Fine Tuned You, too, can prevent flats

WITH OR you’re dealing with a tube filled with WITHOUT air, you’re not going to find TUBES a 100 percent flat-proof sys- METHODS FOR tem. There are some things you PREVENTING can do before each ride that will help FLATS improve your chances of a flat-free day. Inspect your tires for excessive wear, BY JOSH TACK deep gashes, or bits of sharp debris that are already loosely embedded in the tire. It’s also in your best interest to level but don’t want to spend a lot of ➺ ARGUABLY the most common make sure your tires are properly in- money, tire liners are what you want. mechanical issue a cyclist will flated to reduce the risk of pinch flats. These are simply strips of hardened encounter on the road or trail is a flat While this is all well and good, there urethane that are placed between your GREG SIPLE tire. Anytime you head outside for a are also a great deal of products available tire and tube, and you can pick up a set ride you can expect your route to be that are specifically aimed at improving of tire liners for under $20. They do a littered with broken glass, sharp rocks, your chances in the fight against flats. great job of deflecting thorns, glass, and staples, nails, thorns, wires, and other Most of these products are very basic, other sharp debris that try to penetrate miscellaneous pointy objects that and it’s likely that you’re already using your tube and are available for nearly are just sitting there waiting for an one or more of them right now. Here’s any tire size, including fat bikes. There unsuspecting cyclists to roll over them. a look at five ways you can reduce the are quite a few companies producing Assuming you’re prepared with a amount of flat tires you encounter. tire liners, but Mr. Tuffy mrtuffy.com( ) spare tube and pump, a punctured tube Puncture-Resistant Tires: This is could be singled out as the leader in the is relatively simple to fix away from about as basic as it gets so I won’t spend industry. Aside from being both very ef- home. Regardless, this misfortune too much time here. Almost every bicy- fective and inexpensive, another thing I still possesses the ability to change cle tire manufacturer has put together a appreciate about tire liners is that they the mood of a ride for the worse in a range of puncture-resistant tires, which take a long time to wear out. Over a few hurry. If you’re out in the rain and cold, more or less consists of a durable belt years of use, they can become some- repairing a flat can be downright mis- that runs between the tire tread and what brittle, and that’s when you want erable. If you’re in mosquito territory, casing. This belt is a good line of de- to start thinking about replacing them. it’s enough to make you consider riding fense for your tube against small sharp Thorn-Resistant Tubes: Another the flat tire to the nearest safe haven. debris, such as crushed glass. There are low-budget flat prevention option are Even on the most pleasant of days, a many tires in this category, but two that thorn-resistant tubes. Ranging from leaking tube can deflate any rhythm I’ve come to trust over the years are $8 to $15 a tube, these are about as you may have had and make you second the Continental Top Contact II and the low-tech as it gets. They are just like guess the stability of your tires for the Schwalbe Marathon HS 440. any other ordinary bicycle tube, except remainder of the day. Tire Liners: If you’re looking to take quite a bit thicker. In most cases, the Flats simply aren’t fun, but when your puncture protection to the next wall thickness of the tube is designed

52 ADVENTURE CYCLIST a pr il 2015 so that you will have anywhere from Tubeless: Now we’re getting into You might hear people say that an 3.5mm to 4.5mm of thickness at the territory you may not be quite as air compressor is handy for install- top of the tube, and 1.5mm to 2.5mm familiar with. As you probably guessed ing a tubeless tire since you need a of thickness at the bottom where the from the name, a tubeless system re- quick blast of air to quickly push the tube rests against the rim. As the name moves the bicycle tube from the equa- tire’s bead against the rim to create an would suggest, these are excellent for tion and relies on your tire to form an airtight seal. Compressors are indeed protecting against flats in thorn country airtight seal with the rim to prevent air handy, but I’ve found that soapy water or roadways littered with sharp debris. from leaking out. Setting up a tubeless can be effective as well. With the tire I’ve found that they also do a good job system requires more time, attention mounted to the rim, give it a good bath of limiting pinch flats. to detail, and is also more expensive in soapy water. The bubbles from the Tube Sealants: This is where we than the previous four methods of flat soap will make it more difficult for air start to get a little bit more involved prevention. While that doesn’t sound to escape when you’re adding air for with setting up your puncture-resis- so hot, if you do your fair share of the first time. You can also remove tant system. Tube sealants have been riding on gravel roads or singletrack, the valve core when initially pumping around for a long time, and the idea is I’ll argue that the ride quality gained up the tire, which will force more air that if something sharp stabs through from a tubeless setup makes switching through with each pump. Once you your tube, exiting air pressure will to a tubeless system worth your time have the tire sealed up to the rim, you cause the sealant fluid to rush to the and money. can deflate the tire, add your sealant, hole and seal off the exit wound before How does tubeless improve ride and pump it back up. If you do suffer a your tire has time to deflate. This works quality and prevent flats? Since flat while riding, don’t fret. Just toss a really well for small puncture holes of there’s no tube, you don’t have to wor- tube into the tire, and keep rolling. upwards to 3mm in diameter, which ry about pinch flats, allowing you to I wouldn’t recommend tubeless for accounts for a huge percentage of the run lower tire pressures than normal. loaded touring. This is better suited for punctures you’ll have. For instance, on a 700c x 32mm tire, weekend exploring off road. The ad- There are two ways to go about I might run between 30 and 35 on a ditional weight of a heavy load would setting up a sealant system for your tubeless tire as opposed to the 60-70 put too much stress on the tire, and tubes. The first method is to just go psi I would run with tubes. This takes increase your chances of a blowout. out and buy a tube that is pre-filled a noticeable amount of vibration I would also recommend seeking out with sealant — doesn’t get much easier out of rough surfaces, which you’ll tubeless-specific tires for this applica- than that. The other option is to inject appreciate on longer rides. Tubeless tion. While you can get a non-tubeless a standard tube with sealant. The only also works best with sealant added, tire to hold air on a Stans NoTubes catch there is that your tube will need which will clog up most punctures rim, they aren’t as reliable. to have a removable valve core. Per- you encounter. No matter how you decide to go sonally, I’m a fan of filling up my own If you choose to give tubeless a try, about preventing flat tires, just re- tubes with sealant for a couple reasons. new wheels are likely in your future, member that no system is 100 percent Sealant itself isn’t too expensive to and Stans NoTubes (notubes.com) effective. Always have a flat-tire repair buy in large quantities, and you can seems to have the best system right kit on hand when you roll out. decide for yourself how much sealant now. With a Stan’s NoTubes rim, you you want to put in a tube. Slime (slime. will want to use tubeless tape to seal Josh Tack is Adventure Cycling’s Membership com) is a well known and trusted com- off the rim’s spoke holes, and install Manager. If you have questions or comments about this article, or anything related to bicycle pany producing tube sealant, and they the air valve directly to the rim. Then travel, feel free to shoot Josh an email at jtack@ offer both pre-filled tubes and contain- comes the fun part, where you mount adventurecycling.org. ers of sealant. the tire.

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