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looking for recs for mtb tires that are resistant to goathead thorn punctures

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titus

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I've been riding on the following tires for many years:

WTB Trail Boss 29" 2.25

I generally ride in the city and the tires have been lightweight and perform/roll well. I've never experienced any type of slippage that I felt was due to poor tire design.

Probably the biggest problem that I experience with these tires is goathead thorns. I use sealant in the tires which helps a lot. But my tires still get punctured by goathead thorns which is an inconvenience. For example, my rear tire got a couple of goathead horns which causes the air pressure to drop by 80% within a few days. Based on a basic google I found the following thread but it pertains to roadbike tires:

What type of tires can prevent goatheads?

Looks like some people have found some luck with certain tires which provide protection against bullhead thorns - at least with roadbike tires. So can you recommend any particular mtb tires which would be somewhat equivalent to my current tires which would provide better protection against bullhead thorns?

I'd also be interested in products or techniques that people are using in addition to slime in order to reduce punctures/leakage from goathead thorns.
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Nat said:
What sealant are you using?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what sealant it is. It's orange. My tire had become deflated after not riding my mtb last winter and my LBS put some sealant in it and reinflated it. The owner of my LBS is very experienced and seems pretty conscientious so I don't think that he would use crappy sealant. Also, when I pulled out the bullhorn thorn, a micro amount of sealant was spewing out of the puncture hole - so the sealant still seems plenty fluid and not dried up.
 
#6 ·
I live in an area with goat head thorns and I've had good luck with Maxxis tires. When I ran tubes I almost flatted every time I went onto the trail. I just use their cross country tires with good results.
 
#8 ·
11053 said:
Try adding more sealant.
A few extra ounces of sealant in particularly thorny environments is often required.
Click to expand...
He's right. I ran Stans with excellent results in this environment. I don't even notice or pull the thorns out. I always check my pressure before riding though. You don't want to dent a rim or roll a tire off the rim. I've done both.
 
#9 ·
It sounds like you have Orange Seal sealant and it’s doing its job. Add a couple more ounces now plus every six months or so. Check your tire pressure before every ride; I usually lose a few psi every week.
 
#10 ·
Adding sealant is not a one-time job. It dries up and becomes useless. Add sealant more often (than never)

For road commuter use I'd just add some plastic tire liners and run tubes. Or use Mr. Tuffy tire lines and tubeless..something like that.
 
#11 ·
Technique wise, watch where you are riding. I am not sure a popular, much walked, dirt path will have much goat heads, this is compared to riding in the reed/dirt/grass area just because you are on an all terrain bicycle. For example the dirt path that parallel the paved bike path is usually the prime location for goat heads.
 
#12 ·
titus said:
I've been riding on the following tires for many years:

WTB Trail Boss 29" 2.25

I generally ride in the city and the tires have been lightweight and perform/roll well. I've never experienced any type of slippage that I felt was due to poor tire design.

Probably the biggest problem that I experience with these tires is goathead thorns. I use sealant in the tires which helps a lot. But my tires still get punctured by goathead thorns which is an inconvenience. For example, my rear tire got a couple of goathead horns which causes the air pressure to drop by 80% within a few days. Based on a basic google I found the following thread but it pertains to roadbike tires:

What type of tires can prevent goatheads?

Looks like some people have found some luck with certain tires which provide protection against bullhead thorns - at least with roadbike tires. So can you recommend any particular mtb tires which would be somewhat equivalent to my current tires which would provide better protection against bullhead thorns?

I'd also be interested in products or techniques that people are using in addition to slime in order to reduce punctures/leakage from goathead thorns.
Click to expand...
Which casing are you using of the WTB Trail Boss? There's two and the "Tough" casing is much thicker and more resistant to punctures.

On a separate unrelated-to-puntures note, you mentioned that you use the Trail Boss for "generally [riding] in the city?" That's an interesting choice. Those tires are definitely for trail riding.
 
#13 ·
Riding in the East Bay of San Francisco since 2004, so I've been dealing with goatheads for nearly 20 years. The best thing I've done was convert to Stans tubeless back in the day before tubeless ready wheels were a thing and I never looked back. Now all of the mountain bikes in my household are tubeless, even the ones with tires that supposedly are not tubeless ready.

As everyone has mentioned, top off the sealant every six months (I just add 2 oz. per tire). I dismount the tires yearly, usually at the dead of winter and I wipe and scrape off the dried latex and start off fresh with another 2 oz. per tire again.

