Got a tiny puncture from a discarded staple in the road that I figure wouldn't have happened if my tires were stronger? Are these cheap tire liners on Lazada any good? I read they can cause punctures themselves and may feel the bump when riding on the overlap bit? Any experiences please? 

 

I got a 29 inch wheel mountain bike.

Welcome to the club LOL!  There are a few option to consider.  You could go with tubeless tires though that’s an expensive and troublesome solution.  You could buy a higher quality tire with better puncture protection technology.  And then there are liquid sealants and tapes you could use.

 

All involve compromise (cost vs ride performance vs puncture resistance) but personally I go with liquid sealants.

 

Liquid sealants go inside the inner tube and will seal punctures up to a certain size. They are often latex based and some also contain small particles that aid sealing. It is possible to buy inner tubes with sealant already installed and, especially if you mountain bike in thorn ridden areas, these can be a convenient solution. The downside is that they are a little messy and cumbersome when you have to top off tire pressure, and they add rotating mass to your wheels.

 

As you mentioned, you can also buy puncture resistant tape and strips that sit between the tire and the inner tube adding an additional layer of protection. But with modern tire protection technology and materials, these are usually an unnecessary addition that do add significant weight to your wheels. They are only probably worth considering if you mountain bike on very thorny trails.

 

On 7/18/2019 at 9:51 AM, WaveHunter said:

As you mentioned, you can also buy puncture resistant tape and strips that sit between the tire and the inner tube adding an additional layer of protection. But with modern tire protection technology and materials, these are usually an unnecessary addition that do add significant weight to your wheels. They are only probably worth considering if you mountain bike on very thorny trails.

Thanks for reply. It's a fairly old bike and tires are low budget so far, so I haven't gone for anything expensive or modern tech but appreciate the ideas you share. I use the bike mostly on roads in Bangkok.

 

I have already since ordered the tire liners from Lazada for 100THB, so not a great cost, should arrive next week. From the photos the weight will be negligible for me. I was more worried how they would sit inside the tires and maybe cause pinch points. I guess I'll find out, ordered some spare cheap tubes just in case!