Icknield Way West of Campus (Puncture Alley) Update

It’s nice to see that they are concerned (and particularly nice that they have sent me a personal email to this extent), but I struggle to see how putting a layer of flint down on a cycle path counts as the surface “failing”. Flint may be OK on a road where the vehicle tyres are usually a good centimetre thick rubber, but flint on a cycle path..?! Someone either has fewer than 10 brain cells or an extremely evil sense of humour (although I pass no judgement as to whether that someone was at the Council or the Contractor).

I can’t say that I think it’s necessarily loose flint that’s alone in causing the problem!

Also, I had two flint induced punctures after riding along the grass by the side of the path, so no guarantee of safety there either.

Three punctures last week. All razor sharp flint shards about 1cm long cutting through Bontrager puncture resistant tyres. I have not had one in 18 months of cycling every day before last week. I now have no choice but to walk that section carrying bike as it is currently so muddy off path. Adds 6 minutes to the journey.

Hi, a friend of mine has started to use this puncture alley and punctured today with a tiny piece of flint even though he used the mud track all the way along apart from the final section to get through the fencing area into RAL. Unfortunately, due to a high number of punctures he hasnt got a puncture repair kit here today, and Ive also run out of patches. Does anyone have a spare puncture kit or a sticky patch that he could have to get him home please? He works in Diamond.

I have offered a mountain bike inner tube but he is on hybrid with tiny skinny wheels.
Many thanks.

I’ve got a couple of 700c spare tubes and patches at Diamond. x8929 or Z06.81 on the ring.

Neil

Thanks for the patch and assistance Neil. 🙂 we managed to pull out a roughly 1cm razor sharp talon shaped flint. And I only cycled on the path for the last 3m where it goes through the fence.

I carried my bike over the surface last night, but still got 2 punctures as there must have still been smaller shards working their way through my tyre from Friday. Once you use that surface your tyres are a ticking time-bomb!
Many thanks to everyone that stopped to help.

OK, so not really the budget option that cycling is supposed to facilitate but:

Tannus Tyres

Ordered on Friday lunchtime, arrived Saturday, fitted (yes, the internet was right, some faff, but not impossible) Sunday, first ride test today. Bit too early to conclusively say but (a) any difference in rolling resistance barely noticeable given the nature of the route (until you get to Campus where on road, you can tell, but only just) (b) firmer than I’d have chosen to ride that route, but no firmer than I’d ride road tyres (c) no really nobbly options available, but grip on the ones I got perfectly adequate, even this morning when the route was getting on for its muddiest best (although note that being electric assist, I’m effectively two wheel drive rather than one wheel drive, but am also pulling an additional 15kgs and two extra wheels to boot).

I got another puncture Last night but it was a slow sidewall one so was able to get home. I have ordered some of these schwalbe marathon+s and a bulk set of patches tubes as i feel this isnt the end of the issue. Anyone have any experience with the slime tube sealant(goes inside the tube), not sure how big a holes it can bung in reality.

Sorry to break it to you but I was on marathons and slimy inners and it made not a jot of difference. Hence have moved to Tannus solid tyres as the only remaining option that might work. They do.

I have Bontrager puncture resistant tyres which also added slime to and have so far got away with using the track 4-6 times a week since it was laid. At least I have no symptoms of puncture, though I may have multiple slime-filled holes I suppose…