llieske

I've probably had the worst luck out of anyone in this entire forum when it comes to flat tires. I've got a decent road bike that weighs fairly light, me weighing in at about 2 bills. I've probably went through at least $80 in tires and C02 over the past couple weeks. It's like I get a flat every other day. I've tried slime, thin tubes, thorn resistant tubes and kevlar tires. All have a tendency to go flat if not sooner than later. Almost always pinch flats, but I've even had the people in bike shops put them in there for me perfectly. I'm careful how I ride, but there's so much damn debry on my route that it doesn't take more than a couple days till they go flat again and I'm trhowing down yet another 20-30 bucks on tubes.

What does it take to get a good, light-weight, reliable flatless tire? One that you could drill holes through and still ride on without even sacrificing a significant amount of performance compared to tubes.

If you know of any good flatless tire brands out there, I'd like to know since I'm simply fed up with tubes. I don't even care if I go 5mph less than I would with tubes. In my case going slower and a bumpier ride is way better than getting stranded.

I use my bike to commute to and from work (16 miles round trip everyday). It already sucks up over an hour out of my day just riding my bike, I simply don't have the time to deal with flats. Which for me seems to be inevitable with tubes.

spindog

Do you air up your tires to the maximum pressure before EVERY ride? This is extremely important to prevent pinch flats which will easily happen with underinflated tires.

Installing tire liners such as Mr. Tuffy's offers great protection from punctures. I have used them and have not gotten a flat in over 3,600 miles. Of course, now that I said something I will probably get one.

Tire liners can be purchased online or in most bicycle shops anywhere in the range of $6.00 - $30.00.


"In my case going slower and a bumpier ride is way better than getting stranded".
I don't understand your comment about going slower and having a bumpier ride.

Perhaps you should pick up a mountain bike for your commute. It will do the job and mountain tires will hold out much better and minimize or hopefully eliminate your problems with flats (they make tire liners for mountain bike tires, too).

BikeWise1

Two thoughts.

1. Get yourself a pair of Bontrager RaceLite HardCase tires. Most amazing tire I've ever sold for commuting and people who just hate flats.

2. Pump up your tires with a pump that has a gauge to the rec. pressure every day.

merlinextraligh

Specialized Armadillo's in a 28c, pumped to a decent pressure will be a bout as flat proof as you can get. Another good choice would be Continental Gatorskins, and again if you're worried about pinch flats go 28c.

If you're riding a decent road bike, I think you will be very disappointed in the performance you would get from any airless tire.

urbanknight

Lightweight and flatless don't mix that well. You might want to check into either tougher tires, heavier tubes, or both. Airless would be bumpy as hell!

Also +1 for the pumping up your tires every ride. Someone at a club ride last Sat hadn't checked and had about 60 psi, which could have caused 2 pinch flats. We fixed that before going down the steep hill!

drdhsimon

+1
I had a pair of Hardcase tires (now on my 2nd bike as I just bought a new one )....you could ride thru a glass field on those a come out smiling!

slowandsteady

Do you ride on the shoulder?

Do you pump up your tires to 100-120 psi before EVERY ride?

badkarma

Ride pneumatic tires, solid tires are garbage.

Sheldon Brown's opinion:

"Of all the inventions that came out of the bicycle industry, probably none is as important and useful as Dr. Dunlop's pneumatic tire.
Airless tires have been obsolete for over a century, but crackpot "inventors" keep trying to bring them back. They are heavy, slow and give a harsh ride. They are also likely to cause wheel damage, due to their poor cushioning ability. A pneumatic tire uses all of the air in the whole tube as a shock absorber, while foam-type "airless" tires/tubes only use the air in the immediate area of impact.

Airless tire schemes have also been used by con artists to gull unsuspecting investors. My advice is to avoid this long-obsolete system."

Get a pair of specialized armidillos or continental gatorskins and you should see the number of flats drop dramatically.

Dubbayoo

I popped an ultra expensive inner tube (I think michelin used to make it) within the first 75 yards once.

mayukawa

Check your rim strips to make sure they're still in good condition.

v1k1ng1001

Sounds like the guage on your floor pump is shot and you're riding around with underinflated tires all the time. You need to pump those boys up to 100 psi every day you ride.

pathdoc

I inflate to 110 lbs and I can't remember the last flat I've had. Of course I inflate before each ride.

Warblade

The Armadillo's are pretty flat-proof BUT they ride like a tank, as-in incredibly harsh/uncomfortable. I would just recommend the regular Nimbus'.

blickblocks

You use CO2 and get pinch flats all the time? Obviously you are underinflating, which CO2 usually leads to. Get a Topeak Road Morph, the one with the gauge, and make sure you're at the right pressure before you ride.

Eyeseeu

I have 3 pairs of Greentyres that are great for training. They are solid and selectable by simulated psi as well as size. I train with 700x23 and 700x25. I have never had tire damage as Mr. Brown suggests (at has been several thousand miles), they are as comfortable as regular tires, they are as light as regular tires and tubes, and they only cost $28 each.

The idea that they have inferior cushion is inaccurate. While the general concept behind that theory is correct, the inflated tire will be inferior on sharp obstructions. Think of hitting railroad tracks or a sharp angled corner. The air will dissipate to the rest of the tire allowing tire and the object to penetrate to the rim (thus, pinch flat). A solid tire does not.

The only downside I have seen in the last 2.5 years of using them is reduced average speed due to increased drag. They are about 2 mph slower over the same course for me than my regular tires, therefore I only use them for training now.

uberclkgtr

+1 on the bonty hardcase tires. i run 25s for my road bike that i commute on. fantastic tires, though significantly heavier than your typical race tire such as michelin pro race 2s. not an issue for a trainer or commuter though.

Tremor2k

I had the same kind of luck the first 300 miles on my bike. Flat about once every 20 miles. What I wasnt inspecting close enough was the rim tape. It was sliding over exposing the spoke access holes. Line up the valve stems on each tube that went flat and see if they arent in the same areas of each tube. I replaced the rim tape on my Shimano wh-550 with some good cloth tape and no more flats so far (now over 1400miles). Also learn the proper way to install the tubes and how to prevent pinch flats.

Also I replaced my tires with Conti GP4000 and I weigh in over 200 so I know they will work.

Tremor