Bike Hack: Attach a Seat Belt to the Inside of a Tire to Prevent Flats



Matt of Bike Hikes has an interesting idea. He's put old seat belts inside the tires of his bicycle to make them more resistant to punctures:

The idea is very simple - put something between the tire and the inner tube to stop glass and other objects. So I found some old car seat belts left from a pair of messenger bags I made and I used them like a anti puncture band.


Do you think that it will work?

Link -via CrunchGear

it may help, but the edge of the seat belt may be sharp enough to cause its own flat by the back and forth movement between it and the tube. It also will make installing the tube more difficult, and may make the tire ride worse by lowering it's ability to deform over an uneven surface. Many common rim strips on the market suffer from these problems. I generally recommend to people to just get more durable tires such as Specialized Armadillos, Continental Gatorskins, Vittoria Randonneurs, or Shwalbe Marathons. If you must use a tire liner, by far the best one I've found is the SpinSkins Duro, which any bicycle shop with a QBP account (the largest American wholesaler) can get.

Always install a rim strip with some talc powder both between the strip/tire and the strip/tube!!

-a bicycle mechanic in the san francisco bay area.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
I always used spent tires where I´d remove the steel rings. So basically double tires. The extra rolling resistance is really noticable though, can´t really recommend it.

I´m using Schwalbe Marathon now and rarely ever have a puncture. Daily use & loads of glass on the streets....those things pay for themselves.
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Not worth it, the kevlar reinforced costs almost the same as the old regular ones (~6€ vs 10€~)... The seatbelt would fold in it self and give you a very bumby ride. Also i got the run-on-flat innertubes (again only 2€ more) and haven't had a problem since..
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
+1 extramedium's post!

the fact is, the majority of cyclists don't use tire liners because A) they can actually cause more pinch-flats than punctures they reduce because they tend to move around inbetween the tire and tube, and B) they negatively contribute to weight and rolling resistance. while i think the seatbelt hack is clever and would work, it's going to be even heavier than commercially available rim strips (and therefore cause even more rolling resistance). in reality, the cons of the seatbelt hack really outweigh the pros (literally).

i'd also agree with extramedium that getting a heavier-duty tire that is marketed as more puncture-resistant and has thicker sidewalls is a much better solution. i'd also add that sealant designed for innertubes generally doesn't work and makes patching a tube almost impossible (it keeps the patch glue from adhering). stuff like SLIME isn't a great solution and is generally not worth the time, money or mess (keep in mind i'm not talking about sealant for tubeless tires, which has other properties and is necessary for the tubeless system to work).

i think the best option (if you still use tubes) is to just carry an extra tube and patch kit with you. patch kits are only about $2, and an extra tube is only a couple dollars more than that. depending on the ride and how much time i have, i'll either spend the five minutes or so to patch my tube on the trail, or i'll just swap out the tube for a new one (and unless it's a huge tear, i'll keep the old tube and patch it when i get home. a properly patched tube works just as good as a brand new one and there's no reason to throw it out).

clinton robert labombard : airless (solid) tires and tubes don't work and there's a reason you never see them for sale at bike shops. they were basically a marketing scam when they were invented and it's a wonder anyone still bothers to even make them. they're super-heavy, they provide NO pneumatic "bounce" (which is necessary for shock absorption and to keep your rim from getting bent and mangled) and they dry out and fall apart pretty quickly.

here's a great article on all things bicycle tire and tube related (and even a section on airless tires towards the bottom): http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html
Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)
Login to comment.
Click here to access all of this post's 7 comments




Email This Post to a Friend
"Bike Hack: Attach a Seat Belt to the Inside of a Tire to Prevent Flats"

Separate multiple emails with a comma. Limit 5.

 

Success! Your email has been sent!

close window
X

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

I agree
 
Learn More