Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Bicycle Mechanics
Reload this Page >

front wheel flat mystery

Notices
Bicycle Mechanics Broken bottom bracket? Tacoed wheel? If you're having problems with your bicycle, or just need help fixing a flat, drop in here for the latest on bicycle mechanics & bicycle maintenance.

front wheel flat mystery

Old 06-06-19, 06:24 PM
  #1  
Teamprovicycle
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Providence
Posts: 733

Bikes: Specialized tarmac sl2 giant tcx zero

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
front wheel flat mystery

ok im so confused on this one i really dont get it ,

i am practicing some hills for a hill race on my more hill cimb -ish bike , tarmac sl2 with mavic ksyrium elite wheels , as well as sram rival brakes .

this bike , wheels have been running just fine , the wheel since october 2018 and the tires and tube since march , not even one hiccup or flat until today ,

i had rested the wheels and ran my other mavic cosmic tubeless wheels , but they are slightly heavier , so i wanted to run the ksyriums , i re packed the bearing greese , and set them up for a hill training session .

not even 2 miles in i get a PSSSSSSSSSSSS hole on the inside , i patch it set off again PSSSSSSSSSSSS again patch set offf PSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!

6 flats in 6 miles on the front wheel , i rubbed and felt and inspected tire , wheel tire , wheel ,wheel ,tire , tire , tire , wheel , wheel , tire , tire , NOTHING !!!!!

not a sharp edge or even bump and the rim is sealed there are no spoke holes just solid rim with no tape !!! .

i though maybe the brakes are causes a massive heat spot ???? but its not like im descending for 3 miles im just going up a hill and down a hill ....

i have no clue why i get this hole on the inner side of the tube , i have never ever seen this in my days of riding , if you have any clue what could be going on please let me know .

i only have 2 days until the race so if cant run these wheel maybe i just use the tubeless wheels but then there running tubeless and all the great things that go alaong with that !!!

Last edited by Teamprovicycle; 06-06-19 at 07:17 PM.
Teamprovicycle is offline  
Old 06-06-19, 06:45 PM
  #2  
KLiNCK
Optically Corrected
 
KLiNCK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Posts: 586

Bikes: 2012 Specialized Sirrus , 2012 Specialized Roubaix Comp

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 106 Post(s)
Liked 67 Times in 30 Posts
If you mean on the spoke side of their inner tube when you say “inner side of the tube” I would suspect that you need to replace your rim tape. It can look OK but then when you inflate the tube it can creep and expose one of the spoke holes and then slide back into place when the tube deflates.
KLiNCK is offline  
Old 06-06-19, 07:18 PM
  #3  
Teamprovicycle
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Providence
Posts: 733

Bikes: Specialized tarmac sl2 giant tcx zero

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by KLiNCK
If you mean on the spoke side of their inner tube when you say “inner side of the tube” I would suspect that you need to replace your rim tape. It can look OK but then when you inflate the tube it can creep and expose one of the spoke holes and then slide back into place when the tube deflates.
there are no spoke holes in the wheel at all , and its been thousands of miles with this never happening , very few normal tire side flats !!!!!!
Teamprovicycle is offline  
Old 06-06-19, 08:55 PM
  #4  
dsbrantjr
Senior Member
 
dsbrantjr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Roswell, GA
Posts: 8,319

Bikes: '93 Trek 750, '92 Schwinn Crisscross, '93 Mongoose Alta

Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1438 Post(s)
Liked 1,092 Times in 723 Posts
There must be something in your tire which is puncturing the tube. Take the tire off of the wheel, keeping track of where the hole is in the tube relative to the tire, turn it inside out and run a cotton ball or microfiber cloth around the inside of the tire where the hole in the tube is. You may need to put a reverse curve in the tire to open where it is hiding, but there has got to be something. Radial tire wires are very thin and difficult to see, as is glass, but the fibers should catch on it.
dsbrantjr is offline  
Old 06-06-19, 09:52 PM
  #5  
Le Mechanic
Full Member
 
Le Mechanic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Denver Colorado
Posts: 337

Bikes: 2020 Pivot Vault, 1983 Rossin Record, Garneau R1, Mesamods home built gravel/rain commuter bike, 1995 Barracuda A2V modified with Surley single speed dropouts, 1969 Bottecchia junkyard special fixed gear, Cervelo P4, Mesamods 650b klunker

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 94 Post(s)
Liked 71 Times in 49 Posts
If you can't determine what caused the flat, patching the tube or blindly installing a new tube generally results in another flat, as you're finding out!

Le Mechanic is offline  
Old 06-06-19, 10:15 PM
  #6  
79pmooney
Senior Member
 
79pmooney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,826

Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder

Mentioned: 128 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4743 Post(s)
Liked 3,860 Times in 2,509 Posts
6 flats? Find each hole, then look at the same location on the tire and rim. The problem will be there. (And if you are careful about not twisting the innertube when you put it in, you will know whether it is tire or rim.) I trust you always mount your tire with the label in the same place relative to the rim or some other way of relating tire and rim/valve. Label at the valve on the drive-side is the current "standard". Take your patched tube, place it against the wheel and look at the patch location for the problem. (I'll confess I have to look at both sides of the wheel, ahead and behind the valve, since I don't track which way I put inner tubes in.)

I've had many flats caused by the tiny wire from car/truck tire steel belts. Barely thicker than a hair and can be of length shorter than your tread and casing so as not to show either from the inside or outside. Those patches are a huge help in finding those wires. Until you fish it out, that wire will keep causing flats. Also inspect the rim strip and rim very carefully at the flat location.

