zomg tires!
Thread started by
jeremya at 04.28.09 - 12:25 pm
Hello there, don't post, but lurk a few times per week!
Anyways, what the fuck guys... So I got a new job this week that makes for a great bike commute... I'd say my bike has about 400 miles on it (new rider, i know), but I've never had any flats.
Monday I excitedly left for my new job, boom.. flat tire about 3 miles from the office.. Luckily a friend was 5 minutes away from driving by and saved the day. Replaced the tube last night after work..
This morning.. same shit... I've had 2 flats in less than 24 hours, and less than 30 miles of riding.. the bike gods are looking at me and laughing their asses off... fuck!
So I'm thinking about moving to a more commuter friendly tire. Obviously it's also time to get used to quickly changing a tire on the side of the road..
Can anyone make any good suggestions on what tire I should switch to? Looking to keep resistance down as much as possible, but hoping to get a bit more durable tire/tube.
reply
specialized armadillos or continental gatorskins or bontrager hardcases.
but before you go and drop cash on tires, check the inside of your rim and make sure that your rim tape is properly installed and that there arent any metal shards poking through. also feel the inside of the tire to make sure whatever detritus gave you the flat in the first place isnt still in there giving you trouble.
ruinedbyidiots04.28.09 - 12:28 pm
reply
Also, what kind of flat? I've gotten consecutive pinch flats like that because I don't inflate the tires to a high enough psi.
danya04.28.09 - 12:30 pm
reply
thanks for the suggestions!
I was def. planning on checking the inside of my rim closer to see if the first flat caused some issues with my rim that created the 2nd so quickly...
thanks for the suggestions though... =)
jeremya04.28.09 - 12:30 pm
reply
if you can afford them buy gator skins($40 dollars per tire is the most exspensive i have seen them). on a previous converted bike(single speed>fixed gear) i rode about 1000 miles without a flat until some idiot stole my shit!!! I also recommend buying economy tires(around 5-10 per tire), and then buy Mr tuffy tire liner(about 16 for a pair) never had a flat using this method!
GOOD LUCK!
pretti*ugli04.28.09 - 12:31 pm
reply
danya -
The first flat had a noticeable pin sized hole in the tube. I'll check out the 2nd flat tonight and see what exactly caused it.
The tires were inflated properly
jeremya04.28.09 - 12:32 pm
reply
the first thing you have to check is the cause of the flats.
Thorns? Glass? Avoid off-roading and the shiny bits on the road.
Pinch flats? Make sure you tires are inflated EVERYDAY, you can lose 15 lbs of pressure a day, especially with cheaper tubes and tires.
Random holes on the inside of the tube could mean you need rim tape.
good luck, and congratulations on having a job!
the reverend dak04.28.09 - 12:56 pm
reply
Mr.tuffy tire liner??
Yeah I had that same problem too,seemed like I was getting flats every other day,till I finally relized it was my shitty frame mount pump wasn't giving me the maxium psi I needed for my panaracers.
madmike04.28.09 - 12:57 pm
reply
if you're not a racer, heavy duty tubes.
yes they are a pain to put on.
yes they increase rolling resistance.
but for city commuting, i went 7 months, 6000 miles without a flat.
and then when you want to go fast buy those latex tubes and zooom
_iJunes04.28.09 - 1:13 pm
reply
i agree with what everyone said above but i also wanted to throw in a little info about pumps if you don't have one yet. Get yourself a good floor pump. Don't cheap out on it. Properly inflated tires will make your ride much easier and more enjoyable. Every time you leave your house, use your floor pump. Don't just rely on squeezing the tires to see if they are firm. It may feel full, but you can easily have only half the pressure in your tire than you actually need. if you need a pump to take on the road with you, the
topeak road morph is excellent. they are fairly inexpensive, small, light and they are easy to get to the higher pressures that road tires require.
