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I've got a Specialized Pitch, size 27.5". I do a lot of urban MTBing and tricking.

I know how to ride up stairs - up to four stairs at the moment, working on getting more - you lean back, get the front wheel up the first three or so, then lean forwards and pedal, keeping the weight off the back wheel. I work up a bit of speed and then pedal up, with gears set at 1 in the front and 3 in the back (I've got 3 in front and 8 in the back). The back wheel is at ~40 PSI.

But consistently, I'll make it up this staircase ~5 times in a row, and then, at some point, inevitably, I'll get a pinch-flat puncture.

This has been the main expense on the bike recently - this one staircase has cost me hundreds in replacing the inner tube.

Is there anything I can do to avoid getting these punctures? Am I simply not doing it correctly?

Argenti Apparatus
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Mithical
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    You need to learn to patch tubes. Save up your dead tubes, and use proper patches with separate vulcanising glue to do a batch in the warm and dry. I don't get many snakebites but I've never had one I couldn't patch. Or run tubeless. – Chris H Nov 05 '18 at 14:01
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    Have you tried using more than 40 PSI? I have no idea about urban MTB, but usually snakebites means you pressure is too low. – StefanS Nov 05 '18 at 14:07
  • @StefanS - 40 is apparently the recommended pressure for trails, and I've heard that for urban you actually need to lower the pressure. Stairs could be an exception, though - in which case you've got yourself a possible answer :) – Mithical Nov 05 '18 at 14:09
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    @Mithrandir Logically higher pressure would be required for urban riding on tarmac and concrete surfaces. These surfaces are not loose like dirt or gravel so you get better traction and there are more sharp edges such as stairs and curbs. – Argenti Apparatus Nov 05 '18 at 15:01
  • @ArgentiApparatus - huh, maybe I'm mixing it up then. – Mithical Nov 05 '18 at 15:04
  • @Mithrandir I don't think you are mixing it up - when you run high pressures in a MTB tyre they have a tendency to 'ping' off objects rather than conform to them. In the case of riding stairs, to high pressure would lead to the back of the bike bouncing around too much. – Andy P Nov 05 '18 at 15:25
  • The best tyres for riding up stairs are 29+ run tubeless at low pressure (~12psi) as the large diameter means they don't 'fall' into the gap between steps too much, and the low pressure means they deform well to the edges and grip without making the bike bounce. – Andy P Nov 05 '18 at 15:34
  • how many times to patch a tube before dumping – gschenk Nov 05 '18 at 20:53
  • Get stiffer tires. I assume you’re using XC tires, which probably aren’t up for the task. You want something with a DH casing in the rear. – MaplePanda Feb 10 '21 at 20:51

2 Answers2

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I used to get snakebites like crazy doing urban riding, even running really high pressures. I'm a big guy. What finally helped was running higher volume tires and wider. See if you can fit a wider tire in your frame, and look at getting some wider rims.

Increasing the volume of air adds more cushioning. As Batman mentioned, going tubeless also helps, since the tube displaces some of the volume between the rim and the tire.

If you're sticking with tubes, get some DH tubes. Normal tubes are around 1mm or less, DH are often around 1.5mm. They will weigh more, but might hold up better.

B. Thomas
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  • I should mention - I'm not big. At all :P. I'm a scrawny 16-year-old; I'm not entirely sure what I weigh, but... it's not too much. – Mithical Nov 05 '18 at 14:47
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    I don't think the point of tubeless has anything to do with the tube being a quantity of "stuff that's not air" in the tyre. The point is surely that there's no tube to get snake-bitten and that the tyre itself is stronger than a tube, so should be less susceptible to snake-bites and, if you do manage to get one in the tyre, the sealant should be able to seal the two small holes. – David Richerby Nov 05 '18 at 15:43
  • @DavidRicherby can the tire itself get a snake bite puncture without the rim suffering damage? Seems like a lot of force would be needed there? – Brad Nov 05 '18 at 16:34
  • @Brad I guess it would damage the rim but I don't actually know so I hedged my bets. – David Richerby Nov 05 '18 at 16:42
  • @DavidRicherby Agreed, the "stuff that's not air" is not the real benefit of tubeless, but it does contribute (a tiny amount) to volume. – B. Thomas Nov 06 '18 at 21:25
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You have a few options:

1) Run a higher pressure

2) Go tubeless

3) Don't ride on stairs

4) Work on your technique; depending on how the tire hits the stair (and size of the stair), you're more likely to pinch flat (e.g. on the edges).

5) run bigger tires

Batman
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