I had them install thorn resistant tubes when I bought the bike, took one apart today to fix a flat and not too impressed with the China made Specialized tube. The steel valve stem is a nice touch but it's not centered and when inflating it wants to pull out to the side, the whole tube twists and does not lay naturally in the tire. Lots of little pieces of rubber inside the wheel from rubbing, I can't even find where a thorn went in, I think maybe the stress of the ill fitting tube wore the hole against a piece of debris. I always clean the inside of the tire really well and put talcum powder in before inserting the tube to keep it from binding/sticking. Anyway is there a better tube out there? Have to have thorn resistant where I live, thorns and stickers on just about every plant is the norm here.
Thorn Resistant Tubes
- Thread starter bigb
- Start date
OK so maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty to condemn the Specialized tube, I see now that the reason it twists is because it is thicker along the outside road surface area. I am use to thorn resistant tubes being thicker overall, maybe this design has advantages to smoother riding and less weight? Will patch this one and put back together, still can't find the thorn, if there ever was one.
Dazmanturbo
Well-Known Member
The best puncture protect if you don't mind the weight is Tannus Armor. Get a puncture when then is fitted and you know it is serious !!!!
Those are nice, thanks. I'll probably go with those when I replace these tires with some meatier ones. Bookmarked
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
The best puncture protection is to buy proper tyres. What Specialized e-bike are you riding bigb?
It's the Como. I'm using the tires that came with it for now which are thin, smooth street tires labeled "Specialized" and "Nimbus Sport" and I could swear I saw they were made by Kenda. These tires would be fine in most places for pavement riding only, which is all I do, no dirt, but in the Arizona desert no matter if you stick to the pavement or not you are going to pick up thorns and "Goat heads" which look like little land mines with sharp points
and impossible to see until you find one already embedded in your tire. I just picked up my favorite sealer "True Goo" and will pump some in tomorrow and hit the road to get it swirled around good. I found two Goat heads in the rear tire and patched it all up last night.
Those look good too, thanksAnother option is a tire liner. Google Mr Tuffy. Fairly light, easy to install and it's really tough like the name suggests.And of course - a good tire.
Just looked at those Eddy Currents, very nice and I love the pun.
kahn
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- northWET washington
I purchased a used bike to keep at my sister's place in Tucson. On the last day of one vacation, yup, goathead. I was pissed and had no time to fuss with it. Figured I'd deal with it the next time I came down!!! She moved to LA and moved the bike there for me. I much preferred riding around Tucson. Sabino Canyon early or Saguaro East and a few other fun rides.
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
Not goat heads, but I got 3 flats in 4 months from blackberry thorns. Went tubeless and zero flats since (3.5 years).
Those goat heads look nasty though...
Those goat heads look nasty though...
Stefan Mikes
Gravel e-biker
- Region
- Europe
- City
- Mazovia, PL
The issue is the rims on a bike like Como rather are not tubeless ready.
linklemming
Well-Known Member
Goatheads are VERY common out here near denver. They are the major source of flats most encounter offroad, typical of the southwest US
I tried all sorts of things back in the day...finally settling on Stans sealant inside tubes(tubeless would work as well). Minimal flats in the 15 years I have used it. All my tires have goatheads in them and never leak until I switch out the tube or forget to refresh the sealant. Worst ever was over 15+ in a tire/tube. Other options might work as well but stans works for me
Stefans opinions seems pointless(as usual) since I dont recall him ever encountering goatheads. Last I checked, Denver is closer to AZ than Poland. Has Stefan ever ridden in AZ? Out of all the useless/digusting manboobs/lycra/mileage pics stefan posts, I dont ever recall a goatheads pic
If your really encountering goatheads in your sidewalls as the pics show, perhaps you need to up the tire pressure. I have never encountered goatheads in a sidewall and all my bike tires have goatheads in them
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Same here, going tubeless would be my first recommendation against "natural punctures". In all my (also) 3.5 "offroad years" and maybe 5000 miles tubeless on two gravel bikes and two MTBs (altogether seven wheel sets) I did not have one puncture. But quite some visible holes from thorns. We mostly have blackberry thorns here and no goatheads, these look quite fierce. But the right sealant should be able to get along with them.
Tubeless is also lighter, faster and more comfortable, especially compared too a heavy&stiff solution like Tannus Armor.
Tubeless for the first time needs some equipment (like sealant, tires, valves, tire booster) and some individual experience/setbacks installing it...
But I don't know about the rims of the como, if they are suited for tubeless. Stefan has mentioned a good point here and knows the Specialzed bikes quite well (as usual...).
Without own TL experience yet I would ask a (good) LBS if they are able to do it. If not/if new rims/wheels are necessary, this way may be to expensive.
Another option would be "thorn/puncture resistant" tire together with a normal tube, like Schwalbe Marathon Plus (or with other names from other brands). These have an inlay like Tannus Armor, but less wide&thicck&heavy, but no installing and weight&comfort still quite ok. Many people in Europe use them for allday use in the city against glass, nails, screws, etc. I think they should give some resistance against goatheads too.
DaveMatthews
Well-Known Member
Bummer. Love the tubeless option!
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