Flat Tyre Question

"Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will

they

Quoted message said:

me more prone to getting a puncture?

Yes and no. Putting slicks on usually means you
are riding on the road. This means you will use
higher pressure in your tyres which in turn means
you will have less pinch-flats, the bane of mtb'ers
everywhere!
The rubber on slicks is generally less than that
of knobbed tyres but unless you make a habit
of riding through glass, shouldn't be a problem.
Roadies ride skinny, light-weight tyres for heaps
more k's than mtb's and they don't seem too
badly afflicted.
I ran Vredestein S-Licks daily for a year and
a day before getting my first puncture. They
are quite thin-rubber tyre

hippy

"Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will

they

Quoted message said:

me more prone to getting a puncture?

Short answer: no.

Longer version: it depends on a few factors, most notably tyre pressure.

Most punctures, especially on rough gravel or off road tracks, are caused by
pinch flats. The clue to this is the classic 'snakebite' pair of holes in
your tube. Most slicks (but not all) are rated at a higher pressure. If you
keep your tyres up to this pressure rating you won't puncture. But then I
check my knobbies pressure and they haven't punctured yet in 12 months of
use either. It's a good idea to use a stand pump with a gauge to get your
tyres to the right pressure; most people over estimate tyre pressures with
the simple pinch test.

On sealed roads and around town glass and debris is a major cause of
punctures. Kevlar reinforced tyres are a great help in preventing this type
of puncture. Use something like the IRC Metro Duro slicks. They are kevlar
belted and rated to 100psi in 26X1.5 sizing. The high pressure rolls much
faster than most knobbies. Generally good slicks like these will have a good
thickness of rubber to help prevent penetrations also.

Cheers
Peter

Deep Freud Moors said:

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:52:57 +1000, "Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will they
me more prone to getting a puncture?

From my own experience, yes, slicks do get a lot more punctures. If
you get ones with a kevlar belt in them, punctures get reduced
markedly, but they are of course expensive.

I currently have an MB tyre on the front, and a Conti Town and Country
on the back, and it has had about 5 punctures in the last 8 months,
compared to none on the front one. Since then I have lined the inside
of the tyre with an old inner tube as an extra barrier, which has
worked wonders for me in the past when riding in places with 3 corner
jacks.

It's very common with all vehicles, bikes, motorbikes and cars, that more
punctures are in a rear tyre. Front tyre rolls across flat lying objects like
nails and glass shards, flicks them up, and the rear then hits the object
"standing up".

Quoted message said:

Admittedly though, part of the reason I get less punctures on the
front tire is that I tend to lift the front wheel up over anything
suspect on the road, but the back one usually makes contact. There
seems to be an inordinate amount of broken glass in Melbourne's bike
lanes...

I've been doing a lot of riding here in Zurich both on and off road, and seem to
have had more puntures in eight months than I had in 15 years in Perth. Two
fronts, a pinch flat off road and a drawing pin through my city bikes IRC Duro.
About 8 rear flats, all off road, there seems to be a lot of broken glass on the
gravel bike paths around here.

If you are getting punctures on roads with slicks, I'd blame roadside debris
before the tyre type. The closer to the kerb you ride the more [censored] there is.

Cheers
Greg

I'm really greg dot walton at swissonline dot ch

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:52:57 +1000, "Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will they
me more prone to getting a puncture?

From my own experience, yes, slicks do get a lot more punctures. If
you get ones with a kevlar belt in them, punctures get reduced
markedly, but they are of course expensive.

I currently have an MB tyre on the front, and a Conti Town and Country
on the back, and it has had about 5 punctures in the last 8 months,
compared to none on the front one. Since then I have lined the inside
of the tyre with an old inner tube as an extra barrier, which has
worked wonders for me in the past when riding in places with 3 corner
jacks.

Admittedly though, part of the reason I get less punctures on the
front tire is that I tend to lift the front wheel up over anything
suspect on the road, but the back one usually makes contact. There
seems to be an inordinate amount of broken glass in Melbourne's bike
lanes...
---
DFM

Deep Freud Moors:

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:52:57 +1000, "Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will they
me more prone to getting a puncture?

No.

Quoted message said:

From my own experience, yes, slicks do get a lot more punctures. If
you get ones with a kevlar belt in them, punctures get reduced
markedly, but they are of course expensive.

