Calling all cyclists

[seikopath]

Puncture resistant tyres / liners - are they any good?

Need to change an inner tube on my bike, used for mixed riding on roads/ country tracks (26 2.1) and thinking whilst I'm at it is there anything in particular I should get that's going to minimise getting punctures in the future?

[spud767]

2.1 suggests MTB? Get slime inner tubes of ebay, won't stop a nail sized hole but work really well.

[omegaUK]

I usually use kevlar lined tyres on all my bikes and i have only ever had 1 puncture and cycle around 30miles per week on commuting.
The rolling resistance of your tires will be worse, but i am not at the level that it matters. I generally use Marathon Plus tyres, but continental also make good ones.
The other important thing is to keep your tyres inflated to high pressure, i usually run mine at 80-90PSI. I check my tyre pressure every week.
I am sure that the more experienced experts will have other views.

[seikopath]

2.1 suggests MTB? Get slime inner tubes of ebay, won't stop a nail sized hole but work really well.

It's an old trek 820 . I guess you'd call it an MTB, but it's certainly not one of those hardcore downhill Danny hart type things.

[noTAGlove]

Part of my commute is in pretty rough track which I do on my road bike with 28 mm tyres. Since changing to Michelin city tyres 4 months ago I've never had a single puncture.

At £11 a pop, there's no need to spend a fortune on fancy materials to get good puncture resistance.

[Tone]

I use these http://www.rutlandcycling.com/108245...FQEz0wodk2EN5A I've not changed a tube for around 3 years now, get a puncture and simply pump the tyre back up.

[seikopath]

Thanks guys. The tyres are still pretty good so I think I'll get some slime inner tubes .

[spud767]

and the satisfying thing with slime inners is that when you change the outer tyre you can see how many punctures you've had with all the little green dots were the slime has come out and plugged the hole.

[Tony-GB]

Here's a review of solid tyres I'm considering:

http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/tannu...-tyres-review/

[Brian]

just carry a spare tube - job done

[Hark1812]

I usually use kevlar lined tyres on all my bikes and i have only ever had 1 puncture and cycle around 30miles per week on commuting.
The rolling resistance of your tires will be worse, but i am not at the level that it matters. I generally use Marathon Plus tyres, but continental also make good ones.
The other important thing is to keep your tyres inflated to high pressure, i usually run mine at 80-90PSI. I check my tyre pressure every week.
I am sure that the more experienced experts will have other views.

Same here, have had marathon plus and they were great. Recently changed to continental Grand Prix four seasons which are much faster and so far just as puncture resistant but it's early days.
As for inner tubes I just use standard conti


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[stifflersmom]

Marathon Plus tyres are perfect for commuting. They're heavy but bomb proof and the last thing you want to be doing is puncture repairs at the roadside especially over winter. The only thing with those tyres is that they can be a devil to get on the rim, I shredded my fingers putting mine on. I've lowered my tyre pressures a bit because the grip in the wet is not as good as, for example, Continental 4 Season, but the superior puncture protection is worth it. I've not had any pinch flats though.

[Meesterbond]

I used Slime inner tubes a few times on my mountain bike a few years back and they were awful. Far too heavy in a place where you don't want to add weight and made the whole bike feel sluggish. Tried tyre liners which just seemed like overkill.

You can't completely avoid punctures without compromising the bike, but the best option I found was going tubeless. All the benefits of the slime tubes without the weight increase, plus you can run lower pressures with no chance of snakebite flats etc... next job is to try it on my CX bike when I get a few mins.

[gunner]

Here's a review of solid tyres I'm considering:

http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/tannu...-tyres-review/

I'm seriously considering these too.

[chrisparker]

Marathon Plus tyres are perfect for commuting.

Used these for years on my work bike and recommend them.

[samswatch]

Marathon Plus tyres are perfect for commuting.

I use these as well as they are relatively bombproof (I have still had a couple of punctures though, but thankfully did not deflate till I got home or to work).

However, they are slow to spin up and hold speed. When I ride the bike on different tires I can stop pedalling nearly a car length and coast, while on the marathon plus I have to pedal a lot more.

I also ride them at the maximum psi, as they are slow. Note the ride will be rubbish but when I am commuting I really do not want a puncture.

The other alternative and I have never tried it is to use tubeless tires, as the sealant sort of seals small holes.

I think the issue with the liners is that there are difficult to keep in place when putting the tire back on.