Snakebite puncture

[Sharky]

Love the idea, but they appear to be like Marmite. For every person who thinks they're great another will have tales of nothing but woe.

I've decided to bide my time on them.

I'm with you. I recognise the advantages, but also a lot of problems as well and people still have to carry a spare tube just in case.

The largest tyres I use are 28's and on my regular rides 23 or 25. And some of the good points refer to the larger widths.

But also on a cost basis, I have 4 bikes in regular use and lots of wheels. To go tubeless completely would cost too much. Am also still on rim brakes and two of my bikes only have one gear!

So in my twilight years will stick with tubes.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

On the 5th of July, I had my first ever snakebite puncture in a lifetime of cycling. I picked a helluva place to have one, too. I was riding down the main road from the Col du Galibier down to Valloire, in the French Alps, and due to the nature of the road, was just coasting along doing at least 40km/h. Because the road had numerous bends, and because I was admiring the spectacular scenery, I just didn't notice the large pothole. My front wheel hit the pothole with a noticeable thump, and (fortunately for me), the front tyre didn't lose air too quickly.
I put a new tube on fairly quickly, because the temperature was in the mid 30s, and so I didn't want to stand around in that heat for too long.

Oh well: at least the scenery was nice while I replaced the tube!

 

[rogerzilla]

You were lucky - snakebite punctures usually cause very rapid deflation because there are two slits, not just one small round hole.