Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Fifty Plus (50+)
Reload this Page >

Which runs the greater risk of a flat?

Notices
Fifty Plus (50+) Share the victories, challenges, successes and special concerns of bicyclists 50 and older. Especially useful for those entering or reentering bicycling.

Which runs the greater risk of a flat?

Old 07-11-06, 12:30 PM
  #1  
I need more cowbell.
Thread Starter
 
Digital Gee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Reno, Nevada
Posts: 8,182

Bikes: 2015 Specialized Sirrus Elite

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Which runs the greater risk of a flat?

Overinflation, or underinflation?

And, in either case, how much leeway until the tire pressure is unsafe?
__________________
2015 Sirrus Elite

Proud member of the original Club Tombay
Digital Gee is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 12:41 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,259
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Depends on tire width, lateral width of the rim, tire construction, tire fit on the rim, bike geometry, the weight and distribution of said weight of any load you're carrying, stated operating pressure on the tire, weight of the rider, terrain you ride on, terrian you avoid, personal preference, and how many chicks you want to pick up per ride...as well as a bunch of other things!

So the answer is, "It depends!"
Big Paulie is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 12:41 PM
  #3  
Huachuca Rider
 
webist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 4,275

Bikes: Fuji CCR1, Specialized Roubaix

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
My understanding is that overinflation makes it easier and more likely that objects will puncture the tire.

On a car, underinflation might drive up the heat factor and cause some seperation. If you hold your cycling speed under 50 mph though this shouldn't present a problem.
__________________
Just Peddlin' Around
webist is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 01:34 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
CrossChain's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,023
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
An old point of discussion here. Lower pressure is a little more puncture resistant but doesn't roll quite as efficiently on smooth road. It tends to absorb bumps on on rougher road and stay "grounded" better, thereby letting you go a bit faster (you're bouncing less)....and being more comfortable, go somewhat farther, too. At a certain point, lower pressure tires feel "sluggish" and a bit lower still and you have danger of "snake-bite" punctures where your tube gets pinched between the rim and the bump...pssssttt!

Recommended tire pressures are about as dependable as the advertized width....as Paulie says above, there are many variables.

And as that prominent virtuoso of the medical check-up has indicated, much of it is how your head perceives it to be.
CrossChain is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 01:45 PM
  #5  
Pedaled too far.
 
Artkansas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: La Petite Roche
Posts: 12,851
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times in 7 Posts
Originally Posted by Digital Gee
Overinflation, or underinflation?

And, in either case, how much leeway until the tire pressure is unsafe?
If you hear a loud "BANG!", then you are overinflated.
Artkansas is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 02:07 PM
  #6  
Huachuca Rider
 
webist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 4,275

Bikes: Fuji CCR1, Specialized Roubaix

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I operate mine at 10 lbs under the sidewall recommendation. Many of the rural roads in my area are chip sealed and have a rough surface. Roads in the city are not well maintained due to budget constraints and also are more and more chip seadled. I saw a recommendation to run somewhat underinflated on www.roadbikerider.com some time ago and tried it and liked it.
__________________
Just Peddlin' Around
webist is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 02:32 PM
  #7  
Senior Member
 
dauphin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: California
Posts: 2,991
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I like to run mine about 10lbs under too. Here is some interesting reading..
https://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#pressure
__________________
dauphin is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 06:28 PM
  #8  
Let's do a Century
 
jppe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 8,316

Bikes: Cervelo R3 Disc, Pinarello Prince/Campy SR; Cervelo R3/Sram Red; Trek 5900/Duraace, Lynskey GR260 Ultegra

Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 651 Post(s)
Liked 879 Times in 408 Posts
Too much underinflation leads to the greater potential of snake bites. However my experience has been that there is not a correlation between over and under (within reason) to flats.

There is correlation that wet conditions lead to more punctures.........and also any roads that Dnvr rides with goatheads!!!
jppe is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 07:21 PM
  #9  
Geezer Member
 
Grampy™'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA
Posts: 1,384

Bikes: Airborne, LeMond, Bianchi CX, Volae Century, Redline 925 (fixed) and a Burley Tandem.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
To much of either is bad.
__________________
Carpe who?
Grampy™ is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 07:41 PM
  #10  
lunatic fringe
 
Dogbait's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Miles from Nowhere, Columbia County, OR
Posts: 1,111

Bikes: 1980 Schwinn World Sport, 1982 Schwinn Super Le Tour, 1984 (?) Univega Single Speed/Fixed conversion, Kogswell G58 fixed gear, 1987 Schwinn Super Sport

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
"Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Goldilocks. She went for a walk in the forest. Pretty soon, she came upon a house. She knocked and, when no one answered, she walked right in.

At the table in the kitchen, there were three bowls of porridge. Goldilocks was hungry. She tasted the porridge from the first bowl.

