# cheap tires at BD?



## rdtindsm (Jan 16, 2013)

When I was shopping for a bike, I thought that the rubber on the Windsor Knight was a plus. The bike was equipped with Michelin Dynamix tires and I know that Michelin made upper end tires. I went for a couple of short rides for a total of about 25 kilometers around town with no problem.

When I finally got out on the road, I had a flat after about 5 kilometers. Bike was still new, I didn't have a spare tube or pump, so I rode back home on the rim. Couldn't find anything in tire, so I fixed the flat. Next day, another flat at almost the same place on the road. Rode home on rim again.

Fixed flat, checked reviews on this tire, an inexpensive model that retails at about $22. Found out that it was considered to be a puncture magnet. Put a different model tire on. Left the front alone because they generally take less abuse. This is evidently true because this time I rode about 6 kilometers before getting my flat in the front. Three flats in 20 miles. But that greatly overstates the durability of these tires because half that distance was ridden on the rim.

I haven't made a thorough study, but I did check rubber on one of the butterpecan models. Different maker, reviews are only slightly better than those for the Michelin tires.

And I did get a frame pump and am carrying a spare tube in my seat bag that stays attached to the bike. I might even have some patches in it.

Will sell tires and lake front property on Lake Okechobee cheap.


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## bruin11 (May 21, 2004)

Did you do a thorough check of the tire and the rim. Three flats so close together sounds like maybe a sharp edge on the rim or something in the tire. Were you able to match up where the hole was in comparison to the tire and rim.


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## rdtindsm (Jan 16, 2013)

Yes, trying to find the source of the flat is SOP and I learned to do that sometime shortly after changing over to clinchers in the late 70's. With tubulars, it was just sort of went with the territory because you have to pull the tire apart at the leak.

The place I was riding is marked for bikes on the shoulder since there is commuter traffic. This time of year, there is more debris from road salt. By the time I rode on the rim, the tube had more than one small puncture, so it was hard to tell where the original puncture was. 

Check the casing from the inside visually, rub the inside with your fingers. If you start bleeding, you've found the leak. 

Yeah, new bike, new wheels, plastic rim strips which some people don't like. I've never had problems. Even when they split over the recess for the spokes, it's never caused a puncture. The thinner plastic can make it easier to mount a tire. I checked the rim for damage. While I don't like riding on the rim, I've never had rim damage that I've needed to repair.

I put on new tires of a different brand and have several rides on the same road. 

I'm sure we can rationalize that I was just having bad luck or other problems. But multiple people have stated an opinion that these tires are fecal and I'm in agreement. MSRP is about $22 dollars. Not enough to get a really good tire, but cheapest tire at LBS is about $30 and I can get better tires at Wally World.


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