wunderkind

Anyone used these for their commuter bikes to avoid flats? Do they work?

TheRealNicola

I've used a pair on my older bike. To me i seemed to get less flats while using them. But flat proof they are not. I still have gotten some flats with them if something gets pretty lodged in there. But overall i'd say they are worth the money if you don't wanna spend some mulah for some nicer tires.

nashcommguy

Used them for years when I commuted urban and they DO help. More w/mtb steet tires w/lower psi than higher psi road/touring tires where they can cut into the tube over a period of time.

Like the above poster suggests bite the bullet and get yourself some flat resistant tires such as the Schwalbe Marathon Plus' in the proper size for your bike and your worries are practically over.

I've got sets on all my commuters and have over 10,000 combined commuting recreational miles w/1 flat and one slow leak...both on the same tire. It was the rear on my #1 commuter. After 7000 miles I changed out the rear for a new one and have over 1000 miles on it. The front's still the same tire...over 8000. They're 700x28mm 100psi. I run them @ 110. The other 2 sets are 700x25mm SMPs on a 1x8 rb conversion and a singlespeed. I commute on them as well as training/recreation rides. Over 2500 combined w/no flats. They're all over a year old.

But, even w/t confidence I have in these tires I still carry tubes, patchkit, tire levers(metal...plastic are crap) and a Topeak Road Morph w/guage frame pump on all my bikes when commuting.

xtrajack

I used Mr. Tuffy tire liners for years. I liked them. I don't remember having a flat while they were in use. I have also used the Slime brand tire liners, I had one flat with them in about a year of riding, a single 1/4 inch long strand of either brake or shift cable was the culprit. I am currently running the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires (about five months now,daily use,12 miles a day min.) so far no issues.

JoeyBike

I prefer tires with liners built in. Liners are a pain to install and will eventually wear a hole in your tubes themselves. They temporarily prevent flats if you don't inspect your tires and pick out the little shards of glass and wire now and then. Otherwise, you will just get today's flat next week.

cerewa

From my perspective, tire liners are better than nothing but they're not great.

I used to use a lightweight kevlar belted tire with a tire liner, then with two tire liners, and still got the occasional flat. Little pieces of wire and glass could still punch through all that stuff.

Switched to mountain bike tires similar to this
https://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~suwardi/Trek.html
... and don't get flats any more. I figure it's due to the fact that tiny pieces of wire/glass aren't long enough to penetrate all the way through the width of the tire.

prathmann

Seems unlikely to get a flat from a brake or shift cable. But our streets are covered with small strands of wire from deteriorating car and truck tires. When these first started causing flats we referred to them as "Michelin thorns" named for the first common steel-belted radial tire that had the woven steel strands under the tread.

unixpro

I'm kind of paranoid about getting flats. At this time of year it isn't such a big deal, but stopping and having to change a tire in pouring rain when it's cold and windy isn't my idea of a good time. To reduce the probability that I will have to experience this joy, I have kevlar-reinforced tires (Marathon on the front and Armadillo on the back) with tire liners in side. Even so, I carry spare tubes and a couple of patch kits.

CastIron

I've run both SPinSkins ($$$$$) and the Panaracer kevlar felt liners with good success so far. I mostly use 'em under my studded tires as, oddly, they have no flat protection in them.

dwr1961

I would say that it depends on where you live...

If the OP resides in Goatheadland (that wonderful area of the western U.S.) tire liners are only going to be somewhat effective. They WILL cut down on the number of flats, but I have yet to find a liner that could stand up to a decent-sized goathead thorn. BTW, I have tried both Slime liners and Spinskins...

Ultimate flat resistance around here only comes by way of a tire made for that purpose: the Schwalbe Marathon Plus. You pay a penalty in weight and difficult mounting, but you won't be late to work.

NABRXX

Armadillos, rim liner and desert tubes here...I don't need to deal with flats. I roll 25 miles into work and 25 out...I have enough to worry about with the Bronx traffic...

DX Rider

+1

If you can spare the cash, I'd recommend a puncture resistance tire instead, since they also have a reinforced sidewall.

I've actually had road debris skirt the edge of the tire liner and puncture the tube through the place where the tread and sidewall join.

Pinyon

They work okay for me, but like others have said, nothing is going to make you "flat-proof". There are lots of dry prairie plants that have thorny seeds in this area, especially goat-head thorn, and flat tires are just a fact of life around here.

I also ride with puncture resistant tires with kevlar/aramid bead down the center (I prefer Continental Ultra Gatorskins, and Bontrager Hard Case tires), but always end up riding with a tire liner on the back of my commuting bike with 26" rims from mid-September until early-May of the next year. Without the liner, I get at least a couple of flat tires a month in the Fall and Winter, but can keep it down to one or two individual flat tires between those months if I ride with a liner.

Kojak

Nashcommguy is going trying to take my job.

nkfrench 

There are lots of goats-head thorns around here and the tire liners seem to help a lot. I ride medium-weight tubes with tire liners inside my dainty little tires with 700x23 tubes. I tried slime tubes didn't like them. As an Athena/Clyde-class rider I should have wider tires but my bike doesn't have clearance to accommodate them. So far I have about 1800 miles flat-free since I put in the tire liners... probably a bad idea to tempt fate posting that. My old bike I didn't have to replace the tires until they wore out - even rode a while with belts exposed and a hole through the tire you could stick a finger through.

Yes, these are high-pressure tires. I usually inflate to 110 psi.

JR97

Slime tire liners suck @$$ on high pressure road tires. You'll get more flats due to the liner shaving the tube.

I had them on my bike for 2 weeks and had about 10 flats. Prior to that I had 1 one flat. After that I haven't had any and that was about 500 miles ago. I live in goat head country and maybe I'm just lucky. I don't run puncture resistant tires yet.

nashcommguy

No, but if you've got an intern program...

daven1986

after asking myself the same question I have just settled on my armadillo tyres. They are bombproof and I can't do much better tbh, if I get a flat, then so be it. There is only so much you can do without ruining your ride / adding too much weight.

gerv 

I've used them a lot. Only problem is that on some wheel or tire combinations, they tend to pinch flat a lot. I have no idea why.

swwhite

I had a flat with my Mr. Tuffy liners. I don't know why. I don't think the guys at the bike shop actually found anything.

abstractform20

Agreed. i tried 3 slime road tire tubes and they all exploded when pumped-cant handle the pressure.

I have been using Mr. Tuffy liners for a few months now.

I have been over a lot of broken glass and half a broken beer bottle the other day. Very surprised that I was fine.

i say get some mr tuffys