"This porridge is too hot!" she exclaimed.

So, she tasted the porridge from the second bowl.

"This porridge is too cold," she said

So, she tasted the last bowl of porridge.

"Ahhh, this porridge is just right," she said happily and she ate it all up.

After she'd eaten the three bears' breakfasts she decided she would go for a bike ride. So, she walked into the garage where she saw three bikes. Goldilocks sat on the first bike.

"These tires are too hard!" she exclaimed.

So she sat on the second bike.

"These tires are too soft!" she whined.

So she tried the last and smallest bike.

"Ahhh, these tires are just right," she sighed. But just as she settled down on the bike to ride, she had two flat tires!"
Dogbait is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 08:09 PM
  #11  
Dharma Dog
 
lhbernhardt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 2,073

Bikes: Rodriguez Shiftless street fixie with S&S couplers, Kuwahara tandem, Trek carbon, Dolan track

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I weigh 175 lbs and I inflate the 700x23 tires on my singles and andem to 120 lbs. The track tubulars get 130 lbs (195g Tufos) unless I'm racing, in which case they may get 160 to 180 lbs.

RoadbikeRider has this dude named Uncle Al who claims that using too much pressure is bad. He advocates 90-95 lbs. I gave it a try, and ended up with pinch flats, so I now disregard anythang that dude says.

Two possible problems with too much pressure: It could be bad for the base of the valves, especially if they are the long 160mm variety. And if your tread is almost gone, it could exacerbate weakening of the underlying cord, leading to a blowout at the worst possible time and place. Yes, I speak from experience.

Bottom line: Overinflate! The bike feels much more lively.

- L.
lhbernhardt is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 08:53 PM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
CrossChain's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,023
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
I weigh upper 160's, ride 25's, and inflate the back to 95, front to 90. Pinchflats an extreme rarity...maybe once 2 years ago. What Ihb. above calls lively, I find rough and bouncy. I ride some pretty crappy back roads and welcome a smoother, grippier ride...especially on curves which may be sandy, gravelly, etc.

Again, its all a matter of perception and taste and, thankfully, there's room even in tire pressure choices for most of us to find our own style and taste.
CrossChain is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 08:56 PM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: rockford, il
Posts: 2,646

Bikes: Trek 7700, C'dale R2000

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
DG
You know we did this 3000 mile tour cross country on expressways and secondary roads.
I had only three flats (and did not like those) Some had up to twenty flats and four flats/day. That is no fun.
OK, why?
One guy used Specialized Armadillo with Kevlar strips. Had 4 flats in one day. I was close enough to him to know why. -----Low Pressure-----. He used 100 PSI. Had snake bite punctures. You could not tell him anything, he knows everything better. He is German also.
The king of flats used (IMHO) cheap wheels. He was a very tall guy on a lower budget bike and wheels.
The tires rolled in the not deep enough rim and guess what. Twenty flats.
I did not make a study, just throw money at the problem. Used Continentals with Kevlar strips, pretty good wheels and thicker tubes. It worked well enough.
BTW, the problem was the residue of the steel belted radials at the side of expressways.
I was very tempted to lower the pressure because of the lousy road surfaces we were on. My teeth rattled. But I do not like to fix flats. Takes too much time.
will dehne is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 09:11 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
CrossChain's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,023
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Will above speaks well. I ride Conti Gatorskins and find them to be a very nice blend of flat resistance and nice ride. Tough, but not as heavy as Armadillos. Again, snake-bite punctures have never been much of a problem at my 90's pressure for me. Maybe riding style is also a determiner here.

Next to our local goat heads, and slivers of glass, those little thread like wires from belted tires are often at fault for punctures.
CrossChain is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 09:23 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: rockford, il
Posts: 2,646

Bikes: Trek 7700, C'dale R2000

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by CrossChain
Will above speaks well. I ride Conti Gatorskins and find them to be a very nice blend of flat resistance and nice ride. Tough, but not as heavy as Armadillos. Again, snake-bite punctures have never been much of a problem at my 90's pressure for me. Maybe riding style is also a determiner here.

