paladin wrote:
But have had 12 flats in last 6 weeks
Mostly pinch flats.
Mostly pinch flats?
If that is the case, I think you should be asking "why am I getting pinch flats?" rather than looking at tyre brands.
Pinch flats are almost entirely caused by hitting pot holes in the pavement, or careless tyre fitting.
Are you hitting potholes? If this is the cause, the puncture will be evident within a very short distance after the pot hole.
If it is incorrect fitting, try this:-
A bike wheel, like a car wheel, has a well in the middle, lower than the ledge that the tyre sits on when inflated. The circumference of the well is less than that of the ledge, because its diameter is less. The well is there to enable tyre removal and fitting, and the process requires that the tyre bead be off the ledge, and located in the well. For the tyre bead to go down into the well, the tube needs to be dead flat. To achieve this, deflate the tyre. Then work on the side of the tyre that is going to be removed first, and go around it and press the tyre bead off the ledge, down into the well. Now press the valve stem, and a little more air will escape. While holding the valve down, use your other forearm to squash as much of the tyre as you can. A little more air will escape.
Repeat the procedure of pressing the bead toward the well.
Use a tyre lever to gently "just" get under the tyre bead ("just" means you are capturing the tyre bead only, and NO tube) and lift the tyre bead. Hold the lever in place, and now do the same with the second tyre lever, about 60mm from the first. The bead between the two levers will be up to the top of the rim; use a thumb to hold it there, remove lever#1, and repeat procedure about 60mm from lever#2. One or two more lever movements will have the bead comfortably off the rim. Now use fingers only to remove the rest of that side of the tyre. Do not use a lever like a knife, and slide it around the rim to get the rest of the tyre off; It might look impressive to onlookers, but not as safe as using your fingers.
You have the tyre off safely now, ready to remove the tube. Start opposite the valve, and remove the tube, carefully removing the valve as the last step of the job.
Refitting tyre.
This was not your problem , so I will be brief:-
NO TYRE LEVERS
Slight tube infation
Start fitting tyre opposite valve.
When tyre fitted to a point where it is "too tight" to go further,
Deflate tube, and follow procedure ,as in removal, of repeated pressing bead down into well, and defating.
With the tube dead flat, and the bead in the well, enough slack will appear to enable the rest of the tyre to go over the rim.
IMPORTANT:-
Push the valve high up into the rim while the tyre goes on at that point. This keeps the tube high, so that it does not get caught between tyre bead and rim ledge.
Before inflating, squeeze the tyre away from the edge of the rim at the valve site to ensure it is not trapped under the bead.