Tire Liners

[PedalUma]

For some reason we have maturing yellow star thistles all along paths and where everything else has not developed RoundUp resistance. The thorns have microscopic barbs and they break off inside the rubber of the tread only to continue the one-way journey unseen.

 

[Nvreloader]

Ped
Around here we call that a Bull Thistle, we cut down every one we find, No Cal Red Bluff area had miles of them, called Star thistles,
never had any problem with tube/tire problems, that I remember.

 

[mrgold35]

I haven't seen the Bull Thistle where I ride in central NM? We have a lot of goat heads and low to ground paddle cactus hiding in the tall grass/weeds being high desert (+5000 feet):

Internet photos below and the reason I like some type of liner and/or sealant. Can be a lot goat heads even on paved bike only lanes and unpaved improved bike trails.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I've had the Flat-Out in my first ebike since Feb. 2023 and it's been in my new ebike since May 2024.

I can still feel it in sloshing around in my new ebike's tires (27.5 X 2.80) when I spin up the wheel in the air. (I don't feel it when I ride?)
There's half a quart in each tube.

That's why I leaned towards FlatOut... Long shelf and service life.. Supposedly

 

[Nvreloader]

Flat Out states a 10yr operating/shelf life on the plastic jug I have.
yrmv

 

[PCeBiker]

For anyone thinking of using Flatout, DON'T Get the passenger vehicle version.

It's for high speed driving and it doesn't work as good, especially in higher pressure tires. (I think it's a lot thinner?)

 

[MrHyak]

Your need really depends on your surroundings. If I didn't have goat heads I would not have needed Tanus liners IMO. Since we do have them, I would not be riding without them. As a kid in the 70's we just had to get used to fixing our flat tires, but I also think our bike tires were a bit tougher back then too. Seems the rubber these days compared to 50 yrs ago is a lot softer, but I could be wrong..

 

[Nvreloader]

I forgot to add that I also run these HD tubes, that about 3x thicker than standard bike tubes, they are kind'a expensive, but for the way
and where I ride, along with Sportsman Flat Out, they are worth to me, imho. yrmv

Amazon.com : Bakcou | Heavy Duty Fat Tire Tube - Military-Grade Butyl Rubber, 3.5mm Base Thickness, Schrader Valve - Ideal for Electric Bikes, Mountain Bikes, and Traditional Fat-Tire Bikes : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Bakcou | Heavy Duty Fat Tire Tube - Military-Grade Butyl Rubber, 3.5mm Base Thickness, Schrader Valve - Ideal for Electric Bikes, Mountain Bikes, and Traditional Fat-Tire Bikes : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

 

[stompandgo]

We call them thorn resistant tubes. They are very heavy, but they help.

 

[charlieboom-boom]

After 5 seasons, I'm finally giving up on Tannus Armor. They are just too difficult to install and make on road tire repairs almost impossible. With some effort, I installed them on two bikes in 2020 but when I recently tried to replace them, I was simply not able to do it. Not sure why since they are the same bikes, same rims and the same tires. Perhaps Tannus changed something in the manufacture?

The product also looses it's profile and becomes flat over time. In their flattened state, they still offer some additional puncture protection, but no more so than plain tire liners, which are much easer to install.

For those who use these tire liners, such as Mr Tuffy, what has been your experience? I have seen product reviews about the edges of the liner cutting into tubes and causing flats. Is this really a significant problem? The great majority of the 4K+ Amazon reviews seem to be positive.

Any tricks to keep the liner centered on the tube during installation? The instructions provided on the Mr. Tuffy liners are overly simplistic and don't deal with the centering problem. I've seen you tube videos of people using duct tape to hold them in place inside the tire. I understand this is not recommended since the liner is supposed to be able to move slightly after tire inflation. One guy I saw used pieces of string which he later pulled out.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

I have been using Mr. Tuffy tire liners since June of 2020 in any of the tires that are are around 1.95 to 2.35 inches wide on 20 inch (406mm rims). Where I live in the Chicago area goat head thorns are not a problem. But I also use heavy duty thorn resistant tubes as well in those wheels. The only flat tire I have had was earlier this past July when I picked up a 1-1/2 inch roofing nail. It entered the 53-406 Maxis Hookworm tire in the center of the tread of the tire. the tip of the nail did not go thru the liner, but slid along it until it got past the edge of it and eventually wore a hole thru the side wall of the thick innertube. That has been the only flat I have had in a tire with a tire liner after 15,000 plus miles or riding using tire liners. Even a car tire cannot resist a roofing nail.

As far as centering the liner goes before inflating I will squeeze around the tire a couple times. On thinner walled tires I can sometimes feel the edge of the liner move while doing that. But most of my tires are Schwalbe Pickup and with the double layer of 67 Epi in the tire carcass it is to hard to feel anything thru it.

 

[Nvreloader]

Your need really depends on your surroundings. If I didn't have goat heads I would not have needed Tanus liners IMO. Since we do have them, I would not be riding without them. As a kid in the 70's we just had to get used to fixing our flat tires, but I also think our bike tires were a bit tougher back then too. Seems the rubber these days compared to 50 yrs ago is a lot softer, but I could be wrong..

Ya, Like the Old Red rubber tubes, made the best sling shot bands and rubber band ammo for repeating rubber band rifle, before surgical tubing.....the good old days...

In and around Red Bluff, Ca, in the early 60's, the goat heads were so bad,
that we would use old worn out thin tire casings inside new tires to reduce the flat tires, same thing for the Trail 90's we rode.....
Wish we would have had FLAT OUT/liners then, we would be riding longer.....in stead of fixing flats.