Frequently Asked Questions
Q   What is a STOP Flats2 anyway?
A  STOP Flats2 is a remarkable dual-layer tire liner made of durable, lightweight polyurethane. When inserted between the bike tire and tube, it provides a protective layer between road hazards and the inner tube. Thorns or glass that may penetrate the tire are blocked from the inner tube.

Q  How does STOP Flats2 work?
A  STOP Flats2's hard outer layer deflects road debris and keeps it from puncturing the inner tube. The soft inner layer cushions the tube (actually protects it from the hard outer shell) and helps to prevent sidewall punctures. At times thorns or broken glass may stick in the STOP Flats2 liner, but the constant movement of the polyurethane liner grinds thorns into harmless sawdust and broken glass into sand.
Q  Does STOP Flats come in sizes to fit most bicycles?
A  Yes. STOP Flats2 currently is available in 11 sizes covering all bicycle tire sizes we know of. Please see our Tire Size Chart.

Q  Are STOP Flats2 reusable?
A  STOP Flats can be reused from bike to bike as long as the tire size remains the same. It will never wear out. a lifetime investment for your bicycle.

Q  Can I ever get a flat while using STOP Flats2?
A  STOP Flats is over 97% effective in preventing flat tires from road debris. If your tire takes a direct hit from a large nail. perhaps one supported by a board for instance, chances are you'll get a flat tire... if not a blow out. Most likely a nail or piece of glass lying in the street will be deflected by the liner. Even if glass tears a hole in your tire, you can still get to your destination while STOP Flats2 keeps your tube in place... and subs for your tire. In the unlikely event you do get a flat, check the liner and count how many flats STOP Flats prevented. Many times you'll find dozens of broken thorns or other evidence of potential punctures foiled by STOP Flats2!

Q  Is STOP Flats the only brand of Tire Liners?
A  The world would be a better place if it was' STOP Flats and STOP Flats2 are not the only brands. just the best. and the most effective! We've been the largest tire liner maker in the world for over 25 years. "Millions upon Millions of Satisfied Cyclists."

Q  Why is STOP Flats2 better than the other tire liners?
A  STOP Flats2 is made of a special blend of polyurethane polymers that have proven effective in preventing flat tires over a 25+ year history. Other liners may be made of a rubber compound that is no more effective in stopping flats than a heavy duty tube. Others use a hard plastic material that actually causes more punctures than it prevents. STOP Flats2 is so good, IT'S GUARANTEED'

Q  Wouldn't a rubber liner ... like a piece of an old inner tube ... work just as well?
A  Rubber weighs more than STOP Flats2 and is not effective in stopping most thorns and other road hazards.

Q  Why is STOP Flats2 better than liquid sealants?
A  Liquid sealants by nature are a sticky, gooey mess. They add more weight than STOP Flats2 tire lines and the less expensive ones tend to harden in one spot with age which gives you get a nice thump, thump as you ride. Once a liquid sealant is installed in a tube, it cannot be repaired or reused if it fails. STOP Flats2 is more effective at stopping punctures, weighs less, and is a lifetime investment for your bike.

Q  Don't heavy duty thorn resistant tubes work just as well as STOP Flats2?
A  Heavy duty tubes are just that. heavy, This results in higher rolling resistance. making the bike harder to pedal. As mentioned above, rubber is not as effective at preventing punctures as the lightweight polyurethane material used in STOP Flats2 tire liners.

Q  Does STOP Flats2 work as well as Kevlar liners?
A  Kevlar is a microscopic weave of materials that work well at stopping bullets, but they don't provide much protection against a determined thorn, staple or piece of broken glass. Objects that stick in the liner tend to work their way through the weave and into the inner tube. Kevlar liners are far more expensive than STOP Flats2 tire liners and are not as effective in preventing flat tires. Telling your friends that your tires are protected by Kevlar is pretty cool though. until you have a flat.

