I've been getting a lot of flat tires on my bike. (I counted five patches on my current front inner tube when I fixed it last night.) They're almost always from shards of glass that embed themselves in my tire. I think the bike lanes actually increase the frequency with which this happens: When car windows or bottles are broken, the glass that falls in car travel lanes is quickly pulverized and pushed aside by the traffic. In the bike lane, this takes a long time to happen, and the cars push the glass into the bike lane.
This is, of course, a huge pain. But I am taking decisive action. When I last got a back flat (a few weeks ago), I bought a puncture-resistant tire made with a tough rubber compound and woven kevlar in the tread. Now that I've gotten a front flat, I'm going to get one for that wheel, too. The brand is Specialized Armadillo, and according to this promotional video, I should be in good shape:
1 comment:
If that doesn't work, I'd recommend these puppies:
http://www.rei.com/product/546130
I bought continental gator skins (kevlar) after getting a bunch of flats over time in Minneapolis, but i still got the occasional flat. In desperation, I bought mr. tuffy tire liners 2 or 3 years ago. I'm still astonished with how well they've worked. I haven't gotten a single flat since, even after very frequent commuting and the occasional long ride (STP last year, etc.) The only downside is that my tires are getting pretty bald and i'll need to replace them anyway :) Good luck!
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