Not being a fixed gear rider yet, I have what will sound like a naive question. On the subject of pinch flats, how popular is the use of non-air or polymer tires in the fixed gear scene? I'm sure costs are an issue but it seems like more aggro riding could be done without the pinch flat risk. Just curious.
I think one of the main reasons why people haven't and won't adopt the non-air tires is most riders don't ride with brakes.
They either skid or skip to slow and stop. Doing so wears out tires. Depending on your gear ratio, you can have 1 to 18 skid patches on your rear tire. I'd imagine the non-air tires would look like a octogon after extended use.
It's also 5 minutes to change a tire. We ride on 28c Contis or Vittorias, which are pretty durable as well...
Massive Air + Gap = Huge pinch flat
Originally uploaded by John Prolly .gif)
Hey there,
ReplyDeleteNot being a fixed gear rider yet, I have what will sound like a naive question. On the subject of pinch flats, how popular is the use of non-air or polymer tires in the fixed gear scene? I'm sure costs are an issue but it seems like more aggro riding could be done without the pinch flat risk. Just curious.
Cheers
I think one of the main reasons why people haven't and won't adopt the non-air tires is most riders don't ride with brakes.
ReplyDeleteThey either skid or skip to slow and stop. Doing so wears out tires. Depending on your gear ratio, you can have 1 to 18 skid patches on your rear tire. I'd imagine the non-air tires would look like a octogon after extended use.
It's also 5 minutes to change a tire. We ride on 28c Contis or Vittorias, which are pretty durable as well...