plagued with flats!

Hi, everyone!

I'm pretty new here; been mostly lurking around up to now. I'm also fairly new to road biking (started about 3 years ago). I ride a Cannondale Synapse which I love but this spring I've had a ridiculous number of flats and I'm looking for some suggestions. I discovered that my rim liners had shifted and were the cause of a few of my flats so I had them replaced but just 2 days ago got a front and rear flat in the same ride. Ugh! Anyway, I've been reading a little about tire liners, puncture resistant tubes and tires and am wondering if anyone has any advice? My rear tire is a Continental Gatorskin and the front is still the original which came with the bike, which I'm looking to replace. I'm not a racer but ride 150-180 miles a week during the summer. Can anyone weigh in on tire liners (whether to use or not use and what brand) and what type of tire to get? The upside is that I have become a pro at changing a tire out in the middle of nowhere. Thanks so much!

If you've been riding 150-180 miles a week for three years on your original front tire, it's beyond worn out! Don't the Gatorskins have wear bars? My Conti GP4000s do. (I get around 3500 miles from a front tire, 1800-2000 rear, and I consider that EXCELLENT wear.)

If you don't have wear bars and it isn't obvious by feel, repeated flats are a good sign of a worn-out tire.

Flats are often caused by insufficient air pressure (pinch flats). Do you check your tires with the pump/tire gauge before every ride?

When you change your flats, do you check the inside of the tire for anything that could puncture the new tube? Many times multiple flats are caused by something that is still in the tire.

I don't think it has anything to do with preventing flats, but I always store my spare tubes in a baggie with talcum powder. It makes changing tubes easier, and sometimes you can see the puncture--and what's causing it--better against the white of the powder.

I like Hutchinson tires alot, and now I'm riding on Serfas with no problems.

It's also a good idea to check your wheels entirely after each ride. Look for bits and pieces embedded in the tires, small nicks and cuts. If you can lift even a fingernail worth of rubber away from the tire, slap a little super glue underneath and then wipe it smooth.

Also watch that you don't ride over an more than you have to in terms of road trash, possible wires from retreads, thorns, stickers, sharp gravel, glass.

If I think I have rideen over anything suspicious I will reach forward a let my glove skim the front wheel while I am riding, and stop to wipe off the back wheel as needed.

I have been riding a Trek pilot 5.2 with Bontrager race lite kevlar tires,for 4 years, have done two and a half cross countries and have only ever had two flats, niether was on a cross country but just a worn out tube on one and some unaviodable stuff on another. I am convinced that it is both the vigilance in checking my tires and the Bontrager tires .

Not to bad an average for flats for an old lady who rides between 150-200 miles a week on Texas highways and byways.

marni

You can wipe your rear tire without getting off. It's not a beginner skill, but it's not hard. You can either reach back carefully with one hand behind the seat tube, or use the top of one shoe on the top of the tire, depending on your bike's geometry and your flexibility.

I guess I should've clarified my mileage; 150/week is only for about 4 months of the year as I live where we have a serious winter! But still, that works out to around 2400 miles. I do check my tire pressure before every ride and I don't think my Gatorskin has a wear bar. I haven't been that great about checking my tires after every ride but will start now, that's for sure. I did wipe my front tire this morning after riding over some gritty stuff and didn't crash so thanks for that tip! Wiping the rear will take a little more practice, though. Thanks for the help, everyone!

By chance are they treating your snow covered roads with cinders? If so, closely inspect your tires for cinders - they can and will do a real number on tires & tubes.

I'll chime in about tire liners...I use them, and love them! I use the "Stop Flats 2" brand. I also ride a Cannondale Synapse (just got it actually!). The Stop Flats 2 liners I use are the orange ones, which are for 700x23 road tires. They go in between your tube and the rim, and so far they have worked flawlessly for me.

As for tires, I swear by Vittoria Rubino Pro's...they came stock on my previous bike and I rode those (with the liners in) for about 5,200 flat-free miles. I would not hesitate to get them again.

On my Cannondale, the stock tires are Schwalbe Ultremo DD's...which seem fine, but it's way too soon to tell.