[Silver]

4 flats in my last four rides.

I'm running Vittoria Rubino Pros with about 600 miles on them...and am now looking for new tires to break the curse. Michelin Carbons maybe?

 

[TheMontashu]

I know a guy who has gotten 35 flats in the past month and a half

 

[HarryCallahan]

Conti Gran prix 3000 are nice. They also make an all weather version for winter.

I've heard their lesser tires have durability issues, though

 

[Ridemonkey]

What width are you running?

 

[Silver]

23. Roads aren't overly rough. Just bad luck lately, but all that bad luck is starting to cut up the Rubino's pretty badly.

 

[Joss DeWaele]

Did you check the rim-tape?

 

[Silver]

Did you check the rim-tape?

Yep.

It's mostly been glass and construction nails. But all those little cuts are adding up.

 

[JMAC]

4 flats in my last four rides.

I'm running Vittoria Rubino Pros with about 600 miles on them...and am now looking for new tires to break the curse. Michelin Carbons maybe?

I've only ever used michelin pro race tires. Not sure if they're great seeing as they're the only thing I have ever used but I've only had i think 2 flats in 2 years. Not bad cause thats over more than 15000km. Also those 2 flats were from glass on the road.

 

[LordOpie]

i assume you've run your finger along the inside of the tire, both ways?

I've got 2000+miles on Michelin hi-lites and don't remember the last time I've had a flat... at least 1000 mi.

I've heard good things about specialize's armadillo.

 

[Silver]

i assume you've run your finger along the inside of the tire, both ways?

The last four times I've changed it

 

[Olyroller]

Ahhh, get a new tire.

 

[spincrazy]

Hmmm. I flatted the Rubinos quite a bit, but after being more careful I thought they were a good tire for the money. Contis looked intriguing, never tried em. I remember them being more expensive.

 

[ahbrooks]

I notice that flats seem to come in groups - I went about 6 months without getting a flat on any of my bikes and then i had two flats on the road bike, two on the cyclocross bike, and one on the mountain bike within a two-week period. Weird coincidences....

Continentals seem to be quite flat-resistant. I've had very good luck with GP3k's, although they wear quite fast. They give grip like no other, wet or dry, but i hardly get any miles out of a rear. The ultra 2000 on my fixed gear seems much longer-lived sofar.

I ran michelin axial pros previous to that and they didn't have quite as much grip as the contis but they wore like iron. nice tires, those.....

 

[HarryCallahan]

If you are riding a lot, your back tire probably wears much faster than your front. Rotating your tires will even out the wear and make a pair of tires last longer.

 

[ahbrooks]

I'm not a fan of rotating tires. The wear on the rear tire tends to flatten it out (as the bike is upright most of the time) and square off the profile. This makes for a rather unpleasant-handling front tire. I tend rather to junk the rear, move the front (which has comparatively little wear on it) to the rear, and put a new front tire on. The front tire is where I really want fresh rubber and the good grip that goes with it. Losing the rear end on a slippery corner can be dicey, but washing out the front end almost certainly spells road rash. Tires are, in my opinion, the most economical performance upgrade one can make to a bike. There's really nothing like putting a set of good treads on....

anyways, we've sufficiently hijacked this thread. Back to flats - has anyone ever had trouble with valve stems tearing away from the tube? I had never done this before in my life, and now it's happened 3 or 4 times in the last year over a couple bikes. I think it was a bad batch of tubes - I'm using the same pump as ever (silca) and pulling the chuck on and off the same way as I always have.....

 

[splat]

How much pressure are you running ?

 

[LordOpie]

In addition to brooks' comment about handling, I don't rotate cuz that increases the chance of getting a foreign object inside the tire... even if you are very careful. It only takes one flat caused by something inside your tire for you to not want to rotate and get really obsessed about feeling the inside of the tire before putting it back on.

...has anyone ever had trouble with valve stems tearing away from the tube?

Yes, once. My LBSs don't carry tubes with short stems, so I'm stuck using long stem tubes on rims that don't need 'em.

 

[Silver]

I run 100psi, check it right before every ride.

I made it for an hour and a half today without a flat, and I had a wheelbuilder neighbour look at the rim. I put a different tire on the rear now too. Fingers crossed...

 

[LordOpie]

I made it for an hour and a half today without a flat...

well, I wouldn't say not getting a flat over a 12 mile distance is all that impressive.

I would suggest a slime liner, but while I'm not a weight wennie, I do try to avoid rotational weight.

 

[Silver]

well, I wouldn't say not getting a flat over a 12 mile distance is all that impressive.

