Punctures

[curlylegend]

Has anyone noticed if certain tyres are more prone to puncturing ?

 

I suffered a rear puncture yesterday, cost me €38.00 to have it repaired professionally !

But while I was examining the tyre I did notice rather a lot of small cuts with shards of glass embedded in them.  At last I got to use the bit on my old scout knife for taking stones out of horses hooves !!

I'm running Michelin Pilot Road 3's, both about a year old and covered about 14,000 km. centre tread measured 7mm new, now showing 4.5mm.

 

A puncture is something I dread nowadays. OK, tubeless tyres mean you're less likely to suffer a rapid deflation like the old tubed tyres, so they're safer, but I've never put much faith in roadside repairs.  For example, the pin-hole puncture I had would have been very difficult to detect at the side of the road without a handy horse trough or even a decent puddle !

Both of these are quite rare in my neck of the woods.  

 

So what's the consensus on puncture repairs from people with experience ?

[bjorge]

I have a puncture kit, have fixed 1 mc tyre (screw) and 3 car punctures. All of them worked well for the rest of expected life.

[peter-may]

I've used RP3's for the last couple of changes and had no problem, in fact I love them.

I think I've only had 2 punctures since saying goodbye to TT100's in the 80's in fact! The memorable one in the front, on a brand new R1150rs at the first service (600 mile) that they refused to repair....another story!!

[Trevini]

For roadside repairs I've always used the repair string for punctures and never had an issue. Picked up a rear puncture on the way over to the RTT in Ireland some years back. Repaired it at the hotel and it lasted the 1200 miles or so that I did on the tour. To be fair, I've never bothered getting a permanent tyre repair done afterwards and just replaced the tyre as they've usually been at the lower end of tread depth when they punctured anyway.

[RichardD-B]

I have had many punctures (I commute into London and am always filtering in the dirty bit between lanes)

They usually seem to happen very soon after you have a new tyre fitted!

My current T31 rear has had a professional repair since 1 week after it was new  5000 miles ago.

It has been fine, no leaks, no problems.

I have a tyre pressure monitoring system (about £30 from ebay) which gives accurate measurements and keeps your mind at ease.

I check tyres every week and remove all the glass and stones and nails!!

So I have faith in proper repairs (tyre removed, cleaned up, plugged with mushroom headed plug, GLUED, replaced on rim and Rebalanced)

Stay Safe

[Studley Ramrod]

I got a double puncture on the 3rd day of a 2 week tour of Europe.  Tyre had less than a thousand miles on it but I doubt any tyre would have not got punctured riding over a small length of barbed wire.  Got them both repaired using the rubber string jobbies and the tyre was fine for the rest of the tour, some 2500 miles.

 

I distinctly remember thinking how light the new tyre was when I bought it, so might be related.  May be the carcass is thinner ?

[curlylegend]

For roadside repairs I've always used the repair string for punctures and never had an issue. Picked up a rear puncture on the way over to the RTT in Ireland some years back. Repaired it at the hotel and it lasted the 1200 miles or so that I did on the tour. To be fair, I've never bothered getting a permanent tyre repair done afterwards and just replaced the tyre as they've usually been at the lower end of tread depth when they punctured anyway.

 

 

I got a double puncture on the 3rd day of a 2 week tour of Europe.  Tyre had less than a thousand miles on it but I doubt any tyre would have not got punctured riding over a small length of barbed wire.  Got them both repaired using the rubber string jobbies and the tyre was fine for the rest of the tour, some 2500 miles.

 

I distinctly remember thinking how light the new tyre was when I bought it, so might be related.  May be the carcass is thinner ?

 

Sorry to show my ignorance, but what are "rubber string" things ?  Nothing to do with Incredible String Band surely ?   And how about inflation ?   Mini electric pumps I assume ?

I'm intrigued...

[marko67]

Are rubber strings AKA dog turds?

 

 

I've only had one puncture in recent memory, luckily I was close to a garage and got a can of Holts tyre weld which sealed and inflated the tyre. I always carry one now.

 

The tyre was professionally plugged, glued etc and despite the damage / heat from riding it flat, lasted until the tread reached minimum.

 

Bridgestone's have been my go to for years, a big reason being that they have a heavy carcass construction compared to Pirelli's and Michelin's. It might just be a mental thing but I feel they cope with our rough roads and gravel better because of it.

