Puncture Proof Tyres???

blobert

Hello,

After spending about €100 on puncture repairs in the last 2 months (I know I could fix them myself but it takes me ages because I am crap at it) I'm interested in getting some kind of puncture resistant tyres for my road bike.

I found a place that makes puncture proof tyres but its in the states:

http://www.greentyre.com/eng/index2.php

I was wondering if there are similar tyres available here in Ireland anywhere. Or maybe just some tougher wearing ones than those that came with my bike.

Any advice would be much appreciated.


Thanks,
Robert

lomb

u can repair punctures while still on the rim. ie no need to take wheel off or anything.
what u need is a string repair kit( these are tarry sticky strings about 15cm long. also u need the tool for inserting the strings into the tire this looks like a big needle. the strings are a euro each and the tool is 10 euro. buy them at east coast car parts in tallaght.
i use them u repair my car tyres and ive got thousands of miles on them.
all u do is insert the string into the needle til theres an equal amount both sides. insert the needle into the tyre, preferably whileits still full of air.then twist and pull out and cut whats left off. if uve done it right ul have 4 loops of string in the hole. the fact that u only need a tiny bit for a bike means it will cost u less than 30 cents per string when u cut the car ones.

oh and if u cant insert the needle thing far as it hits the rim (on the bike not a car tyre) then lever up the edge of the tyre beside the hole with a screwdriver and insert the needle thing at an angle so u can pass it through and then twist and pull out.

Johnny Jukebox

You don't say if your road bike is a racing/hybrid/mtb ???

What sort of punctures do you get ? are they pinch flats (snakebites), thorns, glass or what ?

If its an MTB/hybrid, you could try thicker tubes (use the ones for downhill, but more weight) or you could try tubeless, but this means upgrading the wheels to a tubeless rim.

You can also get tyres with kevlar protection, never tried them.

daymobrew

I put Continental Sport Contact tyres (26 x 1.3) on my mountain bike a few months back.
http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20sport%20contact.shtml
No punctures since. They are fast tyres for road use. The have the Continental 'Safety System' which has kevlar across the thread for puncture protection. The paper catalog describes the 'Contact' range as having 'extreme puncture protection' and they include an inner tube and a 1 year guarantee.
I bought my set from Cycleogical on Bachelors Walk (Dublin 1; 872-4635) for 30 euro each (a worthwhile investment for you, JJ, I think. Be sure to get the Continental inner tube with it for two reasons: 1) a normal tube will be too large to fit under these rather low profile tyres and 2) the guarantee requires it.
The shop 'appeared' not to have a second inner tube but I pushed for it and they 'found' it.

IIRC you can pump these tyres to 80 psi. I like them a lot. Tyres without knobbly bits are quieter and faster.

JJ - I recommend learning how to fix a puncture. It's a really useful skill. I used to hate it but now it's no bother. I've fixed a few on the road (i.e. during a journey). I always carry a pump and puncture repair kit with me.
Hell, if you're in Dublin I'll teach you.
If you are getting punctures from debris on the road contact the county council to clean the road. Off road I think you are on your own.

lomb - Surely your method will only work for tubeless tyres. I've never heard of this method, I use tyre levers to move one side of the tyre off the rim, move tube off rim and then go about finding and patching hole. All while wheel is on bike. [This method is normal, nothing fancy at all].

uberwolf

if it's a road bike I can heartily recomend teh specialised armadillo's. Did about 9k miles on them and not a bother. Did have heavy tubes inside that. Wouldn't reccomend the combination though. Very heavy to turn and if you're doing proper milage i.e more than 5 each way to work I'd say one or teh other and not both.

rubadub

daymobrew wrote:

I put Continental Sport Contact tyres (26 x 1.3) on my mountain bike a few months back.

I got the exact same tyres for my MTB last month. Got a new pair of them with tubes delivered for €25 new on ebay, (I won an auction for a cheaper pair but the guy was sold out so I got to take a pick of expensive ones since it was his fault). The tubes have presta fittings though (not car valve schraeder valves) so i put my old tubes in which were suited to 1.5-2.25" but seem fine in the 1.3", I wanted to be able to pump in a garage and read the pressure, they go to 80-85psi. They were very hard to put on but hopefully will never need to come off. My mate is big in to cycling, has won lots of races etc. He says he has kevlars and hasnt had a puncture since he got them 4 years ago

blobert

Thanks for the advice guys.

