Punctures - Help!!!

[Big Jim]

For my Charity ride in aid of my sons Acute Myeloid Leukaemia http://www.justgiving.com/williamlyne
, I'm doing a 265 mile ride over 5 days (actually it's looking nearer 290 miles).

Anyway, I've a Subway carrera hybrid which i've used for off and on road for years now. I use it as a bike to leave places and lock up and not be worried about. So I must have done at least a thousand miles on it over alsorts of terrain. I have never had a puncture and rarely have to pump the tyres up.

I thought as I'd be doing a fair amount of cycling on cycle paths for the charity ride, I'd buy a new higher spec hybrid. So bought a Giant Seek 1.
I've probably rid about 500 miles. During the past 200 miles I have had 3 punctures. the last ride I had 2 punctures in the space of a 52 mile ride. The punctures were after 10 miles, and at 52 miles (hence why I stopped).

So, why on a higher spec bike, am I getting these punctures which I've never had on my cheap Carrera?

The tyres on the Giant are Maxxis Detonators and are pretty slick. I have only really used the bike on roads and cycle paths.

What am I doing wrong?

Any advice is really appreciated

 

[ohnovino]

Did you check the inside of the tyre after the first puncture? Sometimes whatever caused it can remain in the tyre and cause another flat further down the road.

 

[MrJamie]

The tyres that came with my Giant hybrid were nice in terms of grip and such, but so thin and soft they wore quickly and punctured a lot.

I guess you could blame it on the roads/cyclepaths being swept less often with cutbacks so more glass etc, more wet weather supposedly makes rubber more prone to punctures or if the tyre width is lower, smaller contact with road surface means higher pressure and potentially more punctures too.

 

[Big Jim]

Did you check the inside of the tyre after the first puncture? Sometimes whatever caused it can remain in the tyre and cause another flat further down the road.

yep. thought about that, run finger around the wheel and had a good look. the distances between the first and second would have been 100 miles. between the 2nd and 3rd would have been 42 miles.

Can't help but think it's the tyres aren't up to it.

 

[Big Jim]

The tyres that came with my Giant hybrid were nice in terms of grip and such, but so thin and soft they wore quickly and punctured a lot.

I guess you could blame it on the roads/cyclepaths being swept less often with cutbacks so more glass etc, more wet weather supposedly makes rubber more prone to punctures or if the tyre width is lower, smaller contact with road surface means higher pressure and potentially more punctures too.

that's what I'm thinking.

 

[Aushiker]

Maxxis Detonators probably says a lot. IIRC my Giant CRX 1 came with those. They got binned pretty quickly. I would be considering a better quality tyre as part of my options mix.

Andrew

 

[Yellow7]

1 puncture, over two sets of tyres from UK to Cape Town. Schwalbe 'Marathon Plus Tour'. Nuff said.

 

[Big Jim]

1 puncture, over two sets of tyres from UK to Cape Town. Schwalbe 'Marathon Plus Tour'. Nuff said.

just ordered the non tour version. though wondering whether I should have after all.

I saw this about the Maxxis:

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/wheels/tires-clincher/maxxis/detonator/prd_291976_2489crx.aspx

The second thing I've had to change on my Giant Seek 1. Am wondering what's next.
But must say again, My Subway carrera has been an amazing buy. Never had one single puncture in years.

 

[2old2care]

Maxxis Detonators are pretty thin and from my experience have virtually no puncture protection at all, so I changed mine quite soon after buying my new bike, and normal service was resumed.

 

[Big Jim]

Maxxis Detonators are pretty thin and from my experience have virtually no puncture protection at all, so I changed mine quite soon after buying my new bike, and normal service was resumed.

Yeah. I think I've come to that conclusion
Shame really, as I thought when I bought the bike I thought it'd be good for commuting. Wouldn't get very far with the number of punctures I've had over the past month.

 

[Alembicbassman]

Also worth checking if the rim tape is covering the spoke holes. I have just changed my tape after ruining a brand new conti tube.

 

[Big Jim]

Also worth checking if the rim tape is covering the spoke holes. I have just changed my tape after ruining a brand new conti tube.

yeah had that suggestion from Giant shop. It was fine on checking, and the punctures were on the outside of the inner tube.
Basically the problem was cycling along the seafront bike path and shards of shingle were peppered in the tyre.

From what I've experienced the detonator tyres are pretty useless if you want to commute anywhere that may have slightly sharp objects on the road.

I have never had a puncture on my Subway tyres and have done the same route hundreds of times I would say.

 

[Cubist]

I binned the detonators that came with my hybrid after a few hundred miles..... Shredded centre section and loads of flats. I eventually changed to Bonty Hardcase Racelites, but they were for fast commuting not touring.

 

[Maz]

For my Charity ride in aid of my sons Acute Myeloid Leukaemia http://www.justgiving.com/williamlyne
, I'm doing a 265 mile ride over 5 days (actually it's looking nearer 290 miles).

I've just donated. Good luck with the ride and stay p*ncture-free!

 

[Big Jim]

I've just donated. Good luck with the ride and stay p*ncture-free!

Thank you Maz. I saw that earlier. good on you