Q  Why is STOP Flats2 better than a flat free tire?
A  Tires that are truly flat free are either made of a plastic compound or are solid rubber. Both are very expensive and provide a hard ride, Installation is difficult to say the least and slippery plastic tires around corners on wet pavement. you do the math. In some applications they may make sense. but for most cyclists, STOP Flats2 maintains the traction of a rubber tire and comfortable ride provided by an air filled tube, with very little risk of puncture flats... at a price that everyone can afford.

Q  How does STOP Flats2 compare to foam filled tires?
A  Many industrial clients use bicycles with foam filled tires. Again, the drawback is a harder ride, extra weight and the tubes are not reusable. In most applications, STOP Flats2 tire liners provide a lifetime of equal protection with less weight and a more comfortable ride

Q  How much weight does STOP Flats2 add?
A  For many cyclists, wheel weight is an important factor. Any additional weight means more rolling resistance and more energy needed to get the bike where you want to be. If you are riding for recreation or for exercise ... or are commuting to school or work, the extra 2 oz. or so of wheel weight is an excellent trade off compared to the frustration and inconvenience of having a flat tire. If by riding your bike you lose 5 lbs, you're way ahead... and with no flats!

Some professional and amateur racers alike use STOP Flats in their tires for training purposes and then ride unprotected in the actual race.

Q  Should I try to install STOP Flats2 myself?
A  There are Installation Instructions on our web site, however, we recommend professional Dealer installation. They have installed hundreds of pairs of STOP Flats2 and know how to do it right. the first time. Have them give your bike a safety check while they're at it. The best protection from trouble is prevention.

Q  My STOP Flats2 seems too long. Should I cut it to size?
A  STOP Flats2 is designed for the ends to overlap. As the tire is inflated, this overlap shrinks to just a couple inches. If it were any shorter, there might be a gap. which of course that thorn is going to find! Do NOT trim the ends. Improper trimming may leave a rough edge that over time will cut your inner tube and cause a flat.

Q  If the ends overlap, won't I feel I bump when I ride?
A  Some extremely sensitive riders say they can feel it. (Remember the story of the Princess and the Pea?) Most say they cannot. We'd be surprised if you can tell the difference. Once you purchase STOP Flats2 installed by an authorized dealer. if you can feel a "bump". and it bothers you more than a flat tire would, return the product to your dealer for a full, factory backed refund.

Q  I've read where some suggest taping the liner together where it overlaps with duct tape to aid in installation and to keep the cut ends from rubbing against the tube. Do you agree?
A  We don't recommend taping the ends together. First of all, the liner needs to expand as the tube is inflated. Secondly, the STOP Flats2 liner needs to be mobile within the tire to fully effective. As you ride, the liner is constantly shifting. not enough to affect the ride. but just enough to grind the embedded thorns into sawdust and the broken glass into sand.

Q  I've read in some reviews that STOP Flats will wear a hole in my tube where it overlaps. Is that true?
A  We've read that as well, and there is some evidence that it's possible. In the early days, STOP Flats2 tire liners were trimmed by hand. Once the volume of sales was measured in millions rather than hundreds, we had a special precision cutting machine developed that uniformly trims the liners to the exact size and shape needed for maximum effectiveness. It is unlikely that the overlap causes punctures using the current STOP Flats product. It is possible that another brand of tire liner. especially the hard plastic ones is the true culprits in many cases.

Dealers have told us that they grind or file down STOP Flats2's end edges and they apply talc to the inside of the tire before installation. This advice seems to make this particular problem disappear.

Q  Can I actually ride with a hole in my tire?
A  STOP Flats2 tire liners are so tough, they can fill in for your tire in an emergency. We've had many testimonials of people riding with a giant hole in their tread. with the tire liner showing through. The liner holds the tube in place and protects it from road and trail debris.

Q  Do you make STOP Flats for mopeds, motorcycles or cars?
A  We've tried and failed STOP Flats2 liner needs a certain amount of air pressure against it to keep it in place. In a test in a 25 psi moped tire, the moped size liner worked it's way around to the rim side and actually cut off the valve stem.not exactly the result we were hoping for.

With the technical advances in Motorcycle and automobile car tires flat tires are not nearly the problem they were even 5 years ago. There really is no market for a tire liner in these industries's. We're still working on the moped liner. may be next time.