Pinch Flats :-(

[Revol]

I've recently swaped tires from a 1.95" Specialized to a 2.35" Maxxis with the hope of preventing pinch flats.The rims are Ritchey Rock's which are 22mm wide.
Would the tire swap really help that much? Doesn't running a wide tire on a narrow rim simply make matters worse because there is more of thr tire protuding past the edges of the rim?
Maybe I should be looking for a more "dh" tire (thicker sidewalls) or maybe wider rims (321's maybe a bit too much,219's possibly?) ???

What's your thought's/recomendations on the matter?

[Old_Dude]

Couldn't you either add slime, increase the tire pressure, use a self-sealing tube or add one of those really thick tubes (they're green)?

[alex spencer]

what tubes are you running?? get some really beefy ones like the nokian dh tubes, if you can snakebite them you need bigger rims.

[-dustin]

how much do you weigh and what pressure in the tires?

[Revol]

Thanks guys.
Thicker tubes,slime,higher psi I know about.What I was wondering was,regardless about the tubes etc,what difference does the rim/tire width make?
The Maxxis tires on the Ritchey rims do look a little odd.Maybe an excuse for a new rear rim :)

[riderx]

Wide tires definitely help. They provide more cushion before you bottom the tire out to the rim. And check that air pressure, that's usually one of the biggest problems.

[amateur]

get salsa dh tubes. they're the thickest things i've ever seen anywhere.

keep the tire pressure up too. you will get the same amount of traction from that highroller with high pressure as you did from the specialized with lower pressure.

[madbiker]

Hutchinson Green DH tubes and light and pf proof.

[BMXman]

your problem can be solved with wider rims and higher tire pressures...I never go below 22psi, and I have never pinch-flatted in the two years I have been riding Dh.....D

[mutasmurf]

get some pinch-flat resistant tires from IRC (irc kujo dh are on sale at www.jensonusa.com for $35usd or $68usd/set) or other brands...you can also run those tires on lower psi. get dh tubes(they cost a little more, but last longer) if your tire has really flimsy sidewalls, always check your tires before you ride to make sure they have enough pressure in them.

also, make sure you have rimtape (or some form of rubber and/or tape) that covers over the spokeheads on the inside of your rim. if the spokeheads on the inside of your rim are exposed, they can penetrate your tubes.

[TimeBomb]

I agree with MadBiker. I haven't had a flat since I started runnig them. Just check your pressure before you ride. You'll have to put a little air in every so often.

[FlipSide]

You can also try to put baby powder between your tube and your tire.
1) It helps a lot when you try to put the tire on the rim
2) I heard it can help preventing pinch flat

[oldfart]

Never say the f word particularly if its used in the context, " I haven't had a f*** since.." Tempting fate (another f word) will get you into trouble. You guys are all gonna get fl**s now.

[way2jedi4u]

Intense DH tubes. I have run one for 2 months at 19psi on a 29mm rhyno lite XL rim as a rear tube and have not popped it yet, needless to say that im not the smoothest rider in the world, yet it has held up to 7' drops, thousands of stair gaps, and the like. I often feel the rim hit the ground at 19psi, but it still doesnt pop, i like my tires soft

[MikeD]

If you make your rims really wide compared to your tires, you can make it easy to pinchflat... say a doublewide and a 2.1 tire. The tire profile gets pretty flat with that kind of combo. Having a 'balloon' looking profile seems to decrease your chances of flatting IMHO, but it's easier to roll the tire off.

Keep it all in proportion, I say. 2.1-2.4 tires are a good width for a medium to fairly beefy rim.

You might try the newer 'Laser' casing WTB 2.24 tires...they're pretty light (under 900 grams they say) but have nice thick sidewalls. I'm going to get some of the Mutanoraptors for my trailbike.

With a heavy sidewall, you should get away using a standard tube unless you're doing really heavy-duty riding. However, running standard tires with DH or the cheap 'thorn-proof' tubes might be a good first option...give it a shot on the cheap before you blow a lot of cash on a more permanent or expensive change.

MD