And here is a tip for newbies and veterans. Have you ever attached a pump on your presta stem, started pumping and air just keeps coming out the schrader hole of the pump? If you are starting to inflate a tube when it is not in the tire, hold your finger on the tube where backside of the stem meets the tube. Think of it like you are trying to block air from being able to go into the tube. While doing this, start pumping and you will feel the pump switch to the proper valve type. If the tube is in the tire, do the same thing but this time you will have to push on the tire to block air from going into the tube until it switches. I hope this makes sense. it will work without fail and you'll be pumping up your tires in no time.
brassknuckle04.28.09 - 1:26 pm
reply
"specialized armadillos"
+1
Also, Slime tubes and Mr. Tuffy tire liners, and checking to make sure you get all pointy bits out of your tire before replacing the tube.
Armadillos + Slime tubes + Mr. Tuffy tire liners = no more flats, but you'll have to be OK with some pretty heavy tires.
JB04.28.09 - 1:36 pm
reply
If you're new then maybe the 2nd flat was your fault because you don't have practice changing tubes. I know after my first flat I went through 4 tubes in a week because I kept screwing up.
a good tip my dad gave me is to put talcum power on the tube before putting it on the wheel so there's less friction and it may help avoid pinching the tube when inflating it.
Gav04.28.09 - 1:38 pm
reply
slime tubes or slime put into tubes does not work with high pressure road bike tires. i mean, the slime can seal the puncture (if you can get it inside the tube) but you cant roll comfortably on a 700cc at 30psi like you can a mtb tube.
back in my bmx days, i would take old tubes and cut out the valve stem and stick those inside my tire and then put the new tube in so that i would have a few more mm protection from thorns when riding the trails.
ruinedbyidiots04.28.09 - 1:39 pm
reply
conti gp 4000s
light, very durable, 1200 miles and no puncture yet.
now these crappy ass gran compe ss pink tires on the other hand.
i have never had two tubes blow out literally 4 seconds apart 2 feet as i left my residence.
_iJunes04.28.09 - 1:47 pm
reply
Gav -
New to the road bike scene, but I changed a lot of flats in my younger days.
I'm kinda chalking the second tire up to:
A) not checking out the rim for burrs or anything that would have helped the tire go flat today.
B) jesus hates me
C) actual bad luck of hitting something 2 days in a row..
Yes inflate your tires before every ride! Properly inflated tires makes for a better riding experience.. I pump, pump, pump it up before every ride.
jeremya04.28.09 - 1:49 pm
reply
fair warning to you. never buy these tires. never ever ever
no matter how pretty they are.
_iJunes04.28.09 - 1:50 pm
reply
gran compe SS? junu, youre pedaling the nazi bike. spreken ze dick?
ruinedbyidiots04.28.09 - 2:00 pm
reply
NO!!!!!
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD DON'T BUY THEM
SERIOUSLY. my grandma's power scooter can corner better than these POSs.
_iJunes04.28.09 - 2:18 pm
reply
"slime tubes or slime put into tubes does not work with high pressure road bike tires. i mean, the slime can seal the puncture (if you can get it inside the tube) but you cant roll comfortably on a 700cc at 30psi like you can a mtb tube. "
They make 100psi road tire slime tubes that work just fine.
http://www.ride-this.com/index.php/slime-self-sealing-tube-700c-x-1925c-pv.html
JB04.28.09 - 2:22 pm
reply
you should only ride these tires if you meet all the requirements:
a) you want to impress hipsters
b) you're okay with crashing after cornering at 20 mph
c) you have 8 tubes on you for every ride
d) you have an air compressor that plugs into a DC slot
e) your bike has a DC slot
f) you're ok with crashing
g) you never inflate over 120 psi.
_iJunes04.28.09 - 2:22 pm
reply
+1 good floor pump (with gauge).. if you have a road bike, use a skinny floor pump that can easily pump up to the high p.s.i. range you need
It's good to check tire pressure, but you shouldn't have to re-inflate your tire every day. If it's losing 15 lbs of pressure every day, you should replace the inner tube. Tire pressure should hold, especially if you ride every day. You probably won't need to check more than once a week. Checking before every ride is a good precaution, but a bit excessive imo.
