Saturday 19 March 2011

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.

4 comments:

  1. I love reading through your blog, I wanted to leave a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. Wishing you the best of luck for all your blogging efforts.
    Tires For Sale

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  2. Thank you very much.
    Not had time to add anything new for months now.

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  3. in 20 years of commuting I've had one flat! -when my Panaracer Kevlar*-felt liner shifted. In that time I've also had a psychotic literally saw into my tyres, without annoyance to me.
    I try all the anti-flat tech; "Kevlar tyres" are for shite. Panaracer FlatAway Tire Liners are sized by you to cover a tyre's entire impact zone; Light as paper; and they can be transferred across tyres b/c theyre TOUGH ENOUGH TO TAKE IT (though I do add an adhesive duct-tape touch-up for transfers). Panaracer FlatAway Tire Liner gold.
    * Kevlar= ARAMID

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  4. d3matt-
    How about the water issue you mentioned? I live in California desert. What I notice is the felt absorbs our cities' pervasive freeway grime. But over the decades the felt also loses loft. Still no punctures :-)
    I WIN

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