Puncture-proofing bicycle tires?

[Piwoslaw]

A few years back I installed a silicone liner between the tire and inner tube, to better protect from punctures. At about the same time I told my neighbor about it and he also installed liners in his mountain bike. The next day he got a flat. When I helped him take the tire off I noticed that the end of the liner had worn a hole on the inner tube. I explained to him that since his tires were grossly underinflated the liner rubbed against the tube with every revolution. We mended the tube and I inflated his tires to at least the minimum pressure on the tire sidewall.

Since then I have experienced the same situation multiple times, though in my case it take more time for the end of the liner to wear through the tube, since it is pressed to the tire by the higher pressure I prefer. But last week it happened to me twice - once on each tire! So I removed the liners, since they did not always protect against metal scraps, glass, etc., anyway. I immediately got 2 more flats due to glass (that's 4 flats within 1.5 weeks!).

So is there any other way to protect myself from puncture? The liner design is flawed because it is a tape, with 2 ends that rub and wear the tube. Better would be a ribbon without ends. I commute 200km per week for 10-11 months per year, through urban areas, so there is always glass I have watch out for

[hamsterpower]

I wonder if that liner would work better glued to the inside of the tire. also trimming the liner to fit flat, no overlap.

[JRMichler]

Back when I was putting up to 6000 miles per year on my bicycle (all transportation riding), I was averaging a flat every couple hundred miles. Most of the flats were thorns, with the rest from glass. The thorns and glass would embed in the tire and gradually poke holes in the inner tube.

I tried a pair of extra thick inner tubes that were supposed to be thorn proof. No good, it just took a little longer for the first holes to appear. One particularly bad day, I had three flats in ten miles on the way home from work.

I got good at fixing flats. With practice, I could fix a flat, reinstall the wheel, and pump it up in ten minutes.

[redpoint5]

Foam tires? Never tried them myself, but back when I was getting a flat every other ride, I was considering them. I'd take 5% more drag if that meant 0 flats ever. I don't actually know how the rolling resistance compares to pneumatic tubes.

Tannus Tires - Solid Bicycle Tires

[Saskwatchian]

Ever considered going tubeless?

I have never tried it myself but people I know who ride in the states where there are lots of thorns and cacti swear by it. Apparently it takes a bit of maintenance, but thorn punctures and pinch flats are no longer an issue.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by hamsterpower

I wonder if that liner would work better glued to the inside of the tire. also trimming the liner to fit flat, no overlap.

When I first started noticing that the ends of the liners are wearing away at the tube, I shortened them to have a 1-2cm gap, instead of an overlap. That helped, but did not resolve the issue.

I can't find the page now, but when browsing today I came across an idea to line the tire with the metal tape from a tape measure. I think it also proposed putting an old tire between the metal tape and inner tube to protect the latter from the former. This would make the tire almost bulletproof, but it might take some creativity to squeeze an inner tube, metal tape measure and a used tire inside a 700x28C ...

[California98Civic]

You need "thorn resistant" tires. Also, i wonder if one of those punctured tubes could be used as a liner, with a little contact cement to attach it to the tube, rather than the boot, so it moves with the tube and does not rub. It would be like an all-tire preventative patch. Half the old tube length wise and attach it to the new tube along where the tire contacs the road?

[Grant-53]

Here in a bottle law state there very little glass on the road. The widest tape measure is 1 inch. I would consider using structural foam instead of a tube or going tubeless and putting plastic piping inside as a run-flat liner. I used a soft plastic tire liners years ago in 26 x 1 3/8 tires with good success. I use powder in all my tire and tube combinations.

[oldtamiyaphile]

You can get puncture resistant tyres, they're about 15mm thick so it takes a lot to puncture one. Add puncture proof tubes, and you could even look into self sealing slime that is applied to the inside of tube via the valve.

For your protector, you could maybe use talc (etc) to reduce friction between the liner and tube.

Finally, if you know there are thorns in the area, ride carefully. Avoid the area or walk the bike across it.

It's been years since I had a puncture that I couldn't still ride on.

[Stubby79]

Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile

Add puncture proof tubes, and you could even look into self sealing slime that is applied to the inside of tube via the valve.

Just make sure you get the good stuff (latex based), not the cheaper stuff meant for car tires and such. It doesn't work worth crap on bike tires.