Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Tire Savers?

Does anyone here use tire savers like these? (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574735911&toolid=10001&campid=5336467296&customid=&icep_item=350294955056&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg)

Do they drag against the tire the whole time? Seems like this would wear down the tire?

They just barely skim the surface of the tire so both the drag and wear are negligible when properly adjusted. But they do kick dust and dirt off the tire which then ends up on the brakes and other parts of the bike near the tire savers. Haven't seen them in use for quite a while now - nor are they on my bikes anymore.

I've seen some people (not with my rando club) who have them. The issue I've got is that you've got a choice: Tire savers, or effective fenders. You can't mount a pair of these and still get a close, effective fender line.

I had those on my bikes back in the 1970's. Hadn't seen them since. Thanks for the memories. :)

I have a couple pairs, but I'm holding onto them. If I lived in goathead country, or commuted in the city, I certainly would use them - but that would require a severe personality change.

Just put your finger (w/ glove) on the tire and rub crap off every 30 mins or so..

And when doing the back tire, don't forget to hook your thumb on the seattube so your fingers don't get pulled in between it and the tire.

Just put your finger (w/ glove) on the tire and rub crap off every 30 mins or so..

And when doing the back tire, don't forget to hook your thumb on the seattube so your fingers don't get pulled in between it and the tire.

by the time you get your hand in there (while in a pace line? at night, tired, on a rando event?) your tire will have rotated several if not dozens of times...

here's what jobst has to say. (http://yarchive.net/bike/flat_tires.html)

I think between tough tires like gatorskin and their ilk, and mr.tuffy type tire-liners, these things are kind of obsolete... and the point about fenders is a valid one, I'd rather keep myself dry than install these things. Neat idea but not really for me.

by the time you get your hand in there (while in a pace line? at night, tired, on a rando event?) your tire will have rotated several if not dozens of times...

here's what jobst has to say. (http://yarchive.net/bike/flat_tires.html)

I thought we were just talking about wiping off small rocks/etc, not extracting pieces of glass...

I thought we were just talking about wiping off small rocks/etc, not extracting pieces of glass...

maybe. don't know.
do rocks routinely cut through tires?

I definitely wipe my tires when I run through stuff on the road. Sharp rocks can take many, many rotations to cut through tires. A lot of things do, I've definitely knocked pieces of glass out of my tire treads and avoided flats. Of course, it may have knocked itself off if I didn't, who knows. Jobst has some strange ideas.


maybe. don't know.
do rocks routinely cut through tires?
Having repaired many hundreds of flats, I would say that a significant percentage of them are caused by rocks. Granted, glass is the most common cause of flats if you don't live in areas with a prickly plant problem. I'm pretty sure a lot of the extra flats when it rains come from rocks.

I periodically use them and then take them off after a ride or two. The little high-pitched whine they create drives me bonkers. Someday I'll try them on a tire that has the tread worn down and see if that helps. It never seemed to me that they slowed me down, although again, that sound constantly has a part of your brain saying "Something's dragging!"

As to wiping off your tires, I've watched that debate for 20 years at least. I think Jobst Brandt makes good points, but I've occasionally knocked a bit of glass off the tire with the technique and believe it may have prevented flats.

I've also ripped a nasty gash in a finger by brushing what turned out to be a bit of wire sticking out of the tire. And I also nearly came to grief when the jackass in front of me got his hand stuck between tire and seat tube and fishtailed his way back through the paceline.

There shouldn't be any noise coming from the Tire Savor since their not suppose to touch the tire just hover about 16th to 24th of an inch off the tire.

They were very popular in the 60's and 70's because tires were more fragile then todays tires with the fancy belts inside of them. But there are still tires today, like the Conti Grand Prix Supersonic racing tire that is very fragile where using a Tire Savor would make sense since no fenders would be used in a race.

There shouldn't be any noise coming from the Tire Savor since their not suppose to touch the tire just hover about 16th to 24th of an inch off the tire.

In theory that sounds nice but in practice it's impossible. The most common types -- like the one in the OP's link -- connect the tire part to the frame part with little rubber/plastic tubes. If you attempt to set them up a fraction of an inch above the tire, the connecting tubes will, within seconds to hours, bend to allow contact with the tire. No matter how you bend it, it will eventually sag back down onto the tire.

Moreover, a lesson tire savers will teach a person is that almost no tire is absolutely round. I have a very old tire saver that uses a solid arm and does allow you to set it a hair above the tire -- but on almost every tire I have ever tried -- including some very expensive and highly regarded brands -- there will be a high spot that contacts the saver every revolution. This is nearly as annoying as the constant singing of full contact.

Does anyone here use tire savers like these? (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=2&pub=5574735911&toolid=10001&campid=5336467296&customid=&icep_item=350294955056&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg)

Do they drag against the tire the whole time? Seems like this would wear down the tire?
They barely touch the tire. There would be no detectable wear.

While the idea behind them makes some sense, there is no data that indicates they have any real effect on the number of flats one would experience.

