A Guide to Electric Scooter Tyre Puncture Prevention
Getting a flat tyre is one of the most common problems for bicycles and electric scooters with pneumatic wheels. Due to the smaller wheels, electric scooters have a higher risk of getting a flat tyre.
Contrary to popular belief, most electric scooter flat tyres are not penetration punctures caused by the stereotypical nail-in-the-tyre or other sharp objects. Pinch punctures are caused by poor riding habits and lack of tyre care are much more common. Follow these key steps to avoid tyre punctures:
Grab yourself some puncture prevention fluid!
Puncture Prevention is a liquid latex which you can pump into the inner tube through the same valve that is used to inflate the tyre. The fluid goes into the tube and moves around as the wheel spins.
When a hole appears, the fluid leaks into the hole and quickly dries, plugging up the leak. Some scooters such as the Pure's have it pre-inserted from the manufacturer, but this does not guarantee not getting a puncture but does help to significantly reduce them.
A typical bottle of puncture prevention fluid contains enough liquid for a single application to both front and rear tubes. If you’re in need, we do sell Puncture Prevention Fluid on our website.
Check for sufficient pressure
The first and most important check is for enough tyre pressure. This is important because the number one cause of tyre punctures for electric scooters is due to insufficient pressure.
When tyre pressures is low, the tube can’t ‘bounce back’ into shape as effectively. This makes it easier for an impact to press the wheel rim and riding surface so closely together that they pinch the tube between them, causing a rupture with two holes.
The best way is to keep your tyres always pumped up. You can do this by using a hand pump such as our Giyo Hand Pump.
Simply check if your tyres are in good condition
Do your tires look worn out and tired? If this is your case, they will be thinner and easier for a sharp object to pierce through, resulting in a penetration puncture. If your tyres look worn, it’s worth changing them!
Remember: Our warranty doesn't cover tyres or punctures, so the best thing to do is to pop down to your nearest bike store or Halfords.
Check for foreign objects
Take a look and see if there is anything lodged in the thread/grooves of your scooter tyre, or perhaps embedded into the material of the tyre itself.
Doing this check ensures means that you will most likely discover any sharp object which may have already penetrated into the tyre.
Avoid riding when it’s wet!
This is something we have to tell our customers on a regular basis, especially in the UK where it rains more than we would like, riding in the rain can cause irreversible damage to your scooter. Your wheels can pick up small sharp particles like sand, metal debris and other bits from the road, whilst riding along. Moisture helps these things to cling to the tyre.
Each time you stop at a crossing, water trickles down, washing these particles to the space in between your tyre and tube. Here the particles get sucked into the gap as your tube compresses and decompresses during rotation. The sharp particles are pressed up against the inner tube creating the perfect conditions to start scraping the inside. More importantly, wet surfaces are also slippery and dangerous to ride on.
The most common issue we receive is that water seeps into the electric scooter and causes corrosion to the expensive electrical components and damage batteries. Water damage is not covered by our warranty. We advise to leave your scooter at home when it's raining or wet outside!