Belt Auction

How good are the inner tube puncture protection belts in bike tyres such as Schwalbe etc?

Should I get tyres or are the belts you can buy separately better?

Public Comments

1. Buy tires w/kevlar casings and you'll not likely have another flat.
2. Yes, belted (kevlar, e.g.) tires are the way to go if you ride any real distance, commute to work/school, or just want to virtually eliminate the likelihood of getting flats caused by the usual suspects. Schwalbe are excellent, but not cheap. Panaracer and Continental are two other companies that market high performance tires featuring high levels of puncture resistance. If you roll through debris and thorns on a regular basis, this is the way to go. Forget tire liners; their tendency to slip has been the suspect of many unexpected flats. Plus, they're just something else to complicate matters, especially during a tube change. And forget slime. Its messy character can gunk up valves and pumps. And it can get really messy when you get a larger puncture that allows the slime to leak all over the inside of the tire.