phtomita

Last year, I though was my bad year with 9 flats - don't recall each one, but I remember one was a pinch flat, couple of tire wire, thorn? and some because glass or small rock into the cuts on the tire - GP4SII or GP5s.
This year, just one month I got 3 already
Luckily, two of them were at the garage, result of thorn in the tire on a ride the day before. The other one was a tiny glass on a small cut on the road.

Does anyone patch the small cuts with rubber cement or some other thing?
Any good result to reduce flats?

Thanks

datlas 

Sounds like you are a good candidate for tubeless with sealant.

Mtracer

I run tubeless GP5000's and after about 1 year (5,400 miles), zero flats. Though many self sealing punctures, mostly from goat heads. So, if you aren't running tubeless, I would do that.

If you still want to run tubes, then I'd look at tire liners. They add significant weight, but are another layer of protection.

I think I tried Shoe-Goo or something like that just to try to fill a cut. As I recall it didn't work well. I also think anything you try for that purposes is at best cosmetic. And even then, likely to look worse than a little cut.

SwtBadger

I wouldn't expect this to be an issue with an experienced rider/bf member, but lowering tire pressure, not riding in the "roadside rubble" might be considered along with avoiding some road conditions. Otherwise, tubeless certainly worth considering.

CAT7RDR

Or, a more robust tire.
No, I'm not recommending Gatorskins.
I have had zero flats on Schwalbe Green Guards the past two years and have run over plenty of broken glass and road debris.

mpetry912 

there used to be a kevlar tire liner that was very light weight. have not seen it offered for years

/markp

skidder

Patch your tubes if the hole is small? From years of experience at it, I'd say take spares with you and patch the punctured ones when you get home. This is a totally unscientific observation, but the only problem I had with patched tubes is using higher pressure tires (+100psi). I'd found those tended to eventually leak at the patch. These days I'm riding on 700x32 or 35s pumped to 70-80 lbs max using puncture-resistant tires. No issues.

icemilkcoffee 

I was patching a tube roughly once a month for my two kids who bike to school. Then I changed their wheels to tubeless. In the roughly 1.5 year since I have not had to patch anything for them.
it’s a no brainer for people getting flats all the time

BobbyG

I've been running tire liners for 15 years. They may add a few ounces, but they have absolutely worked against goat-head thorns and small glass. AND, they allow me to run lighter, more supple tires, which makes my bikes feel lighter and more lithe. In fact, I think a light tire with liners would weigh less than a reinforced tire with beefy sidewalls.

I did experiment with reinforced tires like gatorskins and one from Continental. They felt heavy and dull and sapped the joy out of the bikes. I will say though that the ones I tried were grippy and cornering felt good.

tl/dr...tire liners FTW!

SpeedyBlueBiker

Hi Neighbor! My worst day was three flats on the STP in 2012 between the UW and the Kent food stop which is approximately 25 miles. Two punctures and a pinch flat. Got a new tire there as well as two tubes but I was fine for the rest of the ride. Anyway, I generally run either GP Conti 5000 or Gatorskins. Have used some Schwalbe tires that were very good as well. I ride a lot on the SRT, BG, and around Lake Sammamish. On the roads I find it best to stay out of the very far right lane (or left lane here in Thailand) near the gutter/curb as that is where all kinds of road debris ends up.
I do patch tires but I do it at home after the ride. I have used Shor Goo/Patch on tires but it doesn't last too long before it wears off. It's best for filling cuts. Just spread it on like peanut butter and push it down into the cut.

terrymorse 

If the tire cut is large enough to see the tube inside when inflated, and the tire still has useful life in it, I will patch the tire from the inside using some ripstop nylon (backpack material) and rubber cement.

I carry a small piece of ripstop nylon and a tube of super glue in my saddle bag, just in case I get a big hole. This has saved me from the "phone call of shame" at least once.

CAT7RDR

Good to know.
That is a novel approach I had not heard of.
Thanks!

pedsurgkb

I carry a small patch kit, not to patch my tube (I carry spare tubes and patch when I get home) but to boot the inside of the tire if there's a large cut. I've heard people use dollar bills or GU packets as well. I have also used ShoeGoo to fill moderate cuts when I got home, but you need to use it on a deflated tire and let it dry and trim the excess.

phtomita

Digging out this one - after initial year rush of flats, things have calmed down .
My last one was rim tape out of place and tube into the spoke hole
GP5000 clincher + Kinlin's XR31T have a very tight fit and hard to mount the tires and rim tape moves around, so ended up using tape for tubeless that has glue on it and looks good so far with 500 miles or so.

VegasJen

I have enough punctures for every member of this forum. I've all but given up on tubes, except as back up for roadside repairs. I am currently running tubes in a couple of my bikes, but only because I'm about to go on vacation and sealant will just dry up if left out here without moving for days on end. As soon as I get back, everything goes back to tubeless.

Rick

phtomita: I carry a spare tube , a Rema patch kit and Park tire boot material. I have gone to more flat resistant tires instead of tire liners. at one time I used the Mr Tuffy tire liners but there is lighter and better liners.Panaracer Aramid Flat Away and Rhinodilos come to mind.

bruce19

5 years on tubeless....zero flats.

PeteHski

Another vote for tubeless, which has pretty much eliminated flats for me . Currently using GP5000S.

icemilkcoffee 

Kinlin XR31T is tubeless ready. Now that you've put tubeless tape on there, it is really ready for tubeless. Just get a set of tubeless tires and try them out.
The only caveat I have is that you should be running 28mm-32mm at a minimum for tubeless.

bruce19

My Canyon Aeroad is running GP5000 clinchers (came stock) but is TR. How do you like those tires?

boozergut

Schwalbe Marathon or Marathon plus tires. Ignore the frozen garden hose tires remarks.

79pmooney

With expensive tires, I go a step further. Dacron sailcloth and contractor grade contact cement. Real sailcloth from a sailmaker. (Fabric for racing dinghy jibs works well.) That fabric is just as strong as the tire casing. Big enough patch and good enough glue and large cuts can be ridden the rest of the life of the tire. I rode one of my first Cycle Oregons with a 3/4" cut on an Open Pave tire. Did around 33,000' of descending on it. Tire died the next year of natural causes. (Cord showing through the tread.)

Atlas Shrugged

Unfortunately hard to ignore the dead feeling ride and sluggish performance.

boozergut

nothing for a fat old man like me to worry about, others likely too.

Trueblood

How about the stages of denial when you get a flat...oh the road is just a little rough here, don't look down, oh, ok, I guess I really do have a flat. Does anyone recognize it and stop immediately every time?