I cycle a road bike with fairly thin tyres, this one: http://www.falconcycles.co.uk/product.php?c.id=3&s.id=1&p.id=347

My daily commute involves going through Rathmines, Camden St and Georges st, so there's always loads of glass on the roads outside pubs. I think this is where the problem lies, and I don't think its an option to ask city council to clean the road more often.

It might just be that the tyres that come with the bike are terrible, a friend of mine has got similar numbers of punctures on the same bike too.

I have heard good things about the specialised armadillo's so I might get a set of them or perhaps try the puncture proof option (I really am fed up of getting punctures!)

Any other suggestions would be appreciated also.

uberwolf

the armadillos have a kevlar insert alright. I raced exclusively on kevlar based tires. Excellent concept

Johnny Jukebox

daymobrew wrote:

JJ - I recommend learning how to fix a puncture. It's a really useful skill. I used to hate it but now it's no bother. I've fixed a few on the road (i.e. during a journey). I always carry a pump and puncture repair kit with me.
Hell, if you're in Dublin I'll teach you.

, very good.

Actually, the race team fixes my punctures, although my record for replacing a tube is 23 seconds.

blobert

Well I suppose I'll get some tougher tires and practice repairing punctures.

By the way, the tyres on my bike at the moment seem to be 700x25c

Can I get away with using 700x23c or will they be too small? This seems to be a more common size.

I haven't seen many other tires in former size.



Thanks

uberwolf

an awful lot of the puncture resistant tires will be avail in the larger sizes as the resistance isn't as important to the rider. Nearly all tires are avail in a vareity of sizes.

moving to 23 from 25 should be no problem. Just ensure your tyre pressure is maintained in the smaller size as you'll be slightly more prone to snake bite style punctures

FX Meister

Car tires are tubeless so I doubt this method would work on a bike

lomb wrote:

u can repair punctures while still on the rim. ie no need to take wheel off or anything.
what u need is a string repair kit( these are tarry sticky strings about 15cm long. also u need the tool for inserting the strings into the tire this looks like a big needle. the strings are a euro each and the tool is 10 euro. buy them at east coast car parts in tallaght.
i use them u repair my car tyres and ive got thousands of miles on them.
all u do is insert the string into the needle til theres an equal amount both sides. insert the needle into the tyre, preferably whileits still full of air.then twist and pull out and cut whats left off. if uve done it right ul have 4 loops of string in the hole. the fact that u only need a tiny bit for a bike means it will cost u less than 30 cents per string when u cut the car ones.

oh and if u cant insert the needle thing far as it hits the rim (on the bike not a car tyre) then lever up the edge of the tyre beside the hole with a screwdriver and insert the needle thing at an angle so u can pass it through and then twist and pull out.

rubadub

This is the ebay store I got my tyres from. He auctions lots of stuff everyday and starts at 0p so you can pick up very good deals on components and lights. He sells tyre liners which are puncture resistant, so no need to fork out on new ones. The dearest thing is the post.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/St-John-Street-Cycles_W0QQsspagenameZl2QQtZkm

thats the store front. He sells avocet 700mm kevlar tyres and they usually go for very little, he only sells one at a time so email him if you get 2 to get cheaper post.

Greenman

i use Swalbe tyres, never had a flat!!! and I'm on the road everyday Great!!!!

crashedmind

For my road racing bike I use Specialized Armadillos - tried lots of others but settled on these since I haven't had a puncture with them yet.

For my mountain bike, I use gel-filled tubes with standard tyres... did a lot of cycle holidays and off roading - I've replaced the tyres depending on the terrain but the tubes have remained the same. I can't remember the brand name but they are basically pre-filled with gunk when you buy them.

uberwolf

crashedmind wrote:

basically pre-filled with gunk when you buy them.

afaik you can also buy said gunk seperately and fill your tubes with it via the valve. Not sure on the suitability for road bikes, but mTBs it's all good

Downtime

I cycle a similar route and never get a puncture - try keeping your tyres inflated to 120 PSI and you should have no problems. I pump my tyres every second/third day

keane=cock

sorry to bring this old thread back up again lads.

i have aracer and just use it for some exercise and am gonna start cycling to work about 7 or 8 mile away. my mate said somethiong to me about getting kevlar tyres and pumping them really hard and cos they wont burst i can cycle really fast.

any truth in this or is it an urban legend?

thanks for replies and also if anyone could reccomend a fair priced tyre type and place to purchase would be greatly appreciated.

