[Rotarymotion]

About three year ago I fitted Marathon Plus tyres to my main wheelchair after having seen them at an exhibition and being impressed with their "puncture resistant" layer. I've had these in everyday use since and they are now worn smooth. I bought replacements some months ago, but haven't got around to fitting them yet..... So far, so good.

Then about a year ago I replaced the cheap tyres on my other wheelchair with the all-black "Marathon Plus Evolution" tyres. These seem to have even harder rubber than the grey "Marathon Plus tyres" because the tread pattern looks hardly worn after a year's use. For comparison, the previous cheap "Kenda" tyres on this chair used to wear smooth in less than six months.

I'd more or less forgotten about punctures since fitting these Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres.... until this morning. I got my first puncture for ages! I was very interested to see exactly where the puncture was in the tyre, and guess what, I found a wire staple about 2cm long sticking out of the centre of the tread. Less than 1cm of this was sticking out, I found the rest by pulling it out gently with some pliers. Looks like it had been working its way through the tough rubber for some time.

I know that no pneumatic tyre is ever going to be completely puncture proof, but it was still frustrating and took a chunk out of a busy pre-Christmas day. Fortunately, I'd already bought my wife's present, so it could have been worse!

I had wondered about using some of the "puncture prevention" sealants you can now buy to help resist future punctures, but I don't suppose they would be much good at the pressures I run my wheelchair tyres; 130psi. Has anyone found they work with w/c tyres?

Finally, may I wish everyone a very Happy (and puncture-free) Christmas!

[wheelywendy]

QUOTE I had wondered about using some of the "puncture prevention" sealants you can now buy to help resist future punctures, but I don't suppose they would be much good at the pressures I run my wheelchair tyres; 130psi. Has anyone found they work with w/c tyres?[/font]i tried one type of sealent and over the time it coroded my inner tubes and caused them to go soft and stick and flat, that happened in both my manual chair and my electric chair since then i've avoided using it (dont remember the make so might be some out there that work i guess)
i also once used that foam stuff to reinflat a punctured tyre as was miles from home (in electric chair) seemed to work well for first 10 mins until we were on the center island on a crossing with cars whizzing either side of us when suddenly my tyre just exploded , well it was quite funny loked like a major snow storm it blew everywhere!!! so embarrasing, wont try that again either!!

This post has been edited by wheelywendy: 23 December 2009 - 05:39 PM

[wheeels]

I have tried slime, pain in the butt to get in and messy.

Now I am not sure it ever stopped a puncture from happening, but after having my valve stem tear off I decided to try solid tires. After using the solid tires for about 3 months now I will never go back to pneumatic for my day chair.

I am thinking of using something like slime on my handcycle, but I do find it a pain and a mess to install.

[greybeard]

I put some brown grunge (don't remember the brand-name) in the tyres of my mobility scooter. I can't say it stopped any punctures, but the service guy was surprised that I'd had none during the past year considering the hammering I give it on rough surfaces most days. No ill effects yet, but the pressures are a lot lower than for a wheelchair..

[robbo100bike]

I use solids on my chair and recommend them. But they are hard to fit.

I have used a product on my handbikes to repair punctures. Its sold my Mike Dyason Cycles its a 75ml aerosol which fills the tyre with mousse like foam. Cost £2.95 a can. You can prefill both tyres or just take the can with you and use it as a first fix. Its sticky messy gear but i have had alot of success wth it. Plus it works on high pressure presta valves too.

[russ1]

Slime should in theory work fine even at high pressures - the problem with slime is it relies on the wheel turning quickly to work - much more quickly and regularly than would happen on anything other than a racing chair. I've used it very sucessfully on bikes in the past but wouldn't recommend it for wheelchairs. The prefilled tubes are a lot better than the self fill stuff if do do want to use it. The emergency mousse can is a good idea for that once in a while flat.

As for solid tyres - no no no - never, horrible horrible things - worse ride, greater rolling resistance, worse grip and heavier - there's a reason they're not used by the majority of cyclists - they just don't work as well as pneumatic tyres. If you really really can't repair a puncture then they are a necessary evil I can see but fixing a flat takes less than 10 minutes.

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[Texaswheelz]

These days I always put the green slime in my new tubes, haven't had a flat in year other then when something happens to the valve stem. To get it to work you need to be out of your chair, put some in the tire with it inflated and then put the tire on the chair, hold that side up and spin it very fast for bout 5 minutes, this will cause it to spread throughout the tube.

In the past I have used the fix a flat foam a few times after I've gotten a flat. Always aired it back up and ran fine until I changed the tube, have ran on it before for a month or so after using it and never lost pressure again.

[qman]

i run swalbe tires and have only had one puncture and that was on the day my duaghter was born, gotta hate that,

i was impressed that they cope ok rolling deflated and allowed me to get the spare tube from the car and wheel two block to the bike shop. the shard of glass had gone deep though the thickest part of the rubber.

I HATE solid tyres, they are heavy and do not provide any grip hitting up gutters etc..

i am pretty impressed with the swables

[Andrew Meddings]

ive been using them for about 4 years & wouldnt consider anything else. i used to get 6 weeks out of primo,s as well as puntures all the time. now i usually get 12 months. they are well & trully worn by then but stil good. i get a punture rarely but when i do i sometimes run on flat tyre for days & they run fine without destroying the rim