Something about Road Bike Tires?

make sure your tires are inflated to the required/suggested psi. i haven't had a tire pop exactly but i have gotten holes form those plant spikes in my tire before. these don't happen often. but it really depends where i bike.

For this season, I haven't had a flat yet (knock on wood). I think you will find that you will find more pinched tubes or flats when riding such small profile tires (like those on a road bike). For obvious reasons, road tires will be more susceptible to punctures versus a knobby mtb tire. But, there are some ways to remedy or reduce the risk of this. 1) I've always been a dedicated rider of Vittoria tires. they have excellent puncture resistance without sacrificing grip and comfort. Most companies now will advertise high puncture resistance for their higher end tires now. But, the $$ is higher as a result. 2) I use to take a little bit of chalk or "talcom" powered and just very lightly add some to my fingers and then rub some along the inside of the tire. This helps reduce chaffing or the likelihood of tube pinching. 3) Check you tires before and after each ride for debris stuck in the rubber (you'll be surprised of how many things stick to the tire) You don't have to be constantly worried. On average, I'll have maybe one flat person season. Just remember to bring a patch kit or spare tube on your rides. Regards, A.

Hit the tires up to about 140 psi, this should prevent the tires from puncturing. But you can swap them out for a harder compound, and then use a softer one for more technical riding.

Stuff to do to prevent road-bike punctures: - get a more durable set of tires (see suggestions) - keep tire pressures near max ( tires lose air naturally daily ) - make sure you CHECK the tire (feeling interior) before replacing tubes, you need to remove the cause of deflation - if the tube bulges out of a tire puncture, REPLACE the tire Suggestions (favorite training tires): - Michelin Krylion (very respected tire) - Vredestein Fortezza (inexpensive, popular) - Serfas SECA (less known - cheap, very good protection) all these tires can cost between $20-50 each; best prices by far is on EBAY (lots of online merchants sell these regularly by the pair). Performance bike (retail store) sells the Fortezza SE for under $30 each. More PSI enhances the protection you get from your tires, the tires with more pressure are more responsive to debris on the ground and helps to bounce them off your tires. More info on PSI (pressure/square inch) of tires: Under-inflated tires causes increased traction on the road, causing more drag / resistance (more difficult to pedal). However, over-inflated you may have the opposite problem (less traction) and not be able to grip well. Finding correct PSI: Lighter riders need less PSI than heavier riders because they won't sag the tires as much - so the rule is if you weigh more pump your tires closer to the max; i currently weigh around 190 and i tend to pump tires to the max. 100 PSI minimum, and inflate weekly or daily if needed!

Glass can be razor sharp, so no tire is completely safe. Run a 25-28c width with a kevlar belt and you will be much better off. The extra volume decreases the chance of pinch flats significantly and the belt acts like a flack jacket. I like brands such as Continental, Specialized, and Panaracer. I have never had one of these give me issues. Deep cross section rims (aka aero rims) can be very hard on tires because the have very little flex. You will need to experiment to find the right match, but wider will last longer. Yes, aero rims are slightly faster, but a high quality hand made wheel on a lite bike will go 99% as fast and ride a lot better. I run a touring bike for most of my riding (commuting). I have standard style rims and Conti top touring 32c tires. I have never had a puncture in 8 years. I have lost tubes when the stem ripped from the the tube due to age. But that's it.