cheap alternatives to puncture tape

[lauriematt]

currently riding a bike which doesnt use quick release on the wheels...the axles have bolts on so feels like more of an effort to take the wheel out

i was looking at getting some puncture tape - that goes between the tyre and inner tube - so i can reduce the chance of getting a puncture. but they seem a bit deer

does anyone know of any alternatives that can be used instead?

its for 20" wheels
thanxs

[thirdcrank]

My own limited experience of the real thing - as it was possibly a year go is that it's a waste of time. After a fairly short while, mine deteriorated and I think it may have even caused a puncture. It sticks to the tyre so you cannot transfer it when a tyre wears out so you might as well pay a bit more for tyres and get the ones with some form of puncture protection built in. I cannot imagine that a cheaper substitute would be better.

A lot of punctures can be avoided by simple precautions. Regularly check your tyres after a ride to ensure nothing is embedded; keep them inflated hard; if you realise you have been through a patch of glass, try and get off and brush the treads (Not easy that one - in some areas the roads are one big patch of broken glass;) be meticulous if you do puncture in finding and removing the cause -this is behind a lot of runs of bad luck with punctures; if you can afford it, bin badly worn tyres - they soon become a liability.

You can get various slimes and potions to put in the tubes. These don't prevent punctures, they just repair them after a fashion, and may save inconvenience on the road.

[Si]

If you are patching a tube rather than replacing it then you might not have to remove the wheel in the first place! Some people find it just as easy to leave the wheel in, others don't...probably depends on your dexterity, the clearances on the bike and the tyres used.

[mike]

I have used the puncture tape in the past and I did not notice any difference in the number of punctures I got. I follow the policy of checking my tyres regularly and keeping them pumped up.

[rootes]

currently riding a bike which doesnt use quick release on the wheels...the axles have bolts on so feels like more of an effort to take the wheel out

i was looking at getting some puncture tape - that goes between the tyre and inner tube - so i can reduce the chance of getting a puncture. but they seem a bit deer

does anyone know of any alternatives that can be used instead?

its for 20" wheels
thanxs

erm just fit schalbe marathon or similar -rarely puncture, 2 a year on a years commute in london

[pete75]

Presumably you have track nuts. If you replaced these with wingnuts it would take only slightler longer than with QR to remove a wheel.

[gilesjuk]

I'm running specialized armadillo tyres on my 'road' bike and have never had a puncture yet.

[niggle]

Presumably you have track nuts. If you replaced these with wingnuts it would take only slightler longer than with QR to remove a wheel.

Track nuts, what are they I thought he meant plain old hexagonal nuts, like every bicycle had for about a century before the arrival of the quick release spindle..... Another solution is to carry a spanner , not sure whether you can tighten wingnuts sufficiently.

[thirdcrank]

http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.c ... croce.html

Scroll down to "Stage 4 will use the Croce d'Aune climb today. ...."

[lauriematt]

thanxs for all the advice. from the sounds of things im better off without the tape

i have a set of Schwalbe something tyres - by all accounts its a decent brand and should hold well

[pete75]

Presumably you have track nuts. If you replaced these with wingnuts it would take only slightler longer than with QR to remove a wheel.

Track nuts, what are they I thought he meant plain old hexagonal nuts, like every bicycle had for about a century before the arrival of the quick release spindle..... Another solution is to carry a spanner , not sure whether you can tighten wingnuts sufficiently.

These
better than plain hex - the flange doesnt revolve when you tighten them so they they don't take all the paint off the drop outs.

Wingnuts were used for years without any problems in tightening them. This sort - you can get plenty of leverage to tighten them by hand.

[niggle]

These
better than plain hex - the flange doesnt revolve when you tighten them so they they don't take all the paint off the drop outs.

Ah yes, what all the non QR bicycle wheels in our household have, but in days gone by there should always have been a plain washer under the plain (half)nut, though granted more prone to being lost than the attached free spinning flange washer. It was the name 'track nuts' that caught my eye and which them sound exotic, though you can find them on a kids BMX from Halfords.

Wingnuts were used for years without any problems in tightening them. This sort - you can get plenty of leverage to tighten them by hand.

They are nice and as you say should work fine, can you get them nowadays for modern threads and where from? Not quite sure what you are gaining over carrying a spanner though?