tires

[ogreenone]

I recently bought a low end road bike. I am very new to this so didn't want to drop a lot of money. I am 200lbs and want to know what tires are the best for my build. I have gone out twice and I have gotten a flat on both tires both times.

[StephenH]

Some of those road bike tires are supposed to be operated at high pressure. If you keep pressure too low, then you can hit a little bump and it will squish the tube between the tire and the rim and give you a "pinch flat". This should be a flat on the inner face of the tube, not the road surface. Could that possibly be the problem here? 200 lbs is not too much for a bicycle, but would make the tire inflation more critical.

When I was a kid growing up, we had big fat tires that normally operated at 35-45 psi. And we'd normally air them up via the "pinch test", just feeling the tire to see if it felt firm enough. The 35-45 psi won't work with the narrow tires and the pinch test is highly inaccurate. See if the tire has inflation pressures printed on it, and use a good gauge or pump with built-in gauge.

Could you possibly be riding in an area with a lot of stickers?

[Mash Master]

I suggest the Performance Tires with kevlar, they work well for me.

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=4664&subcategory_ID=5420
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=11461&subcategory_ID=5420

[Hobartlemagne]

IMO the bare minimum PSI for road tires is 90. I pump mine to 120. Some people go even higher.

[ogreenone]

thank you i will try it with a tire gauge. i definetly pinched a tube. thanks.

[euphoria]

yep, us big guys have to run the highest pressure listed on the tire - 116-120 PSI

[cuda2k]

What tires do you have now? If you're looking for a tough rugged tire that will hold up, Continental Ultra Sports or Gatorskins are hard to beat for toughness. You'll give up some performance, but not too much. I haven't had as great of luck with Perfomance's tires, but that wasn't due to flats but rather an incompatibility with some older rims.

[scattered73]

What tires do you have now? If you're looking for a tough rugged tire that will hold up, Continental Ultra Sports or Gatorskins are hard to beat for toughness. You'll give up some performance, but not too much. I haven't had as great of luck with Perfomance's tires, but that wasn't due to flats but rather an incompatibility with some older rims.

I threw mine out in a frustration after changing them a few times on my cross bike. Those things were tough to get on and off, I actually broke a tire lever. Though they never flatted on me just didn't mix with my rims.

[Mash Master]

I have mavic rims and have had no problems with the performance tires fitting on the rims.

[kwrides]

In addition to the Gatorskins, you can try the Specialized Armidillo's if you can find them cheaper. They're the same idea as the Continental Gatorskins.

For what it's worth, my 1st road bike came with some cheap Vittoria's (nothing against the brand, just the cheap-o models I had). I flatted twice a month and was ready to quit riding over it. I bought Armidillos and the problem was gone. Once I got a bit stronger, I switched to Michelin Pro Race 2's and prayed. I've ridden myself from 215-190 pounds on expensive (and light) wheels and the Pro2's and I've never had a problem with flatting. So, this one man's theory is that I just started with really cheap tires that didn't do the job.

Good luck with your new bike and enjoy!

[txags92]

I am about 250 lbs and I ride Vredenstein Fortezzas. I usually keep them at about 120-125psi unless I know I will be riding on rough pavement, and then I back down to around 110psi just to keep from getting rattled to death.

[wrobertdavis]

thank you i will try it with a tire gauge. i definetly pinched a tube. thanks.

Forget using a tire guage. You'll lose air every time you apply the guage. Each "pssst" on a road tire is about 10 lb pressure loss. Get a tire pump with a built-in guage. Besides, I've never seen a guage for a presta valve.

Bob

[Mash Master]

Get a pump with a built in guage. I have a performance hurricane pump and it works good for me.

[crdean1]

Use Conti GP 4000S and love them. I'm 205 lbs. and run 120 psi.

[MPH2]

Scattered73, Continental tires are infamous for being difficult to put on and take off but they are a quality tire.

I prefer the Pro Race 2 as well, I have never found a better riding tire, and I have not had any issues with flats.

I am surprised so many larger riders are running such high pressures. I weigh right at 200 as well and run my pressure at 110-115 for my race bike and 100 for my road fixed gear. The higher pressures give a rough ride and tend to make the front tire skip of road bumps. Interesting

[KidTruth]

I have run this thread, looked at a dozen product reviews, checked road bike reviews, reviewed past threads on bike forums, and one tire has consistently come up as being the best for flat protection without compromising TOO MUCH ride quality. I ride a pair of them myself now and love them:

Michelin Krylion Carbons

Can get them for $30 a piece online.

[txags92]

I used to ride at about 100-105 for a smoother ride, but kept getting snake bites. The difference between 200 and 250lbs is significant, and the higher pressure is needed. One of these days I will be at 200 and will be able to ride a lower pressure.

[ken cummings]

I am now 205, have a heavy bike, carry lots of stuff and am hard on equipment. I have gone the fatter tire route and run my 700x38s at 70 PSI. Have not had pinch flats AKA "snake bites" in decades. Just ordered some Kenda 700x42s on deep sale. Will try going to 60 PSI. These 42s cost a tenth of Armadillos at the LBS so even if they wear fast I'm ahead.

[Creakyknees]

Ken's got the right idea. With heavier riders (like me) just run bigger tires. Most modern road frames will fit the 25c width, and also check to see if yours will fit a fully inflated 28c.

More air volume is better for lots of reasons.

[txags92]

The fatter tires work up to a point, then they begin to slow you down. I ride 25s (would ride 28s, but would have to buy new wheels), and I really don't notice a difference between them and the 23s i used to ride.

[MPH2]

The 25's sound like a much better idea than running 23's at 120 PSI. Over a long ride the extra rattle is really going to add to fatigue. I have also read some articles lately then the skip and bounce from running high pressure tires actually makes you go slower, unless of course you are fast and light like a pro.

[txags92]

The thing that all of those comparisons of pressure fail to point out is that they are based on a 170lb (or thereabouts) example rider. For a 170lb rider, on rough pavement, they are going to go faster at 100 psi than at 120 psi due to the rebound off the rough spots at higher pressure. On smooth pavement, the 120 psi tire will go faster. For somebody who is 50 lbs heavier, the numbers go up some and the ideal becomes more like 110-115 on rough pavement. A big component that gets missed is also the stiffness of the tire itself as well. A more flexible tire will ride better at higher pressure than a stiff one will.

[MPH2]

And that last point by txags is why tubulars can be run at a much higher pressure than clinchers.

[scattered73]

You might want to try these thorn resistant road tubes from performance if you continue to have flats before buying new tires.
http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=1869&subcategory_ID=5411

I have been usuing these about a year and half with amazing results, the down side is that they are heavy for tubes.