This quote from the ebay link is probably made-up BS. A "large percentage"? Really?

"Old school bike riders know how these little jewels cut down the flats by a large percentage."

How many flats to you get? How many of the flats would have not happened with this device?

Note that there is a thriving business selling stuff that makes "some sense" that is cheap enough for people to "try it".


There shouldn't be any noise coming from the Tire Savor since their not suppose to touch the tire just hover about 16th to 24th of an inch off the tire.
Nah, they are supposed to rest on the tire.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/flats.html


Just put your finger (w/ glove) on the tire and rub crap off every 30 mins or so..

And when doing the back tire, don't forget to hook your thumb on the seattube so your fingers don't get pulled in between it and the tire.
Didn't your mother teach you to keep your fingers away from moving machinery?


As to wiping off your tires, I've watched that debate for 20 years at least. I think Jobst Brandt makes good points, but I've occasionally knocked a bit of glass off the tire with the technique and believe it may have prevented flats.

I've also ripped a nasty gash in a finger by brushing what turned out to be a bit of wire sticking out of the tire. And I also nearly came to grief when the jackass in front of me got his hand stuck between tire and seat tube and fishtailed his way back through the paceline.
Brandt makes a bunch of good points. It might work sometimes. If you do anything enough times, it's almost certain to work once in a while. The key is whether it's worth it. Your second paragraph might indicate that it isn't.

The key is whether it's worth it. Your second paragraph might indicate that it isn't.

My fixed gear touring bike is rolling on $250 worth of handmade tubulars. If the price for fewer flats is an occasional torn finger, I'll take it!

My fixed gear touring bike is rolling on $250 worth of handmade tubulars. If the price for fewer flats is an occasional torn finger, I'll take it!
You are touring on a fixed gear bike. Do you think anybody is going to take your advice?? ;)

Funny thing about those tire savors, back in the day I don't remember those things touching tires because I don't recall them huming nor waring out, BUT it was a long time ago and I may have remembered incorrectly! Second, they never, NEVER slowly bent over time (15 minutes or riding or whatever) and contacted the tire...maybe they were made better back then today? I don't use them anymore so haven't seen one in 20 years or more. Maybe they didn't bend because they did contact the tire?

Funny thing about those tire savors, back in the day I don't remember those things touching tires because I don't recall them huming nor waring out, BUT it was a long time ago and I may have remembered incorrectly! Second, they never, NEVER slowly bent over time (15 minutes or riding or whatever) and contacted the tire...maybe they were made better back then today? I don't use them anymore so haven't seen one in 20 years or more. Maybe they didn't bend because they did contact the tire?
The ones pictured are pretty-much what the ones 20 years ago were made like. I doubt they make much noise, if any, on a smooth tire (I don't recall there being much noise). There's a piece of wire that (barely) brushes the tire suspended by rubber tubing attached to the part that you screw to the bike. It's possible that you had some unusual ones but the ones pictured are the standard form.

Scroll down for some other forms (which also appear to rest on the tire).

http://velospace.org/forums/discussion/1525/need-ideas-on-thorn-proofing/

I've only used them on traditional diamond tread tires. They make noise! On the ribbed tires becoming more popular these days I'll bet they would be quieter.

They do work and the point is to flick off debris on the tire before it gets embedded into the tire on the next rotation, something you can't do with your hands all the time and especially if you are tired (been there done that and 30 years later the cuticle is still messed up) You can adjust them to rub or to hover. And they don't add to the rotational weight like a heavier tire or tube liners.

I've only used them on traditional diamond tread tires. They make noise! On the ribbed tires becoming more popular these days I'll bet they would be quieter.
I bet they could be annoying on a tire with a tread.


They do work
What data do you have to support this?

I believe Bicycling magazine did an article on them a few years back and came to the conclusion that they were basically useless (as was using your hand). I believe they came to the conclusion that the vast majority of flats occurred when the offending materials had it's initial contact with the tire. If someone feels the urge to do the research I'm sure it's there somewhere.

The ones pictured are pretty-much what the ones 20 years ago were made like. I doubt they make much noise, if any, on a smooth tire (I don't recall there being much noise). There's a piece of wire that (barely) brushes the tire suspended by rubber tubing attached to the part that you screw to the bike. It's possible that you had some unusual ones but the ones pictured are the standard form.

Scroll down for some other forms (which also appear to rest on the tire).

http://velospace.org/forums/discussion/1525/need-ideas-on-thorn-proofing/

It's been a long time since I've seen one, and I never used them, so my memory is more faded then I thought when I responded.

I used to ride on a trail with lots of sand burs and stickers. I experienced 3-4 flats a month and finally just quit riding on the trail. They were always small holes that slime could fix, but it was still annoying. One day I picked up a pair of these at a swap meet for $2 and after installing them I rode the sticker trail once again and after 3 months of riding had no flats. Then I moved to another town which happened to have a clean trail making these things useless. So basically pretty much the only thing these are good for is stickers. Other than that there's really no purpose.

I used them in the late 70's.