Tyre Gremlins

[dj jedijunglesnow]

There is something seriously scary (how's that alliteration!) about the way punctures work.

As you all well know if you ever talk about flats of change a tyre or anything immediately before a ride you are virtually garuanteed to get a flat.

I have never had a flat front trye, even when I was running single wall tyres and skinny tubes on my hardtail. This was when I was pinch flatting the rear weekly too.

I've been running 2 ply Maxxis tryes on the front with a decent tube. Thinking about the fact that I have never had a flat front tyre I thought that I'd order a single ply Maxxis just for the front. Wanted to make it lighter and easier to lift the front wheel up.

Not too many stores had single ply High Rollers, but I finally tracked one down on Friday (haven't received it yet).

So riding on Sunday still with the 2 ply on the front etc, yep you guessed it, my first ever pinch flat on the front tyre.

Is it just me or does everyone find that pinch flats are governed by some sort of weird tyre-karma stuff?

 

[RCOH]

Hookworms at 60+ psi = No flats ever (but serious weight issues).




The amount of flats you will get on a ride is n+1, where n is amount of tubes/repair kits you have in your pack!!

 

[Pete J]

Who knows, i rarely get them, but that may be more due to the fact that i suck than anything!! Therefore i don't try anything too big or dangerous!

Slightly OT, i remember some years ago riding my motorbike from Brissy to Sydney, i got a nail in my front tyre on the freeway just near Mt.White. Was doing about 120km/h at the time and the tyre went flat almost immediately! My bike went almost totally out of control and was weaving all over the place, then i eventually fell off after what felt like an eternity.
That was some weird karma shit, especially after travelling so far and being so close to my destination.

 

[Juls]

Yes i know the feeling,

on 2 occasions, I've had the front tire go on me,
the last time I was wound out down a hill (top gear) screaming through the bush on a fire trail, came a bit offline and hit a rock.. instantly hear PFFT PFFT PFFT PFFT as the tire spins round letting air out.. I instantly tried to stop I got to about 15-20 km/h before the tire rolled off the rim and I went into the ground.. Not cool

luckily it wasn't too serious, but pinch flats can get you when you least need it.. thats fer sure

result of hitting the rock, 2 1" long pinch flats, massively bent inwards rim walls. few grazes ect.

That was running DH Tires and DH Tubes as well.

regards
Juls

 

[udi]

The front wheel and therefore tyre cops a lot less abuse than the rear, i'd guesstimate it at only copping 50-60% of the abuse the rear gets, for DH anyway.

Therefore you will naturally get none or very few flats in the front, compared to the rear. I'm currently running an XC tube in my front tyre and a maxxis 2.2-2.5 dh tube for the rear (bit lighter than the 2.7 / 3.0 ones, and seems to be holding up ok).

I have popped a front tube also, and guess what, it was a 3.0 dh tube. Switched to an XC because it was all i had, last year, and it's still going. go figure.

Anyway, pinching the front, i'd say its to do with low pressure and hitting a rock or something as opposed to gremlins. Chuck another tube in, keep the pressures up, and get over it.

I wouldnt go single-ply personally though.. might give more internal space for gremlins to breed and therefore cause more flats.

 

[dj jedijunglesnow]

I wouldnt go single-ply personally though.. might give more internal space for gremlins to breed and therefore cause more flats.

I was gonna go single ply front with a thick DH tube. I'd figured the extra thick rubber would stop any unwanted breeding.

 

[GoingDHfast]

There is something seriously scary (how's that alliteration!) about the way punctures work.

As you all well know if you ever talk about flats of change a tyre or anything immediately before a ride you are virtually garuanteed to get a flat.

I have never had a flat front trye, even when I was running single wall tyres and skinny tubes on my hardtail. This was when I was pinch flatting the rear weekly too.

I've been running 2 ply Maxxis tryes on the front with a decent tube. Thinking about the fact that I have never had a flat front tyre I thought that I'd order a single ply Maxxis just for the front. Wanted to make it lighter and easier to lift the front wheel up.

Not too many stores had single ply High Rollers, but I finally tracked one down on Friday (haven't received it yet).

So riding on Sunday still with the 2 ply on the front etc, yep you guessed it, my first ever pinch flat on the front tyre.

Is it just me or does everyone find that pinch flats are governed by some sort of weird tyre-karma stuff?

Theres method in the madness! Its all about how you put the tire on the rim.

My way: Use hands where possible. Use talc on tube if it doesnt already come with it (or mold remover). Half inflate tube inside tire, "jiggle" the tire around the rim making sure the tube is sitting eveny all the way around. Fully inflate.

This method should stop a lot of your flats if your not doing it already.

 

[dj jedijunglesnow]

This method should stop a lot of your flats if your not doing it already.

Yeah but the point was that I wasn't getting flats before I thought about it! As I said I had never had a flat on the front before, ever, until I even considered going a lighter tyre.

 

[tanlicouz]

Hookworms at 60+ psi = No flats ever (but serious weight issues).

Geez that would sound like a basketball if you bounce the wheel

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[GoingDHfast]

Yeah but the point was that I wasn't getting flats before I thought about it! As I said I had never had a flat on the front before, ever, until I even considered going a lighter tyre.

Guess thats what i get for not reading the thread first

 

[Laurie]

I got a flat today riding home from uni and one yesterday probably in about the same spot.....I swear if I see someone smashing glass or dropping anything sharp whatsoever, I'm gonna kill em. the worst thing is I forgot to pack a spare inner tube so every minute or so i had to stop and pump the damn thing back up. Today is just one of those days for me.

 

[TH850]

what about when you're out riding with a mate
and he gets a flat so you have a laugh and
then find out that you have one too?

 

[Kitoff]

No tubes

Or you could just go No tubes and stop worrying about that shit full stop. It is the future kiddies and you can't stop the iron wheel of progress, rolling on and crushing, crushing all those in its path......

Just converted my DH and it is seriously tops.