April 29, 2023
Flat tires
I have been riding my bike (what they now call a "road bike") for about 50 years on
the streets of Tucson. There are no two ways about it, bike riding is a battle with
flat tires. I have tried everything you can imagine and have probably done a thousand
tire repairs in every place, time, and conditon.
If you are a hot shot road bike racer, eager to save every ounce, I am willing to
bet that nothing that follows will be relevant to your needs. I am writing as a
commuter and (just recently) as a mountain biker.
General philosophy
You will get flat tires. Carry an extra tube. My days of patching tubes on the side
of the road are over. Find the sharp object, remove it, and put a new tube in.
Patch the old tube when you get home. If you are wealthy, throw it out and buy a new one.
Whatever you do, be sure to replace the tube you used with some kind of workable spare
for the next ride (either a new tube or a repaired and tested one).
I used to also carry some stick on patches as a "backup system", but haven't done
that in years. Using tire sealants have greatly reduced how many flats I have to
deal with.
I used to buy the cute little patch kits with a tube of glue, sandpaper, and a few patches.
The story there is that you will get one use out of that tube of glue. No matter what you
do, after you break the seal, the next time you go to use it it will be dried out.
I now have an 8 ounce can of patch glue -- at home. I have had it for years and it
shows no tendency to dry out. I guess the cap on the can seals very well. It also
has a handy brush. Do all this at home.
Tire sealants -- Slime
There is only one thing you need to know -- this stuff is worthless crap and doesn't work.
Save money, run without any sealant, and avoid extra weight and mess, or ...
Tire sealants -- Stans and Orange Seal
This stuff works. I run with Orange Seal, some people tell me they think it is better than
Stans, but both are good. They don't last forever. When you see water sweating out of your
tire, you are overdue to dump some more in. Be sure to get tubes with valves you can remove
and get a valve removal tool (splurge and get the Park Tool item).
Go tubeless
My fat tire mountain bike (Surly Ice Cream Truck) is set up tubeless and I have never had
a flat since the day I bought it! This is in southern Arizona mind you, the land of
thorns and cactus. I do of course run Orange Seal in the tires. I carry a big heavy tube
in my pack for the day when my luck runs out.
Other strategies
Commute with a mountain bike!
You will get more exercise and fewer flats that with a road bike.
I have tried thorn proof tubes and am not convinced. What I have done
(in the distant past) is to slit an old
tube all the way around and used it as an extra layer in my tire (yes, it adds weight).
I also like "gatorskin" tires or other such commuter oriented tires with some built in
armor (perhaps kevlar). They are probably more beneficial than the extra tube.
I have also used the strips of dense plastic between tire and tube. They help, and
along with an armored tire like the gator or armadillo or whatever is now on the
market you are probably doing as well as you can.
But you will still get flats. Carry a spare tube and see above.
Have any comments? Questions?
Drop me a line!
Tom's bike pages / tom@mmto.org