Advice on protection from flats

[mamerc]

After three flats last year , 2 were road flats, 2 back and one front, I come to you guys for a few options on protecting my tubes. I was running slime protectors but ended up tossing them after finding tears on the tubes. Appears Amazon ratings agree with my experiences. I like to ride dirt trails as well as my 12 mile commute daily. Since changing my tires to the Maxis HolyRollers, I haven't had a flat but with all the stuff I run over in the bike lanes, I know that day is coming. ...here are the options I am looking into...

1. Do nothing and replace the flat with a new $5.00 tube when that time comes
2. Slime the tires as a flat preventative
3. Invest $16.00 on a set of MrTuffy liners
4. Combination of all

 

[mamerc]

.....by the way, having a front flat at 22 miles an hour is a little hairy.

 

[Jtschump_sea]

Try the Schwalbe or Continental tires. I've been running a set of Marathon Plus on my commuter and haven't had a flat since putting them on. In prior years I'd average about 5 flats a year. Just look for the e-bike rating on the Schwalbe model - I can't say enough good things about them. The new Conti Top Contact II looks to be an amazing tire. I also had good luck with Tuffy liners. Never liked the slime as over time it dries up and stops working.

 

[Steve Plattner]

I've

After three flats last year , 2 were road flats, 2 back and one front, I come to you guys for a few options on protecting my tubes. I was running slime protectors but ended up tossing them after finding tears on the tubes. Appears Amazon ratings agree with my experiences. I like to ride dirt trails as well as my 12 mile commute daily. Since changing my tires to the Maxis HolyRollers, I haven't had a flat but with all the stuff I run over in the bike lanes, I know that day is coming. ...here are the options I am looking into...

1. Do nothing and replace the flat with a new $5.00 tube when that time comes
2. Slime the tires as a flat preventative
3. Invest $16.00 on a set of MrTuffy liners
4. Combination of all

I've ridden 1500 miles on all kinds of city pavements and bike trails, and at 220 lbs. my bike and I tip the scale at about 285 lbs., so I put a load on my tires. No flats using the stock tires. I am really impressed with the Schwalbe Big Bens.

Question: I know the day is coming and I have a flat in my future, especially riding around in the city with broken glass, screws, etc. What are Mr. Tuffy liners? Wonder whether I should look into them as a way to prolong my luck and avoid flats as much as I can.

 

[Jtschump_sea]

Here ya go - http://mrtuffy.com/product-line.html

 

[JoePah]

I have Maxxis Excel on my Stromer.. For bicycle tire it is extremely puncture resistant.. 3500 miles no flats over 2 years.. That is a record for my 5 bikes. I think Maxxis makes excellent tires for eBikes, even though the ride is a little harsh.

If I were you I'd just keep the tires pumped up to near max pressure.. Don't bother with slime or liners, they have their own issues.

If you do get a flat, buy a double thick thorn resistant tubes.. Check them out on Amazon.

 

[Cameron Newland]

I got a ton of flats on my ebike in early 2015 and decided to try the Mr. Tuffy Bicycle Tire Liners, and I haven't had a flat since. The only issue with them is that they add weight to your tires, so your top speed might fall by 1mph, and acceleration slows a tiny bit, too.

Some people have had issues with pinch flats that were possibly *caused* by using tire liners, however, it's also possible that those people didn't properly install the tire liners and forgot to put talcum powder on the inside of the tire.

I was going to go with the conventional wisdom and buy the moderately expensive Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, but these tire liners did the trick for less money. Also, from what I've heard about the Marathon Pluses, they just have an extra layer of rubber, which works very similarly to my tire liners, except the tire liners can be installed on successive sets of tires where the Marathon Pluses' tire liners are built in and cannot be repurposed. If you don't mind the slight weight penalty, I'd go with the tire liners instead, especially if you're planning on going through multiple sets of tires over the years.

 

[mamerc]

Ended up ordering MrTuffys

 

[Va. Bch. Electric Bike Center]

Ended up ordering MrTuffys

Marathon Plus's are and have been legendary in flat prevention. Yes, it might be just another green strip of rubber in the tire but it works well with our heavier bikes and is time tested.