It’s the cyclist’s scourge, the spanner in the works (if that’s not mixing metaphors). The moment when being your own boss, master of your own journey (not to mention time keeping) goes out the window. But take heart! There’s a surprising number of things you can do to prevent yourself falling prey to the dreaded P-word.
Puncture resistant tyres
Most tyre brands offer options with puncture resistance. They will have features to resist cuts to the tyre side walls and / or resist sharp objects penetrating the entire tyre tread. Depending on where you anticipate cycling, these might be worth investing in.
Check your tyres
Whatever tyres you’ve got, you will still find little flints or stones stuck in them from time to time. Remember that a puncture isn’t about damage to the tyre but to the inner tube inside it. So check your tyres regularly and prise out any flints or other detritus to minimise the chance of them eventually working their way through.
Check your inner tubes
The inner tube doesn’t normally get taken out to be checked on so if you’re changing your tyres and the tubes are coming out anyway, give them a quick visual once over. You may find some abrasive marks that haven’t caused a puncture yet but are a useful warning about debris that has found its way into the rim or tyre. You’ll be far better off sorting out the problem in the comfort of your home rather than by the side of the road on a cold February night.
Get skilled up on changing your tyres and inner tubes
Believe it or not, not changing the tyres and inner tubes correctly is a common culprit of repeated punctures. Do it right to avoid pinching or ripping the inner tubes; make sure there is no debris on the inside of the tyre or rim; check that the offending “puncturer” is out of the tyre and make sure you have the correct size inner tubes to compliment the tyres or vice versa. Treat yourself to our subsidised bike maintenance course here.
Line choice
Think about the common causes of punctures: sharp objects going through the tyres and pinch puncture from hitting potholes. You can avoid these by choosing the line you take on the road or trail carefully. Avoid riding through a gutter full of road grits and often unseen glass and other debris, and be better prepared to steer away from potholes by focusing your vision sufficiently far ahead.
Solid tyre
If there’s nothing to puncture, then it’s job done. Solid tyres is aptly named, they are solid unlike normal tyres which are pneumatic systems. The ride quality will normally be different though so don’t rush to get a pair and think they will ride exactly the same. Some brands are now calling the tyres “airless” tyres instead of solid tyres.
Pump up your tyres
This is not guaranteed avoidance advice and probably only really makes a difference if your tyres are really under inflated. But without enough air in the inner tubes, if you hit a pothole, the tube will be pinched between the tyre and the rim. This usually results in a pair of small, clean cut slits on the tube, hence its nickname, the snake bite.
Don’t mention the word p***ture
Call us superstitious but mention the p-word and it will come for you. Don’t gloat about how you haven’t had a puncture in 10 months because you just might wake the sleeping beast.
Don’t ride your bike
100% puncture proof and 100% no fun.
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