Southern California - Tube protection?

Okay, well I was trying to do the cheap way of protecting against flats and I cut up an old inner tube and set it inside the tire, then put my new inner tube in. I only did it in the front tire. Haven't gotten a flat in about three weeks, but it feels as if it's been a bit of a speed reduction. Then I heard about these Mr. Tuffy things. Are those lighter than an inner tube? And are they worth it?

Mr. Tuffy liners aren't lighter unfortunately (heavier if not the same weight). They do provide better protection though. The speed loss is a trade off you'll have to decide on. If you're commuting, they're worth it. If you're doing a rec ride or racing, then they're probably not worth it.

an inner tube is not a good way to go as a liner. it won't add much puncture resistance and is too stretchy uninflated to help do anything but slow you down. i would go without the mr. tuffys myself. proper installation and inflation takes care of a lot of the flats.

I have Mr. Tuffys on my fixed gear. The only place they will really slow you down is on the hills. My favorite mechanic recommended them.

an inner tube is not a good way to go as a liner. it won't add much puncture resistance and is too stretchy uninflated to help do anything but slow you down. i would go without the mr. tuffys myself. proper installation and inflation takes care of a lot of the flats.

Very true. It helps to keep your tires free of the little bits of glass and pointy objects that get embedded when you ride. It's my theory that many flats can be prevented by checking for, and removing those little bits before they work their way through the tire and into the tube. I do a quick check of my tires after every ride.

Thorns and bigger pointy bits that get through immediately are unavoidable. Keeping an eye on the road helps, but it's not always possible to miss that crap.

Always protect your tube...hahahaha...

I am biased since I was the president of the company that sold Mr. Tuffy for 26 years. In testing, it stops 97% of puncture flats. Very important in the thorn states. I sold out last year. My old company no longer sells Mr. Tuffy, but has switched the brand name to STOP Flats 2. It is exactly the same product, just different packaging. The other folks are correct. Innertubes are not as hard resistant to thorns, glass etc. This is both because the urethane has a very high hardness on the surface, and also has great elasticity.