I have had good results with Orange Seal actually sealing non-tubeless tires, as well as the sealant drying as one continuous film instead of clumps like Stans, so I usually just peel it off the tire in one go.
 
#14 ·
XC Only said:
Riding in the East Bay of San Francisco since 2004, so I've been dealing with goatheads for nearly 20 years. The best thing I've done was convert to Stans tubeless back in the day before tubeless ready wheels were a thing and I never looked back. Now all of the mountain bikes in my household are tubeless, even the ones with tires that supposedly are not tubeless ready.

As everyone has mentioned, top off the sealant every six months (I just add 2 oz. per tire). I dismount the tires yearly, usually at the dead of winter and I wipe and scrape off the dried latex and start off fresh with another 2 oz. per tire again.

I have had good results with Orange Seal actually sealing non-tubeless tires, as well as the sealant drying as one continuous film instead of clumps like Stans, so I usually just peel it off the tire in one go.
Click to expand...
Do you use the normal Orange Sealant or the "Endurance" one?
 
#15 ·
Learn what goat head growth looks like and steer a couple feet away. They do not throw their thorns. They are quite a lovely looking ground cover when growing!

don't pull them out if you see or hear them. Just ride.

As many have said, make sure your sealant is up to date. I use a Sharpie to write the date on my rims, and I add a few ounces every 3 months. Sealant evaporates through the sidewalls, maybe once a year, pull the tire , roughly clean it with some papertowels, add new sealant and go.

Unless you are going to use solid rubber tires, I have never heard of a thorn proof pneumatic tire. Follow the advice of so many here, use a floor pump, ride on.
 
#16 ·
XC Only said:
As everyone has mentioned, top off the sealant every six months (I just add 2 oz. per tire).
Click to expand...
Ha. Must be the SF climate that lets you get away with such long intervals. Riding in a hot, dry, desert environment I check and top off the sealant every 4-6 weeks and generally need about 2 oz in the summer months. Guarantee the tires would be bone dry long before I hit 6 months around here. Running two bikes I purchase sealant in quart bottles.
 
#19 ·
SunsetRide said:
Ha. Must be the SF climate that lets you get away with such long intervals. Riding in a hot, dry, desert environment I check and top off the sealant every 4-6 weeks and generally need about 2 oz in the summer months. Guarantee the tires would be bone dry long before I hit 6 months around here. Running two bikes I purchase sealant in quart bottles.
Click to expand...
Original Stan's sealant with non-tubeless tires, I would do 4 oz. per tire to start, then 2 oz. every 6 months. It's pretty hot and dry in the East Bay where I do most of my riding.

With Orange Seal Endurance and tubeless tires, I get a gauge for how much I need with just a pressure check with no sealant in it after a few days. If it drops down below 4 psi, I just go with 2 oz. per tire and I can hear it sloshing around in there for at least 4-5 months. Next time I pull the tires off the fleet, I should weigh all the dried up residue to see how much is leftover.

Edit: I don't know if I'm the only one that does this, but before I put any sealant in there, I usually use silicone on the interface between the valve stem and rim tape, around the rubber bit, and I let that dry for a day or two, then I mount the tire and add sealant. Has worked great for me for well over 5 years now.
 
#20 ·
To answer your question, besides the sealant issue, there are beefy tires available and I am a user of such. I live in AZ and there are every kind of sticker/thorn/goathead/catclaw all over the MTB trails and the AZ Trail where I ride a bunch. So 2+ years ago I installed a set of Teravale Kessel "Ultra-Durable" heavy son of a mutha set of tires on my stumpy FS 29 and a set on my mustache HT overforked 29er. Since that time and a bunch of riding in sketchy thorny terrain, basically everywhere I ride, on both bikes......I have never even "lost air" let alone flatted. It does build some confidence for sure.
But there is a weight penalty. I prefer the weight to obtain more tire security on remote rides but that's just me.

www.teravail.com

Kessel Tire

The Kessel is our aggressive trail, all-mountain, and enduro tire. Tall, angular lugs, an open tread pattern, and dual-compound rubber work together for exceptional grip on loose, technical terrain. Ramped center lugs keeps rolling resistance low, while our Durable and Ultra-Durable casings with...
www.teravail.com www.teravail.com
 
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