Flat Tire Help, Tube Armor?

Redright9 said:
Hello,

Where I live, we have "goat head" thorns that constantly put holes in the tires of my sons bikes. I have tried slime and tubes with slime in it but I end up having to replace tubes constantly.

Anyone use a solid tire or tube armor? Here is something I am thinking about:

https://tannusamerica.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7ND0qdOk9gIVJBxlCh2A2ARUEAAYASAAEgJ70vD_BwE
Click to expand...
Never tried those. Expensive, but interesting. Would love unbiased reviews.

I have tubeless on my MTB. The shop that built my Specialized Carbon 29" used lousy and not enough bulk "slime". Tires would hold air for a week or so. I redid the Presta valves and got a pint of Stan's NoTubes, did the 2X treament. I rode the rest of the summer and only adjusted air pressure because I wanted to.

Try tubeless and Stan's. It's the real thing.
 
I've read several accounts of goat head thorns flatting tubeless tires having sealant. They're nasty thorns. And I've encountered flats on my MTB that Stan's sealant was unable to seal. Stan's is one of the best sealants, so you might consider the "race" version of Stan's sealant which has beefed up puncture sealing.
https://www.notubes.com/stan-s-race-sealant-quart

Going tubeless may require you to replace the wheels - expensive. You don't need to do that. You can unscrew the inner tube valve core, squirt 3 oz. of Stan's (shake well before squirting), then put it all back together.
Note: Stan's says their Race sealant can't be applied through the valve core, so if you apply in an inner tube, use their normal stuff.
 
Go Tubeless, even if it's a little messy and requires you to remove the dried latex on an annual basis.

Had a set of Stan's Arch EX built up for me years ago... those things with tubeless ready tires (from Specialized), are a PITA to get the bead over, but over the years, they have gotten better with improved designs.

Running lower pressures also helps with traction... we are assuming MTB, right?
 
NYEngineer said:
I've been tubeless for eleven years. Not had a flat since. I was the last holdout in my group.
Click to expand...
Must be nice. I could do without the experience of watching sealant spew out of my tire through a tear too big for it to seal, as I watch helplessly, knowing I'm going to be pushing my bike for the next few miles.

That said, tubeless is great for MTB. Lower pressures, better traction and fewer flats. It's not flat-proof, but it is flat-resistant.
 
Schwalbe Marathon, which come for road, hybrid, and MTB, have very good puncture resistance. The Marathon Plus E-Bike tire has probably the best puncture resistance while still having low rolling resistance for an armored tire.
 
Since we're making specific recommendations:
Schwalbe G-One allround are the worst tires I've ever used on my MTB. Frequent punctures and they don't seal properly with Stan's fluid. Avoid!

Maxxis Ardent Race are my everyday "goto" tire on the MTB. Lighter and more efficient than the Maxxis DHR-DHF, but more rugged and traction than the Ramblers. Never flatted over years of use.

Maxxis Ramblers are great for off-road but less rugged/technical, like gravel riding. Less rugged than dedicated trail tires, but lighter and more efficient. I used them on the 5 day OTGG with no punctures or any other problems. Flatted once, but it was my fault, a test ride on very rugged terrain they weren't designed for, creating a tear too big for the sealant.

Maxxis DHR/DHR are the most rugged, high traction tires I've used. Heavy and slow, but incredible traction, a true "downhill" tire. Like moto-cross tires on gas powered motorbikes. Never flatted over years of use.
 
OP was wondering about airless tires. Unless they have drastically improved over the past couple years I would not consider them. They just don't feel right and rolling resistance is high. The SMART Tire Company is developing an airless bicycle tire that's based on something developed by NASA.

https://www.smarttirecompany.com/cycling
 
Sounds like the best move is airless.... I was wondering about the solid tires and as vavavroom pointed out, I do agree and feel they would not be as good as they seem on paper....

Thank you all
 
what are tubes??

seriously, just go tubeless. I've had one flat that didn't seal in the last 15K miles of riding. That flat took me about 30 seconds to fix with a Dynaplug and a co2 cartridge. About 1/3 of my riding is in goathead territory, and tubeless excels with that sort of puncture. I've finished rides where I've seen remnants of 5 or 6 pinholes that would have been flats,and lost no more than 3-5 psi. It's worth it.

I'd tested pretty much every "air free" tire that's been produced or is ready to be produced (and many that never made it). Bottom line is that the best of them is still not very good. I think they'll get there, eventually?? They aren't there wet. They're uncomfortable and terrible in the rain. There's a reason pneumatic tires have been around a long time. Air pressure is a magical thing.
 
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