Mountain bike tires are always looking for ways to leak air. Depending on where and how you ride, flat tires can be caused in a number of different ways. The good news is once you figure out why you’re flatting, you can make adjustments so (hopefully) it doesn’t happen as often.
Used to have regular pinch flats, no flats at all so far after going tubeless!
Pinch flats are a rarity, trials teaches the fine art of being light and proper inflation for the skill of rider.
Over the last 30 years, I have had no pinch flats but cactus thorns, those bastards! Goat heads occasionally. Cannot remember the last rim taco I was served…
Now I have Jinxed it!!
Dammit, Jeff, now you’ve really done it!
I do have a wheelset done tubeless and my pithy little dirt ripper wears tubes for the 5 minute tire swap that is a must.
Frankly, my patch kit will have dried rubber cement by the time I really need it. :/
I haven’t had an actual flat in a couple of years now. I’ve been riding tubeless for maybe 4 years. I got a couple of burps in the beginning, trying to figure out the lowest tire pressures I could run. Once I got that figured out, it’s been smooth sailing except for one front tire sidewall slash that ended very ugly.
I ride hard and over a multitude of conditions and only occasionally lose some pressure between rides.
Sidewall slashes. I consider punctures to be small holes, that the sealant usually fixes. Sidewall slashes (usually from a sharp rock) are a catastrophe . We have to stop, put in a tube, pump it up, then pray that the bill we put over the slash prevents the tube from being cut.
I have found the Stan’s Darts to be very helpful