You attribute the incorrect cause to the effect. Slicks or not, tyres
will puncture in the same way when going through the same conducive
conditions. Kevlar does little to prevent glass and sharp metals from
punching through the tyre, although it works to a certain extent on
short sharp thorns.

Quoted message said:

I currently have an MB tyre on the front, and a Conti Town and Country
on the back, and it has had about 5 punctures in the last 8 months,
compared to none on the front one.

Rear tyres always get more punctures, simply because the front tyre
throws up the offending piece for the rear tyre to get slashed with.
Glass and most sharp objects tend to lie flat on the ground, and when
the front tyre rolls over these at speed they are dislodged from rest
position and offers up their sharp edges for the rear tyre.

Quoted message said:

Admittedly though, part of the reason I get less punctures on the
front tire is that I tend to lift the front wheel up over anything
suspect on the road, but the back one usually makes contact.

So why do you insist on believing that slicks get more punctures than
knobbies?

Jose Rizal said:

Kevlar does little to prevent glass and sharp metals from
punching through the tyre, although it works to a certain
extent on short sharp thorns.

I once read about a Kevlar effectiveness demonstration. With a
section of Kevlar-belted tyre nailed to a wooden plank,
apparently you can't hammer the blade of a screwdriver through
the tyre. But a needle passes through without resistance. So
the shape of the puncturing object matters a lot.

One of my sons was getting quite a few punctures from eucalyptus
twig fragments until I put Kevlar-belted tyres on his bike.

Personally, I like Conti Travel Contact tyres. Kevlar belts,
slick but with knobs on the sides, and 85 psi in the 26 x 1.75
size.

It's surprising how many bike shops don't seem to know the
difference between Kevlar-belted and Kevlar-beaded (folding)
tyres though. Kevlar beads won't help puncture resistance.

Quoted message said:

Rear tyres always get more punctures, simply because the front
tyre throws up the offending piece for the rear tyre to get
slashed with. Glass and most sharp objects tend to lie flat on
the ground, and when the front tyre rolls over these at speed
they are dislodged from rest position and offers up their sharp
edges for the rear tyre.

Absolutely correct. Punctured front tyres usually mean you're
following someone too closely 🙂

John

Jose Rizal _@_._ said:

Deep Freud Moors:

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:52:57 +1000, "Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will they
me more prone to getting a puncture?

No.

Quoted message said:

From my own experience, yes, slicks do get a lot more punctures. If
you get ones with a kevlar belt in them, punctures get reduced
markedly, but they are of course expensive.

You attribute the incorrect cause to the effect.

Note that NEVER did I say the cause was slicks. I never suggested or
alluded to that. You misread what I wrote.

Quoted message said:

Slicks or not, tyres
will puncture in the same way when going through the same conducive
conditions. Kevlar does little to prevent glass and sharp metals from
punching through the tyre, although it works to a certain extent on
short sharp thorns.

Quoted message said:

I currently have an MB tyre on the front, and a Conti Town and Country
on the back, and it has had about 5 punctures in the last 8 months,
compared to none on the front one.

Rear tyres always get more punctures, simply because the front tyre
throws up the offending piece for the rear tyre to get slashed with.
Glass and most sharp objects tend to lie flat on the ground, and when
the front tyre rolls over these at speed they are dislodged from rest
position and offers up their sharp edges for the rear tyre.

Quoted message said:

Admittedly though, part of the reason I get less punctures on the
front tire is that I tend to lift the front wheel up over anything
suspect on the road, but the back one usually makes contact.

So why do you insist on believing that slicks get more punctures than
knobbies?

I never said that. I said "From my own experience" because I meant
"From my own experience". Don't bother replying if you're not going to
properly read what I wrote.
---
DFM

Jose Rizal said:

Rear tyres always get more punctures, simply because the front tyre
throws up the offending piece for the rear tyre to get slashed with.
Glass and most sharp objects tend to lie flat on the ground, and when
the front tyre rolls over these at speed they are dislodged from rest
position and offers up their sharp edges for the rear tyre.

There's more weight on the rear tyre. Hence, things get pushed deeper
into the rubber when you run over them. The front is also easier to
steer away from glass at the last second, while the back wheel might not
miss the glass.

