On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 02:48:03 +0000, Ken wrote:
>
> "dreaded" <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>> yes, i have some kind of green strip thingys that go between the tube &
>> tire. havent had a flat since i installed them but wonder there is any
>> effect on efficiency.
>
> Doesn't work as well as a kevlar belted tire. Also, some people report
> that the inserts flats themselves through friction or rough edges.
They can indeed have an effect on handling and efficiency since the tire
will effectively be stiffened slightly, losing suppleness. I just think
they feel "weird" but that's pretty subjective. Worth a shot I guess, I've
heard folks rave about them, so they can't be totally dismissed either.
A Kevlar belted tire's a good bet. They aren't foolproof, if you get a
piece of glass stuck in the tread, it will work it's way in slowly, so
it's worth having a quick gander at your tires after every ride.
Do carry a patch kit and inflation device/pump and learn to use
it--consider flats part of the challenge of cycling, just like a pit stop
for auto racers--it's par for the course. I can personally get back on the
road in 5 minutes or so with my road bike. I don't even remove the wheel,
just open the tire on one side, slip out the tube, patch, inflate and
ride. Never had a patch fail in over twenty years of riding either.
Proper inflation is crucial, and think about tire style. Are you on a
super racy bike, or a mtb, or hybrid? It might be worth looking for a
little heavier rubber in addition to the kevlar. I run 70x25s while most
other folks around here use 21s and 23s on their sport bikes--I find just
that added bit of width helps enormously. If I had a cyclocross bike or
touring ride that could handle the width, I'd probably go for some 32mm
wide touring tires since I ride solo and worry more about long distance
comfort.
In my experience, if you get more than one flat per thousand miles on a
regular basis, there's something amiss. Between my city and sport bikes, I
average a flat every 1000 -2000 miles, the sportier ride getting perhaps
50% more flats due to the thinner rubber.
As always, YMMV.