I once used electrical tape as rim tape. It’s much heavier but it works. Clean your wheel before application and stretch it a little bit and apply it tightly. The more times around the better but you should be more than fine with 5. I used that in Las Vegas for two years and was cycling 10,000+ miles a year. Only applied it the once as well.
I'd also love a complete road bike disassemble - assemble video, from scratch. Partly for people who might build their own bike, partly to understand completely how a road bike works. I have not found anything like that yet. I mean I realize that there are videos for each part of the bike, but not a complete build. Would be nice to have something like that.
Great idea...to do it justice, perhaps a series of videos showing all the build steps in detail. We hoping for detail on this channel!!! (Incidentally, GTN is woefully short on detail for a sport which is riddled with technique and triathletes pursuing the sport(s) with perfect technique to shave off seconds!!)
Yup, buying part by part, by saving little by little, knowing whats compatible and what's not, then assemble them one by one. Also why not buy from different brands
Good video lads! My tip to avoid flats is to stop immediately if I ride over a sketchy road surface, for example an intersection where there was a vehicle accident. More often than not, I can pick out a few small shards of glass out of the tyre before they get worked in deep into the rubber and create a puncture. We follow the same protocol on group rides: stop for a quick tyre inspection and save yourself a change.
Loving the new Tech channel and looking forward to more! One thing I'd say about this video - and perhaps applicable to future Tech videos - is; DON'T SKIMP ON THE DETAILS! People are here for the geeky stuff and the small details. For instance the bit about using sealant inside your inner tube sounded interesting but would've been good to get some more info, like is it actually effective and what are the pros/cons etc. Keep up the good work!
+Gregg the Square Peg and that Sir is where we are heading. Early days on tbe channel. So much to do and work out our end but we are focused and on it! Thanks for the feedback and support.
I have been having puncture problems for a long time due to the area I have to ride in. I pass scrap yards and bars, where people have thrown beer bottles on the road side. after a lot of testing through the years I have found the best way and some what an easy way to fix the problem. I took notice that nine out of ten punctures were on the back tire so I started using a forte puncture resistant inner tube on the rear tire only because the inner tube weights 265 grams. I had a rod go through the tire from right to left and pulled it out with no leaking air at all. over 2000 miles later that inner tube is still good. only one puncture to the front tire in that time and it is a normal inner tube. thanks to forte for this amazing inner tube and thanks to the people of GCN for their great work.
Simon nailed one of the biggies. Watch where you're riding, and for crap on the road! But he missed another one. Always check your tires fairly often for bits of glass, etc. Many flats aren't immediate, glass etc. has to work its way into the tire. Get it before it hits the tube, you're okay!
What about buying best protection and least rolling resistance? Yes, not all slow tires are actually the optimal solution for puncture protection. Here you can find some good sceintific data on the matter: www.bicyclerollingresistance.com
A really old school one is to use a 5cm long part of an old tube with a hole for the valve to reinforce the tire around the valve stem to avoid the sharp corner / abrasion caused by the hole. We have a real problem with the small wires from exploded truck tires. Besides tubeless, the only thing I've found that works is using the tire within a tire. An old 23mm fits well inside a 25, but not the other way around. Be sure to trim and tape the ends to avoid a seam that will cause an issue.
Bigger rider here (190 lbs) commuting a large American city in the rustbelt with crap roads. My best combo so far is running 32mm Gatorskins. Have had only one flat in around 5 years and that was a pinch flat from a hidden pothole.
I found a great tire that’s given me very few flats - the Vittoria Rubino Pro G+. I just replaced the rear tire after 11131 km. I had only four flats. The first two were caused by an aging rim strip. The third was only two days before replacement, and I found a very thin wire had penetrated the tread. I didn’t yet determine the cause of the fourth flat; i saw a tiny patch of thread showing and changed the tire. I’ve used Rubino Pro tires for years, but the graphene model has surpassed all the previous versions!
I've got a Gatorskin tyres plus a slime tape between the tyre and the tube. Running 25mm tyres with 100psi air pressure. Your advise for the liquid sealant is very helpful. Didn't think about it earlier. Thank you!
Another I've found is to make sure your tyres are in good condition and replace them before they get too thin. I also replace the tyre if i'm unlucky enough to get a flat with a reasonable gash on the tyre.
I have no car I ride about 300 days on my bike to work and back 50 km a day in the weekend with my mates around 100 _160km for training so we can get good in the summer so if we feel like it we do a race around the church or velo.cloude criquielion wan of the hardest to race in Belgium so we're are staying in schappe we are going between the ages of 40&55 the mates are hardest on the planet. Nice videos man.
