# Flat Tire Preventing



## KY TREK 1.2 (Jul 20, 2013)

I have heard of people cutting the side walls of old tires and putting them inside their tires to keep the tube from being punctured. Is this a good idea?

Are their any other ways to help prevent flats without spending a bunch of money?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Keep your eyes on the road, and stay out of the gutter. I've had exactly ONE flat in the last 2 years. 2 in the last 5. That's w/ lots of miles on road tubeless, some on clinchers, and some on tubulars.


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## Pedro S (Mar 28, 2011)

1. Inflate your tires to a PSI which will prevent pinch flats.
2. Try not to ride through debris which will cause flats.
3. Buy tires that provide good flat protection

I've heard of people booting a cut tire with a piece cut out from an old tire, but I've never heard anyone recommend lining the whole tire like that to prevent flats.

Flats happen. Practice at home with whatever you plan to use to repair a flat with on the road that way you'll be ready when it happens. Whether it be a mini pump or co2, practice. You do have something to repair a flat when you ride don't you?

I ride with at least one tube, sometimes two, patches, levers, 3 co2 cartridges, and some Park Tool emergency boot cut to smaller sizes. When I started using the co2, I burned through a few canisters at home learning how it worked and how best to remove and replace tire and tube and now on the rare event that I do get a flat, no big deal.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

KY TREK 1.2 said:


> I have heard of people cutting the side walls of old tires and putting them inside their tires to keep the tube from being punctured. Is this a good idea?
> 
> Are their any other ways to help prevent flats without spending a bunch of money?


What is the source of your flats? If it's pinch flats, then you need higher pressure/wider tires and that is the only thing that will prevent pinch flats. If it's something like goat head thorns, then you need super tough tires, tire liners, sealant, or all three. If it is general road debris then Continental Gatorskins, Specialized Armadillos, etc. are the cure. The cause of the flat determines the preventative measures needed.


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## KY TREK 1.2 (Jul 20, 2013)

I am relatively new to road biking bike like it a lot. I started biking about 3 or 4 months ago and just a few weeks ago got my first road bike(08 trek 1.2). I have not expirienced one but fear it. I am 14 years old and the only thing that I ride with to help with a flat tire is a cell phone to get me home. I ride on country roads where people gravel from their driveways spilling out into the road and occasional broken bottles and potholes. I am on a tight budget so I need the cheapest but best things I can get. 

I also do not know what a pinch flat is.
If there is anything a begginer like me needs to know please help.
Thanks


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## authalic (Mar 21, 2013)

A pinch flat happens when your tire pressure is low and you hit something with a sharp corner, like a rock, driveway, railroad track, pothole, etc. The tube gets pinched between the tire and rim and will deflate fairly rapidly. You'll usually feel a hard knock, and when you look at the tube, you'll see one or two slits on the side of the tube that can look like a snakebite. They're easy to prevent. Just keep your tire pressure high and check it often.

The minimum amount of equipment you will need is a tire pump that can get to maximum road-tire pressures (120 psi). You'll also need a patch kit, and maybe a set of tire levers, if your tires are difficult to remove by hand. You should be able to get all of that for around $30. Carrying a spare tube is also smart. Ask your local bike shops if any of them sell bulk tubes. My usual shop sells them at 3 for $10.

Once you get all of that stuff, get some practice patching tubes. It's not hard, and there are a lot of YouTube clips showing how it's done.


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## uberculture (Feb 26, 2013)

As another relative noob, I have to say, heed the advice above. Here's what happened to me about a month ago...

I go on a weekly ride with a few guys on Wednesdays after work. One Wednesday, I decided I'd ride in to the office, then go straight from work to the meeting point. The morning I was leaving, my rear tire was suspiciously low. Rather than chance it, I swapped out the tube (with much frustration and muttering, since I'd not practiced changing the tube before). I got it changed, and inflated, and ran out the door, a little late. Sure enough, halfway to work, the tire was low again... I didn't seat the tube properly, and had a pinch flat (I know now). Being late, and frustrated, I shot a can of CO2 into the tire and continued. Half a mile later, the tire was flat again (naturally). I changed the tube again (being really late at this point) and tried to inflate it with the second CO2 cartridge (I hadn't practiced using that, either) and the gas went everywhere but in the tube. I had to carry my bike the last mile into work, and missed the evening ride.

Lessons learned:

Practice changing tubes while at home
Practice inflating tubes while at home
Haste makes waste... don't be in a hurry when it comes to repair.


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## KY TREK 1.2 (Jul 20, 2013)

Thanks for all the help guys I'll make sure prepare for a flat while on the road.

I have one more question. Can a pothole give you a flat tire or damage your wheel? I have recently been in a wreck trying to avoid a pothole.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

KY TREK 1.2 said:


> I have one more question. Can a pothole give you a flat tire or damage your wheel? I have recently been in a wreck trying to avoid a pothole.


Did you read the description of a pinch flat above? Yes, hitting the sharp edge at the far edge of a pothole can cause a flat, and can damage a rim if you hit it hard enough.

