Puncture Preparedness

[DogmaStu]

I haven't had a puncture in 2 years. Covering over 21000 miles. The answer: tubeless at no more than 60PSI on my road bikes. Faster and more comfortable on 'real World' roads and...less susceptible to punctures.

I change tyres 2-3x a year so the sealant gets refreshed each time too. I still carry an emergency tube & tubeless tyre plugs though.

The last puncture I had was on a tubed tyre. Never had one since converting to tubeless. You may have guessed I'm a total convert by now!

 

[ColinJ]

Is it attached to the rim? 🤔

No, but it used to be!

 

[Aravis]

All good and valid responses, but I for one don't envisage going tubeless.

In 2017 I had a tyre pop on me. With the help of an old margarine container I made it to the nearest bike shop - SJS Cycles in Bridgwater no less. Since then I've added a piece of old tyre casing to my standard tool kit, but on some recent rides seem to have regressed. I do not intend to let this happen again!

BTW @Aravis impressed that you've used a halfpenny for scale!

Largely practical, as a 5p seemed too bright and anything else was far too big. And I knew where I had a small collection of the old littluns.

You just have to decide what you are prepared to sort out and whether that includes carrying stuff for those once in a blue moon situations.

True enough, but making those judgments is about as easy as choosing your maximum bid on eBay...

 

[MidnightRider]

You know that thing on a Swiss Army knife that no one knows what it’s for? I use that for digging stuff out of tyres.

The story is that it was originally used for repairing leatherwork, harnesses etc. It was designed to punch new holes through the material.
No idea if thats true.

 

[wafter]

The story is that it was originally used for repairing leatherwork, harnesses etc. It was designed to punch new holes through the material.
No idea if thats true.

I'm not sure it even has a specific application; more just a general purpose awl for making holes in stuff. Bikejackers' skulls, for example..

 

[TheDoctor]

A Swiss army knife can solve most problems. And get you into any food or alcohol container that exists.
In fact, if you can't fix it with WD40, gaffer tape and a Swiss army knife, then kick it and run away

 

[EltonFrog]

BTW my Swiss Army knife is a bike specific one.

 

[mikeIow]

I imagine those of us who consider ourselves experienced cyclists reckon we're OK on this.

I’m convinced my next puncture will totally bamboozle me, through utter lack of practice 😱

Not a massive mile muncher, unlike many here - more a fair weather cyclist - but had Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my bike since before my LEJoG adventure 3 years ago…..zero punctures 💪

I probably ought to replace the tyre - but it still has some tread, & I’m loathe to jinx it by changing anything!
I know they are stiff tyres, & I wouldn’t be surprised it I was unable to get it off the rim 🤣

 

[matticus]

But having located the foreign object in a tyre it had never occurred to me that I might not be able to remove it.

I know people who carry a spare (folding!) tyre for pretty much this reason. It also means you don't need to waste time checking the old tyre. Plus you're now riding a tyre that is as "unworn" as possible.

 

[Alex321]

I’m convinced my next puncture will totally bamboozle me, through utter lack of practice 😱

Not a massive mile muncher, unlike many here - more a fair weather cyclist - but had Schwalbe Marathon Plus on my bike since before my LEJoG adventure 3 years ago…..zero punctures 💪

I probably ought to replace the tyre - but it still has some tread, & I’m loathe to jinx it by changing anything!
I know they are stiff tyres, & I wouldn’t be surprised it I was unable to get it off the rim 🤣

Yes, the marathon+ seem to be about as puncture proof as you can get, and long lasting. My current rear has done about 4000 miles without a single puncture, the front a few hundred miles less. I forgot to record the mileage when I bought that one.

 

[presta]

I had a hedge trimming stalk jammed in the tyre too tight to pull it out once, so I cut it off flush with the tread using a penknife, then pushed the rest through with a small Allen key.

a general purpose awl for making holes in stuff. Bikejackers' skulls, for example..

You want the marlin spike on a WW II navy pocket knife for that:

Mine's long since disappeared, but the scar on my thumb's still there after >50 years.

 

[Drago]

I haven't had a puncture in 2 years. Covering over 21000 miles. The answer: tubeless at no more than 60PSI on my road bikes. Faster and more comfortable on 'real World' roads and...less susceptible to punctures.

I change tyres 2-3x a year so the sealant gets refreshed each time too. I still carry an emergency tube & tubeless tyre plugs though.

The last puncture I had was on a tubed tyre. Never had one since converting to tubeless. You may have guessed I'm a total convert by now!

I didn't have one in 14 years on tubed, 5000 odd mile of commuting annually in all weathers, plus my own off road jollies, and professional MTB training.

Being too heavy to run at low pressures made choobless a pointless exercise in messiness for me, so went back. It's not that I wouldn't like to, but the benefits aren't there when you're nudging 280lbs and need some major PSI to keep your rims off the tarmac.

 

[All uphill]

This is a timely thread for me.

I have my tools in a container that lives in one of the bottle cages. Last week I realised I hadn't opened the container for about 18 months, and thought it would be a good idea to pull everything out and check it is all ready for service.

Turns out the tip of the tweezers have been chafing very slightly against the unused inner tube!

I could still have used a patch by the side of the road, but it was a reminder to pack the container carefully.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I've not (yet) found anything that can't be ultimately excavated with a flat blade screwdriver on a multitool, though it can take a while.

It's finding the really small things rather than removing the big ones I've always found to be the worst problem, miniscule bits of glass being the worst.

 

[presta]

It's finding the really small things rather than removing the big ones I've always found to be the worst problem, miniscule bits of glass being the worst.

There was one occasion when I couldn't find the cause, and I ended up with another puncture through the middle of the new patch a day later. That was a fragment of glass so small it was below the tyre surface inside and outside, so it didn't pop out until I poked something in the hole.