I was a "Velox" man for many years but I found Schwalbe plastic rim tape is much more useful. It protects fine, no messy glue, and less interference with bead seating. Just make sure to get the correct width for your rims.
I love my Schwalbe Marathan Plus. I use them on both my hybrids and my road bike. I've yet to have a puncture since I started using them four years ago.
With a lack of rim tape when I had to do some spoke replacements, I ended up actually cutting apart an old intertube into strips and wedging it down into the rim. It's been working for half a year now. :P
Does the liquid latex work on tubes? Has it been tested? Also avoid debris that accumulates at intersections that may contain glass, nails, rocks, thorns etc! How do you feel about road tubeless! I tried them once. Had a puncture that didn’t seal and of course the ensuing mess was obvious when putting a tube in. I went back to clinchers and tubes an I haven’t looked back! Check bicycle tire rolling resistance online. He actually tests puncture resistance on each tire tested. It’s very good when comparing tires. By the way, it was 80 degrees F here in Southern California today. Just trying to make you a little jealous! Happy New Year 🎆🎊
Hey Si, love your work! Can i suggest everyone buy a park tools valve core remover? They are cheap and work great! Some valve cores are way too tight to remove by hand and some of your novice viewers may not know how to solve a bent or stuck core.
I can’t wait to have to worry about getting flats, I’m stuck inside and would give anything to ride outside at the moment, it’s way too cold to get out
Evan V I would harden up, but I can’t perform very well and get any quality training in when I’m freezing my nads off. I’d rather ride inside and get stronger than go outside for a ride just to brag about how badass I think I am
I bought a early 70's Gitane Tour de France that I'm rebuilding with more modern Shimano parts - it had one of those flint catchers on it and I had to Google what the thing was for - first time I had seen one. (Its not going back on in the rebuild).
I also keep a small Swiss Army Knife in my saddle bag. At the end of each ride, I will check for glass and pull them out with my knife. During a 7-day, 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I did not get any punctures because of this practice. Oh, and you'll like this Simon, I wash my bike almost after every ride.
had a flat from a nail, and got 4 snakebites in my inner tube. at home i tried some of Schwalbes doc blue sealant (=notubes), it fixed all of the holes. after a not so good tubeless try (i dont like the feel) i ll go back to normal tires with some sealant in it.
Flats are an interesting topic, I run tubulars all the time and get very few flats, I have a theory here, as I see clincher tyres get so much more flats, and when they do flat, they don’t find a object which caused the puncture on many occasions. I do believe the problem is the tube gets fatigued in the tyre casing, this could be the indents in the rim for the spokes or just the casing rubbing on the tube. Ever noticed the dirty powder in the tyre when you change a puncture? I believe it is the rubbing of the two materials. In a tubular it has another membrane between the tube and the casing + no rim to rub against. Maybe I could be talking rubbish here, but remember at 100psi, and the flexing of the tyre ever rotation, maybe possible??? Who knows. I also use 30mls of stans in my tyres. Works a treat for thorns. Happy cycling everyone and the flat fairy leaves you alone.....
You missed the most obvious hack: making sure your tires are properly inflated before each ride. (I also find that my latex inner tubes flat less than my butyl tubes.)
Mr Tuffy/polyurethane tyre liners stop drawing pins, sharp flints, glass. Never known anything to fully penetrate them. But ... the tyres can't be pumped up so hard (tyre space loss) and over time they themselves wear out the inner tube - especially on the back wheel. The shortest life of an inner tube (from new) was 4 months/~600 miles, yet the eventual abrasion puncture was slow: a pump every 10 mins got me home. 4 months of no punctures is still better than a roadside inner tube change.
Not that I'm complaining, but I haven't had a single puncture in almost 3 years and 8,000 miles of riding now. And that's in rutted roads of Northumberland. Sorry to brag.
I put latex sealant in four of my bikes last year and it was a bad idea it didn't work all that happened is the sealant leaked out of the tube and into the Tyre as it went down then you have a big mess to deal with.That's not what you want when your out the road also i found that a tube covered in sealant is difficult to patch.After this happened five or six times i threw all eight tubes in the bin.Anyway that's what happened to me you may have better luck.
What about Kevlar inserts. I did not know they existed until my friendly neighborhood bicycle shop told me about them. Fitted one in the rear, changed my inner tube never had a puncture since.
