Which is better for preventing flat tires on your bike (see details)

Question

I bought a road bike to ride around NYC b/c traffic here is a nightmare. Problem is my tubes keep getting holes in them if I go over a piece of glass, bump or pothole. Is it better to keep my tires at the max pressure or should I leave some air out of the tire.

Answer 1

Get Schwalbe Marathon tires. Or Marathon Pluses.

These will never go flat. Well, almost

Answer 2

I never run tyres at maximum pressure except for racing.  Running them at mid range should make them a little less prone to going off bang when you hit a bump.  If your using 23mm tyres you could also move up a size to a 25mm to spread the load.

Preventing punctures from glass and other debris comes down to the tyres you use.  You can buy a few brands of tyres with kevlar breaker belts these days.  My favourite is Continental Ultra Gatorskins.  I tried Specialized Armadillo's and they were useless, I threw them away after 3 months.

Answer 3

Invest in some kevlar tires - and get "toughies" inside the tires.

Bike stores sell little strips of plastic/rubber - that go between the tires and the tubes.  I have those and almost never get flats.  They also sell tires that are more puncture-resistant than other tires - get some advice at the shop and get those tires.

They also sell goo that goes inside of the tubes, and can seal punctures from the inside to some degree, and help prevent the really small punctures from leaking air.

I wouldn't worry about the air pressure - worry more about the tires.

Good luck.

Answer 4

If it's pinch flats there's not a lot you can do to avoid them although there are means to prevent punctures if you go over glass. Self sealing tubes and puncture resistant tyre linings are effective for ordinary punctures but they come with a disclaimer telling you that they aren't guaranteed to prevent pinch flats. Tyre pressure won't make much difference.

Answer 5

Just wanted to add... some street tires... Bontrager makes a few... are "stickies" and very soft rubber.  So if you are under pressure they have a tendency to act like glue paper particularly in warm weather and pick up every pebble, grain and glass sliver on the road.  Then you run the risk of letting those evil nasties work their way through the rubber and to the tube.

Even at max pressure soft tires will try and bring the grit with them.

Yeah go with the hard kevlar rubber if you can afford them and/or self sealing tubes and a liner for your tires.  It will cut down on flats.

When I get home I spend a few moments checking my tires to make sure no little pieces of glass, rocks or brad nails have made their way into the outer tread.

Answer 6

I have punctured in the past when I havriddenden my bike for a while, stop and leave my bike in the sun and then start riding again. I generally do not puncture if I leave my bike in the shade. (Either that or I take some pressure out of my tires.)

Now I only ride on Michelin Krylion Carbons and I never puncture. I have ridden my last two tires down to the threads and didn't puncture.