I would suggest a slime liner, but while I'm not a weight wennie, I do try to avoid rotational weight.

Hey, I'm getting up the hills with a double and a camelback full of Budweiser. Give me a break...

 

[splat]

I run 100psi, check it right before every ride.

I made it for an hour and a half today without a flat, and I had a wheelbuilder neighbour look at the rim. I put a different tire on the rear now too. Fingers crossed...

100 Psi , seams a little low unless you are really light
at my 185 Pounds on 700X20 I run 160 PSI, 700X23 I run 140 PSI I found running the higher pressure all but eleimiated snakebites.

 

[LordOpie]

what rims are you using that you can get psi that high? I've heard that the ones I ride -- Mavic Open Pros -- are questionable at 140... tho my tires are rated at 116, so I wouldn't try 140 anyway.

As for 100psi, well, I know some people that go lower cuz it's more comfortable for them. They're probably riding AL

 

[thecoloredguy]

I've been riding the Michelin Carbons for about 2 years and have never gotten a flat. I ride road, bike trail, and cobble stone with no problems.

 

[JRB]

what rims are you using that you can get psi that high? I've heard that the ones I ride -- Mavic Open Pros -- are questionable at 140... tho my tires are rated at 116, so I wouldn't try 140 anyway.

As for 100psi, well, I know some people that go lower cuz it's more comfortable for them. They're probably riding AL

I rode about 2500 miles with Vredsteins at 145 on open pros with no trouble.

 

[LordOpie]

Good to know. Aren't those tires a bit pricey?

 

[JRB]

Good to know. Aren't those tires a bit pricey?

Usually, but Jenson sold them to me for like $27 each to get me to try em. They still have life and never flatted.

 

[Silver]

Went with the Fortezzas. Wish me luck...

 

[Triphop]

adjust your tire pressure. if you are running too high pressure, you will flat more often. I ran a set of Vittoria Open Corsas, incredible race tire, but wore quickly and cut easily. However, I rarely had flats, once I discovered that running the tire at 120+ caused flats. If you weigh 165 or less, try lowering the pressure to 110-115. reason being, lower pressure will allow the tire to give and roll over debris without puncture, high pressure does not allow the tire to give, and the debris will push right through due to the greater force exerted on such a small point of contact. try different pressures until you find the point where the tire does not feel mushy, but soft enough to not constantly puncture. YMMV

other tires tried: Michelin Pro Race, ride well, quite puncture resistant...but not the greatest cornering tire. Vredestein Fortezza TriComp, excellent tire all around, except they wear quick. Conti Ultra 2000, ride like crap, but durable and long wearing.

 

[JRogers]

Went with the Fortezzas. Wish me luck...

Fortezzas are an awesome tire, no doubt.

Sometimes you just get bad tires or something. I remember I got a Cannondale R1000 a few years back and it had Conti GP3000s on it. I would get flats maybe every 20-30 miles. Replaced the rim tape (velox), ran different tubes, always pumped them up to near max. Nothing changed. Not cool. Then I ran 23c Fortezzas and rarely ever got flats and never had any issues with durability (very good) or grip (also good). I bought another set of GP3000s and they work fine, no more flats than I got on the Fortezzas.

 

[ahbrooks]

I got flats much more frequently when I first started riding road. I think at least some of it has to do with riding on the part of the road with less debris/potential tire-puncturing objects.

I've never really noticed an increase in punctures as tires wear - I usually run the rear right down to the cords, without too much trouble.

 

[Silver]

Fortezzas are an awesome tire, no doubt.

Sometimes you just get bad tires or something. I remember I got a Cannondale R1000 a few years back and it had Conti GP3000s on it. I would get flats maybe every 20-30 miles. Replaced the rim tape (velox), ran different tubes, always pumped them up to near max. Nothing changed. Not cool. Then I ran 23c Fortezzas and rarely ever got flats and never had any issues with durability (very good) or grip (also good). I bought another set of GP3000s and they work fine, no more flats than I got on the Fortezzas.

I think it was mostly bad luck. Had an Amazon gift certificate though, and the Fortezzas were only $35 a pop...

 

[JRB]

I think it was mostly bad luck. Had an Amazon gift certificate though, and the Fortezzas were only $35 a pop...

You can buy tires at Amazon???

 

[Westy]

You can buy tires at Amazon???

You can buy anything through amazon, anymore they are just a portal for every other webretailer on the planet. I bought a surface planer and a 6" joiner from them, free shipping was nice for 500lbs of equipment.