about those tires....

[sundial]

Just how much can road tires take?

I try to stick to debris-free roads, but what if I cycle across sticker free grass? Small pebbles? Sticks and twigs and things?

[Flybye]

You can only assume the grass is sticker free. Not that I have ridden across grass and got a flat or anything. And IF I did, I would have meant to #1 - ride across the grass in the first place and #2 Get a big old flat from a sticker (goat head/puncture vine).
They aren't mountain bike tire tough.

Like you new avatar. You like to keep us on our toes, don't you?

[Veronica]

I guess it depends on the tires. I take my road bike off road into gravel, dirt, pebbles with no problem.

V.

[sundial]

Like you new avatar. You like to keep us on our toes, don't you?

LOL! It's TDF time, baby!

Veronica, when flats happen to newish tires, is it because the sidewalls were punctured? I'm just tryin' to figure out how much *off roadin'* I can do.

[Veronica]

I really can't say. I'm pretty sure all of my flats have come from road riding - debris I've picked up, thorns, etc.

After my last flat, on a 200K, I put slime tubes into my tires. That was in May.

V.

[Veronica]

LOL! It's TDF time, baby!
I'm just tryin' to figure out how much *off roadin'* I can do.

If you know how to change a flat, do as much as you want. Just don't go off road when you have to be home by a certain time.

V.

[Tuckervill]

I ride through the grass in my yard to get to the gate every time I leave the house. We're lucky enough not to have goatheads in Arkansas. If we had those, I never would leave clear pavement.

I do avoid broken glass on the road, and I did take my road bike on the Katy Trail which is hard packed small gravel (there's a name and I can't remember what it is) with no problems at all. In the '70s, I took my 10 speeds everywhere I wanted to go. I hardly ever had a flat then.

Karen

[sundial]

In the '70s, I took my 10 speeds everywhere I wanted to go. I hardly ever had a flat then.

I know! I did too! I guess tires were better made back then.

[mimitabby]

It depends where you live. If you don't live in Goathead country, you probably can go where you want.

here in Seattle, our biggest problem is glass and the fine filaments off radial tires. we can ride in all the grass and gravel we want.

[sundial]

Mimi, on average how many miles do you put on a set of tires before replacing them? I think I put 2000+ miles on my Roubaix tires and one finally blew. Just put the Kendas on them and will be interested to see how they perform.

[RoadRaven]

If they are skinny road tires, stay of the grass etc. The smoother they are, the more important this rule is. The smoother they are, the more likely it is they will pick up debris - particularly if the ride surface is damp or wet.

I follow this rule to the extent on my road race bike, or my time trial bike, (which both have very smooth tires) get carried /lifted to the road, and not wheeled on grass verges or curbsides.

[alpinerabbit]

mmm yeah but if you actually get sent over a gravel road during a ride - happened to me - it works.

I once misread the map and we had to go 5k over a packed gravel type forest road. worked fine, even going 20 kph.
I rode Schwalbe Stelvios at the time.

[OakLeaf]

I'd actually guess you're less likely to get a flat on gravel. Gravel = less traffic = fewer people throwing bottles and trash out of their car windows. Also, any shards of glass or metal will settle to the bottom, underneath stones, rather than sitting on top stalking your tires like they do on asphalt.

Now, handling a skinny tire, stiff frame road bike on gravel is its own special joy, and I personally HATE it and avoid it whenever possible. But flats aren't the reason.

[RoadRaven]

Yeah, they will work and ride off road... happened to me too, you go off the edge because you get crowded off in a race, or you're not paying full attention and of course the tyres hold up.

What I was trying to say is where possible, don't use skinny smooth road tyres when you are going to bike off the road. Skinny and smooth (and the high pressure that often goes with these tyres - I train at 110psi, I race at 130psi) means they are more susceptible to tiny stone shards, prickles/thorns etc - not just the expected dangers of road rubbish like broken glass.

By gravel, Oak, i assume you mean loose metal/small stones? In which case, again I would recommend not "skinny smooths"...
I guess it all depends what Sundial classes as road tyres. I'm afraid I am not familiar with Kendars.

Alot of hybrid/comfort bikes are sold with slightly knobbly tyres... and they would hold up much better than the tyres I race on...

I guess the moral would be; use the right tyres for the right surface when you possibly can.

[OakLeaf]

Yes, the technical name for that type of road surface is "crushed stone," but most people in the USA call it "gravel." (Technically, "gravel" refers to smooth river stone which is obviously considerably more expensive, used for landscaping but not road building.)

There are several different sizes/grades of crushed limestone, and I'm not sure what the number designations are, but the stones used in most road building out East are typically about 2-3 cm across.