Excellent question!TexasRick wrote:Why do so many inner tubes fail on the playa? There can't be that many pokey things to cause punctures. Are these coming from protruding spokes or burrs around the spoke nipples? If so I will put a double layer of rim tape on my 3 wheeler (due to arrive next week) before I bring it out.
In my not-so-humble opinion, the undisputed "winner" is the act of riding on under-inflated wheels. This causes failure in three different ways:
1. Without enough pressure to hold the tire still on the rim, the tire-and-tube will rotate in the rim, which tears the valve stem from the tube.
2. Without enough pressure to hold the rim well off the ground, the rim will sometimes pinch the tire-and-tube against the ground, primarily on bumps, causing what's-know-as "snake bite" punctures -- because there are often two holes in the tube, one from each rim-bead.
3. Without... the tire can separate briefly from the rim during various maneuvers such as sharp turns, allowing debris inside to puncture the tube after a while.
That said, we also see quite a few punctures caused by the spoke-nipples. Sometimes we take a file to such offenders. In 2012 Patsh, of this forum, saved the day for one customer by magically producing a good file that whittled down a seriously protruding spoke-tip.
Extra rim tape -- ( I call them "flaps"; an old trucking term from the days of split rims) -- shouldn't cause trouble. If you have a nasty case, you could even try using those plastic strips that are intended for the tread side of the tire, to protect against thorns.
And as always, use the thick "Thorn Resistant" tubes. The extra few bucks are soooo worth it. They hold pressure longer, as well as resist damage better.
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