Sign up or log in to customize your list. Here's how it works: Anybody can ask a question The best answers are voted up and rise to the top As a child I had solid rubber inner tubes in my bike. They were a pain to get on but after I never had a flat again! Now I've recently started biking again and have had two flats in two days, each resulting in a three-mile walk back home. I've been searching for solid rubber tubes for a few hours now, but have only found them at wal*mart, and they don't have the correct size? Why have they disappeared? I thought they were a fantastic product . . . You should not be getting multiple flat tires in such a short timespan. I commute on poorly-maintained roads in Atlanta, and have not had a flat tire in 4,000 miles. In order of estimated likelihood, either: your tires are not properly inflated your tires are worn or punctured and need to be replaced you have a sharp object embedded on the inside of your tire
you are exceedingly unlucky If you've just started cycling again, I think it's exceedingly probable that you've simply neglected to inflate your tires to their recommended pressure. Standard road tires should be inflated to pressures of 100PSI and beyond. Mountain bike tires (which are awful for road use, but I digress...) require much less. It's easy to grossly underestimate how much to inflate a bike tire, and a standard hand pump will likely only get you to 30-60 PSI before you give up. Take your bicycle to your nearest bike shop and have them examine the situation. Flat tires should not be a common occurrence. Basically, they're harsh and hard on your wheels. A quick look at Sheldon Brown's site will tell you more: Airless tyres have been obsolete for over a century, but crackpot "inventors" keep trying to bring them back. They are heavy, slow and give a harsh ride. They are also likely to cause wheel damage, due to their poor cushioning ability. A pneumatic tyre uses all of the air in the whole tube as a shock absorber, while foam-type "airless" tyres/tubes only use the air in the immediate area of impact.
Also, many shops will discourage airless tires. It's certainly possible they may get better given time, though, so it's worth keeping an eye on the situation. To address the other part of your question, they're still available, but a specialty item. I found quite a few of them on Google Products, although finding them in 700x38 might be a challenge. To answer the actual question, they are no longer sold in the US. In most locations, they aren't legal to sell. A bicycle tire uses the pressure from the inflation of the tube, (or in the case of tubeless tires, the tire itself is inflated), against the casing of the tire to lock the bead of the tire into the rim. Without that pressure lock, the tires roll off the rim. Since a solid tube or solid manufactured tire can't by definition inflate against the bead, they were both abnormally hard to install, and prone to rolling off the wheel in use. So they were considered unsafe, and are no longer sold anywhere that I am aware of.
Certainly, no reputable shop will sell them. Carry a flat-fixing kit. You don't need much; patches, tire tools, something to inflate the tire again. Small, light frame-mounted pumps are readily available, and if you don't want to pump, CO2 inflators. You can even get hand-clean-up goo in handy little packs. With a bit of practice you can be rolling in about the same time needed to change tires on your car. As well, you can take preventive measures. Keep your tires properly inflated. Keep an eye out for visible hazards like potholes and broken car-window glass. I came across a solid tire. Thank you for your interest in this question. Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count). Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead? Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged tire parts or ask your own question.
Personally, I've had a nearly 100% positive experience with tubeless tires on my mountain bikes. But I can't say the same for all of my mountain biker friends. It's probably due to the different rims, tires and tubeless tire systems as well as different riding styles and terrain. Mixed experiences aside, I do recommend tubeless tires to anyone who wants higher performance and fewer flats and doesn't mind a little extra installation trouble and maintenance. From a performance standpoint, tubeless tires are hard to beat. Tubeless tires let you run lower tire pressures. Lower tire pressure is the best way to improve your tires' contact with the ground, and with that comes better bike performance. With standard tires with tubes, low tire pressure leaves you vulnerable to pinch flats. These are flats caused by hitting an obstacle hard enough to compress the tire so much that the tube is pinched between the obstacle and the rim. Of course, the tire is surrounding the tube and is part of this compression sandwich, but that's not enough to protect the tube from getting bitten.
Tubeless tires are highly resistant to pinch flats, so you can run with a low tire pressure without the great risk.Tubeless tires also absorb shock better than tires with tubes. This is because tubeless don't have the separate force of a pressurized tube pushing against the inside of the tire. Better shock absorption means a smoother ride with less vibration, and ultimately better control. This advantage is noticeable on big rocks and roots as well as small stuff like gravel. Tubeless mountain bike tires can save a little on weight over standard tires and tubes. While it is tempting to maximize the weight savings and go with the lightest tires you can find, it's really more important to get a tire that will perform well and won't end up forcing you to put a tube in later. No amount of sealant will plug a good cut or tear in a tire sidewall.Also, don't expect to lose a huge amount of weight. Some systems are lighter, some heavier; it all depends on the system and the tires.
The real benefits with tubeless are better performance with lower tire pressures and fewer flats.Even with tubeless tires you still need to carry an extra tube and pump. This is because tubeless tires can get flats. In fact, while they're much less likely than tubes to get pinch flats, tubeless tires are just as susceptible to sidewall cuts and tears. Tubeless tires also must seal against the rim to hold any air; if there's a problem with the seal, you have a flat tire. All tubeless tire systems let you put a tube in if you get a flat and you can't get your tire to seal up again. Alternatively, you can patch a tubeless tire from the inside, provided the hole or tear is patchable. If you try to lower your tire pressure too much, you will be more likely to damage your rim when you hit rocks, and you may feel the tire roll under during hard cornering. When this gets really bad, you can burp air out and end up with a flat, unsealed tire.Finally, compatibility is a big issue. Choose the wrong tires or rims and you will end up blowing your tires right off the rim either during installation or on the trail.
Using an internal sealant is well worth the little added weight. Tubeless tires still get flats from thorns and other punctures. Typically, it is more difficult to fix a flat in a tubeless tire than a standard tire. Use an internal tire sealant, such as Stan's No-Tubes, for a more robust system and fewer flats. This is still recommended this even if you have tubeless-specific rims and tires.Many tubeless-tire riders use special tires and rims designed specifically for each other, but it's possible to go tubeless using standard tires on either a standard rim or a tubeless-specific rim. Using a standard rim requires a conversion kit that includes a rubber rim sealer and a foam sealant that you squirt inside the tire. If you use this setup, make sure your tire, rim and kit are all compatible. Also, don't use super-light tires with thin sidewalls. Thicker sidewalls provide better cornering performance, and if you ride in terrain with sharp rocks they'll provide better protection from sidewall cuts and tears.