Sky King, thank you for asking! Yes, I always make sure the tires are properly inflated. Besides big thorns there are a lot of little, broken pieces of thorns on the roads. Sometimes those little punctures don't show up until after the ride. Regular tire checks are a must around here.

No noise. Only when the chain is on and it has a small grinding noise. But I have figure out it is sand and a gentle hosing with water, wipe down and after it dries a relube. Seems to take care of that. The roads have a lot of sand, especially this time of year (monsoons).

What exactly do you mean by "isn't binding"?

Thanks!
dt