Colorado Kid

With Spring just around the corner, I got a flat on the way home. (Not Earth shattering news but bear with me.) There has to be something...anything to prevent flats! What tire liners or bomb proof tires work the best?

canklecat

If the budget is tight check out Michelin Protek Max tires. The built in 5mm puncture resistant liner seems very effective. Heavy, but reliable.

I've been riding Protek Cross Max tires since late September on asphalt, bombed out pavement, chipseal, brick, gravel and open pastures and fields. No problems over broken glass, grass burrs, all the stuff that flatted my Specialized Hemispheres four times in one month last September.

The tires wear well too. Good all terrain grip, but tough enough even the mold release nibs have only recently begun to wear down.

But if your budget can handle it you can probably find faster rolling puncture resistant tires. My average speed is only around 12 mph.

DrIsotope

Gator Hardshells. They roll as badly as everyone says, but I put 4,500 miles on a pair in the unofficial Goathead & Bottle Glass capital of the world-- zero flats. Including one time running over a steel rivet and having it go sideways through the carcass. Pulled out the rivet and kept going.

If you have even an worse goathead problem (which I can't possibly imagine,) add some slime-filled tubes (like Bontragers) and you essentially have flat-proof tires.

dunelt_1954

I have had good luck with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. Heavy, stiff, hard to mount, and VERY tough. I have the Plus version on my 3 speed cyclotank, it is a heavy bomber anyway. Just plain Marathons on an old Schwinn World that serves as my back-up commuter. Not enough mileage on the latter to have an opinion, but they seem impressive.

Incidentally, has Kojak posted anywhere lately?

mr geeker

What size tires do you run? For a 26" wheel I like this tire, I've never gotten a flat with it. Ever.

tjspiel

What caused the flat? Does ride quality matter at all or is avoiding a flat at all costs the most important thing?

The reason I ask is that if your current tires have little to no real flat protection (or are just worn) you might be able to significantly reduce your chances of getting a flat without it feeling like your tires are made of stone.

I ride on 23 or 25 mm tires 9 months out of the year and I average less than one flat a year. This on tires that roll pretty nicely and don't break the bank. Before buying a replacement set, I make sure they have a kevlar belt and check reviews. There are no goat heads around here though, but there is broken glass, screws, nails, wires, etc.

RubeRad

Mr Tuffy Tire liners (or similar).

And/or, inject some sealant into your tubes. Even if your presta valves are not removable core, they are removable core:

(I wouldn't use slime, I would use something more similar to Stan's, or homebrew, which is typically latex mold builder + propylene glycol (antifreeze) + water)

Leebo

Run tubeless.

bmthom.gis

I use Panaracer RibMos on my commuter. I've had 1 flat - a slow leaker that I was fine getting home on. No pneumatic tire is going to be completely flat proof. Flats happen. Just luck of the draw...even if you didn't change you tires at all, assuming they aren't worn out, you might not get another one all year. If you spring for something like Schwalbe marathons, you might get none or might get a few, or if you are really unlucky you might have the sidewall sliced by something and be out 60-70 bucks.

cyccommute 

Nothing will totally prevent flats short of solid tires which have their own problems. You can lessen the frequency but you'll never prevent them all. Just get used to it.

jfowler85

Decidedly unhelpful, try again.

I've had great luck with the following tires:

Specialized Turbo S with Armadillo

Continental Top Contact

Panaracer T Serv with Protex

Continental Gatorskins

Vittoria Zaffiro Pro SE <--- cheapest

i also use these in conjunction with Michelin Airstop butyl tubes. The former all tend to be quite pricey; look for Vittoria Zaffiros on sale from an internet dealer if you are budget conscious.

CliffordK

Not exactly.

I've been experimenting with Tannus solid tires. I have 700x23 tires.

So far, NO FLATS

I think they do slow me down slightly, but that is ok for a commuter. My biggest complaint is my perception that they are slightly more slippery than my pneumatic tires.

For ordinary tires, I have been reading that wet roads are worse for flats than dry roads. So a spring flat might not be unexpected, and hopefully fewer flats running into the summer. At least around here, we typically have dry summers. So once it dries up, most of my riding will be on a different bike with ordinary tires.

I've done reasonably well. A few flats, but not bad, with my Origin8 Elimin8er tires for about $20 each. Hopefully I'll have a chance to use some gatorskins and gator harshells this summer. Maybe even Schwalbe One Pro tubeless.

DoctorTattoo

Marathon Plus Tour - Schwalbe Professional Bike Tires


I rode with these through the highest goathead infested area (El Paso, Texas) for nearly two years and only got one flat and it wasn't even due to goatheads, it was a piece of rebar hanging out of the street that would have flatted any tire. I liked them and they roll pretty decent but they are seriously heavy at nearly a kilo each. I was very happy to get back to Germany and go back to lighter weight tires.

Arcanum

Most major tire manufacturers have tires with varying levels of puncture protection. Pay for good tires, make sure puncture resistance is one of the tire's features, and you're unlikely to go far wrong. I've run Continental Contacts, Continental Top Contacts, Schwalbe Marathons, Vittoria Randoneurs. They've all ridden pretty well and provided me enough protection that I didn't get a flat until the tires were nearly bald.

cyccommute 

I did say "short of solid tires". But solid tires or solid innertubes have their own problems. The Tannis don't seem any better than the old solid inner tubes. The old solid inner tubes may have kept you from getting flats but they weighed only slightly less than wheels made of solid steel would. I see them all the time at my local co-op and about the only way to remove them is a Sawzall.

PaulRivers

One of the most flat resistant tires you can buy today is the Schwalbe Marathon Plus:
Marathon Plus HS 440 | Schwalbe North America

You can ride over metal tacks with it without flattting. However, it's heavier, slower, and a less nice ride the less flat resistant tires.

I used the use Panaracer TServ's and they always worked well. Now I used continent gp4000's and they work fine for me to.

There's a few things you should know about for the first flat of the year:
1. You added air to your tires right? They lose air over time, and if they're below a certain pressure you'll get pinch flats easily.
2. Early spring is the time of the year you're most likely to get flats because there's a bunk of junk left on the road.
3. Some people like tire liners. I do not, because some people have had their tire liner installed wrong and the liner itself wore into the tube and caused a flat. This is not a problem with tires with the anti-flat liner built into the tire itself.

noglider 

Yup. And as you get better at changing an inner tube on the road, it becomes less burdensome.

If tires didn't have these problems, they would not offer a good ride. Non-pneumatic tires are horrible.

There is generally a tradeoff between puncture resistance and ride quality, though breakthroughs make that tradeoff less severe. You still have to compromise on the various criteria that are important for you. For years, I resisted using any tire that claimed to offer puncture resistance because it would offer a worse ride. Nowadays, there are some tires I don't mind riding because of these breakthroughs. I have a pair of Vittoria Voyager Hypers, and I'm surprised at how good they feel. If they were less puncture resistant, I would still be happy because I rarely mind changing a flat. It's only in the dark in the rain in the cold when it's really bad.

A lot of people like Schwalbe tires, but I don't feel the need to spend that kind of money. You might.

jfowler85

Not exactly what?