As well as correct tyre pressure that many of the team highlight below, another hack: 1. Dig out embedded glass shards regularly, deflate tyre slightly say to 40 psi, then inspect each tyre, and flick out any small glass embeds in tyre carcass before they penetrate... pay particular attention to any mini cuts. Squeeze or pinch tyre either side of cut or embedded glass shard and then flick it out of tyre say using a very small screw driver / carefully using end of sharp knife / end of nail file etc... just to remove the shards.
The biggest cause of most of my flats seem to be super small pieces of flint in the tyre from previous rides that then get pushed through when they roll over a tiny pebble. I inspect my tyres after every ride now and pick them out with a small blunt picking tool. I reckon the rate of flats for me has gone down by 80%.
If you do get a flat, take everything apart when you are able and inspect everything very well (wheel, tire, location of the tube puncture, etc.). Even if there isn’t a foreign object found, the initial flat may have damaged something enough like your actual tire that it causes future flats. That happened to me and I missed a spot due to the damage being in multiple spots and subtle. Good excuse to buy a new tire though. 😁
this is a bit left field, but lets see how we go! Considering how technical it is to produce video content to the high standard of GCN and it's sister channels, I would personally love to see a video on how a GCN video is made, from the brainstorming all the way to the release on youtube! Also, a "day in the life of ___(si for example) would be a really fun video to watch.
Great idea! I'm really interested in the workflow, too, from initial idea to final uploading. E.g. how many different camera types are used, what editing software, etc...
sealant is magical! as a preventive meassure as well as an instant fix. a squeeze bottle with 30-50cc almost replaces packing a (second) spare tube, and can save the day for sombody who came ill prepared. =) it only lasts a few months, but so do tubes.
Just stopping to use Conti and shimano brought down brought down my punctures to almost 0. Contis are good sonst punctured sure. But they stuck with cuts.
Hi, I cut the beading off old tyre so basically just tred it was a 700x25c and put it inside my new 700x25c laid it in then inner tube so it's a tyre in a tyre an inner tube works well no more punctures, 😜😜😜😜😜🎉#tyrehack
I'm new to road bikes and road riding but can you put a bigger 28c tire on the rear where I get most of my flats and still use 23c up front? Or will the different sizes produce some unwanted effects?
Tip #1 won't really work with 28mm (and below) tyres, it's a matter of tube pressure. You might want to try to buy the most viscous sealant, but at really high pressures even that might not work. Getting proper reinforced tyres will be the better, and lighter, solution.
Bring a frame pump and patch kit keeps the debris gremlins at bay. Every time i ride the xcountry bike out to my trails im good but i forget one of these ive had 2 flats lol. Ok my tire is old and worn and my mavic rim is old and no rim tape but it has this smooth plastic along the inside the rim. But i say gremlins lol
The Continental 4 seasons are far from being safe, I already had 3 punctures with them in les than 1000 km. I was expecting more from those tires to be honest. In my old bike I had Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, and never, not even once, have a puncture; they´re very heavy, but you can forget completely about punctures.
is there a piece were you can insert to keep valve hole so when you put in the tube valve it wont cut it over time that the bigger one I always run to because I notice that over time the tube in the tire tends to slide causing the valve tube to get cut from sharp edges of tthe valve hole on the frame
Interesting - I've worked my way through some of these solutions, including sealant in tubes (worked for very small holes), liners (caused rubbing in tubes resulting in flats and a wooden ride), flat resistant tyres (ride like wood), tubeless with sealant (sprays my kit and bike with white crap which stains / is hard to remove and didnt really work more than 30% of the time), heavy duty tubes (no difference). In the end a bit of care where you ride, correct inflation preasure and regular tyre checks to remove glass seems to be working best in an uban environment.One more hack - use proper sealing tubeless rim tape on rims - slows deflation by a few seconds when you get a puncture.
the big problem is were you put in the air the littlie tube the go in that hole were in the frame the metal from the frame cuts it over time is the something that I can put around the hole of the frame were I put the air in so it wont get cut
Stans drys out quicker being latex, but I reckon it works best! Just need to top up every 6 months. Also don’t leave your bike on the ground and let the tyres go flat, it will stick them together.
I ride about 10k miles a year and get maybe 1 or 2 punctures during the period To be honest almost any "extraordinary" measure to reduce puncture probability feels like too much of a faff to me.
How about a video on best tyre/rim combo’s that you have come across in your time...for ease of use/performance point of view. I’ve tried 6 brands of carbon rims and probably every tyre and still think they’re a bugger to fit/change
My road bike is inside for the winter. So i didnt have had Any flats lately. But my last flat tire in summer was a good one it ripped a hole in the tire. But i'm a mountainbiker who somethimes rides a roadbike so maby i just ride to agressive haha.
