How can I treat my stuff that gets torn up by rock salt

Oooh! Take a look at the http://www.newdisability.com/wheelchairslippers.htm#153512697 at the bottom of the page.

hey marsbar77 *hi-five* those covers are sweet, but that seems more a matter of protecting the floor from what the tire picks up from outside, as opposed to protecting the tube from salt exposure. I haven't tried wiping down things immediately post-outside but will try that -- though I think one of my flats happened mid-transit, as in the salt got to the tube just in the context of my journey -- but I could be wrong, maybe it got immersed earlier. On preview: those mud eaters are sweet, too.

The ski industry loves these http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000VEREK4/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/. They are few dollars a pair and are warm and durable. The palms and fingers are waterproof and very grippy. Have you considered swapping to winter tires? There's http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/68578-buyers-guide-best-tyres-get-you-through-winter that make a tire specifically for lower temperatures and grit and salt. As for corrosion, a coat of http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001447PEK/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000P1C8UO/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ on exposed metal parts can ward off a lot of troubles.

If your tires are blowing just from going from cold air to hot, there's something wrong. The only way I could see that happening is if you inflated your tires outside in the cold, and inflated them to the maximum that they could take. Then the additional pressure from going inside might cause a blowout. If that's really what's causing it, try just putting a little bit less air in the tires – inflate them to maybe 10psi less than their maximum rating – or buy tires with a higher pressure rating. Blowouts are actually more commonly caused by underpessure rather than overpressure. Sometime when your chair has been out in the cold for a while and the tires are nice and chilly, check the pressure on them. If it's more than about 10psi lower than the maximum, you should add some more air. Tires that are too low will be compressed by the weight of the chair and rider (well, the bike and rider in my experience, but the same principle applies) and that deformation creates stress spots on the tube which lead to punctures and blowouts. It shouldn't be your valve stems. Valve stems are made of brass, and won't corrode easily. That is, in fact, the reason that they are made of brass – it's the cheapest material that is both strong enough and which also has really good corrosion resistance. (Much better than stainless steel in that regard; the only thing that would be much better would be bronze, but that'd be overkill.) You could try buying better tubes. Whatever brand you're buying now, step up to a more expensive brand. While you're at it, protect them by installing some kevlar tire liners to prevent punctures. Also, the valve hole in your rims may be the issue as has been mentioned above. Next time you are changing a tube, run your hands carefully over the rim, and especially around the valve hole, checking for rough spots. Everything should be smooth, there shouldn't be any sharp points or burrs. If there are, take a little steel wool or fine sandpaper and smooth them out. A manufacturing defect in your rims could have left a little burr somewhere that's gradually cutting through your tires.

The way you're describing the valve being chewed up, it sounds a lot like the valve is rubbing against the hole in the rim and being abraded til it fails. Are the tires possibly losing pressure with the cold and sliding about the rim so the valve stem is rubbing against the hole? This might explain why, when things re-expand as the tubes warm, you get the blowout. I live in Pittsburgh and grew up mountain biking through slush and salt, and I've never had a valve stem fail the way you describe from anything corrosive. I would check the hole in the rim for burrs.

From a bike perspective, most failures at the valve stem come from riding on under-inflated tires. Without adequate pressure, the tires and tubes start to slowly shift away from the hole in the rim. Eventually, the rim rips the stem right off. Do you have a way to reliably check your tire pressure? Tires generally have a recommended pressure printed on them.

Apologize for my lack of knowledge about gloves for wheelchair use, so excuse this suggestion if it's stupid: What about mechanic's gloves? The kind my husband has are basically form-fitting to his hand (so you retain dexterity), but the material is relatively impenetrable. Not sure how they would hold up against rock salt, but http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002YPZKY/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ is cheaper than what you've been paying. They may not be particularly warm on their own, but you could wear a thinner cloth glove underneath.

In the winter I ride my bike 5-10 miles per day through Chicago road salt and slush and I've never had a blowout like you describe--including this winter which has been brutal and salty enough that my (steel) bike is going to need a paint job come spring. I make sure my valves match the hole in the rim (i.e. Schrader valves in Schrader-drilled rims) and I keep them properly inflated, but don't take any other precautions for cold or salty conditions. I use "normal" tubes, usually Bontrager, but often just whatever the bike shop is selling. So, I also doubt this is mechanical or chemical damage caused by salt. I second the the possibility that you're experiencing an underpressure blowouts caused by the inner tube (and probably the tire as well) shifting slowly around the rim because of the resistance offered by the road. This applies a shearing force to the base of the stem, and even though this part of the tube is reinforced, it eventually splits. Low pressure also allows the tube, rim and tire to shift around a but relative to each other which can wear the tube, but I generally see this on large mountain bike tires run at very low pressures (20-30 PSI). On bikes, underpressure flats are usually the distinctive "snakebite" pinch flat caused by hitting something--which seems like it could be less of a problem for wheelchairs--but I also see this kind all the time at the shop I work for. The best diagnostic is that your valve stem will slowly shift around to exit the rim at something other than a 90° angle. Installing tubes with the stem slightly fore or aft of the valve hole can also cause this kind of flat, so make sure you're aligning the valve properly when you put in a new tube. A couple of other possibilities, some of which have been addressed already: 1. Make sure the valve hole is smooth and free of burrs. If it isn't, carefully clean it up with some emery cloth. 2. Make sure the valve hole is appropriately sized for the valve. There shouldn't be much if any room to wiggle the valve stem in an appropriately sized valve hole. All good modern rims come pre-drilled with holes of the right size, but I don't want to take it for granted that yours did. 3. Make sure rim tape is present and in good condition. If it's a https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1304911791221048843?es_sm=93&sclient=psy-ab&q=plastic+rim+strip+fsa&oq=plastic+rim+strip+fsa&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.59568121,d.b2I,pv.xjs.s.en_US.1EneOJbgwUk.O&espv=210&biw=1280&bih=929&tch=1&ech=1&psi=vFXgUqapIYON2gXngYFw.1390433725706.5&ei=xVXgUqG6NYaQ2gX-xIDAAQ&ved=0CEwQpiswAQ with sharpish edges, or a decaying strip of rubber, replace it with a cloth rim strip. The most common and best product is made by Velox. Finally, if none of these sound like realistic possibilities, can you post some pictures of failed tubes?

For the gloves, once they've gotten wet already just go ahead and rinse them off when you get home. Even if they are leather -- they are already wet and dirty/salt, changing that to just being wet is better. Don't dry them anywhere that gets too hot to touch.