Inner dilema

[Okeydokey]

Since upgrading my wheels to ones with more spokes I have started to have punctures on quite a regular basis. My weight is without doubt a consideration at 106kgs, broad shoulders/heavy bones... honest!
Recently I had two punctures in two days. Always the back wheel, and near the valve, but on the road side, not the spoke side. Continental Race 28 inner tubes on one occasions, very cheap Chinese on the second. I have put another Conti on and so far so good, but it is making me somewhat cautious as to how far I can venture, confidence deflated alongside the tyre. Tyres are Conti Gatorskins, new and I am very happy with them, I have checked very carefully for anything that may have penetrated the walls etc, but found nothing. The second puncture I moved the tire around the rim to see if it would appear the other side, it hasn't. The punctures seem to be splits more that a pin holes, I am running the tubes at 100psi. FWIW! Specialized Allez, I upgraded from Axis wheels which I gather are rated at a lot less that 106Kgs. The wheels are a very stiff H Plus Son, (one kidney down). The roads are 'A' standard UK, not good, but not really that bad.
So, more air? latex? tubeless any thoughts, I will need to sell the other kidney if the best option turns out to be a tubeless one. Perhaps a better tube than Conti if you know of one and would swear by it? All help, advice much appreciated.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Are the punctures more on the side than the very top of the inner tune? If so, and especially bearing in mind your description of them being more a split than a hole, that would make me think they're a pinch puncture caused by the inner tube being trapped under the edge of the rim. That typically occurs after a bump or pothole often if the tyres are a bit soft.

Is your pump gauge accurate? Either try more air or another pump.

 

[mjr]

http://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-pressure-calculator.html and be honest with it about how much weight you carry (including backpack or whatever), as well as including the finding of putting a strap between your seatpost and stem and finding the bike's real weight in its current setup (luggage scales are good) rather than the vanity weight given by the manufacturer.

I fear you may find that the pressure required on the rear tyre is more than Gatorskin's maximum (anyone know what it is?) - if so, can you fit 32mm tyres without fouling the frame or brakes?

 

[Spiderweb]

I would try more pressure in the rear tyre. The max for a Gatorskins is 120psi. In my experience avoid cheap tubes my preference are Specialized inner tubes. Forget about latex unless you want to top the air up every day.

 

[froze]

Actually too low of pressure in a tire and then hitting a pothole would cause a snake bike condition which looks like two small holes close to each other, a split would be caused from the tube being pinched against the tire and the rim, OR, a faulty tube, but you say it occurred with a different tube so I'm thinking the tube is being pinched. Regardless, next time you install a tube spread some baby powder on the tube and then install it and see if that helps. Baby powder or talc is a good practice to get into anyway because it prevents the tube from sticking to the tire.

I'm assuming you're not using a plastic flat liner like a Mr Tuffy? a flat liner if the overlap edge that will be in contact with a tube is not buffed to almost a paper thin thickness can rub on a tube and cause a flat especially with ultralight butyl and latex tubes.

If you are having issues installing butyl tubes then you really don't want to install latex. In reality latex are actually more prone to flats regardless what the latex manufactures claims are. The only advantage to latex is they do consume about 1 to 2 watts less than talc butyl tubes, and they ride nicer, sort of like riding on tires with just 70 psi instead of 100, some say they weigh less but I've found a few butyl tubes that weigh less or about the same, but other than that I don't think they're worth the money, they don't last as long as butyl, they cost more, are trickier to install, they flat more, are bit more difficult to patch, they lose about 20% of it's psi in 24 hours. If you want a durable tube I would go with a standard weight, usually around 100 gram tube, and not try to be fancy because fancy light tubes have more flats and are more difficult to patch, and don't last a long.

 

[Okeydokey]

Oh! dear.. according to the calculator above supplied by @mjr, I clearly have no idea what a pinch puncture is and how they occur, I will look into this.
25c tyres - 88 psi on the front, 137 psi on the rear, I would need to lose 1.5 Stone to keep my current tyres
If I can fit a 28c on the back - 116 psi, the rim is 23mm wide
Curiously the Michelin version suggests that their 25c at my current weight would be 106 psi
Anyone tell me if I can fit a 28c on the back given the image below?

 

[mjr]

It looks like 28s will fit but not 32s.

Your rims aren't 23mm wide. Rims are measured inside the rims, where the tyre fits into it. My roadsters have 19mm rims to support 37mm tyres and they're much wider than yours.