Tire Liners for Puncture Protection

[amino]

I'm doing a 2 week road tour soon and was wondering if tire puncture liners are a must? As is now I get a flat every month or so in the city commuting. I haven't seen anyone rave about this type of protection. Thanks!

[ptaylor]

They are a nuisance in my opinion. I've tried them and I could never seem to get them inserted properly.

I'm a commuter who goes through a lot of urban glass. I'm sold on quality (read expensive) tires. For the past year, I have used Schwalbe tires exclusively, and love them. You can probably only order them mail order: they are advertised in our AC magazine.

[Dan_E_Boye]

I think they're great.  I commute and tour on my bikes.  All of them have tube liners and heavy duty inner tubes.  If I get two flats a year that is a lot.
When I was doing mountain biking I used them with heavy duty tubes and very rarely got a flat.  

If you take a little time to get them in right it will save you time on the road fixing a flat.  The other thing is they're cheap so why not just buy some and do the experiment?

[FredHiltz]

My commuting experience, 16 years in downtown Boston, was much the same as amino's--one flat every month or two. I used the same tires and tubes on a 5,800 cross-country tour and had four flats total. Three of those came when riding through cities. Based on that, I would not bother with liners.

Fred

[biker_james]

My wife and I use Mr Tuffy's, and won't leave home without them. We've had the bikes for over 5 years-I've had 4 flats total, and my wife got her first and only a couple months ago. We run them in Conti TT2000's. I did purchase a set of Schwalbe Marathons with the Kevlar belt to prevent flats. Got a flat on about the second ride. Got rid of the Schwalbe's-not because of flats, but because I felt they negatively affected the way the bike handled.
As for tire liners being a nuisance-lay them out flat for a day or so (put a weight at each end) so they lose the curl, and they are quite easy to install-and with no flats you really don't have to deal with them after that.

[TheDaltonBoys]

Six years without a car...if you pay for cheap tires you get cheap protection, (spend the money on good tires), the deciding factor is a thick center of the tread which does mean a heavier wheel, but better protection. I've not used Slime, but am an ardent fan of Slime Liners and no flats for two years!! Last two flats....a month ago and while watching the Tour de France at a Bicycle Shop, got there with a slow leak, got lazy and paid a mechanic to change my tire and he didn't put the Slime Liner back in, second flat because I wasn't timely in getting the Slime Liner back in. Total was 2 flats in 2 weeks after 2 years of flatlessness. Copmbine the two is my choice as I've yet to meet anyone who feels that changing a flat is a fun thing to do.  Enjoy the Voyage.....Mark of the Dalton Boys

[pmspirito]

Tuffy liners, thorn proof tubes, great ($$$$$) tires and Velox rim tape.  One tip: dust the entire inside of the tire, the tuffy, and the tube with baby powder as you put it together.  I use a soft brush and swish the baby powder around all over.  I cannot remember the last time Judy or I had a flat.  The dumbest thing I was ever told was by a guy who said he didn't use tuffy's etc because "he was real fast at changing tires and patching tubes"  I bet he was.

best wishes from the back of the pack,  Peter & Judy Spirito

[ATSFfan]

Panaracer makes a fantastic touring tire that has both a kevlar belt (same stuff Mr. Tuffys are made from) and a kevlar bead (so you can fold them). I had two flats on my So Tier tour last spring in 3,100 miles and they wear very well - I was carrying about 30 lbs of front/rear pannier gear.

[tgpelz]

I have not heard about the Slime tubes yet.

I have Schwalbe tires and Slime tubes.   Before the Slime tubes, I used the tire liners.  

I often ride in the Denver colorado area.  There are some really interesting thorns on the trails in metro denver.  

One day, after three flats, I stopped at REI and bought two Slime tubes.   No more flats.

Oh, I agree with the baby powder post.  Wonderful stuff to use.

Tom

[fcatwo]

We tried the MrT's for a year or so and found they eventually sliced our tubes where the end of the liner lays against the tube. I suppose we had movement at that point each time it came to the bottom and was compressed slightly. Breaking the tires down periodically and moving the belts a few inches stopped the problem but we find the Schwalbe and Avocet kevlar belted tires protect just as well with less hassle.

This message was edited by fcatwo on 9-10-05 @ 8:51 PM

[Beep!Beep!]

Try gel filled tubes plus look for the drawing pin symbol on Schwable tyres. Good sites will tel yo about the plies so lok for double or triple puncture proof layers, some are 5 ply wheras cheapos are 2 ply!

[Styx]

Mr Tuffy's for sure! and to prevent the slicing keep tubes in baggies with baby powder,,,, baby powder under and on top of the Mr Tuffy end when you insert 1st time.