Puncture Protection: How to Protect Your Trike's Tires

Are You Tired of Flats?

Have you ever started on a long ride, hoping to exercise and enjoy the fresh air, only to get a flat five miles in? When it comes to puncture protection, there are good options and GREAT options. In this article we'll go over some of our favorite products to help you protect your tires and some helpful tires to help maximize the life of your tire.

Tough Tires

One of the first steps you can take in protecting your trikes tires from flats is to invest in high quality tires to begin with. Investing in a high quality tire that has features to help protect against flats can help them last longer. When looking for tires keep your eyes out for tires that have extra reinforcement on side walls or that say that they are puncture resistant.

One of the tires that we recommend is the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire. The Marathon Plus is one of our best selling tires! The built in smart guard adds an additional 5mm of flexible, rubber protection against thorns, glass and other foreign, unfriendly objects on the road. These tires are rated a 7 (highest possible) in puncture protection on Schwalbe's website.

Under Pressure: Tire Pressure and Wear and Damage

Maintaining optimal tire pressure on your tires can help to extend the life of your tire and protect against damages. Use a tire pressure gauge to make sure that your tires are inflated to the recommended PSI.

The psi recommended for your tire will be located on the sidewall of the tire. Most normal sized road tires like on our Catrikes have a recommended pressure of 50-70PSI.

We usually fill them up to an even 60 in the middle but going near 50 will give you more traction and drag were as close to 70 will give you less traction but more speed on the road.

Low tire pressure can result in a more difficult ride due to the increased drag of the tires, as well as greatly increase the chances of pinching a tube as you ride. This will result in a full tube replacement being needed over just a simple tube pump up.

You'll also want to inspect your trike for any potential damage. Look for signs of wear, cracking, or damage. Be sure to keep an eye out for cuts, punctures, or objects embedded in the tire that could lead to flats. Replace your tire if it shows significant signs of wear or damage so you can remain safe while riding.

Lined, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours!: Liners and Sealants

For added protection consider installing tire liners or tire sealant. Tire liners are strips of puncture resistant material that is placed between the tire and inner tube. Tire sealant is a liquid formula that coats the inside of the tire and seals punctures as they occur. Adding tire liners or sealants can add another level of protection that what other wise leave you with a flat tire.

Tire Liners

Mr. Tuffy tire liners are a quick and easy option to install. This protective urethane liner fits between your tube and tire providing a durable, lightweight layer of puncture protection at an affordable price. Mr. Tuffy liners have been used by millions of cyclists and are one of our most popular options.

if all of that wasn't enough they come in a variety of size ranges so there's sure to be something that'll work for you!

Tannus armour provides an additional 13-15mm of protection on the tread area and an 2mm of extra coverage for your sidewall.

If you want something 100% flat-proof, the Tannus Airless tires are the solution for you. No tube? No air? That means no flats!

Sealants

A quick and relatively inexpensive option to protect your tires is Flat Attack. This liquid sealant creates a layer of flat-fixing magic around the inside of your tube and will seal punctures up to 1/8th inch in diameter.

Slime can be installed through Schrader valves or removable Presta core valves. It is environmentally safe, non-hazardous, non-flammable, and it remains active for 2-years. It permanently seals punctures up to 1/8 inches. The 16 ounce bottle contains enough for 4 trike tires or 2 motorcycle tires.

This stuff is amazing. It uses small particles and slime to quickly coat the inside of your tire and clog punctures to keep you riding. Easy to install, and it works great!

Install Puncture-Resistant Tubes:

Another tire protecting measure you can take is to upgrade to puncture-resistant inner tubes made of durable materials such as butyl rubber or latex. These tubes provide added protection against punctures and are less likely to deflate quickly in the event of a puncture, allowing you to continue riding until repairs can be made.

One of the quickest and least expensive options to avoid flats is to install thorn resistant tubes. Thorn resistant tubes have a thick rubber lining on the tread area that tapers off a bit at the sidewall to keep weight down. We offer a few different varieties and brands that you can choose from. We offer sizes from 20 to 26.

Getting flats is no fun, we hope that this article has helped you figure out how to protect your tires. If you want more trike tips and trikes be sure to follow our YouTube channel and check out our article page so you can stay up to date with everything we're up to.