I was wondering if there was such a tire that improvised run-flat technology.

For those who don't know, run-flats on cars are tires that have a super thick sidewall for use when the tire gets punctured. Since the sidewall is so thick, the vehicle is still available to run until it can get to a location where repairs can be made.

I've been having a lot of issues with flats lately and was wondering if a manufacture made such a tire for bikes? I know the tire will be heavier but it is a hit that I'm willing to take so I don't have to change a flat on the side of the road.

Thanks
David

I've seen solid rubber 700c tires

first off you dont want solid rubber 700c tires. they are incredibly unlikely to mount and stay put, and they will shake and vibrate you and your bike to death.

the alternative in the modern cycling world is a set of tires with 5mm or so of built in flat protection system. check out some of the schwalbe tires or seca-r. be sure to run the tires with 120psi or whatever the max psi is. the high pressure and flat protection strip will keep out most of the glass and such you might run over.

also be sure your rims or tires have no burs or damaged edges and that you are installing the tube correctly. and carry a co2 cartridge and valve with sealant included in the cart for the quickest get up and go tire inflation and fix in one shot.

if for some reason you have to ride over lots of glass, gravel, thorns and nails, try some bigger tires with some thick tread on them.

Thorn proof tubes (700c) filled to the brim with slime! Do these for customers often and the recommended slime amount fills them almost all the way. During install, they feel like they are already inflated and it only takes a few pumps to reach pressure. Heavy as all get out.

The Schwalbe Marathon Plus is what you are looking for.
https://www.schwalbetires.com/marathon_plus

Car tires are more or less square, so a strong/thick sidewall works in such a situation. Bicycle and motorcycle tires are more rounded to allow for leaning in turns, and thus the actual sidewalls are much shorter. A bicycle tire with run-flat-style sidewalls might keep you from riding on the rim, but would provide handling unstable and dangerous enough to be nearly useless.

The best you can do is make sure that the bike itself isn't causing the flats (crap stuck in the tire, burrs on the end of the spokes, sufficient rim tape, etc) and use some good, puncture-resistant tires. For example, I've been using Gatorskins and Randonneurs on some relatively terrible glass and rock strewn roads for two years, and have gotten a grand total of one flat in that time.

or do what a guy here does on his polo bike, and cut the bead off an old tire, and stick it inside your current tire. So you get 2 layers of protection before your tube

There are airless tires. Unlikely that anything is going to run as good as pnuematic tires though, you're probably better off with some flat protection (kevlar tape, slime, puncture resistant tires)

Any decent flat resistant tire should be much better than what youve got. Schwalbe Marathons and Bontrager Racelite Hard Cases are excellent. I would try that before going to heavier measures like a tube full of slime, though i don't doubt that in some areas that's necessary. And i would not even consider a non pneumatic tire. There is a very good reason why no one except for the odd kook has used them since the invention of the pneumatic tire, over 100 years ago: they ride like ****.

i've heard someone say that armadillos can be ridden flat without a problem.

don't know if that's true or not.

they _can_ be ridden flat, but I'd imagine that it is not a good ride.

must be a real ****ty ride

I've ridden rear tires flat when i was in a hurry to get somewhere nearby. It's hard on the tire and it tends to want to roll off the rim and damage it through contact with the road. But you can get away wth it if you keep your weight on the front and ride carefully. I would not want to try this with a flat front tire though.

these were the first thing i thought of



ZOMG it's not a bike tire but it could be?

discuss...

Those give the loudest and bumpiest ride evar. Bad idea.

nice tires, pumped up to a the correct psi. a tire lever, wrench, and patch kit, or spare tube if youre in a hurry. also a small pump. i would say more than half of my flats can be pumped up and are so slow that i can ride a few miles on them and fixing a flat/ replacing a tube is easy.

also, check the inside of your tire/rim(depending on where on the tube youre getting flats). if its tire side squeeze out all of the glass(maybe thorns, but i hope youre smart enough to remove those) you can find in the tire. if its rim side try to find what is causing it and eliminate it.

i blew a tire on armadillos and i didn't like completely wipe out and eat **** on the spot but i noticed immediately

I use to run Green SLime in my 35x700s on my Trek 7000 Hybred when cycling out in the BoonDocks here in Bakersfield. One time I counted 20(!!!) Punctures from GOATHEAD Thorns on both tires each! I took the Goatheads out and road on home without any noticable deflation of the tires. I checked the PSI when I got home and they only lost about 5 PSI. ONe this is for sure, you could not ride around the back farm roads here in Kern County without some type of tire protection. Be it from Green Slime or some type of inner tire armor.

i have never in all my years of riding ever had a flat...

weird, guess i am lucky! not even running really tuff tires.

my mtb has hutchinson mosquito lights on it!

5 mm is almost 0.2". I seriously doubt the existence of such a tire.


The biggest issue of a run flat type tire. Destruction of your rim.

the michelin city tires are 8mm thick, and the soma everwears are 5 mm thick. i haven't ridden the michelin yet, but i have been on the everwear for about 2 months (with constant skidding- its squared off but still has plenty of rubber left.). i wore out an armadillo in a little over a week. i will probably try the michelins next time i need a new rear tire.

Check the image of the schwalbe tires posted above... there is a section of blue rubber that is about 5mm deep. Seems like good puncture protection to me.


Also, I hear that one of the benefits of tubular tires is that they can be ridden flat, albeit not very confortably and probably not safely if not glued properly.

I stand corrected. I've got these tires, never realized the belt was that thick.

I had ****ty tires once....these fixed the problem.

"supra kumho ecstas, but they gotta be run-flat"