Been riding tubulars for the past 5-6 yrs years exclusively and never had a flat. I’ve put a lot of miles on the bike and used either Tufo S3’s, Conti Sprinters or Veloflex Criteriums and they’ve never flatted once.
I thought I’d give clinchers a try with some Michelin Pro’s and a Bontrager light tube. Rode on clinchers at yesterday’s group ride for the first time and got a flat.
I guess tubies still rule supreme.
Never ridden tubs and average a flat every 5-600 miles riding around London.
I guess bad luck sucks and that meaningful surveys, in fact, rule supreme.
Bah, get some Specialized Armadillos and prepare to laugh at broken bottles, nails, and tacks.
Your problem is not the clincher, but the light weight tube. They SUCK. They cost me a 1/2 Ironman. THEY are worthless.
I have used Pro Races and GP 3000’s with great luck with ‘standard’ tubes. Now I’m on some very inexpensive Serfas Seca RS tires that are very durable.
Oh, and make sure you use good quality rim tape. I like Velox and Zefal cloth tape.
I have to agree with the others here, I have very few flats for the number of miles I ride, and especially given that I favor the roadside for riding. I mean I run over some gnarly stuff here and nothing. I flatted for the first time in 18 months over a month ago. I couldnt even remember how to use my air cartridge it had been so long.
I ride GP3000’s with either Conti or Specialized tubes. I rode Pro Race and Carbon for a while, and that was the tire I flatted on, and it cut a long gash in the tire when it happened. Still put a tube in and finished the ride.
There is technique to clinchers as well as sew ups. Here’s a few pointers:
-Don’t use very light tubes
-Dust the inside of the tire and the tube liberally with talc powder.
-Make sure the flat part of the valve stem is not caught under the bead
-Once the tire is seated, make sure the tube isn’t pinched underneath the bead.
-Make sure you use adequate pressure to avoid pinch flats, I weigh 160 and run 110-120 depending on conditions.
I got a slow leak with sew ups the first ride, so there…
I average one flat every 3000 miles or so on clinchers, riding on rough New England roads.
Your mistake was light tubes, I had two blow out while the bike was parked after a 10 mile ride.
I bought some new heavy-duty Specialized clinchers for IM training this year. Good tires are particularly important around Calgary because of all the crap that is on the roads after the winter freeze. Rode hundreds of miles on them with only one puncture pre-race which was the result of debris swept over the roads following the big southern Alberta floods in June. Since then, have had another with a strategically placed staple.
The important thing to check was the cause of the puncture. Was it a pinch? If so, could it be my fault? Was it a tack or a glass splinter? Would have I got that puncture evcen if i was riding tubs?
Part karma, part luck. The only tire that would be bullet-proof would be one made of solid rubber.
1 yr., 3,200 miles, working on my 2nd set of tires. Just 1 flat and it was a valve stem failure, not a puncture.
Is this some kind of stupid troll posting?
I STRONGLY suspect user error. Just like there’s a trick to mounting tubies, there’s a trick to mounting clinchers. As others have said, the first trick is not to waste your time/money on ultralight tubes. The second is learning how to install the tire so you don’t pinch the tube under the tire bead. But before any of that, you have to be sure to use good cloth rim strips and be sure they cover every bit of every spoke hole. Don’t use plastic/nylon rim strips. Use good, adhesive-backed cloth tape. Velox is best. The Performance brand is also good. None of this is rocket science. It’s simple stuff.
I ride 12,000 miles a year … exclusively on clinchers. The only flats I ever get are when I’m stupid and run a tire down to the cords (which I’ve been known to do). I ride VERY rough tar and gravel roads. That’s all we have around here. I run different tires on different bikes, but mostly I ride Avocet Fasgrip tires. Hard to find, but well worth it.
Bob C.
I concur with those who implicate the tube. I’ve stopped buying Bontrager tubes because of the number of defects I’ve had right at the valve stem.
Years ago I rode exclusively sewups. I even did the cross-Arizona tour (eight-day camping tour) on them, two years in a row. I don’t own sewups any more, but it’s still rare for me to get a flat.
Was it a pinch flat? Otherwise you probably would have flatted on anything.
I have a lot of love for the Conti GP’s, but they have let some of my friends down. I am going to try the GP4K’s to see how they go. The Vredestein fortezza Tricomp tires are pretty good, too. I had some blow off problems with Spinergy rims, but no problems at all with my Mavics. Only one puncture in around a year on these guys.
I use armadillos as well. I get goatheads, glass and metal stuck in the tread all the time. I use pliers to remove them when I get home but rarely get flats.
I’ve been looking for the Armadillos this year without much success. Did you get them locally or online?? FWIW I have the Conti Gatorskins but haven’t put enough miles on them to say how tough they are. MEC used to carry them in 700 x 23 but now only carry the 32 commuter size 
Well there’s your problem, never should have mounted a tire, nothing like riding on a good lightweight innertube.
I concur with those who implicate the tube. I’ve stopped buying Bontrager tubes because of the number of defects I’ve had right at the valve stem.
Years ago I rode exclusively sewups. I even did the cross-Arizona tour (eight-day camping tour) on them, two years in a row. I don’t own sewups any more, but it’s still rare for me to get a flat.
My wife recently was in a pinch and bought a Bontrager Race light tire because it was the only 650 tire in the shop. What a POS tire, it was very stiff, rode poorly, and wore out quickly; developed cracks as if it had been left out in the sun for a few years. The worst supposedly high-end clincher I’ve seen in years.
What is the purpose of talcum powder on the inside of the rim?
Tubies rule, no two ways. They can be a bit pricey, however. I race on 'em exclusively and have NEVER flatted in a race.
For training I run Slime liners with Conti GP3000s. I avearage a flat about every 6-8000 miles.
What is the purpose of talcum powder on the inside of the rim?
The myth and lore of cycling (from wreck.bikes FAQ): http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.11.html
What is the purpose of talcum powder on the inside of the rim?
Put talcum powder on tube and the inside of the tire, there is no need to put it on the inside of the rim. The talcum powder reduces friction and adhesion between tire and tube and makes it easier to install the tire.
For spare tubes, I take them out of the box and put them in a plastic bag and sprinkle in some talcum powder before putting them in my saddle bag.