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Date: 31 May 2006 18:57:57
From: X
Subject: small wheels flats!
Would you say that small wheels get more punctures than big wheels?
I have a friend who rides a 700c racing bike and gets very few flats, while
I am getting them all the time with my 20 inch and 16 inch wheels.
Geoff

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www.bswa.org






 
Date: 31 May 2006 14:20:28
From: Peter Clinch
Subject: Re: small wheels flats!
X wrote:
> Would you say that small wheels get more punctures than big wheels?

Up to a point... given less total tyre circumference a small tyre will
wear out quicker, and tyres tend to puncture more as their useful life
comes to an end.

But if I ride my folder with 16" Schwalbe athons through a pile of
glass and follow with my 20"/26" Schwalbe athon shod tourer I think
it's fair to say that given similar overall condition of tyres the size
won't make any difference to likelihood of puncture. Though a general
Perversity Principle will ensure that if one does get a hole, it'll be
whichever's most awkward to fix... ;-/

> I have a friend who rides a 700c racing bike and gets very few flats, while
> I am getting them all the time with my 20 inch and 16 inch wheels.

Get good tyres and make sure they're pumped up. I use Schwalbe
athons in those sizes and have very little trouble (ah... that /was/
a silly thing to say... ;-/).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/


  
Date: 02 Jun 2006 15:59:39
From: X
Subject: Re: small wheels flats!
I had a bad day where my 406 nokia comp pool was flat before I left home, so
I took the Brompton (two 349 primo comets) and forgot the repair tools.
Both tyres went down and I had to hide the bike in some bushes and catch the
train.
When I retrieved it, and fixed the punctures, it seemed that all the flats
were caused by tiny thorns. I am now about to change to kevlar belted tyres.
Geoff
"Peter Clinch" <p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk > wrote in message
news:4e5jgtF1cf2k2U1@individual.net...
> X wrote:
> > Would you say that small wheels get more punctures than big wheels?
>
> Up to a point... given less total tyre circumference a small tyre will
> wear out quicker, and tyres tend to puncture more as their useful life
> comes to an end.
>
> But if I ride my folder with 16" Schwalbe athons through a pile of
> glass and follow with my 20"/26" Schwalbe athon shod tourer I think
> it's fair to say that given similar overall condition of tyres the size
> won't make any difference to likelihood of puncture. Though a general
> Perversity Principle will ensure that if one does get a hole, it'll be
> whichever's most awkward to fix... ;-/
>
> > I have a friend who rides a 700c racing bike and gets very few flats,
while
> > I am getting them all the time with my 20 inch and 16 inch wheels.
>
> Get good tyres and make sure they're pumped up. I use Schwalbe
> athons in those sizes and have very little trouble (ah... that /was/
> a silly thing to say... ;-/).
>
> Pete.
> --
> Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
> Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
> Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
> net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/




 
Date: 31 May 2006 12:40:59
From: Victor Kan
Subject: Re: small wheels flats!
X wrote:
> Would you say that small wheels get more punctures than big wheels?
> I have a friend who rides a 700c racing bike and gets very few flats, while
> I am getting them all the time with my 20 inch and 16 inch wheels.

Intuition tells me that with a smaller wheel over the same distance
traveled, you've got more contact with the road (and road debris) per
unit area of tire. So any given area of rubber is more likely to get
abused by sharp rocks, glass, thorns, etc.

More specific to your situation though, are you using the same width
tires as your friend? Are your tires kept topped off as diligently?
Are you using comparable tires and tubes? What kind of flats are you
getting?

I have never gotten a flat on the 406mm tires on my trike. My DF road
bike with 622/700c tires has gotten four or five in about the same miles
traveled (though only one on the road while riding, the rest were
various, slow leak tube failures of various types).

--
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legitimate replies.


 
Date: 31 May 2006 07:37:11
From: doug thomas
Subject: Re: small wheels flats!

"X" <nospam@tpg.com.au > wrote in message
news:447d7bb1$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> Would you say that small wheels get more punctures than big wheels?
> I have a friend who rides a 700c racing bike and gets very few flats,
> while
> I am getting them all the time with my 20 inch and 16 inch wheels.
> Geoff
>
> --
> www.bswa.org
>
>
this is true - I have both and my 20 inch rear wheel on my Tailwind is
always going flat. - I have a real problem with pinch flats.

Doug Thomas




 
Date: 31 May 2006 06:37:08
From: Z
Subject: Re: small wheels flats!

"X" <nospam@tpg.com.au > wrote in message
news:447d7bb1$1@dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> Would you say that small wheels get more punctures than big wheels?
> I have a friend who rides a 700c racing bike and gets very few flats,
> while
> I am getting them all the time with my 20 inch and 16 inch wheels.
> Geoff
>
> --

I've got a friend who rides a 700c racing bike and flats all the time. I
hardly ever flat with my 20 inch tires.

Sounds like Karma to me.