If you're having lots of punctures, it's either due to worn out tyres or
poor technique - riding straight through patches of glass or stones, or
straight over gutters.

The other cause is the people you're riding with aren;t pointing out
glass/stones/potholes, in which case it still comes back to poor
bike skills.

--

Shabby said:

There's more weight on the rear tyre. Hence, things get pushed deeper
into the rubber when you run over them. The front is also easier to
steer away from glass at the last second, while the back wheel might not
miss the glass.
If you're having lots of punctures, it's either due to worn out tyres or
poor technique - riding straight through patches of glass or stones, or
straight over gutters.
The other cause is the people you're riding with aren;t pointing out
glass/stones/potholes, in which case it still comes back to poor
bike skills.

I've heard this 'poor bike skills' excuse before but I would like
to know of:

1) anyone that can spot small fragments of glass/metal at 40 km/hr
while keeping their eye on the traffic, car doors etc (note that
it is generally the very small bits of glass/metal that penetrate
your tyre, and may not necessarily be surrounded by similar,
larger pieces)

and 2) anyone that can do 1) at night time (with or without lights).

Stones/potholes, yes... avoidable and should be pointed out to following
riders, but in my experience they aren't what give you punctures.

Your chances obviously decrease by avoiding broken bottles and other
visible roadside carnage but other than that, it comes down to luck.

Knobbies or slicks - if you are on the road often (eg commuting) then
get some tyre liners. They will save you time in the long run.

--

"Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will

they

Quoted message said:

me more prone to getting a puncture?

Thanks again. Pete

Hi,

I run Geax Evolution tyres which are really good, although they are heavy.

They are belted with Kevlar and also can be used in a fassion off road.

They run at up to 65 PSI which is a pretty high for a MTB tyre.

See http://www.mtbreview.com/reviews/Tire/product_85946.shtml

No problems so far (and no flats!).

Only done about 500km on them so far though.

Tim

Shabby:

Quoted message said:

Jose Rizal said:

Rear tyres always get more punctures, simply because the front tyre
throws up the offending piece for the rear tyre to get slashed with.
Glass and most sharp objects tend to lie flat on the ground, and when
the front tyre rolls over these at speed they are dislodged from rest
position and offers up their sharp edges for the rear tyre.

There's more weight on the rear tyre. Hence, things get pushed deeper
into the rubber when you run over them. The front is also easier to
steer away from glass at the last second, while the back wheel might not
miss the glass.

Nonsense. The rear tyre can run over glass or other sharp object that
the front tyre has missed, and survive the experience. Dislodgement of
the sharp object by the front tyre is what causes most rear tyre
punctures. This is the same phenomenon with automobiles; the front
wheels bear more of the load than the rear, yet rear tyres get more
punctures than the front.

Glass only cuts or punctures when sharp edges are exposed; shards of
glass tend to lie flat, and only dislodgement of these cause the sharp
edges to be exposed, cutting into the rear tyre. This principle is what
makes people who walk over broken glass do so unscathed; it's not magic.

Quoted message said:

If you're having lots of punctures, it's either due to worn out tyres or
poor technique - riding straight through patches of glass or stones, or
straight over gutters.

Where do you get this from? Brand new tyres get punctured just as
easily as worn tyres; the amount worn out makes no significant
difference.

How can you get a puncture from running over gutters? Please.

Quoted message said:

The other cause is the people you're riding with aren;t pointing out
glass/stones/potholes, in which case it still comes back to poor
bike skills.

Now you think it's other people's fault. Anything but the reality,
right?

I bought myself a 20" fold-up bicycle for a number of reasons and find I get
far less punctures in the 20" tyres.

I cannot believe how good the fold-up bike has been. My regret is I did not
buy one earlier.
Now I can take my bike everywhere without any hassles.

--

"Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will

they

Quoted message said:

me more prone to getting a puncture?

Thanks again. Pete

: I bought myself a 20" fold-up bicycle for a number of reasons and find I get
: far less punctures in the 20" tyres.
:
: I cannot believe how good the fold-up bike has been. My regret is I did not
: buy one earlier.
: Now I can take my bike everywhere without any hassles.

