bike tyre prevention

Question

Hello, Tad Hylkema

I will be participating in my first long bicycle ride, which will last for roughly 8 hrs.

I'd like to know the best way to prevent flat tires, more specifically which gears you can suggest for my bicycle to avoid flat tires.

Also, any additional tips on long bicycle rides would be helpful

Regards,

Jay K.

Answer
Jay,

I take it you are in the UK some place? Not that it matters but your spelling of tyre might have given you away!

The best way not to get a puncture is to have everything you need to fix one. OK, I am just kidding but it always seems that when you don't have everything you need is when you will have a flat. Last puncture I had was a double - I hit some glass had a quick leak on my rear tire and a slow one on the front - since this was going to be just a quick ride after work I just grabbed my bike and took off. I had my miniature seat bag on the bike but it had one tube and no patches, completely my fault but because of it I had two punctures!

I don't know what type of riding you will be doing, road, trails, mountain biking, but there are some things that will help, not prevent, avoid a puncture.

1) Nice thick tread on the tires. When tires get old and thin even the smallest bit of glass can penetrate.

2) A better quality tire will have a high thread per inch count (TPI). Not only will this give a better ride but it will help avoid punctures. There are some tires with Kevlar belts, these tires do work well but I have always found the ride quality compromised.

3) Make sure your tires are inflated to the proper pressure. Low pressure will not only cause you to work harder but it will also allow pinch flats, or snake bites. This happens when you hit an object - pot hole, large rock, etc. - and the tube actually pinches between the object and the rim resulting in two little hole that look like a snake bite.

4) If you are riding in an area that has a lot of thorns or glass you may want to consider the puncture prevention stuff like "Slime." I have never used it in a road bike, but I have in mountain bike tires. It does work well, but being a liquid it will settle and when you first start rolling you can feel it. From my experience with it, which is limited, that feeling went away quickly as it got distributed in the tire.

There are also tire liners, a thick rubber material that fits between the tire and the tube. I used these for years on a commuter bike and can't remember getting a flat. Like the tires with the puncture resistant belt, I did feel that the liners compromised the quality of the ride, but for the few miles I had to ride I lived with it.

Many people ride huge amounts of miles with no prevention devices other than a way to fix a flat and they never seem to get one. Other people seem to get a flat every other time that they ride. The best advice is know how to fix a puncture, carry enough gear to fix multiple flats (don't be like me!), make sure you bike is properly tuned, and, mainly, have fun! Day long bike rides rock!

I hope that I have answered you question, but if you have more, please ask!

Tad