Advice on puncture prevention.

[colonisticcs]

Hi, Been riding a racer for couple of weeks now, i have a viking roma, from other guys ive spoken too theyve told me to expect a puncture now and again. but i havent been for a ride yet without getting a puncture!!
the tyres are Kenda 700C X 23, not sure if these are the best quality, ive put in new specialized tubes 700c x 20/28 as they were the cheapest from my LBS. I cant seem to pump the tube up fully without it making the tyre bulge and come away from the rim.
Could you guys give me some answers to why this is happening?
Also are there any tricks to prevent punctures or do i have just have cheap tyres?

 

[accountantpete]

Have you identified what is causing the punctures?

Could be internal sharp edges on the inner rim - have you got rim tape ?

 

[HJ]

Time for some decent tyres then, try Conti GP4000.

 

[shippers]

Wahey! Someone with the same problem as me! I've not found a solution yet- you might want to pop back to the shop where you got the bike and get them to have a look at the rims etc. It could be a protruding spoke, or a nik on the rim that's doing you in.

I got a Giant Defy 4 with the Kenda tyres you have, changed the Kendas for Continental Kevler tyres, and again for Schwalbe Marathon+ with no real improvement.

Other things people tell me- move away from the edge of the road where are the crap gathers. Make sure your tyres are inflated to the level it says on the rim (I think the Kendas are about 110psi- you'll need a track pump for that). make sure you're removing any offending bits from your tyre before you put it back on. Make sure you don't catch bits of innertube between the tyre and wheel rim.

At the moment I'm getting a puncture every 20 miles or so. Some say that the bad weather makkes punctures more likely, but nothing like the rate we're getting.

What roads are you cycling on? Where in the country are you?

 

[kewb]

time of year when farmers cut hedges using side arm , its a cutter that spins disc blades
it fits on a tractor and has the nasty habbit of throwing thorns onto the inside two feet of most roads ,
stick out in the road a bit and only tuck in when needed you should avoid the worst of it
that way , and get your tyres as hard as you dare so theres less area on the ground .

 

[Willo]

After getting a puncture on only my second outing on my Allez last Nov, I took advice on here and invested in a track pump and now pump up at least once a week to the max psi on the tyres. Sorry if that's stating the obvious, but I was struggling to get to the max with my previous pump and it seems to have made a difference. Also, as shippers says, try to avoid riding too close to the edge of the road where all the crap usually is(actually realised holding my line slightly away from the curb is safer anyway).

That seemed to do the trick with no more problems until this weekend when I got the bike out and realised I had a flat on my front wheel. Closer inspection shows a bit of a nick on the tyre, so I'll give them another while but may have to get some new tyres at some point if that nick gets worse and makes them more prone to the "p" word.

Re the bulge/coming off the rim, I'm no expert but have found that you have to take extra care that the valve is set in properly/straight and keep an eye on the rim around the valve to keep the tyre in place when pumping up after replacing the tube and tyre. Are the problems on one particular wheel or both? As others have said, worth checking that a spoke isn't sticking through the rim if you're getting problems in the same place each time.

 

[Ian H]

The two most important things are to pump up to full pressure and to look where you're going.

 

[palinurus]

Yup. Avoid road debris and potholes (where practicable), use tough tyres, keep them topped up- track pump helps- and check the condition of them from time to time. I regularly manage a years riding (~6000 miles in my case, 700 x 23s mostly) without a problem.

 

[Rob3rt]

I managed to get a puncture on my way home from buying my bike - bad luck or what! Owned it like 30 mins and had the tyre off to whack a patch on the tube, but I definatelly noticed a lot of crap and glass etc close to the kurb on sunday's ride out, never really noticed before now.

I think ill be investing in a track pump my little wrechforce micro just doesnt cut it, lol

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I like this thread ...

How do I avouid punctures?

Don't ride over anything sharp.

Good advice as far as it goes!

 

[ASC1951]

Don't ride over anything sharp.

Good advice as far as it goes!

Haven't you read Ian H's post?

What would RT's sage advice be?

 

[michaelrmgreen]

Specialized All Condition Armadillo are more or less puncture proof in my experience.

 

[Willo]

michael, have been flirting with the armodillos myself. I'm not exactly racing material so probably not a material difference relative to the basic but slick tyres currently on my bike, but how are they in terms of weight etc. and how easy to get on and off (even if they are virtually puncture proof, don't want to be wrestling with one in the middle of nowhere at 6.30 in the morning when the inevitable eventually happens)

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Haven't you read Ian H's post?

What would RT's sage advice be?

keep your bikes inside the house at all times. That's what I do and I haven't had a puncture in ages.

 

[BrumJim]

I cant seem to pump the tube up fully without it making the tyre bulge and come away from the rim.
Could you guys give me some answers to why this is happening?

Woah.... Tyre bulging and coming away from the rim whilst trying to pump up the tube fully? Sounds like a major problem there. Defective tyre needs to be replaced FOC - not fit for purpose. And that will almost certainly be the cause of the punctures.