What do you need to fix on your bike? Let us know and we might make a video!
Internal cable routing..... you may have already done one but I can’t find it?!
+Nash Cycling you're right, internal cabling can be really tricky. We'll be sure to make a video or two on the best way to do it.
Happy days, it’s one of the jobs I can’t bring myself to do, it’s something that would frustrate me no end...... 😂
Can I attach my rear brakes to the under side of my seatstays for aerodynamics (giant tcr)
I'd actually love to see you guys do a series on how to build a bike from scratch.
I once used electrical tape as rim tape. It’s much heavier but it works. Clean your wheel before application and stretch it a little bit and apply it tightly. The more times around the better but you should be more than fine with 5. I used that in Las Vegas for two years and was cycling 10,000+ miles a year. Only applied it the once as well.
I’ve been using tyre liners for years. I haven’t had a flat since using them. The little bit of extra weight is worth the reliability.
I'd also love a complete road bike disassemble - assemble video, from scratch. Partly for people who might build their own bike, partly to understand completely how a road bike works. I have not found anything like that yet. I mean I realize that there are videos for each part of the bike, but not a complete build. Would be nice to have something like that.
+Daniel Czirjak that's a great shout. We'll definitely see what we can do
Great idea...to do it justice, perhaps a series of videos showing all the build steps in detail. We hoping for detail on this channel!!! (Incidentally, GTN is woefully short on detail for a sport which is riddled with technique and triathletes pursuing the sport(s) with perfect technique to shave off seconds!!)
Yup, buying part by part, by saving little by little, knowing whats compatible and what's not, then assemble them one by one. Also why not buy from different brands
check out the youtube channel RJ the bike guy
Good video lads! My tip to avoid flats is to stop immediately if I ride over a sketchy road surface, for example an intersection where there was a vehicle accident. More often than not, I can pick out a few small shards of glass out of the tyre before they get worked in deep into the rubber and create a puncture. We follow the same protocol on group rides: stop for a quick tyre inspection and save yourself a change.
Thanks Georges - that's really good advice
You must have some great roads! If I used your tip I'd be stopping every few hundred metres.
We do have great roads in Ottawa... when they are not covered in snow!!
Loving the new Tech channel and looking forward to more! One thing I'd say about this video - and perhaps applicable to future Tech videos - is; DON'T SKIMP ON THE DETAILS! People are here for the geeky stuff and the small details. For instance the bit about using sealant inside your inner tube sounded interesting but would've been good to get some more info, like is it actually effective and what are the pros/cons etc. Keep up the good work!
+Gregg the Square Peg and that Sir is where we are heading. Early days on tbe channel. So much to do and work out our end but we are focused and on it! Thanks for the feedback and support.
I have been having puncture problems for a long time due to the area I have to ride in. I pass scrap yards and bars, where people have thrown beer bottles on the road side. after a lot of testing through the years I have found the best way and some what an easy way to fix the problem. I took notice that nine out of ten punctures were on the back tire so I started using a forte puncture resistant inner tube on the rear tire only because the inner tube weights 265 grams. I had a rod go through the tire from right to left and pulled it out with no leaking air at all. over 2000 miles later that inner tube is still good. only one puncture to the front tire in that time and it is a normal inner tube. thanks to forte for this amazing inner tube and thanks to the people of GCN for their great work.
+mightytim2010 thanks for sharing!
I see no reason to unlike this video.. It's always fun to watch tech videos like this. Great first job GCN! I liked it.
Thanks Sterling! Really appreciate it.
Simon nailed one of the biggies. Watch where you're riding, and for crap on the road! But he missed another one. Always check your tires fairly often for bits of glass, etc. Many flats aren't immediate, glass etc. has to work its way into the tire. Get it before it hits the tube, you're okay!
There are a LOT of cycling videos to watch every day now!
This is brilliant! Thank you guys :)
+toasty bear thanks for the support!
I usually buy whichever tyres give the most protection. I don’t mind if it’s a bit slower.
What about buying best protection and least rolling resistance? Yes, not all slow tires are actually the optimal solution for puncture protection. Here you can find some good sceintific data on the matter:
www.bicyclerollingresistance.com
This is the first video and I'm already in love with this new channel. Never will replace GCN in my heart though.
+Evan V thanks Evan. Great videos coming up on both in 2018
Absolutely loved that bit at the end there. Super real and upfront!
After 3 punctures this winter on my Schwalbes I am running with Tannus inserts on my commuter bike. Good solution so far.
