Modern approaches to flat mitigation

[sandspit]

Hi all, new member here. Catastrophic spine injury took me out of mountainbiking for 10 years now. I am back to it, with a question:

I used to use Slime tubes, but it seems they are out of favor these days. What are everyone's current solutions for flat avoidance/mitigation?

Thank you in advance for your candor.

 

[Stihldog]

Welcome to the forums.
Cheers.

Tubeless tires seem to be the way to go nowadays. Some advantages there. Don’t throw away your old tubes though …there’s a number of uses for them.

 

[steve_sordy]

Welcome to the Forum!

100% go tubeless + sealant in the tyre. Smoother ride, less inertia, a certain smug feeling. You will still get the usual amount of punctures but almost zero flats.

Do your research.

 

[RustyIron]

I used to use Slime tubes, but it seems they are out of favor these days. What are everyone's current solutions for flat avoidance/mitigation?

Tubeless tires and sealant are the preferred solution. They are NOT maintenance-free, however. You MUST periodically check that there is sealant in the tire.

Just yesterday I ran across a lady up in the mountains. She was fixing a flat using a plug, and it wasn't working out for her. Clearly, she didn't have any sealant in her tire. She said she had the situation under control. Not wanting to seem like a creeper, I wished her well and told her I'd be back that way in half an hour. Sure enough, half an hour later she was still there, but this time installing a tube. She again said she had it under control. Since the trail isn't too desolate, I knew there would be other riders along eventually and she probably wouldn't be eaten by mountain lions. The moral of this tale is don't go tubeless unless you're willing to do periodic maintenance, and regardless, carry as spare tube just in case you flub it up.

 

[steve_sordy]

Tubeless tires and sealant are the preferred solution. They are NOT maintenance-free, however. You MUST periodically check that there is sealant in the tire.

Just yesterday I ran across a lady up in the mountains. She was fixing a flat using a plug, and it wasn't working out for her. Clearly, she didn't have any sealant in her tire. She said she had the situation under control. Not wanting to seem like a creeper, I wished her well and told her I'd be back that way in half an hour. Sure enough, half an hour later she was still there, but this time installing a tube. She again said she had it under control. Since the trail isn't too desolate, I knew there would be other riders along eventually and she probably wouldn't be eaten by mountain lions. The moral of this tale is don't go tubeless unless you're willing to do periodic maintenance, and regardless, carry as spare tube just in case you flub it up.

@RustyIron makes very good points, there is an installation and maintenance workload with tubeless. But most of it is done in your garage or under your timing control at the LBS. Very rarely, you will get some tyre damage that just cannot be fixed by the sealant. In which case you will need a tyre plug. If that doesn't work then you are into fitting a tube and maybe a patch to keep the tube in. But damage like that would have required the same work even if you were using tubes all along. If you want to minimise to almost nothing the chance of being stopped on the trail by a flat, then sealant is the way to go. If you want to do that with lighter wheels and a better rolling feel then it has to be tubeless (with sealant).

Before using sealant in my tubes, I was averaging a flat every 14 miles. Slime tubes stopped that dead. But the Slime tubes were not only heavy duty and heavy, but they had a lot of sealant in them. So they carried a large weight penalty which was a problem on a muscle bike. Not so much on an emtb.

When I shifted to mtb, my third bike had Mavic wheels and proper tubeless tyres (their UST type). I went tubeless and never went back. You can go tubeless with almost any tyre and certainly with any tyre that will come on an emtb. You just need to ensure that the rim tape is suitable, buy some tubeless valves and some sealant and away you go. A compressor or a reservoir tank like an Airshot makes everything much easier.

The very first mod I make to a bike is to go tubeless, every time!

 

[Zimmerframe]

The very first mod I make to a bike is to go tubeless, every time!

Though sometimes he turns the forks the right way round too ..

 

[Zed.]

a certain smug feeling

^^This

Rich.

 

[KnollyBro]

Hi all, new member here. Catastrophic spine injury took me out of mountainbiking for 10 years now. I am back to it, with a question:

I used to use Slime tubes, but it seems they are out of favor these days. What are everyone's current solutions for flat avoidance/mitigation?

