More Flats? Really????

[ELPTX51]

I've been riding a Defy 1 road bike for about six weeks now and have gotten flats for the last four rides in a row. I still have the stock tires and tubes so I ordered a set of Continental Gatorskins and some thorn resistent tubes. I live in the desert of west Texas so thorns are a real issue. At this point the flats have me frustrated to the point of worrying about every bump in the road and if I have a tire going down. Is the weight of the Gatorskins and thicker tubes really noticible? Being new to road bikes I know it shouldnt matter but I'm addicted to the milage and I'd rather ride a heavier bike than spend time on the side of the road fixing flats.

 

[sabian92]

Stock tyres and tubes generally are not puncture resistant - something a little tougher will be infinitely better for getting rid of punctures. Of course, if you want bombproof tyres, look no further than the Schwalbe Marathon Plus - although they are very heavy for a tyre (I use them on my road bike) and they are quite expensive.

 

[Kiwiavenger]

i have gators, not had a puncture (other that one of my spokes popping into the tube to say hi) in about 500 miles (so far!) can be a pig to get on and probably dont roll as well as some more "performace" tyres but i reckon it has saved me 40 minutes already in not having to fix punctures!!!

 

[Paulus]

Try keeping the tyre pressure up to the max as stipulated on the side of the tyre. I run gatorskins on a couple of my bikes and have no problems with them. Specialized Armodillos are very good at puncture protection, but nothing is really bomb proof.

 

[jonny jeez]

http://www.greentyre.co.uk/27inch.html

perhaps

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Try keeping the tyre pressure up to the max as stipulated on the side of the tyre. I run gatorskins on a couple of my bikes and have no problems with them. Specialized Armodillos are very good at puncture protection, but nothing is really bomb proof.

I can second the specialized armodilios. used to have a hell of a time with almost daily p***** fairy visits, sometimes 2 or 3 a day (comes from working in a school and riding home down country lanes). I went over to armodilos as a last resort and went years without another p***** visit. In fact I actually went that long, that the inner tube rubber perished cause the flat rather than a p****....

 

[Saluki]

I've got a Defy. The tyres are in the bin and I got a pair of Schwalbes on it now, from Wiggle http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-lugano-road-tyre/ They are fantastic. I got deeply fed up with a flat on pretty much every ride.