Flat Tires and Land Mines

[2door]

Got my first flat tire yesterday. I consider myself very lucky but then I never go off road. Anyway, I went to the bike store to pick up a new tube, I was still running the old original in the front and it wasn't a puncture proof. While there I ran across tire liners made with Kevlar. $39.95, each. Wow! That's pricey. I read the package and the manufactuer guarantees against punctures in the tread. (Not the sidewall) but darn, for over $80.00 after taxes for both wheels I think I'll live with a bottle of 'Slime" and take my chances. At least until they start laying land mines in Colorado.
Anyone have any experience with these high dollar items? Do they work?
Just curious. I'm approaching the magic 500 miles mark and this is my first flat. Just doesn't seem like a worthwhile investment for me.
Tom

[Spunout]

tom-
do yourself a favor, and forget ALL about slime. true, it's somewhat of benefit for very small punctures (thorns, tiny metal shards). fix-a-flat works great if your not near a spare tube or air supply. if you put fix-a-flat in a tube that's been slime'd, it all turns to water, and worthless.

get yourself a pair of mr.tuffy tire liners. $15. or something similar. that thin strip of tough plastic between the tube and tire, has kept all my bikes flat-free for a long, long time. no, no help w/sidewall, but those flats are pretty rare.

[2door]

Dan,
Thanks. Good advice. Along with the high priced Kevlar liners the shop I was in also had some reasonably priced items, $5.00 and up. As I said I stick to paved surfaces but here in Colorado we have thorns, all kinds of nasty little pointy things and I'm hoping my thorn resistant tubes with 'Slime' will suffice. I have one in my rear tire and so far, no problems but even a cheap liner looks like good insurance, especially when you're several mles from home.
Tom

[Dave31]

We have lots of thorns here in AZ too. I use old innertubes as liners, I just cut the stems out. So far over 4,000 miles and only three flats.

If you really want to go radical, try using a old tire and cut the sidewalls out and used the tread as a liner. I have not done it on my MB but as a kid thats how I did all my BMX tires.

[jasonh]

How would old leather belts work? You'd have to stitch a few of them together, but they're cheap at the thrift store. it would be pretty tough to puncture a leather belt with a thorn...

[Dave31]

Originally Posted by jasonh

How would old leather belts work? You'd have to stitch a few of them together, but they're cheap at the thrift store. it would be pretty tough to puncture a leather belt with a thorn...

I do not see why not. Just be sure you do not pinch the tube and be careful not to go too thick or you will have trouble with the tube being to big.

[2door]

I'm mixing hobbies here but I discovered something today when I was putting the new tube in my front wheel. Anyone who is into or used to be into model airplanes and flew the big ones might have some big propellers laying around. I had several 18 and 20 inch props from 1/4 scale planes and I discovered they make great tire tools. Mine were a carbon fiber composite, smooth edged and worked like magic. I never use metal tools and made some from paint stir sticks but the old airplane propellers worked perfectly. They're too expensive to go buy new from the hobby shop but if you know anyone who flys big model planes they might have a couple of old ones they'd be willing to part with. Even a broken prop will work because you only need one blade.
Just sumpin I found today and thought I'd share with the group.
Tom

[SmokerX]

I use the high end Inner tube manufactured by slime on the back wheel and the slightly lighter mid range tube on the front wheel for my bicycles. both have the slime pre-installed, I think the difference was a foam liner. This definitely feels like it adds weight to the bike. So far no flats after years of heavy riding. On my motorized bike I`m going to try just the bike tube sealant on stock tubes to minimize weight issues. Supposedly it protects against punctures of no more than 3mm.

[cachehiker]

Originally Posted by Spunout

get yourself a pair of mr.tuffy tire liners.

+1, mostly.

The kevlar liners work great but they're very often like putting $1000 rims and tires on a 78 Chevette. They're very lightweight and very supple as far as tire liners go. Last I checked, there weren't very many motorized bicycle builders worried about shedding that last 2 ounces per rim. If I were racing my mountain bike on a course riddled with goatheads, I'd use them. Not racing, something cheaper.

My advice will always be to start with quality tires, something like Schwalbe Marathons once the originals have worn out. A tougher casing does more good than a puncture proof tube or a tire liner. They're not only tough but they ride well too because the casing is more supple. Slime and all that helps but I personally hate the mess and always have a spare tube and tools to repair flats.

6000 miles and counting (albeit non-motorized) on Vittoria Randonneurs, another quality tire, with only one flat and it took a box staple to do it.

[HseLoMein]

Originally Posted by cachehiker

+1, mostly.

If I were racing my mountain bike on a course riddled with goatheads, I'd use them. Not racing, something cheaper.

That is the greatest line ever lol