 miles per day on city streets in my commute to and from work. There is some debri on the road shoulder such as rocks, sticks, and other. I am looking for a tough tire but nothing that is going to produce a whole lot of resistance. Currently I am running 700x23c but I think I may need a wider tire because I am a bigger guy. I am 6'2" and 210lbs. Can anyone suggest an affordable tire? Thanks for the help and I am sorry if I didn't post this in the proper spot.
I had a period of flat tires myself once. I don't mind an occasional flat.... that's a part of cycling... but it seemed like I was having a flat every time I turned around. I learned a bit about flats in the process of putting an end to my flat problem. Forgive me if my post seems to ramble.
Weight can play a part with flats. Not that 210 is all that big... I was heavier at the time. If the tire loses air the tube can become pinched between the tire and the rim. The holes can then sometimes look like two snake-bites in the tube... with no damage at all to the tire. When you are a heavy cyclist it is best to keep your tires inflated to at or very near the max pressure recommended for the tires you are using.
But... there are reasons why tires lose air to begin with. It is always important to inspect your tire (inside and outside), tube (rim side and tire side), and rim to identify the reason you had a flat.
A piece of glass or scrap of metal stuck in your tire could repeatedly... continue to puncture tubes until it is removed.
A wore, damaged rim tape (or even one under-rated for the pressure your tires are using) can cause minor little cuts in the tube... easily enough to leak air while riding.
The areas of roads where rain water washes glass and such to can be a true hazards. Riding in gutters... as it is often called... will cause flats. I had to re-think a couple streets on my routes. Just seemed like there was a lot of broken glass on these streets... for no known reason.
They sell thorn resistant tires, tubes, and liners. The liners are plastic strips that go between the tube and tire to protect the tube.
I took to using the thorn resistant tubes with 25c tires. That seems to have ended my flat problem... I haven't had a flat in over 1400 miles.
But the extra thick (and
I do mean thick) tubes do have a down side. They have more rolling resistance than do the normal cheapie tubes. And.. as I've lost weight...
they make the tire almost seem bouncy... at least that is the way it feels to me.
My next set of tires I will try 23c tires with regular tubes. But I plan on replacing my rim tape with a new plastic strip that will be rated for the higher pressure tires.