A really old school one is to use a 5cm long part of an old tube with a hole for the valve to reinforce the tire around the valve stem to avoid the sharp corner / abrasion caused by the hole.
We have a real problem with the small wires from exploded truck tires. Besides tubeless, the only thing I've found that works is using the tire within a tire. An old 23mm fits well inside a 25, but not the other way around. Be sure to trim and tape the ends to avoid a seam that will cause an issue.
Great hack Dave, I hadn't heard of the inner tube one before.
hi Dave, where are you riding to have that many exploded truck tyres? thanks, Jon
Kona, Hawaii along the Queen K.
Bigger rider here (190 lbs) commuting a large American city in the rustbelt with crap roads. My best combo so far is running 32mm Gatorskins. Have had only one flat in around 5 years and that was a pinch flat from a hidden pothole.
Double the tire is brilliant thanks mate
I found a great tire that’s given me very few flats - the Vittoria Rubino Pro G+. I just replaced the rear tire after 11131 km. I had only four flats. The first two were caused by an aging rim strip. The third was only two days before replacement, and I found a very thin wire had penetrated the tread. I didn’t yet determine the cause of the fourth flat; i saw a tiny patch of thread showing and changed the tire. I’ve used Rubino Pro tires for years, but the graphene model has surpassed all the previous versions!
I use thorn resistant tubes along with Mr. Tuffy liners and Velox tape with mine.
Go for schwalbe marathon plus if you want puncture resistance!
Aye, but they're so dead feeling. Only worth it if you must ABSOLUTELY minimize flats at all cost, imho.
Pin just messed mine up
I've got a Gatorskin tyres plus a slime tape between the tyre and the tube. Running 25mm tyres with 100psi air pressure. Your advise for the liquid sealant is very helpful. Didn't think about it earlier. Thank you!
+D. R. Pleasure Sir. Thanks fir your comments and feedback. All the best.
This is 'Top Gear' at its best, wonderful tips for my 3 bikes !
Another I've found is to make sure your tyres are in good condition and replace them before they get too thin. I also replace the tyre if i'm unlucky enough to get a flat with a reasonable gash on the tyre.
tannus airless tires. use them and love them. havent had a pump in years!
Nice channel guys i learn a lot of things through your channel, LONG LIVE ''GCN Tech''
+Robert Arsen cheers Robert. Thanks for watching and your support. All the best.
I have no car I ride about 300 days on my bike to work and back 50 km a day in the weekend with my mates around 100 _160km for training so we can get good in the summer so if we feel like it we do a race around the church or velo.cloude criquielion wan of the hardest to race in Belgium so we're are staying in schappe we are going between the ages of 40&55 the mates are hardest on the planet. Nice videos man.
How about using tougher tires and Thorn resistant inner tube with the tubeless sealent? Just a thought.
I was a "Velox" man for many years but I found Schwalbe plastic rim tape is much more useful. It protects fine, no messy glue, and less interference with bead seating. Just make sure to get the correct width for your rims.
Good tip thanks!
I love my Schwalbe Marathan Plus. I use them on both my hybrids and my road bike. I've yet to have a puncture since I started using them four years ago.
With a lack of rim tape when I had to do some spoke replacements, I ended up actually cutting apart an old intertube into strips and wedging it down into the rim. It's been working for half a year now. :P
Please make a video on Microshift shifters arsis and centos... thanks.
Good suggestion Partha - we'll see what we can do.
Does the liquid latex work on tubes? Has it been tested? Also avoid debris that accumulates at intersections that may contain glass, nails, rocks, thorns etc! How do you feel about road tubeless! I tried them once. Had a puncture that didn’t seal and of course the ensuing mess was obvious when putting a tube in. I went back to clinchers and tubes an I haven’t looked back! Check bicycle tire rolling resistance online. He actually tests puncture resistance on each tire tested. It’s very good when comparing tires. By the way, it was 80 degrees F here in Southern California today. Just trying to make you a little jealous! Happy New Year 🎆🎊
Hey Si, love your work! Can i suggest everyone buy a park tools valve core remover? They are cheap and work great! Some valve cores are way too tight to remove by hand and some of your novice viewers may not know how to solve a bent or stuck core.
"not riding in the gutter of the roads"
so not riding on any bike lane then? got it
Some bike lanes are just the shoulder.
@@noonehere4332 this is true where I live, and more often than not it's littered with glass shards...