Thank you in advance for your candor.

You can always look into tire inserts along with going tubeless. Double the level of difficultly for installation with the added benefit of rim protection and lower tire pressure for more grip. I use Cushcore but there are several other brands as well.
And welcome back to the trails after your injury!

 

[steve_sordy]

Though sometimes he turns the forks the right way round too ..

I've never had to do that on one of my bikes, but I did once come across a Halfords special that had the forks the wrong way around.

 

[folmonty]

Tubeless is a mindset, once you get locked in and find out how well it works you won't go back. I'm actually in process of converting a moto as well. At first you'll be a little awkward but once you get the routine it's piece of cake.

Also, welcome back to riding again, from a guy who broke his neck (C6 & C7) it's a blessing to be back riding these fantastic machines!

 

[darwink1]

Good to hear you're riding again man!

Since weight doesn't matter as much on an eeb and its rocky af here, I run dh casing tires tubeless with cushcore f/r. The only time I get flats now is when I break a spoke and it pops a hole in the rim tape or I get a serious slash in the tire

D

 

[oldtimerpaddleguy]

Good to hear you're riding again man!

Since weight doesn't matter as much on an eeb and its rocky af here, I run dh casing tires tubeless with cushcore f/r. The only time I get flats now is when I break a spoke and it pops a hole in the rim tape or I get a serious slash in the tir

 

[oldtimerpaddleguy]

Here's my experience... i ride on a combination of in town and very rough gravel roads along the continental divide here in Montana. About 4 years ago my riding buddy made the switch to tubless. It was not an easy process for him...new tires, rim tape, several messy DIY attempts before he gave up and got $$ help from a bike shop before they held air. Then...on one memorable ride above Butter MT he got a flat and spent a couple of hours (spread over a whole riding) attempting to plug his tubeless tire (unsuccessfully) before giving up and putting in a tube so we could at least finish our ride.
For my friend, going tubeless has been an ongoing saga. Meanwhile, I've been riding the same roads as him with zero flats X 4 years (touch wood) using the following simple, fast, neat, and cheap system: using regular tires and tubes you simply unscrew and remove the center of the tubes valve core then using a 10 mil medical syringe and 3 inch long thin plastic tube you simply push the recommended volume of Stands sealant directly into the tube. Step 2 is to replace the tubes valve core, step 3 is pump it up, ride & forget. I've used this system in both my mtg and city bikes with ...so far...zero flats! Certainly worth a try before going to all the expense and hassle of a full on tubeless conversion. Hope this might be helpful. (of course...riding in MT we have very rough rocky roads but also very few cactus plants)....chesrs, Jim B.


Since then I have had zero flats. I ride on fairly rough gravel roads along the

 

[#lazy]

Consider the ari2tubes method
I’ve used tubeless with rimpac inserts which is a great cheap combo and only had one flat , which turned into a disaster cos was at a jump park . When you get a puncture you don’t realise at 1st cos the insert does its job , so I carried on down the jumpline and stacked it which resulted in a 3month rest with a broken knee .
Now binned the rimpacs and use DH casing tyres !

 

[Dax]

I've been riding the same roads as him with zero flats X 4 years (touch wood) using the following simple, fast, neat, and cheap system: using regular tires and tubes you simply unscrew and remove the center of the tubes valve core then using a 10 mil medical syringe and 3 inch long thin plastic tube you simply push the recommended volume of Stans sealant directly into the tube. Step 2 is to replace the tubes valve core, step 3 is pump it up, ride & forget. I've used this system in both my mtg and city bikes with ...so far...zero flats!

Works great for thorns, won’t stop pinch flats.

 

[rzr]

tubeless + insert, something thinner at the front - like tyre invader and bigger at the back (if tire is not DH)

I use Oko Magic Milk Hi-Fibre

 

[Ride 2d@y]

And IMO, pull out the thorns, spines and goat heads after every ride - and add fluid on a regular basis, especially in dry hot season. (let out some air before you do this so you don't spray your bike with Stans ha ha)