Holy pinch flats, Batman!

Lee,
I got a 3 pinch flats running Azonic Outlaws, Kenda Kinetics 2.35 and Maxxis 1.5mm DH tubes at 40psi this weekend at bootleg canyon on my new vp free. Never had any problems running my singletracks with standard tubes on my Giant DH. Any idea what is going on?

BTW, I just switched the tires to Maxxis mobster 42Duros 2.7s…hopefully it was the thin sidewall on the Kendas…thanks!

Erich

Hey Erich,

Bootleg is SICK!!! That place … dang … what a mix of steep, rocky, loose, gnarly and flowy.

Pinch flats. That business could come from any or all of these factors:

Tires. Kenda Kinetics are an old design, and they aren’t exactly burly. They won’t give the same protection as modern Maxxis, Michelin, Kenda, Specialized, etc. DH tires. If you ride downhill, especially at a place as pointy as Bootleg, you need full-on downhill tires. End of story.

Tubes. You’re right to rock the DH tubes, but if a rock squashes a too-light tire all the way to your rim, 1.5mm of rubber won’t help you much. I’m a big fan of tubeless — when it works. Otherwise I roll DH tires, DH tubes and lots of air.

TIP: You can run a 21-inch heavy duty moto tube. Once you cram that inside your tire, you hardly need air!

Riding style. When you bash into things on the ground, you break things on your bike.

Conclusion: Real downhill tires. Downhill tubes. Consider tubeless. Ride smoothly. Be kind to puppies.