Flat tire frequency
11-07-22, 11:06 PM
#26
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Imaginos, glad you are sticking with it. If I recall, you are in Craig on Prince of Wales Island, the 3rd largest island in the US. POW has the best road system in The Tongass Forest because of logging. It is a paradise for fishing and hunting, mainly because you can access so much. But those logging roads are tough and there really isn’t much pavement. There should be no problem riding on the road itself and I don’t recall there being a real bike shoulder on the few paved roads from Hollis to Klawock. So take the road.
I am north of you in Haines. We have more paved roads and a little more traffic, but drivers are good. I switched to tubeless on my road bikes and it has worked well for me. I am in America at the moment, but will be bring back a vintage Italian steel bike to ride on nice days. That will have tubes and will be fine. Unless the wheels on your road/touring bikes are tubeless ready, just keep riding tubes and take the road. If you are fully committed, then you can and probably will get tubeless wheels and tires.
I get to Ketchikan occasionally, but not with bikes. If you get to Haines, I will let try tubeless tires. And Ketchikan has a bike group that my be a good resource. I know being a bicyclist on POW is tough, but good on you.
Mike
I am north of you in Haines. We have more paved roads and a little more traffic, but drivers are good. I switched to tubeless on my road bikes and it has worked well for me. I am in America at the moment, but will be bring back a vintage Italian steel bike to ride on nice days. That will have tubes and will be fine. Unless the wheels on your road/touring bikes are tubeless ready, just keep riding tubes and take the road. If you are fully committed, then you can and probably will get tubeless wheels and tires.
I get to Ketchikan occasionally, but not with bikes. If you get to Haines, I will let try tubeless tires. And Ketchikan has a bike group that my be a good resource. I know being a bicyclist on POW is tough, but good on you.
Mike
11-08-22, 12:39 AM
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OP here. Thanks to all who replied,a lot of good info and insight.Of all the factors mentioned,i think that getting more onto the roadway and off the debris laden shoulders would help the most. I ride a 50mph two lane highway and it can be unnerving sometimes.The shoulder just feels safer. You guys are great,thanks again.
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11-08-22, 10:06 AM
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I know this is heresy, but I haven't had a flat on my road bike since installing "puncture resistant" tubes. Yeah, I know they are heavier but I don't care. Tires also hold pressure better and don't need to be pumped up before every ride.
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11-08-22, 10:48 AM
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If you need puncture resistant tires for the areas you ride, by all means you should use them. However if your area is not full of goat head or other hazards then enjoy the better ride of a better tire. Tubeless is an option to for areas with frequent puncture hazards.
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11-08-22, 01:12 PM
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BTW, I go quite a few months between uses of a mountain bike. They hardly lose any air in that time.
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11-09-22, 05:26 AM
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11-09-22, 06:39 AM
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Last year, 2021, I had my first flat on Christmas morning, being about 9,000 miles since my previous flat in July, 2020. This year has been an incredibly high number of flats, on different bikes and tires/tubes. My tires and tubes are in good shape, but most of the flats have been slivers of glass or wire from tire belts. I have had a couple of pinch flats, a couple of bad valves, and I had one tube that would hold air for days, until I put it in a tire and pumped up the psi. By the next morning it would be flat. I changed the valve in it a couple of times, and cannot remember how many times I immersed it to check for slow leaks. I finally just threw it in the trash. I have also had a couple of patches that did not hold, surely my fault. Thought I had gotten past this streak, but had another sliver of glass yesterday.
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11-09-22, 10:20 AM
#33
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Flat protection comes at the cost of weight and rolling resistance. The fastest road tires save over 15 watts compared to durability focused tires. If you live in an area with goatheads and you want to ride a light tire, there is nothing you can do.
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
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11-09-22, 10:35 AM
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Flat protection comes at the cost of weight and rolling resistance. The fastest road tires save over 15 watts compared to durability focused tires. If you live in an area with goatheads and you want to ride a light tire, there is nothing you can do.
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
11-09-22, 10:53 AM
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No matter really. Not sure why you take exception. I see enough posts from tubeless people getting flats to know that tubeless isn't a guarantee either.
