I've always run decent pressures, but every time I've run over something and got a leak, by the time I found out, it was because I spun the tube, and ripped out the stem. I can pull a tube and patch it in the field, but that's a whole other thing.

After doing this a few times, and aborting rides, I now run rim locks front and back, and carry a spare tube.

 

I put rim locks on after ripping the valve stem out went the front tire was low from a slow leak. I didn't balance the wheel. Bad move! The tire wore uneven an began to vibrate very badly.
I installed a second rim lock, 180 degrees opposed, to balance the rim using a static wheel balance stand from harbor freight. Then I balanced the new tire when install stick on weights. I also aligned the white mark on the tire to the valve stem. I read on this site it makes balancing easier. Two rim locks make tire installation a bit more difficult.
The ride is smother, a big improvement.

 

Might be worth mentioning again here:

The nut on the valve atem is a tube installation aid. Once the tire is on and at proper pressure, the stem nut should be run UP against the valve cap.

 

Rim locks? Not me...

Rear




Front






Ron

 

Do tell more. Sheet metal screws through the rim into the tire?

 

I've seen rims cracked from that mod...

Ill stick w/ motion pro rim locks

 

he probley has a bunch of zip ties with him when he is on the trails

 

Please explain this. Since my tubes had 2 nuts on them, I've always left one under the rim, and used the other to lock down the stem against the one underneath. Why is that wrong? Honestly don't know, that's why I'm asking.

 

It lets the stem move a little rather than tearing it out of the tube. A tilting stem is an indication that the tire is rotating on the rim and might tear the stem off the tube. Talcum powder inside the tire and on the tube helps the two move indepentendly when/if the tire moves on the rim.

 

you don't tighten the nut to the rim in case the tire slips it will tear the valve stem out of the tube instead you use it as a jam nut against the cap

if you don't believe me look at the last 30 seconds of this video from dunlop