Originally Posted by
Wanderer
A few questions on tire liners, because I get a lot of flats.
The two I have found are Mr Tuffy, and Stop Flats 2.
What are the negatives on using them?
Do they ride softer, harder?
Effect on handling? (stopping, starting, turning, leaning, traction)
Effect on speed?
Any problem with heat buildup from added friction?
If your tire falls in between sizes, do you buy wider, or narrower? (my case 700X45C)
Can they be installed in flat resistant tires?
Do they really work? (my usual flats are very small stones, or flecks of glass, occasional splinter, once a wire)
Man, do my tubes have a lot of patches on them.......
I used them, some years back on the MTB's I had.
The main negative I remember was that the end of the tire strip can rub a hole in the innertube if the strip's end isn't shaped right. The edge needs to be cut to a "blade"-type bevel, not cut 90-degrees (like it would be if you trimmed it off with scissors).
They weigh a bit more. I haven't heard of any "heat buildup" problems. I guess they do ride harder, but you can lower the air pressure a bit to account for that. They can be installed in flat-resistant tires, but then, you are less likely to
need them if you use flat-resistant tires.
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I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires on my city/commuting bike. They have no flats so far but are quite heavy and slow, but then,,, any method of increasing the flat-resistance of tires is going to make your tires heavier and slower. Slime tubes, tire liners or flat-resistant tires all add weight.
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Some people will have you believe that a lightweight paper-thin tire with a paper-thin layer of kevlar will do wonderous things for flat-resistance. I have tried them and found otherwise. You can spend your money as you please, but I use a pair of thick heavy tires.
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