roadcrankr

Finally somebody here calls it a puncture.
I ride Veloflex tubulars, as well, and can vouch for their safety.
Probably results from their latex tubes. Very expensive tires, however, that wear out more quickly than clinchers.
Gatorskins do not render a pleasing ride. Using liners on a good Vittoria or Michelin likely feel better.
You could also mount those little doo-hickeys that rub against the tires.

genejockey 

Well, on a different thread, the OP was asking how to build up strength for climbing when you live where there are no hills - a couple tire scrapers should add enough resistance!

George Mann

We seem to be missing a few key pieces of information such as the OP's wheel and tire size, and what type of riding?

Troul 

what size are you using now? 700x28?
I'd go slightly wider, & pick out a tubeless ready tire to start out with as you might decide to go tubeless for the front in the near future.

VegasJen

Thanks for the input. Will check out.
Certainly a concern. I suspect I might need new tubeless-ready wheels. Hence, the option of a tougher tire.
I don't really recall anything immediately before. At least in the case of the ride yesterday, the front wasn't fully flat at the time of the crash, but it was soft enough for the tire to roll over and push into the corner. Part of my difficulty is I was down on my aero bars in the turn and gave up some control from that. Had I been on the drops or even up on the hoods, I may have been able to save it. But that's just speculation. I do know it wasn't flat only a mile and a half before as I had just made a left hand turn and had no stability issues then.
You are correct. I have a very hard time telling when these tires lose pressure. I have had this difficulty ever since I started riding the Roubiax. The CF just has a different feel to it I haven't acclimated to entirely. Often times I'll feel like I'm riding a low tire, stop to check, only to find the tire is still fully inflated. Then, times like yesterday, when I have no idea I have a problem until I'm dusting myself off the asphalt.

VegasJen

This was certainly not a pinch flat. I found and removed the offending thorn from the casing before replacing the tube. It was absolutely a single puncture.

I am considering spending the money on a decent entry level set of tubeless ready wheels. I was looking at Mavic last night but didn't find anything I was quite ready for.
This is my Xero XR-1 wheel set with Vittoria Zaffarino Pro 25c tires and Schwalbe tubes.

PeteHski

Pirelli Cinturato Velo TLR tyres had the highest puncture resistance of any reasonably fast road tyres last time I checked here:-

https://www.bicyclerollingresistance...ture-resistant

They can be run tubed or tubeless, but they offer better puncture protection tubeless. I run these tyres tubeless on my training bike and have never had a single flat or even a sign of sealant having to do its job.

You could try them tubed up on your current wheels and convert to tubeless if you get new rims.

spclark 

You mean these things?

I've run 'em on my MB since forever. Local (to me after a 200 mile move a decade back) LBS crew'd never heard of 'em. But then they've said I'm prolly only cycler in the county who still rides on toobies so there's that....

BTW only 100% certain way I know to prevent punctures is to stay off the bike.

genejockey 

You say that, but I got two flats on a bike that was just sitting in the garage. Rim strip failure.

spclark 

Yeahbut that's outside the OP's thread title question, innit?

Still, I understand that pressure can and will escape at pretty much every opportunity. I have a new Challenge that loses air 24/7/365. Never had a latex tube (that I know of) until this one, will make sure I look more closely at tire/tube specs going forward. Good thing my Zefal still works on the HP setting.

Mtracer

I'd go tubeless for two reasons. One, you're not going to get a flat from typical small thorns, or probably any thorns. You'll never know during the ride you picked one up.

The second is if you had a leak that didn't seal, you WILL know it. Assuming the OP isn't hard of hearing, you will hear the swish, swish, swish from a leak as the tire rolls. Especially coming from the front. You should have no trouble coming to a controlled stop well before the tire goes dangerously flat. Of course, nothing short of a solid tire is going to protect you from a catastrophic failure from hitting some large road debris etc.

Another option, there are tire pressure monitors you can put on the wheels that connect to your cycling computer. I would assume these have an alarm feature to warn you when pressure drops below a given threshold. That would avoid be surprised by the flat.

Carbonfiberboy 

I tried liners once and hated the added resistance. I rather flat, personally. I once had a front tire get gashed in the middle of a fast corner and almost went down. But that's once in many 10s of thousands of miles. I've a a zillion flats which I noticed while riding, stopped and fixed them. That tire that was slashed in the corner - that's why I always carry a spare tire and a boot kit and a patch kit and 2 extra tubes. Around there there's a lot of very desirable riding out of cell range. I've considered going tubeless - I build my own wheels so that's no big deal, but the amount of futzing is a turn-off. Plus I once had to help a rider who had a tubeless tire which couldn't seal because of the size of the damage. That wasn't fun.

But yeah, become more aware of the feel of your tires. Go ahead, be a little paranoid. A quick stop for no good reason is better than crashing. Done that many times.

