Punctures
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We\u2019ve all heard that dreaded hiss and felt a tyre go squidgy with a puncture. It usually means 15 minutes at the side of the road and often happens at the worst possible moment when it\u2019s about to rain, it\u2019s cold, it\u2019s getting dark \u2013 or all three.\nIt\u2019s good to be prepared, carry a spare tube and know how to fix a puncture quickly. You\u2019ve typically got two options: to repair the inner tube that\u2019s punctured or swap in a new one.\nThere are plenty of things you can do to lessen your chances of getting a flat in the first place, though. After all, prevention is better than cure when it comes to punctures. Here are six steps to help stop punctures on your bike.\n1. Choose the right tyres\n\n A hard-wearing road tyre or semi-slick gravel tyre will provide additional puncture protection but may rob you of some speed. Jack Luke \/ Immediate Media\nFirst up, choose tyres that are designed for the conditions.\nIt\u2019s great to ride the best road bike tyres \u2013 they\u2019re lightweight, fast-rolling, responsive and comfortable. But punctures are a lot more common on wet winter roads often strewn with grit and debris, so as the summer wanes into autumn it\u2019s a good idea to switch to winter tyres.\nThe best winter road bike tyres are more robust than a summer tyre, with more puncture protection, often including a bead-to-bead protection strip, and are made using thicker rubber. The best year-round training tyres will balance speed, durability, grip and puncture protection.\nWider tyres can give you more grip and better ride comfort as well and, if you have the clearance in your frame, a gravel bike tyre with a light tread could also be a good bet for cycling to work, winter cycling or mixed-terrain riding.\n2. Get the pressure right\n\n Pumping your tyres to a suitable pressure will help prevent flats. Dave Caudrey \/ Immediate Media\nIf the pressure in your tubed tyre is too low, you risk getting a pinch flat, where the inner tube gets trapped between the rim and the tyre casing as you roll over a road or trail imperfection. That leads to a puncture with two parallel slits in the tube, also called a snakebite flat.\nSo it\u2019s important to pump up your bike\u2019s tyres to the right pressure. That will also lessen the chance of sidewall damage, reduce tyre wear, lessen the chance of damage to wheel rims and improve your bike\u2019s handling, which can get squirmy if the pressure is too low.\nFinding the right pressure for you takes a little trial and error, and depends on the terrain you\u2019re riding, your weight and the conditions. We\u2019ve got guides to mountain bike tyre pressure and road bike tyre pressure, to help you find the right number for your riding.\nTyres will have a recommended pressure range printed on their sidewalls, but you can normally go lower if you\u2019re riding with tubeless tyres because you don\u2019t have the risk of pinch flats (we\u2019ll come on to tubeless).\nWheel brands will also often have a recommended inflation range for their wheels on their websites.\n3. Add sealant to your tubes\n\n Running sealant-filled tubes \u2013 or adding sealant to your existing inner tubes \u2013 can help to prevent punctures, but will add weight and rolling resistance. George Scott \/ Immediate Media\nAnother option is to add sealant to your inner tubes, giving you the benefits of added puncture protection without having to invest in tubeless tech, though it will add weight and rolling resistance to your setup.\nAdding sealant is easier to do if your inner tube has a removable valve core, so you can pour sealant into the tube without the risk of gumming up the valve. Also check that the sealant is compatible with your inner tubes, particularly if you are using latex inner tubes.\nSlime is among the brands that sell a sealant formulated for use in inner tubes. The other option is to use inner tubes that come ready-filled with sealant. Again, Slime offers these in a range of sizes to fit the majority of popular road and mountain bike tyre and wheel sizes.\nInner tube sealant works much in the same way as tubeless tyre sealant. The sealant coats the inside of your inner tube as the tyre spins and, if you ride over a puncture-causing object, such as a thorn or glass, the air escaping from the tube sucks the sealant toward the hole. Particles in the sealant should plug up the hole before it deflates the tyre.\n4. Go tubeless\n\n Going tubeless removes the risk of pinch flats, and the sealant will often repair small cuts in the tyre before they turn into a puncture, but some setup and ongoing maintenance is required. David Caudery \/ Immediate Media\nAll the buzz at the moment is around tubeless tyres for road bikes. The benefits of tubeless can include lower rolling resistance and a more comfortable ride, as well as protection from flats, plus you can (probably) ditch those pesky inner tubes.\nWithout a tube you can\u2019t get a pinch flat, so you\u2019ll avoid this type of puncture. The sealant in the tyre also plugs smaller holes and prevents many of these from turning into a full-fledged puncture.