Panaracer Flat-Away puncture resistance tyre liner

I've just brought a set of Panaracer Flat-Away tyre liners and because there is little information about this product on the net, I thought I'd add this, to help others.

Each box contains enough tape for one 26" MTB tyre and costs around £10-12 each.  There is also a road tyre version.  It's a self adhesive felt tape, made from Kevlar, that sticks inside your tyre and hopefully stops thorns puncturing the innertube.

The MTB version is 40mm wide and 2150mm long.
It's also very light.  Out of the box it weighed only 42g, but after trimming it to the correct length and removing the backing sheet, the final installed weight is only 29g.

I did some tests with the sharpest nail I could find.  This little nail was very sharp for a nail - it would easily cut you.  See the video here.

I've fitted the Flat-Aways, so now time will tell if they do really work.  The reviews on the net from owners are generally very good and it seems this product is the best of the tyre liners.  What it isn't going to do is stop punctures in the side wall, as the tape only covers the tread area of your tyre.

The only downside I can see is that this felt does absorb water and there always is a little bit of water and muck gets inside my tyres, so I do wonder if over time this felt will just add extra weight.

SRAM rear derailleur model changes

Following recent investigations in to replacement jockey wheels for my SRAM X9 rear derailleur, I found that there was lot of confusion as to what jockey wheels fit which SRAM derailleurs.  For example, some suppliers might say "not X9", but there 4 different X9 model changes and also the short cage versions can have different jockey wheels to the long and medium cage models.
This SRAM parts list will help.
Basically, this is when the model year changes on SRAM rear derailleurs...

9 speed
X0 2006-2011
X9/X7 2010-2011
X9 2007-2009
X7 2007-2009
X9/X7 2005-2006
X9/X7 >2004
X5 2008-2011

10 speed
XX 2010-2011
X0/X9/X7 2011

So based on this, the KCNC jockey wheels should fit the following 9-speed derailleurs (pictured below): X0 2006-2011, X9 2010-2011, X7 2010-2011, but possibly not the short cage versions.

2010-2011 X7 9-speed

2010-2011 X9 9-speed

2006-2011 X0 9-speed
(although colour/materials shown here may be only on later models)

Replacement jockey wheels for SRAM X9 rear derailleur

When looking for replacement jockey wheels for SRAM derailleurs, there is a lot of conflicting compatibility details, particularly for SRAM X9.  I've written this to help X9 owners.

SRAM X9 (2009/2010) jockey wheels

My X9 (2009 model) jockey wheels were seizing up after every winter ride.  I had to remove the wheels, clean them (where I noticed that that rust would come from the bearing), and grease them after every ride.  I found the bearings on the X9 wheels would give problems after just a few weeks from new.  I only ride at weekends, so I found that after just 2 or 3 rides, the bearings went stiff.  I tried greasing them or just using TF2 spray and neither helped.  Some people recommend not greasing as this can attract dirt and make it worse.   I had to buy a new derailleur (for another reason)  and  got another X9, but a 2010 model.  This was exactly the same and again the jockey wheels then went stiff and were seizing after just two rides.

Genuine SRAM jockey wheels are £23 from CRC.  I started looking for alternatives, as I'd proved that the SRAM bearings were hopeless, but soon found that none seemed to be compatible with the X9 derailleur.

Then a fellow BikeRader forum user (thanks 'glennpro09') confirmed that the KCNC wheels fitted his 2010 X9 long cage derailleur, even though sites list the KCNC's for only SRAM X0 and some specifically say "not X9".

The KCNC jockey wheels get excellent reviews, but are quite expensive.  They do 10,11,12 & 13 teeth versions and all available with either a stainless steal bearing or a ceramic bearing.  I opted for the ceramic version of the 11T at £37.99 (delivered) from Ready to Ride Cycles via eBay.   The benefits of a ceramic bearing may be wasted in a jockey wheel, but for the £11 premium I decided it was worth buying the 'best'.

They are a perfect fit for the 2009/2010 X9, as you can see from these photos...

They've now been fitted on my bike for last four rides and so far are still running as smooth as they were when new (and the ceramic bearing is soooo much smoother than the SRAM wheels were when new) and not needed cleaning, apart from the normal hose down I give my bike after each muddy ride.  My new SRAM wheels were stiff by this time, so so far they've proved to be superior.  Only time will tell, but build quality and the way the bearings are sealed, these look like they will work and prove to be far better than buying genuine SRAM jockey wheels.  By fitting these, the time I need to spend cleaning the bike has certainly reduced considerably.  Although these KCNC wheels were expensive, it was money well spent.  Just wish SRAM could make their bearings cope with the UK conditions.

Update: My 2009 X9 rear derailleur is stamped 'DEC2009', is actually a 2010 model.  After referring to the SRAM parts lists, it seems that these KCNC jockey wheels will fit the following SRAM 3x9 models:

• X0 2006-2011
• X9 2010-2011
• X7 2010-2011

Check first though.  See the SRAM parts list here before you buy.