DonkeyShow

700x23. Less area to hit stuff.

macattack71

I'll definitely second using the Continental Gator Hardshells. I have the folding 700 x 25's on my SuperSix, which I also use for commuting to work when possible. They are better than the previous Gatorskins, which I have gotten only one flat on while riding. I don't want flats either and be late to work, or crash. Also, close tire inspection should be a regular event, as softer compound tires pick up all sorts of gravel and glass debris. My original Schwalbes were magnets for debris.

genejockey 

I had a chance to do real world testing of what tires feel like at different levels of inflation. I flatted on a ride, and then the new tube got a slow leak which required pumping up again ever 4-6 miles the whole 25 miles home. BTW, it was the rear. SO:

• Fully inflated: Pavement joints and other bumps hit both wheels the same. Corners great!
• Down just a bit: Unbelievably smooth ride. Not bouncy yet. Can still feel pavement joints, but not as harsh. Corners okay.
• Really low: bouncy. Every bump you bounce. Cornering feels a little squirmy
• Flat: You not only feel every bump, you feel every tiny bit of gravel. Even riding straight feels squirmy.

BTW, this is why people riding VIttoria Corsas the first time keep looking down at their tires - they ride like "Down just a bit" even when fully inflated!

indyfabz

Please note that there is a difference between puncturing a tire and getting a flat tire. I removed a tubeless tire that had evidence of numerous punctures, but the tire never went flat in its lifetime.

surak

Tubeless pros:

• Will self-seal small punctures, reducing the frequency that you'll need to stop for a repair longer than waiting for the sealant to seal. With a good plug kit, can also easily deal with many larger punctures.
• You can run lower pressure for a more comfortable ride without worrying about pinch flats.
• There are really fast tire options that you can realistically use for training without worrying that they're too fragile.

Cons:

• $$$: new wheelset, tires, sealant, plug kit, potentially a booster or compressor if you have trouble seating the tire
• Need to learn techniques for seating tires as YMMV with difficulty, probably biggest frustration with tubeless
• Sealant can make a mess, especially roadside if you have to put a tube in

More puncture-resistant tubes tires pro:

• Don't need any new gear other than the tires

Cons:

• More puncture resistance generally equals worse ride -- slower and harsher
• May still puncture anyway and fixing a flat may be harder due to the tougher tire carcass.

Writing as a tubeless fan, for VegasJen the tougher tire is much simpler route to at least try first before diving into tubeless. People tour around the world on various Schwalbe Marathons, that would be a good tire choice to look into.

SoSmellyAir

The key question, left unanswered by VegasJen, is whether she checks the tire pressures before every ride. See post #31 above: Bike Forums - View Single Post - What's the best protection from punctures?

Doing so does not prevent punctures during rides but does provide a better reference point (i.e., how bike handles and feels at predetermined tire pressures) for detecting punctures.

Also, worn tires are more likely to puncture; how worn were the tires?

tFUnK

For thorns specifically, tubeless would be the way to go but not if you run through an entire plant or field - multiple simultaneous thorns can be too much for the sealant to handle, especially in high-pressure road tires. You'll also need tubeless-specific wheels and tires.

A reasonably-performing alternative would be to run liners between the tire and the tube of your existing clincher setup. They can be finicky to set up properly but once set up right they do work. I think I would opt for this over a heavier duty tire or tube due to lower weight and better ride quality.

That said, I've never actually tried heavy duty tubes or tires (by heavy duty tire I specifically mean those marketed as puncture proof, not merely puncture resistant like Gatorskins or Marathons - I've ridden those and I do not think their "puncture protection" qualities override their poorer ride quality and weight).

choddo

I switched to tubeless 4 years ago. It’s a life changer. Worth investigating if your rims can be converted or frankly selling a kidney to get new ones. Absolutely requires Dynaplugs though. Sealant alone will let you down one day.

and yes it’s a bit more hassle in the garage and the tyres are harder to get on (I can’t do it on my rims without a tyreglider, even levers aren’t up to it, and could put clinchers on by hand no problem) but it’s a LOT less hassle out on the road.

Racing Dan

Well, its obvious isn't it? Get at puncture proofed tyre and get on with it. Like a Pirelli cinturato velo or conti four seasons. Its a long standing debate and proponents of "race tyres" will often mock and flame you for suggesting such tyres for safety (and puncture proofing). I've certainly had my share of that. However I remain unfazed. Get a good strong tyre for your own safety and less hassle with flats. At the same time you virtually eliminate the "need" for TL, that doesn't work very well anyway. Running race day tyres (TL or tubed) all the time is just daft and the claims puncture proofed tyres ride like concrete is simply false. 99% its pressure determining ride feel, except maybe in the burliest tyres with thick anti flat liners like Marathon+.

eduskator

Avoid rolling on things that can puncture your tire!

Seriously, go tubeless. I get a flat every 10 000kms (6200mi) on an average and the tarmac I ride on is far from being perfect. There's always debris on the shoulders. I don't even carry spare tubes anymore if I'm not doing a long ride.

Fredo76

You can put sealant in inner tubes, as long as they have removable valve cores. It works well, too.

zandoval 

Sorry so late gett9ng back to this thread. Here is my choice. Its a tough tire with a fast ride and a good price...



Amazon

jackb

Tubless on my gravel bike, no flats yet for two seasons. Conti 4000 four seasons on my endurance bike, no flats since I put them on four years ago.