the cyclops

I am curious about the bell "no mor flats" tubes,the "slime"tubes,or just putting slime in the tubes...What is the best way to avoid flats? And what of Puncture proof/resistant tires?I ride mostly for commuting and cross training for running.
Thanks in advance.

Leisesturm

Have you ever handled one of those Bell tubes? I saw one just the other day while looking for a patch kit. HEAVY! You don't want that in your tires stealing your precious watts of energy. I don't know what tires you have on your bike right now but the two reigning flat resistant tires are the Schwalbe Marathon Plus and the Specialized Armadillo. Ordinary Schwalbe Marathons or Marathon Supreme's should be that bit more flat resistant. There are cheaper tires with a Kevlar belt that will be better than an ordinary tire. Proper tire pressure is another way to reduce the incidence of flats. There is no way that I know of to avoid flats completely that does not result in an unacceptably poor ride quality.

H

m_yates

I'm of the opinion that it is better to have a puncture resistant tire rather than slime to attempt to seal punctures. Good tires like Schwalbe Marathon Plus will last a long time without flats, even on highway shoulders littered with small chunks of glass.

I use the regular Schwalbe Marathons (not the Plus version) and I can go 1500 miles without a flat. When the tread wears down, you will start getting flats with more frequency, which indicates time for replacing the tire. The only thing the tire won't protect against is large gashes from metal or glass, but slime won't help too much in that situation either.

With a good tire, you don't need tire liners, slime, or thorn resistant tubes.

I_like_cereal

I ran Bontrager's version and they are heavy, but if you ride through a construction zone and your commute is short they may be worth the investment.

I run dillos and they are slow and heavy but darn near bomb proof. I have had some luck with Vittoria's tires. I have an older one that is using the PRB1 tech and they are up to PRB2 now. So far so good.

Bottom line is that they work for small punctures about the size of a staple or tack, but no bigger. Slashes and cuts, nope no way.

L.L. Zamenhof

Best way to prevent flats is to not run over something that would cause a flat. DUH.

Mr. Cranky

And the best way not to run over something is not to ride at all. No riding = no flats. Guaranteed!

the cyclops

Thanks for the info guys.Im running the stock vittorias randonnears that came with the JAMIS,and have had no problems,and actually get good reviews as far as puncture resistantincy...So would a combo of slime and a good kevlar/dillos tire be overkill?(can you tell I dont wanna get a flat on my commute???)I have a mile or so on my commute that is in the "hood",and we all know that nothing says gangsta like brightly colored clothing and spandex nuthuggers...EDIT-AS I RESEARCHED REVIEWS ON MY TIRES,I SEE I HAVE THE TIRES I NEED ALREADY,LOL O.o SO I WILL BE LOOKING AT A BETTER TUBE,OR JUST STAYING W/WHAT I HAVE....YUP,FEEL LIKE A COMPLETE NEWB.

StephenH

I don't know the best solution.

I rode my Worksman cruiser with 26x2.125" tires for 7,000 miles. And had my share of flats in that time, seemed like about the normal number.

Then I bought my Raleigh Sojourn. It came with Vittoria Randonneur Cross tires in 35x700 size. Rear tire wore out after 5,000 miles, and I replaced it with the same, replaced again at 10,000 miles, and added new front wheel with new tire at that time. Net result: 14,000 miles on those tires and ZERO flats thus far. Not to say they're flat-proof, but they sure seem close.

waynesworld

I got the Randonneur Pros after much research, when I got my new Kona Jake (700x32). Same as the Randonneurs, but folding, so lighter. It kind of surprised me that max inflation was only 75 psi, but they feel great to me (I actually pump them to 80). They feel very grippy, ride smoothly, and seem fast enough. I'll take this ride over the crazy, bouncy Bontrager Hardcase tires on my 7.3 FX (in 32, and I think they max at 110) any time.