Lumen

keane=cock wrote: »

sorry to bring this old thread back up again lads.

i have aracer and just use it for some exercise and am gonna start cycling to work about 7 or 8 mile away. my mate said somethiong to me about getting kevlar tyres and pumping them really hard and cos they wont burst i can cycle really fast.

any truth in this or is it an urban legend?

thanks for replies and also if anyone could reccomend a fair priced tyre type and place to purchase would be greatly appreciated.

Continental Gatorskin Hardshell Duraskin Tyre 2010, £24 each from PBK.

Use the recommended pressures, probably about 90 psi front, 110 psi rear for 23mm size, or a bit more if you're particularly well built.

keane=cock

thanks very much pal.

this the best of or a middle of the road type?

just looking for something reasonable priced. not that 24 is steep

Lumen

keane=cock wrote: »

thanks very much pal.

this the best of or a middle of the road type?

just looking for something reasonable priced. not that 24 is steep

Depends what you want. There are tradeoffs between weight, durability (life) and puncture protection, and also different widths to consider.

It's arguably the most puncture resistant tyre in 23mm size. It is apparently available in larger sizes, but from what I've seen available is currently a bit restricted, since it's a new tyre.

The other obvious choice is the Conti Gator Skin in 25mm. Bit more expensive, bit more comfortable, bit lighter, bit less protection.

blorg

Lumen wrote: »

Depends what you want. There are tradeoffs between weight, durability (life) and puncture protection, and also different widths to consider.

Not forgetting grip and ride quality. Puncture-resistant tyres tend to be

@k=c :pac: The Gatorskin is a mid-priced, tough puncture-resistant training tyre. It is very much a sort of middle of the road sort of tyre. Solid choice. Race tyres tend to be more expensive (around the €40 mark) and offer better grip and ride quality at the expense mainly of higher price and possibly some durability. Although to be honest I think I've got about as much puncture resistance out of Schwalbe Ultremos and GP4000S as I have Gatorskins.

If you are interested I may have a pair of Gatorskins in 700x25c which I'd let go for very cheap. Used but plenty of life left in them I think. I just got sick of the ride quality and replaced with grippier tyres (Schwalbe Stelvio and GP4000.)

kona

lomb wrote: »

u can repair punctures while still on the rim. ie no need to take wheel off or anything.
what u need is a string repair kit( these are tarry sticky strings about 15cm long. also u need the tool for inserting the strings into the tire this looks like a big needle. the strings are a euro each and the tool is 10 euro. buy them at east coast car parts in tallaght.
i use them u repair my car tyres and ive got thousands of miles on them.
all u do is insert the string into the needle til theres an equal amount both sides. insert the needle into the tyre, preferably whileits still full of air.then twist and pull out and cut whats left off. if uve done it right ul have 4 loops of string in the hole. the fact that u only need a tiny bit for a bike means it will cost u less than 30 cents per string when u cut the car ones.

oh and if u cant insert the needle thing far as it hits the rim (on the bike not a car tyre) then lever up the edge of the tyre beside the hole with a screwdriver and insert the needle thing at an angle so u can pass it through and then twist and pull out.

Why do people give out advice on stuff they dont have a clue about?

You cant use a plug on a bicycle tube, its nowhere near thick enough. It be wary of using it on a tubeless too.

FFS Just take the wheel off and change the tube, its not *that* hard, some bikes even have QR so you dont even need a spanner.

e8 + Tube to fix a Puncture in my place, where else do you make e10 clean profit on a 20 sec job?

Lumen

blorg wrote: »

The Gatorskin is a mid-priced, tough puncture-resistant training tyre.

Worth noting the differences between the well established "Ultra Gator Skin" and the new "Gator Hard Shell", which are different tyres.

