Commuting to work with seconds to spare and hear that dreaded hiss. Exploring around some remote mountains and you hear that heart reaching pop. Speeding down the side of a country road and you hit some glass. Your heart sinks as you unpack your repair kit. These feelings can be a thing of the past if you invest in some puncture resistant bike tyres.
What are puncture resistant tyres?
This is an umbrella term for any tyre that has added features to protect against punctures. This could be a thick lining inside the tyre to protect the tube, one with no tube at all or it could be a completely solid tyre.
- Puncture resistant lining. These tyres fit with a classic clincher setup aiming to reduce external punctures.
- Tubeless tyres. More of an investment because you need compatible tyres and wheels. They are filled with liquid latex sealant which auto fills punctures as you go.
- Airless tyres. More popular in the road biking community. These tyres are completely solid, meaning no risk of punctures at all!
What features do tyres with a puncture resistant lining have?
The puncture resistant lining fits with your usual clincher setup and you can use a normal inner tube. This makes them an easy, cheap upgrade. They have an inbuilt layer of protection that sits between the tyre and the tube making them harder to puncture from the outside. Meaning you can ride over glass and sharps with minimal impact, a great option for road, commuting or gravel cyclists. However, due to the tube they are still prone to pinch punctures, especially if your pressure is incorrect. The protection is usually lesser on the sides of the tyre, so external lacerations can still happen here. Another feature of these tyres is the thicker outer means you can get deeper treads without compromise. They generally last a lot longer than usual tyres.
What features do tubeless tyres have?
Originally popular in mountain biking for the obvious reasons, but now gaining popularity in the gravel, bikepacking and roadie community too. When tubeless tyres came into popularity in the late 90s they were cumbersome and heavy. Nowadays, they are lighter and more reliable and most Mountain bike riders wouldn’t be without them. They do not feature inner tubes, therefore there is no way you are getting a pinch flat. Similarly, due to the lack of inner tube you can run these on much lower pressures letting you grip and feel the trail much better.
To be able to run tubeless tyres you need a sealed rim bed, tyre and wheel with tubeless bead lock and sealant. It is the lack of tube and addition of sealant that makes these tyres so puncture resistant, the sealant oozes through any external punctures filling the hole as you go. Nice!
What features do airless tyres have?
The clue is in the name with these tyres, there’s no air. They tend to be made out of a foam based material similar to the sole of a running sneaker. They used to make for a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride but these days the technology advances mean they can absorb much more and have been said to challenge the performance of a pneumatic system. They are targeted at commuters due to their extreme low maintenance and excelling in less than perfect conditions. They are dry durable with some brands claim they will last over 9000 kms. The final bonus, they come in lots of different colours!
4 reasons to buy puncture resistant tyres
- They are very effective. Whatever type of tyre you get, you will be more protected from external punctures. Unlike a traditional clincher, the airless and tubeless tyres cannot be subject to pinch punctures.
- They give you confidence. You can tackle more unstable terrain without worrying about a blow out. If the roads you commute on are full of potholes or glass then you can ride with more confidence at the side of the road. Due to the thicker rubber they have more grip, meaning you can whizz around corners solidly.
- No stopping to change your tyres. Even if you are very confident in changing an inner tube, no one wants to be doing it mid ride or in the rain. Puncture resistant tyres will allow you to go out on a ride all day without having to stop at the side of a busy road to change your tyres. Going airless would mean only changing them when they eventually wear down!
- They can save on weight. If you are using a tyre that needs latex sealant inside you will need to put around 130g of sealant into the tyre. Therefore, going tubeless on your Mountain Bike can save anywhere between 150g – 450g depending on your original tube thickness and size. Going airless means not really needing to carry any spares or kit, ever.
- They can speed you up. If you opt for tubeless options, there is generally less rolling resistance which can give you a faster ride.
4 reasons not to buy puncture resistant tyres
- They are expensive. The tyres with the puncture resistant lining retail at about $50 with no need to change your wheel. The ‘tubeless ready’ wheels are around $140 for a cheap set and add the tyres at $50 each. You then need sealant, $20 and rim tape $20. The airless tyres can be about $40 each and will last a long time!
- They are stiffer. Due to the extra support the tyres end up being a lot stiffer than usual tyres. This may not affect you at all but may make you feel the bumps slightly more. The give in a usual tyre can absorb some road noise, so if you are prone to feeling the effects of road noise this may be something to consider. Airless tyres are still being perfected so they can perform like air filled ones.
- They can slow you down. Although we said the tubeless could speed you up a few lines ago, if you opt for the puncture resistant lining or the airless you could be slower.
- More difficult to change. If you are really unfortunate and the puncture resistance fails you, these tyres are harder to change. If you need to change your airless ones then you will probably need to take them into a shop.
If you’re commuting daily or really racking up the miles at the weekend, getting a puncture resistant tyre feels like a no brainer when you’re cycling on poor quality roads and trails. If you’re pottering to and from work or a Sunday rider then you could even consider an airless tyre but probably not the option you want on long bikepacking adventures. If you’re a keen Mountain biker then going airless would be a very sensible and rewarding upgrade.
So having that said there are some puncture resistant bike tires on the market today that stand up to their bombproof reputation. We will include a few very soon. But also you should consider running tubeless if you wish to ride off-road and MTB trails. As it is pretty hard to find a tire that is 2.8″ or more to be puncture proof.
If you are touring the industry leader that seems to be very popular for bicycle touring is the Schwalbe Marathon Plus which is available in a road and MTB option. I have met bike tourers from all over the world who have used these tires for around the world tourers and they hold up very well.
If you are riding a gravel bike you might want to look at some of these options. Not all are puncture proof but if you run tubeless with with the compatible tires like the WTB Venture Tire they also hold up very well. Also if you are looking for some of the best touring bike tires these are some great options, and they are even great for commuting too.
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