HOW TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF A PUNCTURE?

The 7 best practices

Have tires in good condition!

For tires with tubes, tube protection will come from choosing a solid tire in good condition. Indeed, when the tire shows signs of wear, the risk of puncture increases.

Additionally, a cut tire can leak the inner tube and cause it to burst.

Mount the inner tube correctly inside the tire!

Whether par the pinching of the tube when reassembling, the tiny sharp object left inside the tire, you strongly risk a second puncture.

Indeed, after a puncture, you have to find out where the problem is coming from and eliminate it. Run your finger inside the tire to check that there is nothing there. Use tweezers to remove objects embedded in the tire.

When remounting the tire:

- be careful not to damage the tube with a tire iron.

- with the tube and tire in place, slightly inflate the tube, turn the wheel, checking that the lips of the tire do not pinch the tube against the rim. Check both sides of the rim.

- inflate to the recommended pressure on the sidewalls of the tire.

Change the inner tubes!

There are different air chambers. The most common models use 1mm thick rubber, butyl tubes are more common and latex chambers are the lightest.

Some brands offer puncture-proof inner tubes which can prevent perforations. Difficult to form an opinion,ar difficult to test/reproduce without a precise test bench. These chambers tend to lose pressure, requiring regular repressurization.

Check the rim tape!

Many wheels no longer have a rim tape, even if they are still found most of the time. If the rim tape is not in good condition, the inner tube may become pierced.ar the spoke heads of his bicycle wheels.

The maximum tire pressure is printed on the sidewall of the tire. Never exceed this value.

A regular inspection of the bicycle rim tape is necessary. If it is cracked or holed, we change it to limit the risk of puncture.

Have the right pressure!

A tire with too low a pressure has a higher potential for puncture due to pinching of the inner tube. Holes, level crossings, potholes, stones, …

A pinch is quickly recognized with two very clear holes (can resemble a snake bite in some cases...).

The maximum tire pressure is printed on the sidewall of the tire. Never exceed this value.

Pour preventative liquid into your inner tube!

One last tip is to pour some preventive liquid in your inner tube. This way you don't need to convert your tire to tubeless, but you get the added benefits of the puncture resistance of tubeless tires. The downside is that if there is a lot of talc in your tire, the liquid will tend to clump.

Adopt tubeless tires!

Among the many advantages of the tubeless tire is that of reducing the risk of punctures. On the one hand itar there is no longer an inner tube that can be pinched inside and the tubeless tire contains puncture preventive fluid. This will diffuse into the potential hole in the case of glass, thorn or flint.

Equipping yourself with a tubeless tire requires equipping yourself with specific rims. The rims are a little heavier due to excess material for better support of the tire lips and increased sealing. Many new bikes now come with Tubeless Ready rims! Specific valves are also necessary.

Find our guide to tubeless or inner tube?

Driving Tips

Avoid driving over gravel or other debris on the road and definitely avoid driving over broken glass.

Avoid crossing puddles if possible, in case they may hide potholes.

Do not drive on the extreme edge of the road, itar This is where most of the debris, which could puncture a tire, ends up.

We can often see very clearly a small line of gravel on the right. Avoid this area of ​​a few centimeters to place your wheels!

Rainy days: increased risk of punctures!

You may notice that you have fewer punctures in the rain. Thus, rain acts as a lubricant and helps flint and glass cut through the rubber of a tire. Running water also brings all kinds of small objects onto the road.

Cold days: punctures almost guaranteed

These debris brought backar the rain simply freezes on the side of the road. The flints only need to be pointed upwards to be a real source of punctures. Opt for “all season” tire formats from manufacturers for winter. They are much more resistant!

It's this combination of rain and debris on the road that explains why you tend to get more flat tires in winter.

In winter, if there's one thing we want to avoid, it's getting a puncture in cold and wet conditions. There's nothing like getting sick or getting cold and spoiling your enjoyment of cycling. If zero risk does not exist, some good practices can limit punctures when cycling.

What to do in the event of a puncture?

The anti-puncture spray is an all-in-one product that allows you to inflate a flat tire without having to dismantle it. It is a single-use aerosol that injects air and a sealant into the tire concerned. This product can be used on a Tubeless tire, an inner tube, but also on a tubular. Choosing a quality spray is essential to ensure its effectiveness, but also for the longevity of a tire.

A spare inner tube is also a reliable alternative for getting going again after a puncture.

The cyclist's essential repair kit

- Des tire changer, generally consisting of a pair of plastic tools, one of which is easily held on the spokes to facilitate disassembly.

- A scraper which allows you to prepare the surface to be treated on the inner tube or Tubeless tire in order to ensure optimal grip.

- A special glue to apply to the surface to be treated around the hole, and generally supplied with patches. A patch, to place in the center of the hole approximately one minute after applying the glue. Pressure must be maintained on it for at least one minute to ensure perfect adhesion.

- A manual pump or CO2 bomb to re-inflate the tire once remounted.

- A multifunction tool, with BTR keys

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