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New rims, constant punctures - advice?

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New rims, constant punctures - advice?

Old 02-18-17, 03:46 AM
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mmxbreaks
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New rims, constant punctures - advice?

Total n00b to the forum, so hello.

I had new rims fitted about two months ago - DT Swiss R24 Spinline - and in the last week I've been getting constant punctures. Five in seven rides.

First seemed to be glass incident, second on the same ride possibly pinch. After the third just a day later I thought 'time to change the tyre!' New Gatorskin; bought a slightly wider one (25), as thought the existing (23) didn't feel right on corners.

Nope. Still getting punctures. And it is driving me insane. In.Sane.

What's the next step? New rim tape? I've never fitted it before, so I don't know what to buy, nor what size on those rims (website doesn't make it clear).

Any advice/help appreciated before I get full-on Saturday rage would be great. Ta!
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Old 02-18-17, 03:57 AM
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Yes. Check the rim tape: most likely culprit.
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Old 02-18-17, 04:05 AM
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Originally Posted by kbarch
Yes. Check the rim tape: most likely culprit.
What exactly am I looking for?

Me = clueless
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Old 02-18-17, 04:07 AM
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Sy Reene
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Flats all happening on the same wheel? Or both?
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Old 02-18-17, 04:15 AM
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WHERE are the punctures occurring?
If the rim strip is to blame they'll be consistently occuring on the rim side of the tube.

To inspect the rim strip, check that its covering the spoke nipple access holes properly.
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Old 02-18-17, 04:33 AM
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Spoke holes must be covered.

Any bike shop will have tape for a rim. It shouldn't cost more than $5.

Are you checking the tire for foreign objects after each flat? Are there sharp objects embedded in the tire?

If not, the rim tape is the most likely problem.

When you go to the shop to get tape, tell them you're getting flats constantly and ask them to look at your wheel for any problems.
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Old 02-18-17, 07:37 AM
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It's always on the same wheel, yes, the rear.

Always taking tyre off entirely for change, scoping out the interior of that, plus eyeing up the rim; tubes are fully changed each time and not patched.

Last two changes were by mechanics in different shops, situation explained to them, neither commented on an issue (or perhaps they're just not very good, which was my inkling - but what do I know, I'm a keen rider without all the knowledge).

Thanks for replies
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Old 02-18-17, 07:39 AM
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Originally Posted by reggieray
Are there sharp objects embedded in the tire?
Only once - either a shard of stone or glass - which is why I thought that Gatorskin was done. Nothing hugely problematic based on my previous experience of such tyres though, but still changed it. The new one has not a single pock mark in it - it's only travelled 40-miles!
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Old 02-18-17, 08:09 AM
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Originally Posted by mmxbreaks
It's always on the same wheel, yes, the rear.

Always taking tyre off entirely for change, scoping out the interior of that, plus eyeing up the rim; tubes are fully changed each time and not patched.

Last two changes were by mechanics in different shops, situation explained to them, neither commented on an issue (or perhaps they're just not very good, which was my inkling - but what do I know, I'm a keen rider without all the knowledge).

Thanks for replies
Are you checking where the cuts are on the tube relative to the valve stem? If they're on the inside (same side as stem), you need new rim tape. If they're on the outside, you're just having some bad luck. It's improbable but it can happen.
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Old 02-18-17, 08:33 AM
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As other have alluded to, when you get a flat, it's important to find out what's causing the flat or it could continue to be a problem.

First, I'd recommend that you get comfortable changing flats yourself. It's not that hard once you've had a little practice.

Second, I'd recommend that you align the label on your tire with your valve stem - when you get a flat, you pull and inspect the tube to find the puncture. If your tire label and valve stem were aligned, once you find the tube puncture, you can use the location of the puncture, relative to the stem, to find the puncture site on the tire, relative to the label - make sense? Sometimes the things that cause flats, whether it's a small rock, a bit of glass or a thin wire, can get stuck in the tire casing and will cause you to flat shortly after changing the tube, so you need to find the puncture site and make sure it's clean of debris.

As Dan said above, if the puncture is on the inside of the tube, inspect the rimtape/spoke holes.

