I've been having terrible problems with a puncture on my 20" Schwalbe Big Apple tyre. After fixing 3 times I finally replaced the inner tube only for that to go flat as well. The original puncture was a tiny sharp stone embedded in the tyre which I removed. There is a very small slit in the tyre (about 1mm). I had checked the tyre carefully and could / can find nothing sharp on the inside. On reading another thread I'm thinking perhaps the tyre is getting pinched in this tiny split. Does this sound possible? Should I can the tyre as well?
Also, has anyone tried 'bluetubes' to prevent punctures happening in the first place?
Puncture free cycling with Bluetube, puncture proof inner tubes for bikes protect against punctures and prevent flat tyres
Be interested to hear if they are as good as they claim as avoiding punctures for my new bike hire business would be fantastic news.
Bike Higher | Electric Bike Hire in Devon
Well I just had a terrible blow out on my rear on my Mezzo and that was not caused by a puncture, but due to a tyre and inner tube change on a new conversion.. I'm pretty sure either the inner tube got damaged during fitting or got trapped and a pressure bubble built up and burst. The inner tube was literally torn in half when it gave out! I had some slime in them and I think that temporarily fixed a problem but also may have contributed to the problem of the blow out. I don't think slime can be relied upon as a puncture protection measure..it's more an emergency measure to get you back home so you can get the inner fixed or replaced.
I think you have to be very careful when fitting your inners in the first place to avoid these problems, make sure you inflate it a little first before you put it in and make sure it's not trapped and check for any foreign objects carefully and signs of the rim tape coming away or anything trapped under it. I didn't do that. On small wheels (16" especially) its even more of a problem getting inners lined up properly and avoiding getting them trapped due to the tight fit.
Just like with diseases, so it is with punctures, prevention is better than cure. For good puncture resistant tyres I think it's well worth investing in Marathon Plus tyres as these seem to be the gold standard against punctures..even a drawing pin or thorn won't puncture those. When you think about it, you might spend twice as much as a normal tyre for them, but it's money well spent on an electric bike for that peace of mind, especially if you travel longer distances where you might get stranded and a roadside repair would be difficult. I've had my Marathon Plus on my 26" for 2 years and not had a single puncture after riding over glass and all sorts of terrains.
That said, there's always a trade off to be made with tyres..and if you're riding Big Apple I imagine you like the cushioning they provide for a lack of suspension? Marathon Plus are much more rigid tyres that work better at high pressure.