\nLike sealant-filled inner tubes, tubeless tyres aren\u2019t infallible, though.\nIf you do get a puncture that the sealant can\u2019t seal, you can use a tubeless repair kit to plug-up the hole. If that doesn\u2019t work \u2013 or the hole is too big for a repair plug \u2013 you\u2019ll need to fit a spare inner tube.\nYou\u2019ll need tubeless-ready wheels and tyres to go tubeless. Most newer wheels come with tubeless-ready rims, but the best tubeless road tyres are usually a bit more expensive than tyres designed to be used with inner tubes.\nDon\u2019t try to convert non-tubeless components to tubeless because the tech requires close tolerances.\nIf you do switch to tubeless, you also need to keep an eye on your sealant level and make sure that it hasn\u2019t dried out \u2013 topping it up if necessary \u2013 so there\u2019s a bit of extra ongoing maintenance required.\n5. Check your tyres regularly\n\n Check your tyres regularly for pressure and wear. Also, look out for any debris embedded in the rubber that may cause a puncture. David Caudery \/ Immediate Media\nA worn tyre is much more likely to puncture, so it\u2019s a good idea to check the state of your bike\u2019s tyres regularly. A badly worn tyre will have a flattened or squared profile where the rubber thickness has been eaten away by the road or trail.\nSome tyres will have wear indicators built into the tread, so you can see when they need to be replaced. If you\u2019ve worn through the rubber to the puncture protection belt, or the threads of the tyre\u2019s carcass can be seen \u2013 even if only in one spot \u2013 it\u2019s definitely time to fit a new tyre.\nEven if your tyres aren\u2019t worn, it\u2019s important to check them regularly. Tyres can pick up flints, glass, thorns or other debris, so inspect the tread as part of your regular, pre-ride bike safety check.\nIf you find anything embedded in your tyre, prise it out with a small screwdriver blade or the point of a sharp knife before it can work its way further into the tyre and cause a puncture.\nWatch out for larger cuts in the tyre\u2019s tread or sidewall that might make it unsafe to ride. If you do get a puncture while out riding, make sure you check the tyre thoroughly to remove whatever it was that caused the puncture in the first place.\n6. Don\u2019t ride in the gutter\n\n Watch out for puncture-causing debris when cycling and avoid riding in the gutter. Tobias Ackeborn \/ Getty Images\nIf you\u2019re riding on the road, there\u2019s generally always more debris at the side of the road, compared to where other vehicles\u2019 tyres have rolled, so don\u2019t ride in the gutter or too close to the edge of the carriageway.\nChoosing the optimum road position will also help you ride more safely around other road users.\nConversely, don\u2019t ride too far out because that\u2019s another area where motor vehicle tyres don\u2019t normally pass. Debris can build up nearer the centre of the road as well, particularly on narrower single carriageway back roads.\nIf you need to cross the centre of a narrow road, look for gaps in the gravel or dirt and cross them at an angle that limits your exposure to sharp, puncture-causing objects.\nAlso, look out for potholes or other obstacles that might cause a sudden impact. These can cause pinch-flats or potentially damage the rims of your bike\u2019s wheels.\n\u00a0\n\u00a0","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2021\/04\/Patched-inner-tube-1-78715c1.jpg?quality=45&resize=768,574","width":768,"height":574},"headline":"How to prevent punctures: six steps to stop flat tyres","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Paul Norman"}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"BikeRadar","url":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/21\/2019\/03\/cropped-White-Orange-da60b0b-04d8ff9.png?quality=90&resize=265,53","width":182,"height":60}},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","xpath":["\/html\/head\/title","\/html\/head\/meta[@name='description']\/@content"],"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/advice\/skills\/how-to-prevent-punctures\/"},"datePublished":"2021-04-22T10:57:36+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-13T12:59:37+00:00"}] In partnership with Slime
There are plenty of things you can do to lessen your chances of getting a flat in the first place, though. After all, prevention is better than cure when it comes to punctures. Here are six steps to help stop punctures on your bike.
The best way to deal with cuts and punctures is to avoid getting them in the first place. Wear appropriate clothing on the job such as sturdy shoes or work boots, long sleeve shirts, and long pants. Consider sturdy coveralls to protect your skin from sharp and flying objects. Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate to your job tasks such as gloves, safety glasses, work boots, gauntlets, and chaps. 2b1af7f3a8
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