by Gearhead

Created on: February 17, 2007   Last Updated: April 27, 2007

Preventing Flat Tires On Any Bicycle:

It's been said by every cyclist ever to turn the pedals, "There are bikes that have had flat tires, and bikes that WILL have flat tires." I'll take it a notch further. If you've been riding a bike for more than a month, you've had flat tires. And, if you don't make some changes, you'll be getting them quite frequently. It doesn't usually ruin your day, but it can ruin your ride. Especially when you're that guy, that one guy on the group ride who everybody has to wait for. Or maybe it just makes you late for work. Either way, it's bad.

These are the recommendations I make to customers who want to fix as few flat tires as possible:

1) Quit riding lightweight tires. How many flats have you had while driving your car? You may have never had a flat tire on your car. People can go an entire lifetime without ever changing a car flat. Car tires are very thick and steel belted, so it takes a unique level of neglect to flat them.

Steel belted bike tires don't exist because nobody wants to ride them. Even the toughest, most stubborn retro-grouch would consider them too damn heavy. Even so, there are plenty of tougher bike tires out there with thicker, harder rubber and Kevlar woven into the casing.

Keep in mind; your bicycle probably came with the lightest possible tires the manufacturer could give you at your preferred price point. Why? What was the first thing you did when you were looking at that shiny new bike? You picked it up to feel how light it was. It makes no difference in the long run. Regardless of what the magazines try to tell you, 20 grams won't affect the outcome of a race, let alone a weekend ride with your friends. Even if racing is what you're on the road for, the simple truth is that no matter who you are, you don't race every time you get on your bike. So, for the love of god, ride tougher tires.

Most Importantly, don't buy into any hype that involves both of the words "lightweight" and "durability". Many parts of a bike can be both light and durable, but tires have never fallen into that category.

2) Try Thorn resistant inner tubes. Yes, they are heavy, but the people who ride them rarely have issues with flats. Most of the heavy-duty tubes I have replaced have been the result of a failed tire casing or a piece of hardware - like a nail or a screw - hitting the tire at just the right angle. For mountain bikes in particular, try a fluid sealant (Slime, Airlock, Stan's, etc). This won't prevent a puncture, but it will immediately seal punctures up to a certain size and keep you from walking home.

3) Check your air pressure. Many flat tires that I fix in a day's time are pinch flats caused by under-inflation; so keep your tires properly inflated to the recommended pressure on the sidewall. Mountain bike tires run at lower pressures and can go up to 2 weeks unchecked. Road tires however, being very high pressure, will lose up to 25 psi in a week's time, so check your pressure a minimum of once per week.

Also, for regular inflation, use a real pump with real air. CO2 cartridges (great for emergency inflation) use carbon dioxide, which is made of smaller molecules and seeps through rubber very fast compared to normal air. Mini pumps (also great for emergencies) usually lack a pressure gauge and, under frequent use, they tend to wear out quickly. Good floor pumps all have pressure gauges and are compatible with both Presta and Schrader valves. They are also faster, more durable and quite cheap (around $35). Get one. Use it often.

If you follow these three steps, I can almost guarantee that you will have another flat tire - someday, but probably not any day soon.

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