I can’t wait to have to worry about getting flats, I’m stuck inside and would give anything to ride outside at the moment, it’s way too cold to get out
I've been riding in 17F all week
HTFU
Evan V I would harden up, but I can’t perform very well and get any quality training in when I’m freezing my nads off. I’d rather ride inside and get stronger than go outside for a ride just to brag about how badass I think I am
Wow, how did you know that's why I was riding?!
Toronto is -20c today, being outside riding or jogging when EVERYONE is indoors is magical. Last man on earth feeling!
Hello from lockdown
I bought a early 70's Gitane Tour de France that I'm rebuilding with more modern Shimano parts - it had one of those flint catchers on it and I had to Google what the thing was for - first time I had seen one. (Its not going back on in the rebuild).
Go on, try the flint catcher!
I also keep a small Swiss Army Knife in my saddle bag. At the end of each ride, I will check for glass and pull them out with my knife. During a 7-day, 545 miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles, I did not get any punctures because of this practice. Oh, and you'll like this Simon, I wash my bike almost after every ride.
+Diana Theriault impressive stuff Diana - both the punctures and the bike cleaning. Thanks for sharing.
The sealant hack sounds great, I might try it one day. But what would happen if the sealant gets dry inside the tube?
had a flat from a nail, and got 4 snakebites in my inner tube. at home i tried some of Schwalbes doc blue sealant (=notubes), it fixed all of the holes. after a not so good tubeless try (i dont like the feel) i ll go back to normal tires with some sealant in it.
Flats are an interesting topic, I run tubulars all the time and get very few flats, I have a theory here, as I see clincher tyres get so much more flats, and when they do flat, they don’t find a object which caused the puncture on many occasions. I do believe the problem is the tube gets fatigued in the tyre casing, this could be the indents in the rim for the spokes or just the casing rubbing on the tube. Ever noticed the dirty powder in the tyre when you change a puncture? I believe it is the rubbing of the two materials. In a tubular it has another membrane between the tube and the casing + no rim to rub against. Maybe I could be talking rubbish here, but remember at 100psi, and the flexing of the tyre ever rotation, maybe possible??? Who knows. I also use 30mls of stans in my tyres. Works a treat for thorns. Happy cycling everyone and the flat fairy leaves you alone.....
You missed the most obvious hack: making sure your tires are properly inflated before each ride. (I also find that my latex inner tubes flat less than my butyl tubes.)
Mr Tuffy/polyurethane tyre liners stop drawing pins, sharp flints, glass.
Never known anything to fully penetrate them.
But ...
the tyres can't be pumped up so hard (tyre space loss)
and over time they themselves wear out the inner tube - especially on the back wheel.
The shortest life of an inner tube (from new) was 4 months/~600 miles, yet the eventual abrasion puncture was slow: a pump every 10 mins got me home.
4 months of no punctures is still better than a roadside inner tube change.
Instead of lining your wheel with an old tyre, line it with an old inner tube. Does the same job and will probably be much lighter.
Wonderful tips. thank you
Nice entry level bike
Not that I'm complaining, but I haven't had a single puncture in almost 3 years and 8,000 miles of riding now. And that's in rutted roads of Northumberland. Sorry to brag.
+AnTeallach2011 a few of us have cycled up there. That's impressive, lucky or both!
I put latex sealant in four of my bikes last year and it was a bad idea it didn't work all that happened is the sealant leaked out of the tube and into the Tyre as it went down then you have a big mess to deal with.That's not what you want when your out the road also i found that a tube covered in sealant is difficult to patch.After this happened five or six times i threw all eight tubes in the bin.Anyway that's what happened to me you may have better luck.
Hi,
A good maintenance Monday would be how to clean mouldy handlebar tape?
Thanks Sam richards
What about Kevlar inserts. I did not know they existed until my friendly neighborhood bicycle shop told me about them. Fitted one in the rear, changed my inner tube never had a puncture since.
As well as correct tyre pressure that many of the team highlight below, another hack:
1. Dig out embedded glass shards regularly, deflate tyre slightly say to 40 psi, then inspect each tyre, and flick out any small glass embeds in tyre carcass before they penetrate... pay particular attention to any mini cuts. Squeeze or pinch tyre either side of cut or embedded glass shard and then flick it out of tyre say using a very small screw driver / carefully using end of sharp knife / end of nail file etc... just to remove the shards.
+Simon Watson cheers Simon. Really useful insights there. All the best.
The biggest cause of most of my flats seem to be super small pieces of flint in the tyre from previous rides that then get pushed through when they roll over a tiny pebble. I inspect my tyres after every ride now and pick them out with a small blunt picking tool. I reckon the rate of flats for me has gone down by 80%.
