"Hi all,
I'd appreciate ideas on how to prevent pinch flats (snake bites, etc. -- for more info see http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_p.html#pinchflat). I'm on the large side (6'4'' 205 lbs) and ride pretty fast. I do my best to avoid obstructions, always pump up my tires to max pressure before every ride (I've read that it's good for heavier guys like me to go even a bit over that, but have not done so lately). After pinch flatting a good bit with narrower tires, I switched to 25's (Continental 4000's), but still have a problem.
You might say -- ""avoid obstacles,"" and that's good advice and I do the best I can. But it seems that many of my pinch flats come not after hitting a particularly big obstruction (sometimes I don't see or feel anything), but on downhills at high speeds.
I've wondered if wire-bead tires like Gatorskins would help, I've heard baby powder in the tires can help, and there are surely other ideas out there too. I've gotten fast at fixing flats, but am tired of holding friends up. I'd like to be more flat-free (I haven't had a puncture flat in thousands of miles).
Thanks in advance for the help,
David"
Pinch Flat Prevention
Ugh, Contis. They're usually a lot narrower than advertised. Have you had a caliper on them? I bet they're not more than 23mm wide! This is entirely a problem related to air volume, so get yourself a nice set of plump Michelin Pro Race 2 tires in 700x25 (25-622), which measure almost 26.5mm wide. Pump them to 110 front/120 rear and you'll be good to go, unless you're bashing into curbs with wild abandon.
For reference, I'm about 1050lbs, and known for my hardy nature and the high protein and butterfat content of my milk. I never pinch flat.
- An Anonymous Cow.
They measure ~25.5mm.
Newsflash: Cow loses bet.
Do you see two holes on the outer side of the tube? If so, insufficient pressure is the problem. But if the hole is on the inner side of the tube, you may have a problem with your rim tape not protecting the tube from the spokes or rough edges on the metal.
This is exactly what the cow was thinking over lunch. 205 lbs isn't that much, so spoke or nipple interference may be the issue. An anonymous cow strongly recommends Velox rim tape, in addition to those lovely plump Michelin tires.
Cows, generally, are Francophiles.
- An anonymous cow
Hi David,
I'm right up there with you on weight (lost a few pounds in the last couple of months; down to a svelte 192.) I've had remarkable success with Vredestein Fortezzas. I say this DESPITE suffering through three (!) flats this past weekend. But two of the flats were due to some really nasty glass, and one was due to bad rim tape that had collapsed into a spoke hole. But I've never had a pinch flat with these tires. One thing that may help is that they're rated to 145psi, and I keep them up there at 140. I squared off my rear one in about 1000 miles, so their tread life is about average, I guess. But they're also lively and soft, and I really like how they ride (at least compared to Michelins, which is what I was using prior to the Vredesteins). Maybe worth a look?
FWIW, I use Conti tubes -- I plan to stick with this combo given how reliable it's been.
--Doug
I WOULD RECOMMENDED TIRES WITH A KEVLAR BEAD OR ARMADILLO BRAND TIRES.
Kevlar belts prevent puncture flats, not pinch flats. The original poster says he hasn't had a puncture flat in 1000s of miles.
Kevlar beads have nothing to do with punctures. They make tires lighter and foldable. That's all.
Cows are ungulates.
- An Anonymous Cow.
Has anyone tried the new tubeless wheels?
"It's a tubular that goes on regular clincher rims. You will never get a pich flat. Here is the link:
http://www.tufonorthamerica.com/tiretypes.php"
"There doesn't seem to be any way to repair the TUFO clincher-tubulars, except by injecting TUFO sealant, since the ""inside airtight layer"" is bonded to the carcass (see here). The sealant will work for small punctures, but what if you slash a tire?
If you're adding rotating weight by using clincher rims instead of tubular rims, you might as well at least have the ease of repair that clinchers allow."
"These clincher-tubulars are super durable and puncture resistant. I sometimes cycle with a friend who is 6'5"" and weighs 225 lbs. After 3000 miles he is yet to have a single flat...He just carries 2 extra clincher-tubulars with him and will throw out the old one once it punctures."
