Best Puncture-Resistance?
 

What's your favorite tire/liner/liquid combination to prevent flats?
I'm a long-time commuter and I view flats as part of life, but I think it's possible to minimize their frequency. I started using plastic liners (like Mr. Tuffy) a few years ago and I find that I get many fewer flats than I used to.
I recently put together an electric kit bike and it occurred to me that I *really* don't want to get a flat on it because it's a serious pain to change a tube on the thing and it's appallingly heavy to push. So I want to get some serious puncture resistance. The bike's electric, so I don't mind heavy.
So... Schwalbe Marathon Plus? Armadillos? Slime? What are your opinions?

I use the Performance Bike kevlar tires. I have had only one flat in the 2+ years and > 4000 miles I have used them.

I never thought I'd say this, but for the bike you're describing, I'd keep a fix-a-flat can handy until you can get it home and fix it properly.

edited: Oops. I see the bicycle version has been discontinued.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus!

Airless tires! Although they are pretty bad as tires, they're very durable, and you'll never, ever flat. If you don't weigh a lot, the wheels are durable, you avoid jumping off curbs, and hitting huge pot holes you should be fine mechanically. There's plenty of threads on them here. They're impractical for most people, since they're heavy, don't offer as smooth as a ride, and don't absorb road shocks as well, which is hard on rims. But for you, where changing a flat can be a complete nightmare, they might be worth it.

Total cost is nearly the same as a set of Marathon Plus and tubes. Some bike shops have the tool for installing them already, and charge a small labor fee, that would save 30-40 bucks.

Yeah, I also noticed that Fix-A-Flat for bikes is discontinued. Anyone know of a similar product?

Latex paint :D

Fix a flat for cars. There's no rule that says you have to use the whole can.

+1

+1

I've been riding two bikes, each with a set of them for a year now in glass-laden Boston/Allston. Even took one bike on a 200 mile tour to New York. ZERO flats. Well worth the price you pay for the beast of a tire that is Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

Schwalbe rate the Marathon Plus as their most puncture resistant tyre, I think, but they give the Marathon Supreme almost as a high rating and it has a superb reputation for puncture resistance among riders. And it is an exceptionally fast tyre, while the Plus is on the mediocre side. The Surpreme costs more, but durability is usually described as amazing.

After some digging, I found fix-a-flat discontinued its bicycle version of the product because the effectiveness was dismal for tubed tires. Apparently the problem is that a tube "puncture" is fixable while a tube "tear" is not.
I found an alternative product called "Ride On" that does sell a bicycle version. They advertise a similar reduced success rate with tubed tires:

The Ride-On Tire Protection System (Ride-On TPS) is a revolutionary line of tire sealants that prevent flat tires, seal leaks and punctures, balance tire/wheel assemblies for the life of the tire, extend tire life and reduce downtime associated with tire failures. Ride-On Tire Protection System (TPS) tire sealants will eliminate 85-95% of your flat tires in tubless tires. Ride-On tire sealants' efficiency in tube tires is reduced to 55-65% since puncturing objects often tear the tube. Ride-On TPS tire sealants are great for cars, light trucks, SUVs, RVs, motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, bicycles, skid steers, lawn mowers, etc.

8-oz. bottle of Ride-On TPS tire sealant for bicycles (Bike-On Formula), valve core removal tool, and installation hose. Each bottle contains enough Bike-On to treat two bicycle tires. Bike-On is formulated for use in tube and tubeless bicycle tires (not for Presta Valves). Bike-On tire sealant (tyre sealant) is formulated for use in tube and tubeless bicycle tires (not for presta valves). Bike-On seals most tread punctures up to 1/8" in diameter, prevents flats and helps tires longer. Bike-On contains corrosion inhibitors that protect aluminum and steel wheels against oxidation. Bike-On also helps reduce dry rot and the tiny invisible porosity leaks that cause tires to deflate over time.


$6.95 pr bottle
http://www.ride-on.com/prod_bike-on.asp

For the OP's electric bike which is virtually impossible to repair roadside, this may be a possible solution.

So far, i've been flat proof over 500 Miles on Continental Ultra Gators Skins

+1 SMPs
+1 Continental Ultra Gator Skins

The Marathon Plus is great in term of puncture protection, but the ride quality is very rough and they have poor wet weather grip. I like the ride of GatorSkins or Conti 4 Seasons much better, and they are also tough tires. My wife likes the Marathon Supreme. Neither of us like the ride of the Marathon Plus.

Airless? I like what Sheldon Brown had to say on the matter:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_aa-l.html#airless
Bike-On pretty much looks like the equivalent of Slime. Seems like it's not intended as a roadside repair, but rather as a preventative. Perhaps that's still useful, given that most of my flats have always been due to holes that look to me more like "punctures" than "tears". I have talked to a couple of LBS mechanics about Slime and they both thought the stuff is worse than useless. But then I know they hate it partly because a punctured slimed tire spits green well, slime, all over the place.
Opinions?

I've put over 15,000 flat-free miles on my Marathon Plus tires with Mr. Tuffy liners. The ride is smooth and they work fine in the wet. I came to cycling with automotive expectations regarding bike tires, and the Marathon Plus are the first tires I found that met my minimum standard of matching car tire durability. I've had a flat on my car during this period but none on my bike. The bike and car are driven over similar annual milages.

Slime: No increase in puncture resistance, but makes an amazing mess.

Armadillos: My wife's road bike has them. The ride is unpleasant and they do not have the flat resistance of the Marathons.

Mr. Tuffy: Greatly increases flat resistance. I always use them.


Paul

Botranger Hardcase, haven't had a flat since i bought them almost a year ago.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...00_20000_23014 Performance Forte GT2 kevlar. I've used these on about 6 different bikes with about 17,000 miles between them. No flats & one pair has about 10,000 miles on them & the front still has plenty of tread.

As I've mentioned before I've had problems with sidewall tears with the Forte kevlar (cross/k or something)tires. Granted, I did run over something but those sidewalls are really thin. Currently using the Michelin Transworld City with tire liners but 6 months into them the liners rubbed and I got a slow leak. Keeping in the liners now but I read some people never can fix the rubbing (and others have no problem) so I'll probably upgrade to something like Schwalbes next time.

Vittoria Randonneurs are awesomely tough
Right now I am riding a rando in the front and a fat panaracer ribmo in the rear...good combo

I just picked up some Specialized Armadillos. How bad are they going to ride?

They are good, but the casing of the tire detoriates really fast, < 3,000 miles and your tire is shot. Marathon + are better. I haven't had a regret since I have changed over to these.

+1 on Schwalbe Marathon Plus.

I have a limited basis for comparison but I don't find that they ride particularly bad. In fact, compared with what they replaced, they ride smooth.

Also have Continental Travel Contact, about 1500 miles so far and no flats.

I tend to agree. I bought the Armadillos back in May. The guy at the LBS told me they should get a good 20k on them. I told him that I'd put em' to the test. Cause I commute all year and I figured they'd last at least 2yrs . I've put about 1200 miles on them so far and the front is starting to show some wear. I wanted to get the Marathons. But I was at the bikeshop and the Armadillos were there, so I bought them. I don't think they'll last the 2yrs, but we'll see. When they do wear out then I'm going with the Marathons next. Most Cross Country riders I notice use Marathons.