The Hard Shell has a wider puncture protection belt, as I understand it. I doubt this helps the ride quality.

jaqian

Make sure you have rim tape in your wheel to stop the spokes puncturing the tube. I discovered that Hellfrauds ditched mine after replacing tyre and tube when bike last serviced.

jaqian

jaqian wrote: »

Make sure you have rim tape in your wheel to stop the spokes puncturing the tube. I discovered that Hellfrauds ditched mine after replacing tyre and tube when bike last serviced.

WHAT!?!?!?! Jeez I thought all the rumours about Halford's staff not knowing anything about bikes were exagerated but obviously not!

kona

jaqian wrote: »

Make sure you have rim tape in your wheel to stop the spokes puncturing the tube. I discovered that Hellfrauds ditched mine after replacing tyre and tube when bike last serviced.

you sure it was there in the first place?:o

Why the hell would you remove the rim tape to replace a tyre and tube??!

Thargor

After 4 punctures in 4 weeks when the council stopped sweeping up broken glass in Galway I switched to puncture proof tubes on my commuter:

Front:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1470

Back:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=7958

No punctures since I switched before Xmas.

blorg

I got a wheel once and some muppet had installed the tube with the little nut that screws onto the valve on the inside of the rim, so it pinched and punctured. :mad:

jaqian

Deleted User wrote: »

WHAT!?!?!?! Jeez I thought all the rumours about Halford's staff not knowing anything about bikes were exagerated but obviously not!

Thats not the worst: they set the break blocks too high so that they rubbed off the tyre. Had to be binned after only 3months.

kona wrote: »

you sure it was there in the first place?:o

Why the hell would you remove the rim tape to replace a tyre and tube??!

Yep. Wondered about that myself, only thing I can think off is that it came loose and was too much hassle to fix/replace. Have electrical tape on it at the mo until I can get a chance to get some tape.

SubLuminal

Greenman wrote: »

i use Swalbe tyres, never had a flat!!! and I'm on the road everyday Great!!!!

Same here, I run schwalbe marathon pro tyres, they're 700x25 I think, never had a puncture, they've kevlar all the way around, even the side walls. I've definitely ridden through large things of broken glass a few times, (didn't spot it, too fast to stop or swerve) and so far no punctures. Run them at 100psi and though they'll rattle your teeth out, they're very very fast and great grip in the wet. Reflective strip around the sides. Ultimate win.

Mine were €25 each from Rothar.ie in phibsborough, they'll fit them for pretty cheap too. Might be worth ringing to make sure they have them in stock, they'll order them if they don't most likely.

PS repairing punctures CAN be fast if you know what you're doing, take that guy up on his offer and learn to do it! Never know when it might come in handy..

blobert

Hello Again Folks,

I went searching for a thread on puncture proof tyres and discovered I had started this one, over 5 years ago:)

I'm back looking for advice again.

Having used 2 sets of Specialized Armadillos 700x23c on my single speed bikes over the past 5 years I never had a puncture. That said the Armadillos have their downsides as noted by many here. They are very bumpy and feel a bit unsafe in the wet (never came off bike but the tyres slip quite often on rainy days on drain covers, even road markings).

Thus I switched to the Conti Gatorskins 700x25c last January thinking I'd give them a go. They are definitely much smoother and faster and feel safe in the wet, however, I've been getting punctures.

2 in the last week, one after a swim in seapoint led to a very long walk home. The front tyre has a 5mm tear in it and is bulging slightly so I think it's time to retire it quickly, might send back to wiggle. The other tyre has a few small tears also, not very impressed considering I've only been using them a few months.

I'm considering going back to the Armadillos (maybe the 28c) but was wondering if there are any other tyres I should consider?

Basically I never want to get punctures, the Armadillos allow this but have downsides. Tyres such as my Gatorskins seem pointless, still quite heavy, rock hard to get on/off, and not puncture proof, might as well take my chances with a nicer road tyre.

These schwalbe marathon pro seem to get good reviews:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24544

Anyone here used them (other than Subluminal)?
If they are a viable alternative to the Armadillos I'd give them a go, otherwise I might just go back to the reliable bulletproofs.

Oh and there is also these newer Continentals:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=49762

Some of the waffle is a bit dubious sounding, can't find many reviews.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

stuf

The company you originally linked to in post 1 sell out of the UK:

http://www.greentyre.co.uk/28inch.html

blobert

Actually I might need to start a new discussion as dragging up a thread from 5 years ago about solid tyres was probably not the brightest:)

blorg

Puncture-proof tyres are a trade off. If I were you I would accept that you will get the occasional puncture and learn how to fix them. With practice you can do it in 5 minutes.

