tyres for long commute & frequent flats?

[guster]

Hi,

two of us are riding 30 miles a day on bike paths/ road, and are getting very frequent flat tyres. There's not too much gravel or broken glass. We've got old-ish (1980s) touring bikes, loaded up with panniers.
It's happening about 3 times a week so i suspect there is more wrong than just crap quality inner tubes.

Any ideas on tyre pressure, wheel truing or whatever? Our LBS just keeps happily patching or replacing the tyres/ inners and we just keep forking out again and again. We ask them to check that the pressure is ok and to true our wheels (at least one of which is warped after an accident) but not much ever seems to happen - and they are the best LBS by far in the region...

Any recommendations for some new tyres and inner tubes? Possibly new wheels?

 

[Watt-O]

I use Specialized Nimbus Armadillos on my ancient steel framed MTB for my 20mile round trip commute through the badland cycle paths and roads of South London. 26x1.5 inches. Only had 2 punctures in the last 12months or so. I keep them pumped to the max 6.6 bar.

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=10805

 

[beachcaster]

same problem solved

I was having the same problems and after 3 flats in a week
I decided to sort my tyres out.
I bought Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres and havent looked back
not one flat since they were fitted a few hundred miles ago.

They are a bit heavier and not so easy to fit. BUT they give me supreme
confidence against dreaded flats..........my LBS told me they were often used by serious long distance tourers.....

Barry

 

[betty swollocks]

Another recommendation for marathon plusses.
Had them one two of my bikes for a year. 17,000 miles later and not one single flat.
Fitting them is a bastard though

 

[upsidedown]

Continental Contacts kept at around 100 - 110 PSI. A bit heavy but seem to do the job.

 

[numbnuts]

Our LBS just keeps happily patching or replacing the tyres/ inners

can I ask "why can't you do this your self"

 

[Banjo]

I had a series of innertube failures near where the valve stem joins the tube.I was told that a cause of this is if the valve stem is jammed in the hole by a bit of rim tape or whatever.The valve should move freely in and out of the hole in the wheel .

I have Michelin City Pilot tyres which are very tough tyres 1300 miles on them so far and nothing has penetrated the rubber,
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=28138
They are heavy but better than getting frequent visits from the P£$%^&*e fairy.

You need to learn how to do it yourself rather than keep shelling out to LBS .Only takes 10 minutes to fix and be on your way again.

 

[guster]

Thanks for the suggestions.

We do do them ourselves if there is time, but we don't have a car and live 15 miles from work, and we have tight time constraints of working hours/ school run/ kiddy bedtime etc. So about half the time it ends up being considerably easier to dump the bike at the LBS in town after a flat on the way in (having made myself late by having to run rather than cycle some of the miles of the commute).

 

[MajorMantra]

Get a track pump if you don't have one and run your tyres hard as suggested above. Also, don't ride in the gutter because that's where most of the broken glass and other pointy crap is.

You should really learn to fix/change your on tubes - paying LBS rates is totally unnecessary for such a simple job. EDIT: Ok, so you know how. If you do it frequently you'll get very quick at it.

Whereabouts are you riding?

Matthew

 

[MacB]

about 3700 miles on M+'s and no punctures, in point of fact I laugh at the very idea and mock the concept of a puncture fairy - bring it on I say.

Obviously I also carry two spare tubes as I am a pragmatist

 

[HJ]

At the risk of stating the obvious, you have checked inside the tyre to make sure there are no foreign objects sticking trough? Also is the rim tape in good condition, the ends of all the spokes are covered? As has been said above, always keep you tyres well pumped up, especially if you carry extra weight.

Tyre wise I use Conti GatorSkins, the current pair have covered over 1500 mile without any intrusions.

 

[4F]

M+, track pump, 100 psi, what's a puncture ?

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

M+, track pump, 100 psi, what's a puncture ?

Oh, you are SO setting yourself up for a visit !!

Actually, I am probably setting myself up too by saying that, aren't I?

To the OP, wouldn't it be easier to take a spare tube and a small pump along with you on the commute? Then you could fix it roadside and not be (as) late for work.

 

[MacB]

Oh, you are SO setting yourself up for a visit !!

Actually, I am probably setting myself up too by saying that, aren't I?

To the OP, wouldn't it be easier to take a spare tube and a small pump along with you on the commute? Then you could fix it roadside and not be (as) late for work.

punctures do not 'visit', the tyre is either penetrated from outside, pinches the tube or the tube/valve fail. You are never due a puncture, there is no law of probability deciding when it's your turn. There is no ceremony you can perform, other than bike maintenance, that will ward off future punctures. Sacrifice all the chickens you like, with your silver dagger by moonlight, it won't help you.

I can also walk under ladders, on cracks in pavements, positively dance around black cats, say Candyman as many times as I like into a mirror, spill salt, put shoes on tables, resist the lure of lucky heather, find a horseshoe merely a pleasing shape, not care about the No 13 other than it falls between 12 and 14................I could go on

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Sorry Mac, just a little light hearted reference to the "Fairy" so commonly referred to on her. Not meant to be taken seriously.