But don't crash trying to avoid them. Try to look far enough ahead so you can avoid them without violent swerving, and if one does surprise you, learn to absorb the impact to lessen the chance of damage. Stand up on the pedals, and use your arms and legs as shock absorbers. Skilled road riders can fully absorb that shock, and even "bunny hop" over obstacles and not touch them at all. That takes practice, and the practice should be done carefully, in a safe place.


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## JasperL (Aug 21, 2011)

I'd just add that the actual recommended tire pressure depends on combined rider/bike weight and the size of the tire. Here's one guide to recommended tire pressures. 

http://www.bikequarterly.com/images/TireDrop.pdf

I dropped my 700x25 tires from 100+/100+ psi front/rear to 70/90 front/rear (rider + bike 170-175 pounds). I'm probably a bit more susceptible to pinch flats, but it's a small risk (zero actual pinch flats in 2,500 miles) and the trade off of a better ride for all those miles is well worth the risk of fixing a flat once or twice a year.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

JCavilia said:


> Skilled road riders can fully absorb that shock, and even "bunny hop" over obstacles and not touch them at all. That takes practice, and the practice should be done carefully, in a safe place.


I hop pot holes all the time. We have plenty of them here in PA. A soft hop landing is far better than an absorbed roll over a pot hole. And of course, an absorbed roll over is better than hitting it like a brick. 
I've never had a pinch flat or rim damage from a pot hole (knocking on wood).


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

JasperL said:


> I dropped my 700x25 tires from 100+/100+ psi front/rear to 70/90 front/rear (rider + bike 170-175 pounds). I'm probably a bit more susceptible to pinch flats, but it's a small risk (zero actual pinch flats in 2,500 miles) and the trade off of a better ride for all those miles is well worth the risk of fixing a flat once or twice a year.


I would say your risk of pinch flat is very low. According to 15% drop, you could run 84/67 with 25's.
I'm about 180-190lbs rider plus bike. I'm running 23's at 100/80. Never had a pinch flat.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

JCavilia said:


> Hitting the sharp edge at the far edge of a pothole can cause a flat, and can damage a rim if you hit it hard enough.


Absolutely. Some time ago, I made a crude sketch of how this happens. When you hit the sharp edge of a pothole, the (red) tube gets pinched in the collapsed (black) sidewall.

You often hear that the tube gets pinched between the tire and the rim, but that's not quite right. If the tube would somehow manage to get between the tire and the rim, it would explode with a loud bang. This does happen, but is almost always caused by improper installation of the tube.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Pinch flats from potholes, curbs, or other road debris can still happen even at high pressure. The last one I got came in the dark, and I never saw whatever it was that I hit. The impact was sharp enough to knock my water bottle loose from the cage. I stopped to retrieve it, and my rear was flat when I got back on the bike. It was dark, about 39 degrees, and kind of damp. It was a real treat to change that tube. :lol:

I had that, and one puncture in the last two years. Flats are part of riding, but watching for what can cause them reduces the risk substantially. Enough so there's no benefit from trying to "flat-proof" a tire by reinforcing it from the inside.


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## James6b (Aug 22, 2011)

I am the undisputed king of roofing nails.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

mpre53 said:


> Pinch flats from potholes, curbs, or other road debris can still happen even at high pressure. The last one I got came in the dark, and I never saw whatever it was that I hit. The impact was sharp enough to knock my water bottle loose from the cage. I stopped to retrieve it, and my rear was flat when I got back on the bike. It was dark, about 39 degrees, and kind of damp. It was a real treat to change that tube.


Yeah, those are fun. Also, if you ride in the rain (I commute and get heavy rain occasionally), potholes hiding under puddles are a real treat. 

I've had 3 flats on my commuter bikes in the last 2 months, after a long spell of good luck. Two of them went flat while the bike was sitting overnight or during the day, so in one case I could switch to a different bike and do the repair later, and in the other change it in the garage where I park during the day, rather than on the road. 2 were teeny, tiny shards of glass, and the other an even more invisible bit of wire (the kind that come from steel-belted tires that get shredded).

It's just one of those things about cycling, KyTrek. Get the supplies and learn to do the repairs, and you'll have peace of mind.


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## KY TREK 1.2 (Jul 20, 2013)

Im not the master of bunny hopping but I can pop a wheelie with control. Would going over potholes with just the back tire be better than both.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

KY TREK 1.2 said:


> Im not the master of bunny hopping but I can pop a wheelie with control. Would going over potholes with just the back tire be better than both.


Not really, since you'll have even more weight on the back wheel when it hits. BUT, you can do a non-simultaneous unweighting, if your timing is good. Lift the front wheel over the pothole or obstacle (just barely lifting), and then as soon as the front wheel is past the trouble spot, immediately shift weight forward hard and unweight the rear wheel. This works pretty well if you have good timing. Experienced mtb guys can walk a road bike up a tall curb this way.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

KY TREK 1.2 said:


> Im not the master of bunny hopping but I can pop a wheelie with control. Would going over potholes with just the back tire be better than both.


You really did just ask that, didn't you?


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