Training wheels and Racing wheels

[Li Mu Bai]

my problem is flat tires. in 3 races I have had 3 flats this year (graskop, stellenbosch, and race for victory), all on my hardly used and still in great nick racing wheels. Both mtb and road.

 

On my training wheels, not one puncture. not one! and thats with hundreds of hours of riding.

 

starting to think my racing wheels are poofters and just plain bad luck!

[Christie]

No amount of "puncture proofing" will stop a large piece of sharp glass, so luck has a lot to do with it. 

I support JB's very logical theory that puncture resistance of a tyre is proportional to the thickness of the rubber. Fancy racing tyres, esp tubbies, have got thinner rubber on the outside to make them lighter, and some have got latex inner tubes for lower rolling resistance (claimed). A very small scratch from a sharp object and pssssss-pssssssssssss-psssssssssssssssssssss.