Sharp spines puncture bike tires

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Andrea F. Liechti
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Barksdale Airmen finding themselves stranded with flat bike tires were offered a solution to their problem Feb. 22.

Col. Scott Hoover, 2nd Mission Support Group commander, sent a base-wide e-mail explaining why members of Team Barksdale are experiencing flat tires and what they can do to prevent it.

"The culprit is called 'puncturevine' or 'goathead,'" Hoover said. "The seeds of this low growing vine break into portions with two or three sharp spines each. These portions are light enough to blow on or off our path and are hard enough to puncture bike tires."

Spraying for the plant itself is not cost effective or environmentally compliant, Hoover said. Although they are currently researching sweeper types for volunteers to operate, he recommends investing in Kevlar Tape, tire liners, tire sealants and/or more robust tires.

According to mywheelsandmore.com, Kevlar Tape is an upgrade for your current tires. It offers protection for the most extreme rider and comes in a peel-and-stick format.

Another option is to use bike tire liners. These are typically a strip of plastic along the inside rim of a tire, between the tire and the tube. They are equipped with a tough outer liner to prevent punctures and a softer inner liner to protect the inner tube from damage.

A third option is to purchase bicycle tubes with a chemical sprayed into them that seals small punctures as they happen. The chemical leaks out of small punctures and solidifies when it comes into contact with the air. The bike rider may never know he or she had a leak in the first place as the sealant fixes the problem immediately.

The last option Hoover gave, riding on more robust tires, is self-explanatory. If the tire is stronger, it'll be harder for the puncturevine seeds to puncture it.

"In the near future we will strictly enforce use of the bike path versus the road, due to several near-miss accidents on the East Reservation," Hoover said. "Please take time now to equip your bike appropriately."

It may save you the time and hassle of being stranded with a flat tire, on or off base.