thenomad

Goat Head thorn season is here. I've gotten flats once or twice a week for the past three weeks. I'm sick of it. Last year, in spring, i commuted and got no flats at all. This year/season must be worse for whatever reason.

My wife picked me up yesterday as i swiss cheesed both tires going through a dirt patch on my big knobby 700x35 cross tires.
I should have stayed on the road, my bad decision, but dang, can't I even have a little off road fun on the way home once in a while?

Now I'm looking at getting Schwalbe Marathon Plus or the Continental (whatever they are) and pay a big weight penalty and apparently a ride quality penalty as well.
I'd hoped to keep it at 700x28 or 25. I thought my knobbies would be a bit safer on the commute, and they were (but then i went offroad).

I'm not sure if i'm overreacting or what. I'm just getting tire of it. If multi-flats happen on the way to work it's not good as I have a strict starting time.

I've never had this much trouble, after 900+ miles , and now I'm getting them all over.
Are the schwalbe tires really that heavy and rough? should i initially just try resistant tubes to save a buck and see how it goes?

Leebo

Slime?

aaronechang

If you're not racing, then any added rolling resistance from tougher tires is negligible. Especially if it's just for commuting and getting around town.

I had the same problem as you and I switched to Marathon Plus (I originally used the 32, now I'm using 35s). Not a single flat due to road debris in over 2 yrs. One of my Marathon Plus 32s did develop an irregularity (hump) near the valve over time, which caused it to blow out tubes when I switched wheelsets, so make sure that they're mounted correctly. These tires are a PAIN to mount, though - took me about 3 hrs and 2 blown tubes my first time, now I can do it in about 20-30 mins.

So you might want to pay a shop to do it. But once you mount these tires, you most likely won't have to change tires or tubes for another few yrs.

Aaron

gholt

I've had the tires for a few years and no regrets. Just take you time when you mount the tire. I would use the wider tire levers like the Pedros or the Sette one though.

thenomad

yeah, I've been using knobby tires to commute on and I figure it just gives me a better workout. I push hard to and from work. I guess I like the speed aspect but I'm commuting for the workout so yeah, I can mentally get over the slowness.

Sounds like a pain of a tire to change! I've worked hard tires before, just figure if I do get a flat I'd be struggling to change it at the side of the road.

I've never had so much flat trouble so I'm wondering if the expense is worth it.
I'll have a dedicated set of wheels just for commuting.

Fizzaly

generally yes the expense is worth it, i run liners thick tubes slime and a trick ive learned it duct tape cut in half inside the tire down the middle (thats where most of the goat heads get through for me) the tape seems to work pretty good, down side is the tubes like to get stuck to it

Kojak

If you run the Marathon Plus tires, you won't need liners, and the chances that you'll be repairing a flat tire on the side of the road are pretty slim. Also, they aren't difficult in all applications. Some of our customers wonder what the fuss is about as their tires mounted easily. That said, I've heard enough stories, even from shops, that every now and then it takes a vast 4 letter word vocabulary to get them mounted.

If you're currently running knobbies any conventional tire will feel fast.

imi

In goathead country I'd definitely go for SMPs... They are noticeably sluggish (compared to Gatorskins for example) but if you're going up against desert thorns I'd consider them the wisest choice...

AlmostGreenGuy

If all of your punctures are away from the sidewall of the tire, would it be worth just adding some good tire liners, instead of paying out for new tires and special tubes, etc?

Note - I've never even seen a goathead thorn in my life.

billdsd

I use Specialized Armadillo Elite's plus Slime tubes. It seems to work and I still get to ride proper road tires for better traction. The tires seem to do a good job with stopping cuts and the Slime deals with goat heads which are able to make their way through the weave in the kevlar. I've finished many rides puling 4-5 goat heads out of my still inflated tires.

nashcommguy

There was a thread about this very subject a couple of years ago and one respondent said: "SCHWALBE MARATHON PLUS LAUGH AT GOATHEADS AND KEEP ON ROLLING." He included a picture of a goathead in his post as I recall. Can't speak from personal experience either, but I've got a set of SMP's w/over 12,000 miles on them w/one flat and one slow leak. I hate flats, too. They suck the joy out of commuting.

PaulRivers

At the risk of asking something stupid, how many miles do you have on your current tires exactly? Often when you go from having nearly no flats to having a ton of flats, it's one of two things -
1. There's something you're not getting out of your tire that's re-flatting your tire. A piece of glass, a nail, some sort of burr on the inside of the rim, etc. Do you always find the source of the leak when you fix the flat?
2. The tires have simply worn out. Suddenly getting lots of flats is the stereotypical situation where your tire has simply worn out and needs to be replaced.

thenomad

Just as many miles on the tires. I'm getting the flats from fresh goatheads. They laugh at me when I pick them out. It's front usually, and it is still in near new tread. The rear is getting worn down but has yet to attract many goats. It's also on both my bikes, so it's sort of a "season is bad" situation combined with no real protection.

beatlebee 

Off topic: pull out the goatheads and make a tea with them...it'll make you stronger...promise ; )

thenomad

For your viewing pleasure:

AsanaCycles

I'd consider going tubeless

i.e. Stans No Tubes

https://www.notubes.com/home.php

check out the videos
https://www.notubes.com/support_movies.php

https://www.notubes.com/movie_newdemo.php

I've yet to get a flat using this system.

treebound 

I think goatheads are about the worst thing there is for flattening bicycle tires. Tough tires and thick thorn-resistant tubes is what I would do if I still lived in goathead territory. That slime stuff will give you a green racing stripe up your backside from my experience when I ran over a huge nail once (punctured the rim too).

PaulRivers

I have not used Stan's sealant myself, but I have heard from people on the forum that have tried it that it's not nearly as impressive as those videos suggest it is. From several different people with first-hand experience.

thenomad

that was like watching a horror flick

dorse

This is what I use. two thumbs up.

canyoneagle

I like my Marathon Supremes (32c). My understanding is that they offer an improved ride quality when compared to the Marathon Plus, though I have never ridden the Plus model.

Kojak

Canyon Eagle, do you live in Goathead Country? I've always been curious how as to how the Supremes held up against the evil goathead.

canyoneagle

Goatheads do exist in Calgary, and are a nuisance in my home in Utah and Colorado. I've had a coupe in my tread with no issues. The supremes seem to be pretty impervious to the usual assortment of road hazards.
I love the ride quality of these tires, by the way!