Punctures are an annoying part of cycling, but there are certain things we can do to
significantly reduce the risk of getting them.
They tend to happen in one of three ways. Either sharp objects piercing the tube and
the tyre from the outside, sharp bits of rim that pierce the tube from the inside, or
impact punctures where the tube gets pinched between the rim and the tyre.
First things first - let's look at the rim to try and eliminate the chances of getting
it from there. With the tyre off, inspect the inside of the rim here, and pay particular
attention to the rim tape. It should look completely flat like that and not rucked up.
The main culprit are the holes where the spokes go, so make sure that your rim tape completely
covers them. If not, invest in some new stuff. Light, plastic stuff like this works really
well, or you can get heavier duty fabric stuff, like things made by Velox.
Whatever you do though, avoid electrical tape, which will distort under high pressures and
deform into the spoke holes, so that's not going to work.
The other thing is to also inspect the valve hole there, because often you'll find sharp
edges that will rub up against where the tube is. So make sure it's completely smooth and if
in doubt just get a file and take the edges off.
Mmm, smooth.
Check your tyres inside and out. The rubber being worn doesn't actually have too much
of an effect on your puncture resistance. It's the integrity of the fabric underneath.
You can see it poking through there - that would actually have a problem, so you don't
want anything like that poking out.
You also need to run your fingers around the inside of the tyre to see if there are any
sharp objects in there. If you do stumble across anything, just pinch the tyre and try
and work it's way out. If it's not coming out, then just use a pick and try and lever it out.
It's a great idea to at least get in to the habit of checking the outside of the tyre
for any sharp-looking objects that are making their way through. It might take a few rides
for a piece of glass to work it's way in, and if you catch it then obviously that's
going to be one less time that you're stood at the side of the road fixing your puncture.
Make it a bit of a routine.
The final check on your current equipment is to make sure that your tyres are inflated
correctly. There's a variation on exactly what is the correct pressure, depending on
your weight and also the width of your tyre, but roughly a 60-70kg rider should look at
about 90-100psi and 80kg plus should be looking at about 110psi, maybe even a little bit more.
This obviously helps reduce the risk of impact punctures as it provides an awful lot more
resistance between the tyre and the rim.
So what about your equipment choices? Tyre choice is a really important factor, and not
necessarily due to a tyre being labelled 'puncture resistant'. The width of the tyre is really
critical, depending on where you ride. If you're blessed with super-smooth roads, a
23mm tyre is probably going to be absolutely fine. However, if you have to put up with
rougher roads, then you might want to look at getting a 25mm or even, if it'll fit, a 28mm.
The extra volume of air will mean it's much better at resisting impact punctures. The
only trade-off is a little bit of weight, but increasingly we're waking up to the fact
that wider tyres roll better as well, so potentially they'll actually be faster as well.
Some tyres have puncture-resistant linings in them, but peoples opinions vary on this.
Some people swear by them, other people get frustrated that they are still getting punctures.
But a tyre like this (Continental Gatorskin) will significantly reduce the incidence of
sharp objects piercing the tyres, but it won't rule them out entirely. If however, you do
ride on really rough roads, they're probably a wise investment. the only trade-off is probably
a little bit of extra weight, but most people won't actually notice that.
If you don't want to buy an entirely new tyre, you can actually get puncture-resistant linings
that go inside the tyre. A lot of people find that they're not very good, but Daniel Lloyd
swears by them, so potentially give them a go.
One area where a lot of people try and save weight on their bikes is with inner tubes,
but I've often found this a false economy. Light inner tubes, in my experience, puncture
more easily, so I'd much rather have a cheaper butyl tube that weighs a little bit more.
There's only going to be 40g in it anyway, but I think the puncture-resistance that you
get with it is absolutely critical.
Hear that?
The one exception to that is latex inner tubes, which are lighter and supposedly have better
puncture resistance as well. That's because of the actual properties of latex - they're
more resistant to sharp objects, but they are more prone to complete catastrophic blowouts.
Peoples opinion on them vary. Most people have tried them and most people don't use
them anymore. But they are lighter, they do give you a better ride quality and potentially
puncture resistance as well, so it's worth mentioning.
Whichever tubes you do decide to use though, make sure that you get the right width. Particularly
if you are running tyres as big as 28s, you might want to look at getting a thicker, wider
inner tube. Standard ones will work, but the rubber will be stretched so thinly that you'll
probably lose a bit of puncture resistance. So buy the appropriate inner tube.
Tubeless tyres are a big step forward for road bikes and the main reason is the increased
puncture resistance. There's a liquid latex sealant inside that will seal small punctures
without you even noticing, and doing away with an inner tube completely eliminates the
risk of impact punctures. In fact, the only time you should ever really puncture is if
you get a gash in the tyre big enough that the sealant can't cope with it.
It's a big investment. The chances are that your current wheels won't be tubeless compatible
and I'm pretty sure that your tyres won't be tubeless compatible either. So you have
to invest in entirely new wheels and tyres. But if you're a heavier rider and you ride
on really rough roads, it could very well be money well spent.
The last piece of the puzzle is where you ride. I don't just mean choosing entire roads - although
that could be a sensible decision - I mean more about whereabouts on the road you ride.
Broken glass often collects in the gutter, so that's yet another reason why you shouldn't
be riding there. Equally, keep your eyes peeled for potholes, manhole covers or anything with
a sharp edge that could cause an impact puncture. If you do end up riding through broken glass,
it's probably prudent to stop immediately after and just check the outside of the tyre
to make sure that nothing is stuck in it. It sound a little bit extreme, but it's only
going to take 10 seconds or so out of your ride, and it doesn't happen that often anyway.
My own personal approach to puncture prevention is not to take any specific precautions with
my equipment. All I do is I'm careful when I ride to avoid broken glass and potholes.
I'm also bloody good at changing an inner tube so that if I do puncture, it's not the
end of the world. It's going to take me a few minutes, and then I'm back on my way.
So - check your tyres and wheels for potential problems, inflate them to the correct pressure,
if needed buy wider, puncture-resistant tyres, and at all times out on the road keep your wits about you.