Do they have thorn proof inner tubes for road tires?

Question

I had some for my knobby mountain bike tires, but now I had thin road tires. Do they have thorn-proof innertubes for them? If so, are they heavy and do they decrease peformance?

Answer 1

I agree with Tom.....get some tires with belted puncture protection and be done with it.  I don't think I've seen any "thorn-resistant" tubes for road bikes, but they really don't do any good for mountain and bmx bikes other than pinch flat protection.  Any decent thorn can still find its way through thicker tubes.   I live in Oklahoma, and we have tons of goatheads and sandburs and other thorny things.....don't mess with tubes, get good tires.  

I say that because I've tried them all.....Spinskins liners, Mr. Tuffy, Slime liners, Slime tubes, my own Slime injections.  They only thing worth considering for a road bike is the tires.  Now, on my mountain and urban rigs, I use Slime....it works.  But Slime in a road tire never does seem to stop being bumpy when you ride, especially in cold weather.  And yes, they do all add a lot of weight that you can feel on a road bike.  Kevlar/Aramid belted tires, however, only add a few grams to the weight, so it's not really noticeable, and it works GREAT.   There are several brands out there, so pick one with a size and tread pattern that you like and use a good lightweight innertube....you'll ride happy for many many miles.  :o)

Answer 2

Inner-tubes are inner-tubes, you can't really get really durable ones for road tyres. I can only recommend either using a tyre lining between the tube and tyre, or getting some Speciallized Armadillo or Continental Gatorskin tyres. Had my Armadillos on my road bike for 6 months now without a puncture (commute 100 miles a week)

Answer 3

Yes,  performance bike has them and other manufacturers make them also.  They are heavy and you will notice it especially when you accelerate.  I would suggest that you just use quality Kevlar belted tires unless you ride in an area that is strewn with thorns like the infamous "goat heads" that can't be stopped by belts.  Remember, no tire is slower than a flat tire.

Answer 4

You can get green slime liners for about $10.