RE: Goat heads

Jim and all,  I used to live among the goat-head vines. (I think they're
vines?) These days we occasionally make the trip west and ride among them
again.  Having done that, as far as we're concerned the only fix for them is
self sealing tubes.  All brands seem to work largely the same and they work
pretty darn well.  While on these western trips we'd carry a spare tube
along but have never needed it.   And yes we do roll through patches of
them.

Arlyn A
Superior tandems.com
906-370-2911

-----Original Message-----
From: touring-bounces+arlyn=superiortandems.com-Wizm5X4GRk5g9hUCZPvPmw@public.gmane.org
[mailto:touring-bounces+arlyn=superiortandems.com-Wizm5X4GRk5g9hUCZPvPmw@public.gmane.org] On Behalf Of
Jim Foreman
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2011 11:21 AM
To: touring; MH
Subject: Re: Goat heads

    Goat heads are shaped to where no matter how they fall, they always have
one of the thorns pointing upward. Once it penetrates into something, it
breaks off and then gets driven deeper and deeper. When I was a kid we
always went barefoot in the summer and every few weeks our mothers would get
us down with a wash cloth to clean the bottom of our feet and dig the
stickers out with a needle.
    They do the same thing on a bicycle tire, stick in and then get driven
deeper and deeper until they puncture the tube. They are especially a
problem on thin tread road tires.
    Tuffy tire liners or "thorn-proof" tubes do pretty well but really
increase the weight of the wheels and make them ride rougher. Slime works
pretty well but when you do have a flat, you can't patch the tube. Slime has
a silicone base and patches won't stick to any surface that's ever had
silicone on it. You just can't ever clean it off.

Jim

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "MH" <hoagy-OlwQ/[email protected]>
Subject: Goat heads


> Do goatheads stick to tires, shoes and feet?
>
> Not sure what they are from the pictures.
> With the plan to ride in Colorado and being
> lucky in Wisconsin I thought I'd ask. We have
> stickers on stems around here in the undisturbed
> sandy soils.  They aren't to much of a bother if
> I stay out of them when walking to make camp.
>
> I've got a Marathon Plus for the rear tire.
> Will the goat heads aka puncture vine bother
> these tires?
>
> Thank you for your thoughts,
> -Mark Hoagy
>
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