And yes, the reviews and such claim they are quite flat resistant. If that turns out to be true, I don't know what more I could ask for. And they aren't terribly expensive either. And mine have reflective sidewalls. I haven't had them long, but I've read good things, and I'm hopeful

waynesworld

Good to hear! If I rode off pavement more, these are probably what I'd buy.

MK313

My bike came with slime filled tires. I found that the slime leaked out when I was pumping the tires & messed up the valves. I had to replace the tubes.

Titmawz

Slime is a fail.... I use the basic continental ultra sport tires with mr tuffy liners and the only flat that I have had was pinch flat

GP

The second best way is to look up the road instead of looking right in front of your front wheel.

L.L. Zamenhof

Word. This time of year I'm weaving between debris like I'm on a slalom course.

the cyclops

Yup,mine have the reflective sidewalls also,and they POP at nite,really.I was looking up puncture resistant tires and mine was the ones that was most recomended,LOL which was of course after I started this thread.So Im gonna stick with my vittorias and just get a set of pedros,a tube,a frame pump and just keep my fingers crossed.FYI,several reviews I seen on these vittorias said that because of the steel sidewall they were hard to change the tube w/out punctuaring the new tube,so I guess with these its a catch 22.AND WHY CANT I GOOGLE SPELL CHECK ON THIS FORUM?EVERYTIME I DO IT JUST GOES BLANK...UNTIL I "STOP CHECKING"THEN EVERYTHING COMES BACK...

waynesworld

I don't know about yours, but mine, with the kevlar bead, were pretty tough to get on the first time. I don't know if that will get better with time, or not.

ItsJustMe

My bike also came with Slime filled tubes. As far as I know it never saved me. My first minor puncture was from a T type staple, just two tiny holes and the tire went completely flat. All the Slime did was to spray green crap all over my fenders and tire and wheel, and make it difficult to patch the tube.

I threw the slime filled tubes away and just use regular tubes.

I don't get many flats, but if I lived in an area with lots of road hazards, I'd probably get puncture-resistant tires rather than slimy tubes.

L.L. Zamenhof

Why aren't you using Firefox or Chrome for your browser? They both spell check everywhere.

nashcommguy

Slime sucks. Mr. Tuffy tire liners can cut into your tubes over time w/high psi tube/tire combos. Only Nu-Teck airless will guarantee a flat free ride completely. But, you'll sacrifice 2-3 mph in using them. That being said if training is your goal they're excellent. I commuted w/them for over 2 years and became a much stronger cyclist overall because of their use. Gave them up when I got tired of the grind. Switched to Schwalbe Marathon Plus and have them on all 3 of my bikes. 28mm on my loaded commuter and 25mm on my fg and rb. Pushing 20,000 combined miles on all 3 w/1 flat and one slow leak both on my commuter.

the cyclops

I have used mozilla in the past and do like it,but it has become "bloated" and slow compared to IE,in my opinion.Honestly goggle works for me everywhere I have been but here.

DTSCDS

I have a Trek 7.3 as well and am gearing up to get back into commuting. I was happy with the Harcase tires but I'm thinking about changing them out for something a little bigger in hopes of no getting pinch flats. (I recently increased my mass so riding the road bike has gone by the wayside since I can't go over a mile without pinch flatting. My weight went up over 260 so I changed out the 23's to 25's and have had close to 10 pinch flats since!!!!!)
I like the sound of the Randonneur tire, especially with the reflective sidewall. Question--how much bigger can I go up from the present 32's without need for further hardware modification? I'm not as much concerned with debris punctures as I am with pinch flats.

waynesworld

I really don't know. Maybe someone else with an FX could answer, or maybe in the Hybrid forum. I've never tried any other tire in my 7.3. Good luck!

truman

Then how's come when I go out to to the garage and get on the bike after a few weeks away, I have to pump up the tires?

Seattle Forrest

I used slime once. Never again.

L.L. Zamenhof

Shouldn't have gotten back on to ride again!