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Tire poll results

09.06.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 5 Comments

The other day I asked Bike Noob readers to send their tire recommendations. This, after dealing with a couple of flats myself, and getting an email from a reader who has had a rash of flats. The question was, What tire do you recommend for puncture resistance?

GatorskinWhile I was pleased with the responses, there were not enough to create a meaningful sample. However, of those who did respond, a clear trend emerged: Continental Gatorskins.

Riders praised Gatorskins for their ability to last many, many miles without flatting. Some suggested that Gatorskins aren’t as “nimble” feeling as other tires, but were willing to make that tradeoff to avoid flats.

The only other tire to get multiple mentions was another Continental model, the GP 4000S.

I put a Gatorskin on the rear wheel this week, after my experience with a warped tire (although I suspect the warping was the result of my hanging the tire in a hot garage for several months). No problems after 60 miles of riding, so I’m happy, but that’s not enough to come to any conclusions.

The only issue with Continental tires is their price. Gatorskins cost about $50 apiece, and the GP 4000S run more than that. However, their proponents seldom mentioned cost — I guess people are willing to pay if it means they have the peace of mind of not worrying about flatting. Sharp-eyed consumers can find bargains online, though. Jeff Hemmel says he paid $31 each for his GP 4000S tires at Pro Bike Kit (probikekit.com) with free shipping to the U.S.

Other tires that got favorable mentions from readers included Schwalbe Marathons and Specialized Armadillos (several for each), Maxxis Columbiere, and Michelin Lithions.

Reader Mike from California had high praise for his Lithions:

LithionI am a heavy guy at 270+ lbs. and Lithions are all I will run. I rarely flat and the last one I replaced on the rear had over 1300 miles on it and had NEVER flatted, not once. It was still at pressure after a 40+ mile ride when I discovered that it was worn all the way around and the casing was beginning to peel.

Several readers mentioned the importance of good rim tape. It’s probably worthwhile to replace the stock rim tape on your wheels with some new stuff, and to replace it every three years or so.

Here’s wishing you a flat-free Fall.

(I noticed that no one is running the Hello Kitty tires pictured in the original post.)

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Categories // tires Tags // flat tire, tires

Flats — get different tires or ride it out?

09.01.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 11 Comments

KittyAfter my experience with a flat two weeks ago, and a warped tire last week, this e-mail from Don in California hit home:

Flats have been bugging me for what seems to be the past month. I had a double blowout with old tires. I put on new tires and am still getting them, including averaging about one a week to the point that I’m considering changing to a different type of tire. The ones I’m using now are Forte Pro DC, the same tire that came with my bike. I had only ONE flat in about the first 1800 miles of riding. Now they are coming on like lemmings. Should I look at changing tires? If so, what brands should I consider or should I just try to ride this string of flat luck out?

My reaction to times like this has been to change tire brands. I’ve run Specialized, Vittoria, Hutchinson, and Continentals. I have yet to find a tire that will last a full year on the bike, although one managed to hang on for over 2,000 miles. Kevlar belts seem to help, but they’re not a panacea, either.

Furthermore, I have a special request of Bike Noob readers: Give Don a suggestion in Comments about dealing with flats, but send me a separate e-mail naming your favorite make and model of tire. Include a line or two about why you like them best. I’ll collect the votes and see if there’s a single tire that’s head and shoulders above the rest, and I’ll post about it at a future date, when I’ve got enough data.

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Categories // tires Tags // flat tire, tires

#$%^&!@* pinch flats!

02.15.2009 by Ray Niekamp // 2 Comments

Got up and out earlier than usual yesterday morning. My wife is on the local Advertising Federation cycling team that rides in the Hill Country Tour for AIDS, and they have regular training rides leading up to the Tour. It was in the 40s, overcast, and breezy, and Mrs. Noob decided she wasn’t riding. But I was.

I assumed it would be just a few Ad Fed folks, but when I got to the elementary school where the ride starts, I found it was a full-blown training ride organized by the Tour. At least 50 people turned out. There were even three SAG vehicles.

This was an easy ride, because it’s still early in the season. A number of riders were even more noobie than the Bike Noob. Lots of hybrids, even a few cruisers, and some riders in mid-weight jackets and blue jeans. The route was the Mopac loop I take all the time. One loop is eight miles, and riders had the option of doing as many as three.

The ride organizers explained the route and procedures. They passed out cell phone numbers of all the SAG vehicles. They went through all the common hand signals. Then it was time to leave.

I was among the first half dozen riders out of the parking lot. The wind actually wasn’t as bad as it was for the last couple of weekends, and I had dressed right, even wearing full-fingered gloves, so I was all warmed up by the time I got to the end of the first lap.

Going around the second time, I picked up a little speed over the first lap. A couple guys passed me on a downhill, but I passed them back going uphill. As I approached the intersection with a major road, I checked behind me to see if it was safe to cross over to the left shoulder and prepare for my left turn. It was. Still looking back, I started my turn to cross to the left. When I looked back to where I was heading, I saw it — then I hit it.

“It” was something squarish. There was no way I could avoid it. My rear tire went flat immediately. I stopped on the left shoulder, assessed the damage, then walked the bike back across the road to change the tire next to the right shoulder.

Once I got the tire off, I did the usual inspection to try to find whatever caused the flat. But I could find nothing. Remember, these were the new Kevlar-belted tires I bought just last week. I was displeased. I checked the tube, but a cursory examination there turned up nothing, either. Unfortunately, when I ride, I wear prescription sunglasses that have only my distance prescription, and not my bifocals. So I can’t see anything close unless I hold it inches from my eyes.

I pulled the spare tube from my seatbag, and had just about got it and the tire back on the wheel when one of the SAG vehicles pulled up. He held the wheel while I pumped up the tire. We put it back on the bike, and I packed up my seatbag.

When I turned back to the bike to resume the ride…the tire was almost flat again! The spare tube must have had a leak! Defeated, I put the bike up on his carrier, and he drove me home.

Back in my garage, I grabbed the first tube that had flatted, and took a closer look at it. There it was: the “snake bite” — two small punctures side-by-side. Whatever I had rolled over caused a pinch flat.

I blame myself on two counts: I didn’t see the thing that caused the flat (it turned out to be a a small rock, about three inches across by two inches thick — it was still in the road when I rode by it this afternoon), and I probably didn’t have enough pressure in my tire. If you saw last week’s post about the new tires, you know I planned to experiment with pressures to find what was right. I had already ridden at 100 pounds, and for this ride, I was down around 95 — maybe a tad less.

The late Sheldon Brown, my main source of information for all things bike, says tire manufacturers are conservative when they put recommended pressures on the sidewall. Brown says if the tire bears a 100-pound load, a 25 mm tire can be pumped up to 110 pounds. Since I weigh about 210, that’s about 105 pounds per tire. Hutchinson recommends a tire pressure of 101 pounds max.

This afternoon, I pumped the tires up to 100 pounds again, then went for a ride. No problems. I may still fiddle with pressures, but they’ll be firmer, not softer. And I guess if I find the energy this week, I’ll be patching two old tubes.

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