# what to do about thorns?



## 530_singletrack (Mar 5, 2010)

What is a good cheap way to prevent thorn flats? Slime or something? Today I rode my new cannondale f7 I rode 15 miles just street for the most part and a couple trails. I made it home and 5 minutes later my tire was flat. I fount a tiny tiny thorn in the tire and patched the tube. But I need some tougher tires or something the thorn was tiny. Anyway what's your advice


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## Duce97 (Jun 15, 2009)

I run slime tubes because i ride in an area that seems to have millions of thorns. I dont race so i didnt worry about the extra wieght from the slime. Since i started running those i havent had a flat due to a thorn .


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## funkydrum (Mar 10, 2007)

Heavier tubes or better yet, go tubeless


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## Jason B (Aug 15, 2008)

One word - Stans!


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

Jason B. said:


> One word - Stans!


http://www.notubes.com/tubeless_about.php


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## JCullen (Oct 20, 2009)

In no particular order...

Slime tubes
Tubeless
Get REALLY good at patching on the trailside!

I have Slime tubes in my HT, seem to work OK for the goathead thorns around here. I'll likely go tubeless on my FS so I'm not adding too much weight.


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## Squash (Jul 20, 2003)

*You have three choices...*

as the others have noted,

Slime Tubes, or adding slime to your current tubes if they have removeable valve cores.

Thorn resistant tubes, quite heavy but the thicker rubber adjacent to the tread area of the tire is pretty effective in preventing most thorn induced flats.

A Tubeless Conversion. The sealant used to seal up the tires so they hold air in a tubeless conversion is very effective in sealing up small punctures from thorns and such. And the conversion won't gain you any weight and may even save a little, depending on which method you use.

The cheapest with the least amount of maintenance are going to be thorn resistant tubes or slime tubes. If I had to choose between the two I'd go with slime tubes. Thorn resistant tubes add a significant and very noticeable amount of weight to the wheels. Slime tubes do add some weight, but not as much as the heavier tubes.

The best method to prevent puncture flats in "thorn country" is a tubeless set up with sealant. But it deffinately isn't the cheapest when compared to the other two. And it does take more maintenance as the sealant has to be replenished on a regular basis.

"I fount a tiny tiny thorn in the tire and patched the tube. But I need some tougher tires or something the thorn was tiny."

Keep in mind that you rode 15 miles on pavement and trails. You likely picked up the thorn on one of the dirt portions of your ride. The tiny bit that you pulled out of the tire was likely only the tip of the thorn. You probably knocked or wore the better part of the thorn off at some point during your ride after you picked it up. The portion that you found may have been tiny, but it likely started out much bigger when it first punctured your tire and tube.

Anyway, your call on which way to go.

Good Dirt


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## Vmax911 (Sep 17, 2008)

I run slime in my tubes. I use the cheap presta tubes from pricepoint. I unscrew the vavle until it stops, then get a pair of pliers and unscrew it some more. Drop the valve in the tube, add slime from the jug I bought in the Walmart auto section, push the valve back into the stem, and screw the valve back on. Simple and cheap. If you run schrader valves, it's even simpler!


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## Lawson Raider (Jul 24, 2006)

You can try puncture resistant tires as well. I am running them on both my mtb's and so far , knock on wood, never had any flats on the trail.


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## picassomoon (Jun 16, 2009)

I used to get a ton of thorn flats. I tried thorn resist tubes, but I can not overstate how much the weight effects you. I think it actually built some stamina for me, but I had to stop using them because the rotational weight in back was just brutal.

Right now I'm running a Mr. Tuffy strip in back, which is barely noticable weight compared to the thorn resst tubes. My front tube is slimed, Schraeder valves. The slime works well, but I have had thorn punctures that it would not reseal. Once the front tube finally meets its match I'm putting my other Mr. Tuffy in the front tire.


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## insanitylevel9 (Sep 23, 2009)

there are thorn proof tubes that are really thick rubber or you could us down hill tubes there really thick.


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## Guy Cool (Oct 3, 2008)

+ however many on slime. Cheap and very effective. You can "recycle" it too when you get a pinch flat by cutting the tube and dumping out the remaining slime into a container and then re-use it.


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## Kaba Klaus (Jul 20, 2005)

I am using a variety of combinations of:

Slime or Goo tubes
Mr. Tuffy strips
Puncture resistant tires (e.g. Specialized Armadillo)
Tube less setups using Stan's

Tube less is my preferred choice for the sports bikes. Relieable and light. The commuters run slime or goo tubes. If the commute route seems to be thorn infested and beating the slime tubes I add Mr Tuffy or a puncture resistant tire (depending if the tire needs to be replaced).

I got a family of bike commuters and sports bikers and hence had the chance to test quite a few setups. :-(

Thorn resistant tubes didn't work for me. In my mind they add weight for very minimal protection.


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## snovvman (Jan 4, 2010)

What about those tire liners? The seem to be lighter than some other solutions if one must/wants to run tubes. What is the con?


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## Kaba Klaus (Jul 20, 2005)

I use tire liners (Mr Huffy) as a last resort. Mainly because:

- They are a bit of a nuisance to mount. I end up juggling a tire a liner and a tube.
- I am never sure if I really got the liner centered and if it covers most of the potential contact path.
- They are either too wide or too narrow. You never get them in the size you really need.

Bike mechanics tell me that, over time, the liner's edges rub through the tube. Don't know, didn't happen to me, yet.

Having said all this: They work for me on commuter bikes where I don't want to invest in a tubeless system nor in a puncture resistant tire. I still use them with slime tubes as I did see thorns, glass and nails find a way around them (fit issue). But they did help in situations where thorns seemed to find the tires faster than slime the holes.


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## Guy Cool (Oct 3, 2008)

I tried the liners; very little effect. Slime is 100% effective however.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

I never get thorns.
I always ride behind somebody else and follow their line.
:thumbsup:


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## ae111black (Dec 27, 2008)

highdelll said:


> I never get thorns.
> I always ride behind somebody else and follow their line.
> :thumbsup:


Awe that was you behind me yesterday......did you know I farted?


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

ae111black said:


> Awe that was you behind me yesterday......did you know I farted?


I thought that was the vog.

mmm funyuns!


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## BOSSMAN (Nov 2, 2009)

Tubeless tires and Stans


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