Next to our local goat heads, and slivers of glass, those little thread like wires from belted tires are often at fault for punctures.
Yes, riding style it is. We were VERY aggressive bikers. It was not supposed to be a race but guess what?
In the quest of one-upmanship, we disregarded common sense and sometimes safety.
BUT, we did have fun, and flats. The above mentioned snake bites were caused by going over bricks for heavens sake.
will dehne is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 09:29 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
CrossChain's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,023
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by will dehne
BUT, we did have fun, and flats. The above mentioned snake bites were caused by going over bricks for heavens sake.
CrossChain is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 09:32 PM
  #17  
Wheee
 
LilSprocket's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: S. FL
Posts: 378

Bikes: Schwinn Rocket 88 phase 1/ Surly 1x1/Cannondale R700 WSD 650c

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I'm light.... for me, it's crap in the road, mostly glass
__________________
If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning.
https://www.myspace.com/qwtrailbuilders
rip sydney
LilSprocket is offline  
Old 07-11-06, 10:48 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,259
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by will dehne
BTW, the problem was the residue of the steel belted radials at the side of expressways.
Originally Posted by CrossChain
Next to our local goat heads, and slivers of glass, those little thread like wires from belted tires are often at fault for punctures.
My most bizzare flat ever -- and I've had about a million of them -- was one time when I was out on a new set of tires. I got a flat in the rear, and when I inspected the tire, there was a wire from a steel belt going entirely through the tire....in one side, through the tire, in the other side, and out. And, it was right against the end of the rim. Perfectly parallel.

How did it get there?

How did it have enough force to go through both sidewalls???
Big Paulie is offline  
Old 07-12-06, 12:48 AM
  #19  
Time for a change.
 
stapfam's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 6 miles inland from the coast of Sussex, in the South East of England
Posts: 19,913

Bikes: Dale MT2000. Bianchi FS920 Kona Explosif. Giant TCR C. Boreas Ignis. Pinarello Fp Uno.

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 4 Posts
The stated pressure on the sidewalls is a very good guide to what you should be using but I never go by that. The pressure I use on the solo MTB is just within the top limit of the tyre at 55psi. top limit is 60. Any lower and I find that drag is too great on the hard pack trails, and snake bites are a problem on the rough downhills. Now the Tanden is different. Same tyre but a minimum of 65psi. Any lower and we have a tyre that is running flat (Due to 400lbs all up weight) and the snakebites mean a wrecked tyre and a big off.

Higher pressures may mean a higher chance of punctures, but low pressures are lethal. Overheating carcase, tyre rolling off the rim and a bike that is 20lbs heavier due to drag. Then again-If you can get my Kendas up to 120psi with my frame pump- you are a lot stronger than me.
__________________
How long was I in the army? Five foot seven.


Spike Milligan
stapfam is offline  
Old 07-12-06, 06:33 AM
  #20  
OnTheRoad or AtTheBeach
 
stonecrd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Weston, FL
Posts: 2,170

Bikes: Ridley Noah RS, Scott CR1 Pro

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I ride my Conti 4000s at 120psi. I have had 2 flats in 4000 miles and one was due to tire wear. I ride on pretty good roads and if the tires get below 100psi I feel slower.
__________________
The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard and the shallow end is much too large

2013 Noah RS
stonecrd is offline  
Old 07-12-06, 06:53 AM
  #21  
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Lansing Michigan
Posts: 36

Bikes: Trek Navigator 200

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by CrossChain
Next to our local goat heads, and slivers of glass, those little thread like wires from belted tires are often at fault for punctures.

What are goat heads?
CyberDaug is offline  
Old 07-12-06, 06:59 AM
  #22  
Senior Member
 
rule's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wylie, Texas
Posts: 1,922
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts


Goathead is an annual weed in the caltrop family. The prostrate stems radiate from a tap root. The opposite leaves are pinnate. The flattened fruit breaks in five nutlets, with two strong, woody spines. The flowers are small and have 5 yellow petals.
__________________
rule is offline  
Old 07-12-06, 07:20 AM
  #23  
Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Lansing Michigan
Posts: 36

Bikes: Trek Navigator 200

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by rule


Goathead is an annual weed in the caltrop family. The prostrate stems radiate from a tap root. The opposite leaves are pinnate. The flattened fruit breaks in five nutlets, with two strong, woody spines. The flowers are small and have 5 yellow petals.

Thanks Rule
I never seen these culperts before, are they only in the SouthWest? I hope I wouldn't want to run into a sworm of them.
CyberDaug is offline  
Old 07-12-06, 07:30 AM
  #24  
Rides again
 
HiYoSilver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: SW. Sacramento Region, aka, down river
Posts: 3,282

Bikes: Giant OCR T, Trek SC

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Great photo, they are very abundant in colorado
HiYoSilver is offline  
Old 07-12-06, 08:26 AM
  #25  
Pat
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 2,794

Bikes: litespeed, cannondale

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Well, underinflation can cause pinch flats. But beyond that extreme, I have never noticed any kind of association of tire inflation and flat production. I figure it takes something over 1000 miles of riding to produce a flat and flat frequency seems to increase with tires that are worn thin. However, that is merely an impression.

In order to really get a fix on it, one would probably have to ride something like 50,000 miles at 90 psi and 50000 miles at 120 psi and look at the number of flats and see if they differed significantly. I don't know anyone who does that sort of thing.
Pat is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.