There’s nothing worse than getting a flat tire on your bike in the middle of a long ride on a beautiful day out. It’s usually an easy fix, but it still kills your mood and sometimes ends your ride. Punctures are just part of being a cyclist, and they’ll happen to you at some point. Thankfully, there are easy ways to avoid them.
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Common Causes of a Flat
There are a number of reasons your tire can go flat, including:
- Puncture from a sharp object like a nail or glass
- Damaged or failed valve stem starts leaking
- Inner tube is worn out
- Tire is worn out
- Rock stuck inside the tire eventually causes a hole in the inner tube
- Over-inflated tire
- Hard hit on a rock, pothole, etc
How to Avoid a Flat
To up your odds of avoiding flats, you can essentially improve either your tires, your riding, or both.
Better Tires
1. Choose the right tires. Fast and light tires are more fun, but also will puncture more easily than ones with thick walls. If you’re not focused on racing, go with a thicker set of tires. Tires sold as "puncture resistant" or "puncture proof" have extra protection to avoid punctures and are available for both road bikes and mountain bikes.
2. Inflate them to the right spec. You need to have the right tire pressure to avoid flats. Underinflated tires will deform more with every rotation of the wheel, which causes more wear and tear, and can cause a pinched inner tube. Overinflation can make the tire puncture more easily from glass and other sharp objects. Make sure both tires are properly inflated before each ride.
3. Check them regularly. Make sure there’s nothing lodged in the tires. It might not have cut through yet, but it could happen the next time you ride. Do this immediately after a ride or just before the next one. If you have to remove something and there’s a hole down to the canvas beneath the rubber, change the tire immediately.
4. Buy tubeless tires. They’re more resistant to punctures. No inner tube means no pinch flats. Also, the sealant will work to block small holes before you lose a lot of air.
5. Consider airless tires from Tannus. These "airless" tires are made of a special solid foam from edge to edge. There's no hollow space to pump up, so it's impossible for the tire to go flat. They're available for road bikes, gravel bikes, and hybrid bikes as well children's bikes. Contact Airpark or stop by to get a set.
6. Get a protective shield for your inner tube. You can also get a foam insert that wraps around the inner tube and protects it from punctures from sharp objects. Anything longer than an inch or so will still go through the foam, but it'll help protect from most punctures, and also from flats caused by a pinched inner tube. We install these almost daily and we can say they work! Stop by to get your own from our bike shop.
Improve Your Riding
1. Avoid gutters. They usually have a lot of rocks, glass, and other harsh materials. Dodge them at all times – especially if they’re filled with water.
2. Soften your landings. If you can’t avoid a hazard, hit it lightly. Shift your weight more over the back wheel as the front wheel touches down, and shift it back over the front wheel again as the rear wheel touches down.
3. Always look ahead. Keep an eye out for potholes, broken glass, and other hazards. If you know they’re coming, you can move out of the way.
