Altlandisto

I have had a strange puncture. I don't understand why or how it happened.

Last time I rode my road bike was Wednesday. This did include some off road stuff.

On Saturday i took the wheels off for a clean.

On Sunday, when putting the wheels back on, I realised one tyre was flat, but it sermed fine on Saturday, so probably not a slow puncture from my off roading.

The wheel was just sat in my garden so it's a mystery how this happened. It was on small stone gravel in the garden. The tyres are schwalbe marathon plus puncture resistant.

blamester

First step check for a puncture.

70sSanO

You probably got a small puncture riding and it was a slow enough leak that you didn’t notice it right away. It has happened to all of us.

John

Trakhak

Slow leak from a puncture on the road. Carefully check the inner surface of the tire; look for, e.g., a glass sliver or a whisker of steel from a car tire.

I'm always initially annoyed to discover a flat tire at home. Then I remember all the flats I've had to fix while dripping with sweat in the summer or shivering in the rain or in the winter, and I'm glad that I can fix it at my leisure.

dsbrantjr

To do this I turn the tire inside out to help open up any hidden holes, then go over the inner surface with a microfiber cloth (best) or ball of cotton; it will catch an anything sticking through. Those steel wires from tires are tiny and of course glass, being clear, is hard to see.

Altlandisto

Update!

I found the puncture. It was caused by a spoke hole. The tape on the tyre had shifted over slightly.

Maybe time to replace the tape?

Thanks all

Oneder

I have a wheel that always got punctures in one place on the inside even though I put a ton of extra tape on that part of the rim. Finally I took the wheel over to the grinder and got rid of the excess material poking up from this poorly made wheel and retaped it and then it finally stopped.

sweeks

Timely post! Yesterday I noticed that the rear tire on my mountain bike was pancake-flat. I hadn't ridden it over the winter, but pumped up the tires about a month ago because they were soft. The front tire was still reasonably firm, so I assumed a slow leak. Sure enough, I found a tiny hole on the inner circumference of the tube, which traced to one of several spoke holes that were uncovered by the plastic rim strip which had slipped. This was a PerformanceBike strip I had installed years ago. I replaced it with cloth rim tape, which I've had good luck with. This is "Forte", another PerformanceBike product, which seems much like the standard Velox. Now, I guess it's possible for tape to migrate, but I like the idea of the rim strip having an adhesive to minimize the possibility.

sweeks

This reminds me of my first derailleur bike, a Motobecane Mirage which I bought new in 1975. I had 3 or 4 flats within a week of picking it up. I traced them all to drain holes in the steel rims. I went back to the dealer, who told me "Wheels aren't covered by the warranty." I never went back. I did what you described, chamfering the holes, and never had another rim flat.
I still own this bike, and it still has its original rear wheel! The front was "potato-chipped" by a friend who borrowed it, and I replaced it with an aluminum rim so at least I have one decent brake on the thing!

New bars and grips. All new bearings. Friction-shift!

tomtomtom123

I had a couple of recent new tubes deflate overnight after pumping and couldn't find the cause. Taking the tube out and Pumping up again would still be inflated after 1 month, so I assume defective valve.