I run between 90 and 110PSI on relatively large 28mm tyres. Low when wet.

Running a much lower pressure in your front tyre is silly. A pinch puncture blow out from an under inflated tyre on a road decent is much more dangerous than a similar incident off road*. Especially a front tyre. All that talk about weight on each wheel is wrong too, centre of gravity moves according to position, and shifts well forward under braking.

Check your tyre regularly for flints etc., they often take time to work through to the tube.

*I know, I had a blow out coming of Eaglesham Moor a few years ago.

Hels – tyre pressure makes no difference to getting non-pinch punctures.

I’m going to be a bit of a pedant here, but I reckon this statement is wrong. If only because the tyre contact patch is smaller, so you are less likely to pick up flints or small bits of glass.

Ah but that larger contact patch is exerting less pressure (per square inch), so any flint/glass is less likely to be forced into the tread.

/devils advocate mode

I’ll pedant you back then 😉

Contact patch is smaller but the same section of tyre still rolls over the same bit of ground just for a fraction less time. Smaller contact patch = higher pressure which means more likely hood that what you pick up is forced through the tyre.

I don’t believe for a second though that either factor is significant and I’ll bet they near enough cancel out.

I hear what you are saying druidh, but once the flint has stuck to the tyre (often by water or damp on the tyre), it is cyclical pressure that works the object into the tyre. So the pressure change will only affect the number of wheel rotations before full penetration occurs, according to your idea.

I hope we get the science of this worked out as it is very important 🙂

bazzer,

if you ride in the new forest, the flinty gravel is a bastard – I’ve fecked plenty of tyres within about 50-100 miles from new

get some proper hard ones – spesh roubaix armadillo are bulletproof IME
(as DezB, I’ve been disappointed by gatorkins – and GP4000s)
I also have a maxxis re-fuse on one wheel at the mo – feels a bit more like a proper tyre than the spesh and holding up so far

I suffered a string of punctures on a new road bike a few years ago, it turned out that the plastic rim tape was moving as I rode, exposing the sharp edge of the spoke holes and puncturing the tube after a while. A change to Velox rim tape sorted the problem for me.

if you ride in the new forest, the flinty gravel is a bastard – I’ve fecked plenty of tyres within about 50-100 miles from new

Did the New Forest Sportive 100 on Sunday and got a puncture.

But generally I ride around the South Downs.

I thought this road lark would mean less punctures than mountain biking 🙂

Going to take tyres off and check everything out at the weekend. Make sure there is nothing inside and that the rim tape is all in place etc.

If you are getting a puncture every ride, it means the tyres is shagged or you happen to be the unluckiest rider ever to ride.

If you are getting a puncture every ride, it means the tyres is shagged or you happen to be the unluckiest rider ever to ride.

Or the rim tape is moving or not fitted correctly.
Or there is a burr on the inside of the rim.
Or there is some debris inside the tyre.

🙂

Or you have something small stuck in/through the tyre that. you haven’t noticed

Is there any consistency in the locations of the punctures? If you have lots, then you must have an idea whether they are tyre facing or rim facingby now?

I’ve had the tiniest of bits of glass stuck in tyres that you couldn’t detect by running your finger over, but when you rode the bike it peeped out and punctured the tube.

havent read all the above, so apologies if this has already been suggested, but is there a case for unscrewing the valve and tipping in some sealant? id rather have a few ounces more weight in there than stop to fix punctures on my way to work.

thinking about doing this myself, so interested in peoples views on this.

Right did a bit of investigation tonight.

The rim tape and wheel were fine, nothing sharp and nothing inside.

Nothing trapped inside the tyre, but the tyres is sliced up and has lots of puncture holes all over the tyre. I prodded some of the bigger slices to make sure there was no flint etc in them. Must of prodded a bit hard as when I put it back together and pumped it up the tube blew out of one of the cuts.

Its not that old the tyre, probably only done 500-600miles. As I said earlier its a maxxis cormet, its still feels like its got a lot of meat on it, but its obviously shagged.

So what fast rolling bit more puncture proof tyre do people recommend ?

Bazzer

😆 , Shouldn’t laugh really… But You had to find out what’s happening.
I run Michelin Megamium2, for what it’s worth, and can’t remember the last time I got a puncture. Front has done 400km so far this weekend, 200km last and 400km before that. The rear has done significantly more. I bought them because it was all the shop had in.

Yep got so fed up I had to have a look.

I am just amazed at how little miles I have got out of them.

Conti GP 4 Seasons. A few thousand km and two punctures.

No time to read the entire post, apologies for repetitions.

1) Nothing wrong with 120, I use it all the time: 150/160 on tubulars

2) Rim tape check good idea

3) I’ve had 7 punctures in 5 years – Vittoria rubino for training, conti comp tubular for races. Four of which were cased by the tiniest shard of flint stuck in my tyre that needed psi plus 1 or 2 miles before slicing through the tube (not the conti comps, never had a flat on those, but that’s superfluous).

4) There clearly is a problem in your system, you shouldn’t puncture every time you go out…that it gets to the stage of becomming part and parcel of roading.

Feel free to email me, we can talk through some ideas if u wish… I’ve raced tri for a few years, not that I’m fast, but I’ve made the mistakes and learned from them 🙂

+1 for Conti 4 Seasons – ridden them for the last 3 years – all year round commuting 20Km each way to work + many winter training miles and NEVER punctured those.

currently using Schwalbe Durano (couldn’t get hold of 4 seasons when I needed them) and they are proving just as reliable for the last 5 months.

90psi F&R – 12.5Stone

Conti GP’s here, rear is approaching worn out now so plenty miles and I’ve never punctured either. 120psi front and rear (I’m a fat knacker) and I give the tires a feel for glass and shrapnel before every ride.

I’ve got a 10 Euro discount code for Rose.de (min spend is 25 Euro). Got it from FB but probably won’t use it. They do Conti Grand Prix with Poly-x breaker and black chilli compound. Have one on the back, never punctured. Max 120psi and for a puncture proof tyre not that heavy at 270g for 24×700 (Your maxxis were probbaly over 200g anyway). They have those GP’s for £16 each, minus the discount code would work out as a nice price. Drop me a line if You want that code as I won’t be buying tyres any time soon.

Also heard a lot of good opinions about Conti GP 4 Seasons, but can’t afford spending that much (yet ;-)).

Tubeless ?
Easy enough to convert although imited to Hutch tires until SPesh bring theirs out

Failing that Michelin Krylion seem ok.
Don’t forget to talc the tube as it allows the tube to move away from the tire without sticking to it – also makes changing tubes easier

currently using Schwalbe Durano (couldn’t get hold of 4 seasons when I needed them) and they are proving just as reliable for the last 5 months.

I’ve been plagued with punctures on Duranos in the last six months or so – made more difficult because they’re on the Airnimal and the choice of decent 24″ road tyres is rather limited. Currently trialling a Stelvio on the rear and (knocks wood) okay thus far. I’d quite happily spend a decent amount if it meant less punctures as they’re a royal pita.

Oh, and running 100 psi – have tried higher / lower and doesn’t seem to make the blindest bit of difference to incidence of punctures.

Just ordered a Conti GP4 Season.

Can’t believe how quickly that Maxxis got full of little holes !!!

Thanks chaps for all the recommendations and thanks to mieszko for the offer of the voucher.

Bazzer

I’ve been riding road bikes since 1979 and have never had a set of tyres puncture so much as some Maxxis Columbiere 23mm. Going back to Conti or Michelin.