How can I avoid/prevent getting flat tires on my bike?

Question

I often ride my bike to and from work. It's about 10 miles each way. It's all paved road and sidewalk, but I keep getting flat tires. I have 6 patches on my front tire and about the same on the back.

Any suggestions on how I can prevent or avoid flats?

Inexpensive solutions are preferable.

Answer 1

A green slime tire liner might do the trick. Less than $10 each.

Answer 2

1. Don't run over objects that will give you a flat.

2. Keep your tires pumped up to max pressure.

3. Repeated flats could indicate that you have something sharp still stuck in your tire from a previous flat. Inspect the inside on the tire with you fingers, being care not to cut yourself.

4. Your rim could be causing this too. The rim strip should completely cover all spoke holes. Also, inspect the inside part of the rim fully anywhere the tube would touch, any sharpness or roughness could cause flats over a period of time.

If the rim is causing it you will know because the hole will be to the inside of the tube. Pinch flats from underinflation will be on the side of the tube.

If the wheels and tires are good and you don't ride over junk, you simply may need a little heavier tire.

Answer 3

In my experience, there are two types of flats. One type is a pinch flat. The second is a puncture. Knowing what type of flat you are getting would allow a better answer to this question.

In any case, a pinch flat occurs when you hit a stone or other obstruction. The tire wraps around the obstruction and pinches the inner tube between the obstruction and the rim. A common characteristic of a pinch flat is that the inner tube will have two tiny holes that look like a snake bite. The easiest way to avoid pinch flats is inflate your tires to a bit higher pressure. Not knowing how much you weigh or what type of bike you are riding, it is tough to make suggestions about proper inflation. At about 165lbs, I ride with 30-35 lbs to prevent my mountain bike tires from pinch flatting while keeping between 90-100 lbs in my road bike tires.

A puncture occurs when you roll over something sharp like glass, a rock, a bit of metal, etc. that works its way though your tire and pops the tube.

While you may occasionally get an immediate puncture upon rolling over a sharpie, it may take days or even weeks for some nasty bits to work their way through your tire. Thus it is always a good practice to inspect your tires regularly. I have often found bits of stone, wire, glass, etc. stuck in my tires. I use a screwdriver blade or anything else handy to pry these bits out.

When you have a flat, it also pays to carefully inspect your tire to be certain the offending sharpie is not still stuck in the tire's casing waiting to flat you again. I always carefully inspect the tire casing visually and by rubbing my fingers around the inside of the casing. If you see or feel something out of the ordinary, you need to remove it. Be sure to rub carefully, though, whatever punctured your tube, may well puncture your finger.

When road tires get worn, they are much more prone to punctures. There is simply less rubber between your tube and a sharpie. Also, there is a peculiar inverse relationship between the cost of a road tire and its durability. The more expensive a tire, the more likely it has softer rubber to provide better grip in corners. Expensive racing tires are not a good choice for commuting (or training). The joy of the expensive feel of supple grip goes away real quick when you are sitting on the side of the road fixing a flat.

If punctures are you primary problem ask at your bicycle store for puncture resistant tubes and tires. Touring tires, in particular, often have a layer of tough material that is much harder to puncture.

Some folks also like "slime" products that will seal small punctures. I recently won one of these products at a race, but haven't yet tried it out. You can also ask about these at your bicycle store.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Answer 4

Line the tube puncture up with the rim and the tire. I always find the cause of the flat still in the tire. If the hole is on the rim side check the rim tape.

Answer 5

there are two ways: use slime or put a rubber strap both are available in bike shops and are cheap. I would say use both

Answer 6

tire lube witch u can get at like runnings walmart maybehome depot