I try to avoid making even minor changes to my glider - reminds me to
much of my day job, where I would naturally consider effects of
flotation, shock absorbtion, material properties, and yes,
certification.

The tail tire of my open cirrus had many flats in the past, various
remedies were tried such as pieces of bike tire installed inside, etc.
using the cheap import tires definitly did not help. What solved the
problem was to use the BEST aircraft tire I could find (Tost 6 ply),
AND seal the openings between the valve stem to prevent debris from
getting inside. Some of the thorns were actually entering this way.

aerodyne