Marathon Plus don't have great ride quality; they would be a step back towards the Armadillos I reckon. They are also extremely heavy.

You need to decide what you want, the ride quality or absolute puncture resistance, and choose your tyres appropriately. You won't get both.

blobert

Thanks for the replies.

I can fix punctures reasonably quick but I don't enjoy doing it very much. Also dont like having to have tools/tubes etc with me for this, I'd rather just not get the puncture if possible.

What I'm wondering is if there have been any developments in terms of tyres that are as puncture proof as the Armadillos but might offer slightly better ride, less slippy.

Just keen to see if there are any owners of the new gators/marathons that can compare them to the armadillos.

Thanks

Lumen

@blobert: do you regularly check your tyres for glass, thorns etc?

blobert

Hi, I don't really check them that often. I'm guessing you'd recommend this as a good way of reducing punctures?

dave.obrien

It's rare that something will cut through your tyre straight off, so checking them every few rides, just rubbing them to feel for stones, thorns, glass, etc, should reduce the number of punctures. Also run the tyres at the correct pressure. Sound obvious, but... Also, when replacing a tube, check inside the tyre and rim for any offending material. A new tube is useless if you're shoving it into an old bit of a bottle of miller.

blorg

blobert wrote: »

Hi, I don't really check them that often. I'm guessing you'd recommend this as a good way of reducing punctures?

Yes, certainly it is. I picked maybe ten bits of glass out of a Gatorskin yesterday. If you leave them in there they will eventually puncture.

Of the puncture resistant tyres I have personally used Armadillos, Marathons (not the Plus) and Gatorskins. Haven't tried the new Gatorskin. I have also used Continental City Contact which despite coming with a "puncture guarantee" I have also punctured on!

Marathons are very heavy and have an unnecessary tread. I have also punctured on them. The Plus are meant to be insanely heavy. I also have Marathon Racers which are reasonably nice in comparison but I don't expect they are that puncture resistant.

If you put the spare tube and levers in a small saddlebag and the pump on the frame I don't see why it would be so much of a bother. If you don't do this the day will come where you have a very long walk.

Most of the racier tyres I have used including Conti GP4000, Schwalbe Ultremo, Maxxis Columbiere, and Schwalbe Stelvio actually have puncture resistance comparable to Gatorskins IMO, while being much much nicer tyres to ride.

Lumen

blobert wrote: »

Hi, I don't really check them that often. I'm guessing you'd recommend this as a good way of reducing punctures?

I think Sheldon has a good article on tyre construction.

The tread basically acts as a holding zone for the sharp stuff whilst it works its way relentlessly towards the good stuff in the middle.

Think of your tyre like this:

blobert

Thanks for the replies guys, I really appreciate it.

My bike has 15mm track nuts on the front and 18mm on the back (used for turbo trainer adaptor) so it would get messy to bring around 2 spanners all the time also.

As I say, I just find repairing punctures/bike maintenance quite annoying and don't think I'm likely to change on this. It's the reason I love my single speed bikes, much less to go wrong, less maintenance, suits me perfectly.

I might try the new continentals and a new regime of checking the tyres every time I pump them up (I'm good for maintaining tyre pressure).

Alternatively I might cut my losses and go back to the Armadillos, perhaps, the 25 or 28c ones might be slightly less bumpy?

If anyone can compare marathon plus to armadillo I'd appreciate it.

Thanks for the advice guys.

blorg

If you absolutely don't want punctures Armadillos are IMO your best bet; the larger sizes would indeed be worth a try although my own ones were I think 700x28c and I found the ride quality nasty. I haven't used the Plus but standard Marathons are probably a bit heavier than Armadillos and not as puncture resistant. Road feel is probably a bit better. If you are riding tyres with crap grip then the wider the better probably to compensate.

My own fixed bikes are 15mm front and rear so I just have a small little spanner that goes in the saddlebag... if you use your road tyres on the turbo you will destroy them and further increase your puncture risk.

fasty

I've got 700x28c armadillos and the ride is still a little bumpy and fun in the wet but given the state of my commute route, I'd end up spending a small fortune on consumables if I didn't use them.