How to prevent repeated flats

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I guess we will have to disagree on that. I do like Tubeless and it has saved me on a couple of occasions from serious crash with slow deflation.
I agree that they are fantastic on a mountain bike / Hybrid, with a far lower pressure to volume, I’ll never go back to tubes on those bikes, but road tubeless is the worst idea since JFK decided to take the convertible.
 
Hope it is not too late for advice. Opting for wider rather than narrower tyres is sensible esp for puncture protected models which tend to be stiffer.
Small sharp metal pins can slice through many tyres. Small shards of glass and flint are more easily stopped by protected tyres.
Check that your valve hole on the rim has no sharp edge, take any burr off with a piece of emery cloth or even fine sandpaper. Make sure that spokes are not protruding into the inner tube and that you have decent rim tape that fits well. Many riders prefer Velox adhesive cloth tape.
When you fit the inner tube, use a valve of suitable length. The longer ones for deep section rims will fit on std rims but the excess length makes them easier to bend. Make sure the valve points to the hub and that the tyre rim is fully seated each side of the valve.
 

Milkfloat

An Peanut
Location
Midlands
I agree that they are fantastic on a mountain bike / Hybrid, with a far lower pressure to volume, I’ll never go back to tubes on those bikes, but road tubeless is the worst idea since JFK decided to take the convertible.

I wish you would make your mind up. First of all it was the worst idea ever, then it was great when you finally managed to fit a tyre to a rim properly and now it is crap again. You state each opinion as fact. Meanwhile in the real world many cyclists are quite happy with tubeless, some are unhappy and millions have never tried it. I think it should be down for each person to decide what is best for them.
 

gbb

Legendary Member
Location
Peterborough
A massive part of puncture avoidance is looking where you ride and thinking about your position on the road.
Nervous, less confident riders will hug the gutter and ride in areas where the traffic doesn't go, like chevroned sections, parking bays and marked cycle lanes. This is where a lot of the potential puncture material resides and by riding there you are multiplying your chance of picking up a foreign body in your tyre.
More experienced, confident riders stay further out from the kerb/gutter and follow the driven line more of the time. This part of the road is effectively 'swept clean' by all the vehicles and offers the lowest risk of suffering a puncture if you can ride there. That pale, polished line where the left wheels of all the cars normally run is quite a good place to be.

Good luck on L2P. Make sure you have your puncture repair kit with you and have practiced using it :okay:
Bang on :okay:
 
Location
London
And checking your tyres frequently for debris. I do it before any day ride and a lot for shorter ones. It takes no time at all. Most punctures I think are caused by bits of stuff very gradually working their way through, not by sudden catastrophic cuts from broken glass or thorns.
I can"t remember the last time I had a puncture, and this is despite the fact that I run my tyres into the ground. I don't chuck them until I get frequent punctures.
 

si_c

Guru
Location
Wirral
After the big ride i will not ride for atleast 6 months !
Ok may be not 6 .... that will be hard .. but defo a months break ! ;)
Maybe a few days once you've rested your legs and started to miss it :laugh: Don't worry about punctures and just enjoy your ride, nothing else really matters.
 
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Bhitucyclist

Bhitucyclist

Senior Member
I did L to P on my triban T3 with standard 23 tyres. Only 1 p and that was a sharp flint. See if bike allows more width as width proportional to comfort as wider is lower pressure
Thanks... i have changed the tyres to 25 and better quality. Day 1 route is now out... it does looks daunting ... but i going to enjoy it as there no burden to navigate ... only pedal pedal pedal :smile:
 

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
Thanks... i have changed the tyres to 25 and better quality. Day 1 route is now out... it does looks daunting ... but i going to enjoy it as there no burden to navigate ... only pedal pedal pedal :smile:

Eat little and often, plus drink a bottle an hour. Try and eat normal foods stuff and not too much sugar. Enjoy, it will be great
 
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Bhitucyclist

Bhitucyclist

Senior Member
It may seem daunting, but it won't be. By the time you get to Dover you'll be wondering why you were worrying....
Thanks. I am hoping so too. :smile: ... first day thru the A20 and i might be quite alone if i cant keep up with my group. But i can see the route is straight and will be marked i believe
 
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