+tarmacsurfers sounds like a flint catcher could be the thing for you!
GCN Tech I hear you, I might try knocking one up to see if it makes a difference. Will see if I can improve on yours Si ha ha.
+tarmacsurfers very very smart. Thanks for passing on your experience. All the best.
GCN Tech 👍🏼
FORTE puncture resistant tubes, AMAZING, made of very puncture resistant butyl rubber , a lot thicker than regular tube
If you do get a flat, take everything apart when you are able and inspect everything very well (wheel, tire, location of the tube puncture, etc.). Even if there isn’t a foreign object found, the initial flat may have damaged something enough like your actual tire that it causes future flats. That happened to me and I missed a spot due to the damage being in multiple spots and subtle. Good excuse to buy a new tire though. 😁
+Aaron David very good advice Aaron. Thanks k you very much for sharing your tips and experience. All the best.
Lots more to come on GCN Tech - make sure you subscribe!
Go tubeless with sealant ... best advice
0:16 Well actually Si it’s fewer flats, not less
Oscar Laight I can’t help it, I’m like a rapper, never one to let a bit of grammar get in the way of a good title.
Stannis Baratheon fan ?
Don't apologise. You are absolutely right. Well done.
this is a bit left field, but lets see how we go! Considering how technical it is to produce video content to the high standard of GCN and it's sister channels, I would personally love to see a video on how a GCN video is made, from the brainstorming all the way to the release on youtube! Also, a "day in the life of ___(si for example) would be a really fun video to watch.
Great idea! I'm really interested in the workflow, too, from initial idea to final uploading. E.g. how many different camera types are used, what editing software, etc...
That sounds like a really interesting video 👍👍
The best thing I've done to reduce the amount of flats is riding wider tires. And on top of that I bought anti-flat tires.
"super cereal" about punctures 🤣🤣🤣 ... reference South Park ManBearPig
sealant is magical! as a preventive meassure as well as an instant fix. a squeeze bottle with 30-50cc almost replaces packing a (second) spare tube, and can save the day for sombody who came ill prepared. =) it only lasts a few months, but so do tubes.
I didn't realize that this is the tech channel
Good Job
關於雙層輪胎這點我要吐嘈，我很懷疑GCN有真的自己這樣做過（騎很久）。
但是我的經驗是，雙層輪胎中被剪掉胎唇的那個，剪切的邊緣長期使用下來是會弄破內胎的。
還有關於輪圈膠帶，我有自認更好的辦法，只需要使用普通電線膠帶，還有寶特瓶。
首先把寶特瓶剪開成一片片，大小可以蓋住輪圈孔，然後邊黏膠帶邊放寶特瓶片蓋住輪圈孔就行了。
我自己是用比較麻煩的方式，我把寶特瓶片中間縫上一片長方形外胎，外胎片長邊比輪圈孔長一點，短邊比輪圈孔小一點，這樣就可以剛好卡進輪圈孔。
然後再套上一圈普通的襯帶。我用這麻煩方式是考慮維修的拆裝會比較方便。
The belt joke is great
If you’re looking for puncture protection wouldn’t you run Gatorskins not 4Seasons?
Gatorskins all the way. Flat-free
Been riding for years on my gators 1 puncture
Review the tannus all solid tire.
You can use tyre liners too.
Just stopping to use Conti and shimano brought down brought down my punctures to almost 0. Contis are good sonst punctured sure. But they stuck with cuts.
Can I put tube sealant on inner tubes that has schrader valves?
Hi, I cut the beading off old tyre so basically just tred it was a 700x25c and put it inside my new 700x25c laid it in then inner tube so it's a tyre in a tyre an inner tube works well no more punctures, 😜😜😜😜😜🎉#tyrehack
GCNTech, it’ll be interesting to see a tech video on various saddle types like Specialized Power and which are used in pro peloton
+Omar Tan thanks for the comment. We'll be covering lots of pro tech, starting soon.
Yeah.... Hipster belt..... I can see where Si's fashion sense is heading :)
I'm new to road bikes and road riding but can you put a bigger 28c tire on the rear where I get most of my flats and still use 23c up front? Or will the different sizes produce some unwanted effects?
Umm, why did you mention those solid rubber inserts? I'm looking for those for my e-bikes 4 inch tires.
Works good
Mr Tuffy liners. They work.
are you sure that sealent works in the tube? there is talk inside the tube that wil absorb the selant and nothing can come out when punturing.
Tip #1 won't really work with 28mm (and below) tyres, it's a matter of tube pressure. You might want to try to buy the most viscous sealant, but at really high pressures even that might not work.