Also, if you don't have a pressure gauge, you can check if your tire has enough air by locking your arm and putting your weight down on top of the tire. This is only to get you in the ballpark and you can see if you have enough air to get back home or your bike shop. Checking tire pressure by squeezing the sides of the tire is a big no-no because your weight is not distributed on the tire from the side but from bottom of the tire. Again, this is just to get you in the ballpark before you can use a gauge to check correct tire pressure.
will04.28.09 - 2:36 pm
reply
I've rolled with some of the cheapest tires Performance has, the Forte City Slicks on my MTB, and had I think one flat in something like 3,000 miles. That's without slime or those strip inserts too. I also always rolled with 100 psi on 85 psi tires. Never a problem.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned and would be good practice for you to do is always mount the tire and wheel the same spot. Line up the valve with the label on the tire. This way when you get a flat, you can trace back to where the flat occurred and give it a good look over in that area for what caused the flat. And yeah, get a floor pump and keep your tires pumped up. Makes a big difference.
User104.28.09 - 5:34 pm
reply
+1
for what User said...
and this is gonna sound silly, but make sure you find out what caused the flat...
it could still be stuck in your tire!
adrian04.28.09 - 5:38 pm
reply
DAMN JUNU, those RAINBOW NEON colored tires are fucking HOT. Is it safe to put one color on the front and one on the back?? I was wondering if the awesomeness would fuck up my skiddz
omg do they skid flourescent?
stevestevesteve04.28.09 - 9:10 pm
reply
I'm waiting for the tires that make sparks when you skid!
I'll be the first to make these bad boy skids!!!!
User104.28.09 - 9:49 pm
reply
they dont skid. the rubber flakes off and turns into pixie neon colored hipster dust.
_iJunes04.28.09 - 9:52 pm
reply
another +1 on the pump. you really need to get one with a gauge on it and make sure you're hitting the proper psi. there's no way to feel it by hand as once you git 30-40psi all you're feeling is the indentation of the rubber, not the air pressure.
the slime and tuffy liners are really only helpful for mountain biking or if you ride through a lot of glass or thorns.
tfunk40804.28.09 - 10:09 pm
reply
went to a bike shop and had them check out the rim,tire, and tube. I checked it all out and everything looks fine... they said it also looked fine and called it bad luck.
I got hooked up with a set of the gatorskin tires... no flat this morning on the ride to work! hoorrayyy
jeremya04.30.09 - 11:09 am
reply
gators resist so much to the rollin
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:13 am
reply
are you saying i would be faster if i got rid of my gatorskins? even with them at 140psi?
ruinedbyidiots04.30.09 - 11:40 am
reply
too much tpi increases rolling resistance.
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:42 am
reply
your face also increases rolling resistance
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:42 am
reply
in rbi's case his hair causes an increase in rolling resistance.
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:42 am
reply
and the unemployment doesnt really help neither
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:43 am
reply
yeah i go about 140 when its dry 120 when wet, thats what she said.
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:43 am
reply
140 on the Gatorskins? Really? I'm spooked to go past 120, is it that big of a difference?
Graham04.30.09 - 11:44 am
reply
you can run like 50 psi higher than its rated. depends on your weight, the road conditions, barometric pressure, temperature.
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:47 am
reply
graham i know you weigh significantly less than me and i refuse anything less than 115.
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:47 am
reply
Huh, I usually go 10% higher than it's listed at.
Btw, I finally pumped up my tires properly- now it feels like there's no rolling resistance at all!
danya04.30.09 - 11:48 am
reply
when i paid 150 for my tires, it was thes best investment on a bike part period.
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:50 am
reply
when i have them at 120, they feel flat. but if i go up to 140 they dont feel like they are going to roll off the rim when im cornering. i also weight 180+.
ruinedbyidiots04.30.09 - 11:53 am
reply
they're clinchers, still gp's light 400 tpi, under 20 mph it feels like more work, once you jump above 20 mph, it rolls faster than previous tires.
waiting for tubis but need tubirims first.
racewheels.
_iJunes04.30.09 - 11:55 am
reply
Yo dawgs,
Here's a Topeak Joe Blow Sport Floor Pump for $30 at a LBS.
http://wheelworld.com/itemdetails.cfm?LibId=46690
Good pump.
User105.1.09 - 9:52 am
reply
-->
Ridazz Roulette!
