In praise of tyre liners

[overmind]

For the past year or so I have been conducting an experiment.

I was having a front tyre puncture on an almost weekly basis on my commuter bike.

I had previously bought some tyre liners but had not yet found a use for them. I decided to fit them as a short-term measure until I could order some new tyres. I think they were the link below.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zefal-Z-Li...id=1518873858&sr=8-4&keywords=bike+tyre+liner

A couple of weeks went by without incident (no punctures) and then I remembered I had not bought any tyres yet. Bottom line, I decided to just see how long the old tyre would last without a puncture.

It has been over 1 year now based on daily commuting summer and winter and it it still holding out (well, there was one exception but that was because dirt got inside the tyre and caused a slow puncture). I have not had a single puncture where some kind of sharp object; glass, nail, thorn gets throught the tyre.

Below are a couple of pictures of the current state of the tyre. I've been really impressed. You can actually see the liner through the wall of the tyre and it is still holding.

 

[Slick]

You've really gone and done it now.

I'm glad you like these strips, I've no personal experience with them as such but I did get a visit a couple of days after fitting a Durano + where a bit of glass had obviously hit the very edge of the protection before sliding in to the soft rubber. Soon after, I changed the bike for another with no protection over a year ago, and I've never had a visit since.

Fair enough though, I've never ever ran a bike with tyres as low as your pictures.

 

[Drago]

I've tried them before, though a different make (I can't recall which) and didnt like the effect on ride quality.

 

[biggs682]

i cant understand why anybody would want to ride a bike with tyres that dangerous

 

[cyberknight]

I use them on my mtb , certainly stop the sort of stuff that turns a good day bad ie glas, thorns, bits of wire.Probably offer the same protection as marathon + ?.
No flats since i fitted them.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

i cant understand why anybody would want to ride a bike with tyres that dangerous

Want might not come into it. Possibly someone needs to keep a bike running without spending anything on parts?
I think the danger aspect is overplayed, at least for low-speed riders. Whilst I wouldn't be happy bombing down a hill on a tyre like that in case it lets go at speed, for local utility riding it wouldn't scare me. I had a rear tyre go pop on a 3-speed a couple of months ago. The tyre, to the best of my knowledge, was original to the bike, so was made in 1974 - 45 years old! Was only 3/4 of a mile from home so I locked it to a railing and walked. I won't risk dodgy tyres on non-local rides, but for pub/shops use, if they hold air they get used.

 

[mickle]

I've witnessed several tyre liners causing abrasion damage to inner tubes, particularly when run at lower than optimal pressure. I personally prefer my puncture protection to be incorporated within the structure of the tyre, like the Marathon Plus and its ilk. Also sealant.

But if you ever see me riding a tyre as farked as the one referred to in the op you may shoot me, as I will have caught rabies, bovine spongiform encephalopathy or brain eating parasite or what not.

 

[BianchiVirgin]

i cant understand why anybody would want to ride a bike with tyres that dangerous

Agree. Those tyres are knackered.

 

[Pale Rider]

Perhaps @overmind would like to update the thread.

 

[overmind]

Perhaps @overmind would like to update the thread.

Sorry, don't understand. I'm still here though but the tyres have gone to the big rubber mountain in the sky. It got to the stage
where they had 3 holes of around 0.5cm diameter BUT still no punctures. It was Mrs Overmind (SWMBO) who convinced me that they had to go (edit: the next stage may have involved kitchen utensils being applied to the tyre).

 

[Ajax Bay]

Perhaps @overmind would like to update the thread.

Sorry, don't understand.

What @Pale Rider is obliquely pointing out is that this thread is yet another that @SkipdiverJohn has 'rescued' from the skip of time. @Shaun and his 'Similar threads' feature must bear the appropriate level of responsibility .

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The similar threads feature is great isn't it?. Just when you think a thread has sunk without trace, any one of us can bring it back from the dead and give it a new lease of life. And this one was quite recent compared to some that have been resurrected!

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Well, I for one, am now educated about tyre liners

I've witnessed several tyre liners causing abrasion damage to inner tubes

That would be my concern. But it seems some can get away with it

 

[Pale Rider]

Tannus has introduced a softish tyre liner which shouldn't cause friction flats.

The idea is you fit the liner and a smaller inner tube,

I'm guessing they may be better suited to MTB because you need the room initially to swap the existing tube for a smaller one.

On a 29er you'd have a liner and a 700c narrow roadie bike tube.

Possibly.

https://tannus.co.uk/armour/

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Tannus has introduced a softish tyre liner which shouldn't cause friction flats.

The idea is you fit the liner and a smaller inner tube,

I'm guessing they may be better suited to MTB because you need the room initially to swap the existing tube for a smaller one.

On a 29er you'd have a liner and a 700c narrow roadie bike tube.

Isn't that going to reduce your tyre air volume considerably and spoil the ride quality? Plus if you do get a puncture regardless of the liner, it will go flat quicker if there's less air available to escape. If the ride quality is going to be adversely affected, you might as well just fit M+ instead of all that messing around. In fact, if I ran a really heavy e-bike I didn't want to have to pull a wheel out of too often, I would probably run M+ on the rear anyway (and normal M on the front).