Tubes - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

02-27-2005, 09:53 PM

I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds. I put some
slime in the tire, was great until I rode again the next day, tires went
flat again, I filled them up and they held air, I noticed the slime on the
outside of the tire. Went for another ride, came back and the tires were
flat again.

Anyone have any ideas on what to use?

Thanks

Shane

02-27-2005, 11:13 PM

"Snowboard3r" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
news:LkyUd.12276$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]:
> I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
> time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds.

Have you tried puncture resistant tires? Several brands make good ones.
Specialized Armadillo and Continental Gatorskin are probably the most
popular.

02-27-2005, 11:13 PM

"Snowboard3r" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in
news:LkyUd.12276$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]:
> I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
> time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds.

Have you tried puncture resistant tires? Several brands make good ones.
Specialized Armadillo and Continental Gatorskin are probably the most
popular.

02-28-2005, 05:28 AM

Did you make sure to run your hand (carefully) around the inside of the tire
to remove whatever may have punctured the tube in the first place?

"Snowboard3r" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:LkyUd.12276$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
> time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds. I put
some
> slime in the tire, was great until I rode again the next day, tires went
> flat again, I filled them up and they held air, I noticed the slime on the
> outside of the tire. Went for another ride, came back and the tires were
> flat again.
>
> Anyone have any ideas on what to use?
>
> Thanks
>
> Shane
>
>
>

02-28-2005, 05:28 AM

Did you make sure to run your hand (carefully) around the inside of the tire
to remove whatever may have punctured the tube in the first place?

"Snowboard3r" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:LkyUd.12276$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
> time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds. I put
some
> slime in the tire, was great until I rode again the next day, tires went
> flat again, I filled them up and they held air, I noticed the slime on the
> outside of the tire. Went for another ride, came back and the tires were
> flat again.
>
> Anyone have any ideas on what to use?
>
> Thanks
>
> Shane
>
>
>

02-28-2005, 06:56 AM

Get thorn resistant tubes that are extra thick on the outside. Also be sure
to use tires with Kevlar linings, and/or add a kevlar lining yourself
between the tire and tube. If you do this latter precaution, you need the
thicker tube or the liner could cause a flat.

This combination had reduced my number of flats dramatically. But it
doesn't eliminate them. The thick tubes are perhaps more susceptible to
stem failures, if my experience is any guide. Plus once I ran over a screw
that punctured through everything.

"Snowboard3r" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:LkyUd.12276$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
>I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
> time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds. I put
> some
> slime in the tire, was great until I rode again the next day, tires went
> flat again, I filled them up and they held air, I noticed the slime on the
> outside of the tire. Went for another ride, came back and the tires were
> flat again.
>
> Anyone have any ideas on what to use?
>
> Thanks
>
> Shane
>
>
>

02-28-2005, 06:56 AM

Get thorn resistant tubes that are extra thick on the outside. Also be sure
to use tires with Kevlar linings, and/or add a kevlar lining yourself
between the tire and tube. If you do this latter precaution, you need the
thicker tube or the liner could cause a flat.

This combination had reduced my number of flats dramatically. But it
doesn't eliminate them. The thick tubes are perhaps more susceptible to
stem failures, if my experience is any guide. Plus once I ran over a screw
that punctured through everything.

"Snowboard3r" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:LkyUd.12276$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
>I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
> time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds. I put
> some
> slime in the tire, was great until I rode again the next day, tires went
> flat again, I filled them up and they held air, I noticed the slime on the
> outside of the tire. Went for another ride, came back and the tires were
> flat again.
>
> Anyone have any ideas on what to use?
>
> Thanks
>
> Shane
>
>
>

02-28-2005, 06:59 AM

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 22:53:07 -0700, "Snowboard3r"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> may have said:

>I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
>time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds. I put some
>slime in the tire, was great until I rode again the next day, tires went
>flat again, I filled them up and they held air, I noticed the slime on the
>outside of the tire. Went for another ride, came back and the tires were
>flat again.
>
>Anyone have any ideas on what to use?

You didn't say if this was a road bike or an mtb; tactics vary
accordingly. On mountain bikes, in places where goatheads are
common, some people report nearly tolerable (IMO) results with a
combination of a puncture-resistant tire, a puncture-resistant tire
liner, and either a thick tube or Slime, or both. In my limited
experience with this hazard, however, the only real defense is to ride
where they aren't. If that's not an option, resign yourself to
becoming adept with patches.

Bear in mind that if you adopt Slime as part of the approach, you'll
have more work to do when patching the tubes...and you'll still have
to patch or replace them eventually.

Someone will doubtless mention the foam-filled "airless" tire and tube
conversions that are available. For a variety of reasons (centering
around their inherent inability to distribute point loads in the same
way as a pneumatic tire can), these are generally disparaged by
experienced riders. Yes, an "airless" tire setup is immune to going
flat. It's also immune to providing the same level of ride comfort
and operational efficiency as an average pneumatic. Whether its
shortcomings are counterbalanced when comparing to a
puncture-resistant setup is a matter of opinion, needs, conditions and
priorities.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

02-28-2005, 06:59 AM

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 22:53:07 -0700, "Snowboard3r"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> may have said:

>I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
>time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds. I put some
>slime in the tire, was great until I rode again the next day, tires went
>flat again, I filled them up and they held air, I noticed the slime on the
>outside of the tire. Went for another ride, came back and the tires were
>flat again.
>
>Anyone have any ideas on what to use?

You didn't say if this was a road bike or an mtb; tactics vary
accordingly. On mountain bikes, in places where goatheads are
common, some people report nearly tolerable (IMO) results with a
combination of a puncture-resistant tire, a puncture-resistant tire
liner, and either a thick tube or Slime, or both. In my limited
experience with this hazard, however, the only real defense is to ride
where they aren't. If that's not an option, resign yourself to
becoming adept with patches.

Bear in mind that if you adopt Slime as part of the approach, you'll
have more work to do when patching the tubes...and you'll still have
to patch or replace them eventually.

Someone will doubtless mention the foam-filled "airless" tire and tube
conversions that are available. For a variety of reasons (centering
around their inherent inability to distribute point loads in the same
way as a pneumatic tire can), these are generally disparaged by
experienced riders. Yes, an "airless" tire setup is immune to going
flat. It's also immune to providing the same level of ride comfort
and operational efficiency as an average pneumatic. Whether its
shortcomings are counterbalanced when comparing to a
puncture-resistant setup is a matter of opinion, needs, conditions and
priorities.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

02-28-2005, 07:24 AM

On Sun, 27 Feb 2005 22:53:07 -0700, Snowboard3r wrote:

> I am looking for the best tubes available. I rode my bike for the first
> time, and came home with a flat, we have alot of puncture weeds. I put some
> slime in the tire, was great until I rode again the next day, tires went
> flat again, I filled them up and they held air, I noticed the slime on the
> outside of the tire. Went for another ride, came back and the tires were
> flat again.

The first thing would be to repair the tubes, instead of just sliming
them. That also means getting the thorns out of the tire casing, so they
don't continually cause more flats.

It's not really a question of the tubes. Any tube will be punctured by a
long thorn, or sliver of glass. When you get the flat, change the tube
and make sure you get the sharp thing out of the tire, or it will cause
another flat.

You can get thicker, tougher tires. Others will recommend those. You can
also get liners between the tire and the tube, which might help some. I
don't do either of these things. You should also learn to spot those
hazardous weeds and avoid them.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Accept risk. Accept responsibility. Put a lawyer out of
_`\(,_ | business.
(_)/ (_) |