11-09-22, 11:03 AM
#36
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If someone makes a thread asking about new bike or new wheel recommendations, then you can mention tubeless.
Last edited by Yan; 11-09-22 at 11:07 AM.
11-09-22, 11:37 AM
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Tubeless takes special equipment which the OP does not have. When someone comes to you with a question, you cannot just say "the solution is to throw out what you have and buy this new thing". The guy just bought his bike this year.
If someone makes a thread asking about new bike or new wheel recommendations, then you can mention tubeless.
If someone makes a thread asking about new bike or new wheel recommendations, then you can mention tubeless.
You're definitely giving off that cave vibe if you think tubeless necessitates additional special equipment when many new bikes come with tubeless compatible wheels, and have for the past several years.
Willfully demonstrating ignorance and trying to masquerade it around as expertise is more harmful to people not well-informed about bikes who come with questions than posting that there is actually better, more modern tire technology out there.
11-09-22, 11:51 AM
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With the exception of a few tubeless tires that specify the rims they should be on, most wheels of any bike sold today are probably tubeless compatible if not tubeless ready. Even many old wheels can be tubeless with just the correct rim tape and a valve stem. So there isn't really anything equipment wise to worry about. Most of tubeless is just new knowledge you need to know and procedures you need to learn. I'm not in the camp of wanting to learn all that right now, so I'm still happy with tubes.
11-09-22, 12:26 PM
#39
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Show me where the OP says the wheels on his bikes aren't tubeless compatible.
You're definitely giving off that cave vibe if you think tubeless necessitates additional special equipment when many new bikes come with tubeless compatible wheels, and have for the past several years.
Willfully demonstrating ignorance and trying to masquerade it around as expertise is more harmful to people not well-informed about bikes who come with questions than posting that there is actually better, more modern tire technology out there.
You're definitely giving off that cave vibe if you think tubeless necessitates additional special equipment when many new bikes come with tubeless compatible wheels, and have for the past several years.
Willfully demonstrating ignorance and trying to masquerade it around as expertise is more harmful to people not well-informed about bikes who come with questions than posting that there is actually better, more modern tire technology out there.
Instead we have a sh*tbird coming in here screaming his head off about tubeless and criticizing tubes. You think tubeless is better than Jesus, we get it. Now take that manic sh*t somewhere else.
11-09-22, 02:31 PM
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Flat protection comes at the cost of weight and rolling resistance. The fastest road tires save over 15 watts compared to durability focused tires. If you live in an area with goatheads and you want to ride a light tire, there is nothing you can do.
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
11-09-22, 02:45 PM
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11-09-22, 05:13 PM
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The most puncture resistant road tire out there is the Maxxis ReFuse. The downside is the ride is a bit rough.
I have pretty good luck with Vittoria Rubino Pros. The ride is nicer than the Maxxis ReFuses and I get a flat less than once a year (I ride 3000+ miles per year).
I have pretty good luck with Vittoria Rubino Pros. The ride is nicer than the Maxxis ReFuses and I get a flat less than once a year (I ride 3000+ miles per year).
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11-09-22, 06:53 PM
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I would be going tubeless if that was my idea of "normal". That's more flats than I've had in the last 5 years on performance road racing tyres.
11-09-22, 07:02 PM
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5th best according to BRR. You should try the Pirelli Cinturato Velo (1st on BRR for puncture resistance) as they ride pretty well even compared to more focused race tyres. I did a full season on these last year with zero flats (running them tubeless), while I had 2 flats on the P Zeros (also tubeless).
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11-09-22, 07:15 PM
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OP here. My new bikes are not tubeless ready.I fixed the front flat today,paying attention to all things mentioned here and found the source of the flat,a tiny piece of wire about 1/4” long,most likely steel belted tire debris,still embedded in the tire.This particular case is solved.
11-09-22, 07:15 PM
#46
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I switched over to mostly riding on Schwalbe Marathon and Marathon Plus tires. They rarely flat but they are heavy as hell. Its terrible. This week I put on some light tires for a ride and of course I got a flat immediately. Just my luck.
Last edited by Yan; 11-09-22 at 07:19 PM.
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