What make/model foldup? How many gears? I'm very tempted to add a decent folding
bike to my collection.

Now, back on topic... I have the kevlar slicks on my mtn bike and I've never had
a puncture (lucky me).

Bought a Dahon SpeedPro http://www.dahon.com/speedpro.htm 20" wheels. Great out of the box and no need to buy any extras.
Cannot believe how good it is to be able to cart your quality bike with you everywhere without anybody knowing it is a bike in the bag. This is my second Dahon bike as my chief bought my first one. Took it jokingly for a test and came back and asked how much. I did not really want to sell it, but he paid what I wanted and new the Dahon SpeedPro was coming which suits me better.
Of course the absolute purists will rubbish these types of bike but probably never ridden one. One bicycle purest at work laughed when I turned up with the Dahon, now he rides a Dahon SpeedPro as well as he got so tired of the hassle on public transport. Whats more he loves the SpeedPro and has sold some of this full size bikes.
Just ordered a Helios P8 http://www.dahon.com/heliosp8.htm with 20" wheels for her. Should arrive some time next week. Will save her $60 a week in parking fees. To far to walk but only 3.5k to ride mostly undercover.

--

"dude" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

: I bought myself a 20" fold-up bicycle for a number of reasons and find I get
: far less punctures in the 20" tyres.
:
: I cannot believe how good the fold-up bike has been. My regret is I did not
: buy one earlier.
: Now I can take my bike everywhere without any hassles.

What make/model foldup? How many gears? I'm very tempted to add a decent folding
bike to my collection.

Now, back on topic... I have the kevlar slicks on my mtn bike and I've never had
a puncture (lucky me).

Jose Rizal _@_._ said:

Shabby:

Quoted message said:

Jose Rizal said:

Rear tyres always get more punctures, simply because the front tyre
throws up the offending piece for the rear tyre to get slashed with.
Glass and most sharp objects tend to lie flat on the ground, and when
the front tyre rolls over these at speed they are dislodged from rest
position and offers up their sharp edges for the rear tyre.

There's more weight on the rear tyre. Hence, things get pushed deeper
into the rubber when you run over them. The front is also easier to
steer away from glass at the last second, while the back wheel might not
miss the glass.

Nonsense.

Just what is your problem Jose?
---
DFM

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:52:57 +1000, "Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will they
me more prone to getting a puncture?

I don't know whether they are more or less prone to punctures but tyre
liners are wonderful for reducing the incidence of puntures

I have had one puncture in over eight years using tyre liners and that
was caused by a small piece of glass about a quarter inch square which
had obviously spent a long time in the tyre slowly cuting its way
through the rubber and the liner. If I had been more vigilant
inspecting the tyres it wouldn't have happened

Baka Dasai:

Quoted message said:

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 03:47:34 GMT, Jose Rizal said (and I quote):

Quoted message said:

How can you get a puncture from running over gutters? Please.

The impact of hitting the gutter causes a snakebite flat.

That's not a puncture, which is caused by piercing by a sharp object.
It's a different issue, related to tyre pressure.

Deep Freud Moors:

Quoted message said:

Jose Rizal _@_._ said:

Shabby:

Quoted message said:

Jose Rizal wrote:
> Rear tyres always get more punctures, simply because the front tyre
> throws up the offending piece for the rear tyre to get slashed with.
> Glass and most sharp objects tend to lie flat on the ground, and when
> the front tyre rolls over these at speed they are dislodged from rest
> position and offers up their sharp edges for the rear tyre.

There's more weight on the rear tyre. Hence, things get pushed deeper
into the rubber when you run over them. The front is also easier to
steer away from glass at the last second, while the back wheel might not
miss the glass.

Nonsense.

Just what is your problem Jose?

Nonsense.

Big Bill Cody said:

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 21:52:57 +1000, "Ozzii Pete" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi all, I have a mountain bike with MB tyres on it.
My question is, if I replace the knobby MB tyres with slick tyres, will they
me more prone to getting a puncture?

I don't know whether they are more or less prone to punctures but tyre
liners are wonderful for reducing the incidence of puntures

I have never heard of tyre liners. Like I mentioned before, I just use
an old inner tube, which does the trick.

Is there a specific product that does a better job, and how much is
it?
---
DFM