Getting proper reinforced tyres will be the better, and lighter, solution.
You guys read my mind
Bring a frame pump and patch kit keeps the debris gremlins at bay. Every time i ride the xcountry bike out to my trails im good but i forget one of these ive had 2 flats lol.
Ok my tire is old and worn and my mavic rim is old and no rim tape but it has this smooth plastic along the inside the rim. But i say gremlins lol
why do rim brake tires have those big round plates inside the rim but disks dont?
The Continental 4 seasons are far from being safe, I already had 3 punctures with them in les than 1000 km. I was expecting more from those tires to be honest. In my old bike I had Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, and never, not even once, have a puncture; they´re very heavy, but you can forget completely about punctures.
Does putting sealant in your clincher inner tube actually help?
I find the quality and price of the tire are intimately related to the amounts of flats it gets opposed to the thickness of the rubber.
+Nicholas Erickson the aged ok'd expression 'you get what you pay for!'
is there a piece were you can insert to keep valve hole so when you put in the tube valve it wont cut it over time that the bigger one I always run to because I notice that over time the tube in the tire tends to slide causing the valve tube to get cut from sharp edges of tthe valve hole on the frame
I got a set of gatorskin tyres and thought they were protecting me from punctures pretty well... Then managed to get 3 in the space of 20 miles.
Interesting - I've worked my way through some of these solutions, including sealant in tubes (worked for very small holes), liners (caused rubbing in tubes resulting in flats and a wooden ride), flat resistant tyres (ride like wood), tubeless with sealant (sprays my kit and bike with white crap which stains / is hard to remove and didnt really work more than 30% of the time), heavy duty tubes (no difference). In the end a bit of care where you ride, correct inflation preasure and regular tyre checks to remove glass seems to be working best in an uban environment.One more hack - use proper sealing tubeless rim tape on rims - slows deflation by a few seconds when you get a puncture.
+James Yatras thanks James. Very useful experience you have shared there. Thank you.
the big problem is were you put in the air the littlie tube the go in that hole were in the frame the metal from the frame cuts it over time is the something that I can put around the hole of the frame were I put the air in so it wont get cut
Will the sealant dry-out eventually inside the tube?
Eventually it will, but it will usually have prevented a few punctures by then. You can refresh the sealant in the same way that you added it.
The sealant tip is one I've never heard of and am excited to try. How do you know when it's too full of sealant and needs to be tossed?
This is idd Good idea!
Stans drys out quicker being latex, but I reckon it works best! Just need to top up every 6 months. Also don’t leave your bike on the ground and let the tyres go flat, it will stick them together.
Evan V On a race tyre only use 30mls, if the tyre is big like a MTB then 60mls.
Unfortunately there are a-holes in Chicago who like to deliberately break glass beer bottles in the bike lanes.
All the best advice is at 4:40 !
I ride about 10k miles a year and get maybe 1 or 2 punctures during the period To be honest almost any "extraordinary" measure to reduce puncture probability feels like too much of a faff to me.
And what about latex inner tubes? I’ve drastically reduced the number of punctures just by switching to latex.
ive been cycling for over a year and i have NEVER got a pincture. im proud of that :)
That's some good going.
Now you're going to get 10 in a row.
*gets three punctures next ride*
you could do a video how to reduce flats on turbo trainers. it makes me mad...
+Mateusz Zdyb that's happened to me once or twice and it's so frustrating when it does!
Happened to me twice. No idea why.
adding extra rim tap will make it harder to install and remove tyres
How about a video on best tyre/rim combo’s that you have come across in your time...for ease of use/performance point of view. I’ve tried 6 brands of carbon rims and probably every tyre and still think they’re a bugger to fit/change
+Josh Pearson we're going to steer away from reviewing products but we definitely have a few tricks for those difficult to fit tyres coming up
Thanks GCN, an idiots step by step guide to fitting/changing tight tyres is what I need if possible 👍
How about the ideal tyre width for the inner width of different rims. For example the best tyre width for a rim with an internal with of 19mm.
Absolutely. I've broken I don't know how many tyre levers trying to fit the buggers back on the rims!
Okay, so…convert to tubeless. Got it! 👍
Nice video👍👍
Thanks Rajvir
My road bike is inside for the winter. So i didnt have had Any flats lately. But my last flat tire in summer was a good one it ripped a hole in the tire. But i'm a mountainbiker who somethimes rides a roadbike so maby i just ride to agressive haha.
Gone from 32mm Gatorskins to 35mm Schwalbe G one for winter, still almost zero punctures.