If you look very closely at the tube and you see two punctures right next to each other, otherwise known as a snakebite or pinch-flat, it may be an indication that your tire pressure is too low and the tube is being pinched between the rim and the road/rock/bump. Road tires can lose significant pressure between rides, so you should be topping off before each ride to avoid pinch flats.

Good luck!
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Old 02-18-17, 08:38 AM
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
As other have alluded to, when you get a flat, it's important to find out what's causing the flat or it could continue to be a problem.

First, I'd recommend that you get comfortable changing flats yourself. It's not that hard once you've had a little practice.

Second, I'd recommend that you align the label on your tire with your valve stem - when you get a flat, you pull and inspect the tube to find the puncture. If your tire label and valve stem were aligned, once you find the tube puncture, you can use the location of the puncture, relative to the stem, to find the puncture site on the tire, relative to the label - make sense? Sometimes the things that cause flats, whether it's a small rock, a bit of glass or a thin wire, can get stuck in the tire casing and will cause you to flat shortly after changing the tube, so you need to find the puncture site and make sure it's clean of debris.

As Dan said above, if the puncture is on the inside of the tube, inspect the rimtape/spoke holes.

If you look very closely at the tube and you see two punctures right next to each other, otherwise known as a snakebite or pinch-flat, it may be an indication that your tire pressure is too low and the tube is being pinched between the rim and the road/rock/bump. Road tires can lose significant pressure between rides, so you should be topping off before each ride to avoid pinch flats.

Good luck!
Tl;dr
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Old 02-18-17, 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Dan333SP
Tl;dr
I bet you don't consider this trolling, right? Just having a little innocent fun, right?


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Old 02-18-17, 08:44 AM
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Originally Posted by WhyFi
I bet you don't consider this trolling, right? Just having a little innocent fun, right?


Quit being an ass!
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Old 02-18-17, 08:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Dan333SP
Quit being an ass!
Crumble. You don't snap in half - you all crumble.
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Old 02-18-17, 08:50 AM
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As said above there are three most likely causes: 1) debris left stuck in the tire from the first flat poking through a small hole to puncture the tube on the road side, 2) defects in the rim tape placement allowing one of the spoke hole's edge to cut the tube on the rim side, and 3) pinch flats due to either catching the tube under the tire bead when mounting the tire or underinflation and/or indiscriminate riding on rough roads. Pinch flats are usually on the side of the tube and have the characteristic twin hole, snakebite appearance. All three are easy to check. Check for these possibilities and you should have the problem corrected in no time.

I strongly urge you to change you own tires. It is the only way to reliably have your bike ready for you when you are ready for it.
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Old 02-18-17, 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Dan333SP
Quit being an ass!
I see what you did there. If you were really upset, you would have called him an arse. Now that would be serious.
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Originally Posted by LAJ
No matter where I go, here I am...
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Old 02-18-17, 10:19 AM
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Those wheels are tubeless ready, but I didn't have any luck with their rim tape holding air around the valve, so I yanked off the rim tape and used 1" gorilla tape.

Super easy fix and the tires haven't leaked air in months. And no flats because tubeless, so woot!
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Old 02-18-17, 10:35 AM
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Others have said this here but I'll reiterate: find the locations of the punctures on the tubes. If they're all in the same place (relative the valve) that's a clue.
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Old 02-18-17, 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by mmxbreaks
...tubes are fully changed each time and not patched.
Replacing tubes only guarantees that you have replaced the tubes.

I've probably done most of my miles on patched tubes w/o any issues at all.

Originally Posted by mmxbreaks
It's always on the same wheel, yes, the rear.
That does indicate that pressure - or lack thereof - could be the cause.

Originally Posted by mmxbreaks
Last two changes were by mechanics in different shops, situation explained to them.... perhaps they're just not very good, which was my inkling - but what do I know, I'm a keen rider without all the knowledge).
If you're a keen rider, there are some things you should learn to manage yourself, because there will not always be a mechanic available. And patching/replacing tubes is definitely one of them.
It is not a huge challenge.
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Old 02-20-17, 01:33 AM
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So it was very clearly the rim tape. It had slipped, exposing parts of two spoke holes, more of a third.
Basically lazy shop mechanics not doing their jobs.
I can and will be changing tubes myself. Just bought new tyre levers as I had snapped one some time ago so couldn't carry.
Will be writing a peed-off letter to CyclesUK to try and get so-called labour costs reimbursed.
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