[bjorge]

I guess neither of us have enough incidences (or abscence of) to be able to conclude in a statistically sound way, there are too much chance involved... just my 2cents

[ChrisG]

I commute into London and am always filtering in the dirty bit between lanes

I'm sure this is a bigger factor than the choice of tyre.  The bits of road that don't get may cars on them are always filled with crap, especially the bit between the lanes at the entry to a roundabout where cars almost never go but quite a few bikes do. 

[Studley Ramrod]

 

 

 

Sorry to show my ignorance, but what are "rubber string" things ?  Nothing to do with Incredible String Band surely ?   And how about inflation ?   Mini electric pumps I assume ?

I'm intrigued...

Rubberly

[alanfavell]

 

 

 

Sorry to show my ignorance, but what are "rubber string" things ?  Nothing to do with Incredible String Band
surely ?   And how about inflation ?   Mini electric pumps I assume ?

I'm intrigued...

 

Gorra pair of their albums on vinyl in the bottom of the wardrobe

[curlylegend]

Rubberly

 

Because the Memsahibs still AWOL  I indulged myself over the cheese and port this evening by entertaining myself with YouTube.  And learned ( ? ) a bit about these sort of things.  These rubbery stringy things seem to do the job but I think I would have more confidence in those mushroom plugs.

What are your thoughts ?   And is there any advice about inflators ?

 

Gorra pair of their albums on vinyl in the bottom of the wardrobe

 

Are you hiding them ?   It's ok to own the Albums, it's the accompanying herbal cigarettes and small white pills that get you into trouble.... so I'm led to believe.

I think I'm still on the same subject of punctures, but what is the minimum tread before you change a tyre ?

I have had many punctures (I commute into London and am always filtering in the dirty bit between lanes)

They usually seem to happen very soon after you have a new tyre fitted!

My current T31 rear has had a professional repair since 1 week after it was new  5000 miles ago.

It has been fine, no leaks, no problems.

I have a tyre pressure monitoring system (about £30 from ebay) which gives accurate measurements and keeps your mind at ease.

I check tyres every week and remove all the glass and stones and nails!!

So I have faith in proper repairs (tyre removed, cleaned up, plugged with mushroom headed plug, GLUED, replaced on rim and Rebalanced)

Stay Safe

 

Anybody else used Tyre Pressure Monitoring devices ?

[Studley Ramrod]

Sidey also got a puncture on the euro tour and spent 2 hrs trying to do a mushroom plug repair.  For some reason the device that holds and inserts the plug wouldn't release the plug inside the tyre, it was stuck to the device.  He finally sorted it with the rubber stringy stuff.

One thing worth noting, if you do get a kit, get one that has a file for cleaning the hole, not one that has a corkscrew type thread.  The file will give a much cleaner hole than the other type.

 

Any small sized compressor should be fine for inflating the tyre, I think RAC and AA both do a mini compressor for around £12.

[bjorge]

Any small sized compressor should be fine for inflating the tyre, I think RAC and AA both do a mini compressor for around £12.

In roadside repair kits there is normally a few CO2(?) Cylinders for inflating the tyre. Never tried them, though.

[ChrisG]

I carry CO2 cylinders and a Cargol kit (plastic screws that block the hole, meant a short term measure to get you to a tyre place for a proper repair, work really well), Luckily when I had a puncture miles from anywhere someone I was with had a compressor as we immediatly realised the flaw, you need to put some air in the tyre first to find out where the hole is, so need more CO2 cartridges than the reccomended amunt to fill the tyre.

 

CO2 cylinders are also hilarious when someone realises they'd be a good way to top up a leaking Fournales air shock and dissapears a cloud of CO2 and vapour :hehe:  Although to be fair Wicky did say the suspension was nice and firm all the way home.

[alanfavell]

CO2 cylinders - you'll need several to inflate - at least 3 x 16g to ride away with a v soft tyre

 

CO2 cylinders won't re-seat a tyre that has come away from the rim.........

 

I still have some - they are back up to compressor

 

As ChrisG said...............

[ChrisG]

CO2 cylinders won't re-seat a tyre that has come away from the rim.........

 

I doubt a little 12v compressor would either though.

[alanfavell]

Nope it wont, but the ciggy lighter gas does :good:

[bjorge]

CO2 cylinders - you'll need several to inflate - at least 3 x 16g to ride away with a v soft tyre

 

CO2 cylinders won't re-seat a tyre that has come away from the rim.........

 

I still have some - they are back up to compressor

 

Ahhh, good to know, would just about get to run the bike after flushing all 3 cartridges 

 

Seating a tyre is quite a different one - requiring up to 50PSI  :hide: ...but for a roadside repair this would normally not be required.