Tyre recommendations - funnily enough!

[goneriding]

After 5 flat tyres in a little over a week a detailed inspection of the tyres on my roadie reveal some lovely holes, cuts, nicks etc. What I am after is a set of tyres that are much more resistent to punctures.

I commute to work and do longer rides on the weekend. Performance is not a priority. Minimising tyre changes is as I believe I am getting too much experience in this skillset!

I am looking for suggestions that balance cost and quality.

Over to you guys.

Cheers
Not going anywhere at the moment!

[tallywhacker]

cant go past specialized armadillo's. Have used the same set during winter for my commute for the last couple of years and havn't had a puncture yet.

[Birdman]

I think someone asked this yesterday and the recommendation was for GP4000S with the chilli compound?

Mitch.

[Bnej]

I think someone asked this yesterday and the recommendation was for GP4000S with the chilli compound?

GP4000S is a performance tyre.

Wire bead Ultra Gatorskins last longer and are more puncture resistant, and can be had for $50 or less from your LBS.

I found Vittoria Zaffiros quite puncture resistant and very durable, I think they're around for < $30.

Good puncture resistant tyres will still get cut, the breaker is to prevent the debris penetrating the whole casing and causing a flat. The outer rubber has to be a bit softer to grip well so you'll still see superficial cuts on the outside.

[Deanj]

I didn't get a puncture in just over 3000kms using specialized mondo pro tyres.

[mikesbytes]

Road bike?

The $10 tyres from Al Summers (on New Canterbury rd, near the intersection of Canterbury rd with the penny farthing parked outside) have good puncture protection, because the are so thick.

Your commuter trip will take longer with these baby's fitted though.

[Caelum]

i picked up a couple of new tubes today, and was offered a 'thorn resistant' tube as a replacement....

I thought it'd just be some gimmick of some description, but it turned out to be a tube with much more rubber on the tyre side of the tube itself, which would have ended up being maybe 3 or 4mm thick, rather than maybe 1mm thick on most tubes....


Not sure how much extra weight it'd add to the bike, probably not a significant amount... and it'd save you the wait, when changing tubes on the go..

[Boognoss]

cant go past specialized armadillo's. Have used the same set during winter for my commute for the last couple of years and havn't had a puncture yet.

+1. I haven't had them for too long (800km - less than a month) but so far much better than the previous pair. No punctures yet.

[Kalgrm]

I use Mr Tuffy tyre liners in my tyres. I haven't had a puncture since installing them.

My Fat Boy 26x1.25" slicks that I was using copped a battering from glass. There were innumerable nicks and cuts in them when I stopped using them, but the combination of tyre liners and these tyres resisted all attempts at puncture.

I'm now using 700x23c Continental Ultra-Gatorskins and tyre liners. On the same rides as before, these tyres aren't even showing a scratch yet. No glass seems to get into the tread. Once again, no punctures.

I've ridden about 8000km since installing the tyre liners.

Cheers,
Graeme

(PS - I think the liners do roughly the same thing as the thorn-proof tubes in that they keep the tube further away from the outside of the tread. A penetrating object has to get a long way in before it breaks the seal.)

[Kid_Carbine]

i picked up a couple of new tubes today, and was offered a 'thorn resistant' tube as a replacement....

I thought it'd just be some gimmick of some description, etc.

Thornproof tyres & tubes were offered by Dunlop around the turn of the 20th century & this type of tube has never been out of production by one company or another ever since.
Australia had/has some of the nastiest 'thorns' in the world, including Duweltjie [Doublegee] or Prickly Jack & these were the bane of bush cycling, so the thornproof tyre & tube were created very early on in modern cycling history.

[munga]

I picked up an Apollo Concorde a few weekends ago and it was fitted with IRC thornproof tubes and Vittoria Randonneur tyres (28c). The treads and sidewalls are cracked from age, but no nicks or cuts. Heavy though..

[Aushiker]

I use Mr Tuffy tyre liners in my tyres. I haven't had a puncture since installing them.

My new XTC 2 didn't get out of the bike shop before it had its first blow out. Tim at Kalamunda Cycles put it down to the tyre liners. He has had this problem before apparently.

I have removed the tyre liners from the CRX 1 as well and now fitted Gatorskins and Slime. One puncture so far. Still better than my previous tyres which where running at around 1 every 250 km (one a week).

All that said, if your tyre liners are working, I sure as hell wouldn't take them out.

Andrew

[Kalgrm]

Did Tim explain why the tyre liners are causing punctures? I can't imagine a scenario where they could cause a puncture without the bike having even been ridden.

Cheers,
Graeme

(However, I can imagine a scenario where installing a tube incorrectly, when it is pinched between the rim and the tyre, can cause a puncture before riding the bike. We all know a bike shop owner would never be so careless, so that's not the cause! )

[mikesbytes]

Did Tim explain why the tyre liners are causing punctures?

The problem I had was where the tyre liners ends overlapped, the edge cause a fold in the tube which eventually punctured.

[Kalgrm]

The problem I had was where the tyre liners ends overlapped, the edge cause a fold in the tube which eventually punctured.

Yep, I can see that happening, even though it has never happened to me. The tube could theoretically move within the tyre over time and cut itself on the liner.

My question is more specifically oriented toward an explanation for a puncture without the bike having been ridden. With the liner installed correctly, how can inflating the tube against the liner cause a puncture? Apparently Tim has done it more than once, so I'd be interested to find out why he thinks it happens.

Cheers,
Graeme

[Aushiker]

Did Tim explain why the tyre liners are causing punctures? I can't imagine a scenario where they could cause a puncture without the bike having even been ridden.

No he didn't, but he gave me a credit for the liners.

Andrew

[nimm]

Holes, cuts, and nicks are to be _expected_, even with puncture proof tyres. The difference is they may offer a better level of protection.

My tyres, now on about 4000km, are seriously cut up but doing pretty well otherwise and plenty of tread left. Despite the damage this last 1250km has been puncture free!

[goneriding]

Got myself a set of Bontragers from one of the Sydney city stores as I couldn't wait for new tyres to be delivered or get to another store due to interstate commuting. No flats all week! Thanks for the tips

[Sveky]

I put some gp4000s's on my commuter rims, so far clocked 300kms and they still have the moulding nipples on them. Sensational tyres, grippy as hell and roll super smooth

[sogood]

I put some gp4000s's on my commuter rims, so far clocked 300kms and they still have the moulding nipples on them. Sensational tyres, grippy as hell and roll super smooth

Glad that I am not the only one feeling that way about the new compound.

[mikesbytes]

I put some gp4000s's on my commuter rims, so far clocked 300kms and they still have the moulding nipples on them. Sensational tyres, grippy as hell and roll super smooth

So they are better than the Kenda's I've fitted to the beast on the weekend?