Ben
79pmooney is online now  
Likes For 79pmooney:
Old 06-06-19, 11:52 PM
  #7  
Teamprovicycle
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Providence
Posts: 733

Bikes: Specialized tarmac sl2 giant tcx zero

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by dsbrantjr
There must be something in your tire which is puncturing the tube. Take the tire off of the wheel, keeping track of where the hole is in the tube relative to the tire, turn it inside out and run a cotton ball or microfiber cloth around the inside of the tire where the hole in the tube is. You may need to put a reverse curve in the tire to open where it is hiding, but there has got to be something. Radial tire wires are very thin and difficult to see, as is glass, but the fibers should catch on it.
so the hole is on the inside , rim side , maybe slightly to the side , maybe its in the side wall , the only thing i have touched in since MARCH is adjust the brake pad up a bit it was sitting low , every time i get this hole its in a different spot , i have never seen a whole just appear like this ,

in this session i tried to do , it only happening on the downhills , they are steep hills and there is a bit of heat on the rim , but i dont think it could cause a hole like this :I
Teamprovicycle is offline  
Old 06-06-19, 11:58 PM
  #8  
Teamprovicycle
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Providence
Posts: 733

Bikes: Specialized tarmac sl2 giant tcx zero

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
Originally Posted by 79pmooney
6 flats? Find each hole, then look at the same location on the tire and rim. The problem will be there. (And if you are careful about not twisting the innertube when you put it in, you will know whether it is tire or rim.) I trust you always mount your tire with the label in the same place relative to the rim or some other way of relating tire and rim/valve. Label at the valve on the drive-side is the current "standard". Take your patched tube, place it against the wheel and look at the patch location for the problem. (I'll confess I have to look at both sides of the wheel, ahead and behind the valve, since I don't track which way I put inner tubes in.)

I've had many flats caused by the tiny wire from car/truck tire steel belts. Barely thicker than a hair and can be of length shorter than your tread and casing so as not to show either from the inside or outside. Those patches are a huge help in finding those wires. Until you fish it out, that wire will keep causing flats. Also inspect the rim strip and rim very carefully at the flat location.

Ben
the holes on are the rim side or slightly to the side wall , i haven't touched these wheels , i put the tires on in march i haven't even had a flat on the tire side , not one issue ,

i go to do the session and this happens , i really have no clue , i inspected the f out of the tube , tire , and wheel , pulled the tire off flipped in inside out , ran my finger over the wheel well , the tire beads , lined up the tube valve , put the tube on the wheel looked for anything , there is nothing ....

the only consistent thing that is happening is the tube is popping on the down hill while on the front brakes , so im leaning toward maybe a heat issue caused by when i adjusted the brake pad up a bit , but even that is pretty normal in a normal spot , never gave me any issues im totally lost right now !!
Teamprovicycle is offline  
Old 06-07-19, 01:46 AM
  #9  
Teamprovicycle
Banned
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Providence
Posts: 733

Bikes: Specialized tarmac sl2 giant tcx zero

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 319 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 3 Posts
so i peeled black the tire ( gp4000) tire bead and saw a hole and exposed fibers , it doesn't show unless i bend the bead in that area , this might explain it , i cant be sure unless i buy new tires !
Teamprovicycle is offline  
Old 06-07-19, 02:00 AM
  #10  
79pmooney
Senior Member
 
79pmooney's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,826

Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder

Mentioned: 128 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4743 Post(s)
Liked 3,860 Times in 2,509 Posts
Do you take the tire off the rim when you patch/swap out the tubes? Are you careful to always put the tire back on in the same place on the riml? If yo do that, then a problem in the tire., it will always flat the tubes the same distance from the valve. YOu will know by your sewcopnd flat botht that it is the tire (or rime) at issue and where the problem is.
79pmooney is online now  
Old 06-07-19, 10:53 AM
  #11  
Last ride 76 
1/2 as far in 2x the time
 
Last ride 76's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Northern Bergen County, NJ
Posts: 1,935

Bikes: Yes, Please.

Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 499 Post(s)
Liked 285 Times in 222 Posts
Originally Posted by Teamprovicycle
so i peeled black the tire ( gp4000) tire bead and saw a hole and exposed fibers , it doesn't show unless i bend the bead in that area , this might explain it , i cant be sure unless i buy new tires !
This sounds more likely to be the problem than not. Overheating is not the problem, it sounds mechanical in nature. Is there a particular shape to the punctures? You could put a piece of tape over the hole/exposed fibers... If you flat again, examine the tape...It will tell you if that is where your problem is. No crash worries with the flats? Cause if there are, who gives a dang about the cost of a new tire?
Last ride 76 is offline  
Old 06-07-19, 11:01 AM
  #12  
fietsbob
Banned
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: NW,Oregon Coast
Posts: 43,598

Bikes: 8

Mentioned: 197 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7607 Post(s)
Liked 1,354 Times in 861 Posts
So? put on a brand new tire.. check the rim strip as you replace the tire..

in a similar situation, I put in a thicker heavy duty inner tube ,

my tastes are not for carbon fiber wing bikes ..
fietsbob is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 07:37 AM
  #13  
Wilfred Laurier
Señor Member
 
Wilfred Laurier's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5,065
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 648 Post(s)
Liked 291 Times in 215 Posts
Sometimes a cut or hole or tear in the sidewall of the tire can be very hard to spot, but will cause a flat every time you put air in the tube. A badly adjusted brake pad is a common cause for this type of tire damage, as is a wheel not fully seated in the dropouts (which leads to pad misalignment).
Wilfred Laurier is offline  
Old 06-10-19, 09:26 AM
  #14  
Homebrew01
Super Moderator
 
Homebrew01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Ffld Cnty Connecticut
Posts: 21,845

Bikes: Old Steelies I made, Old Cannondales

Mentioned: 12 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1173 Post(s)
Liked 923 Times in 609 Posts
Originally Posted by Teamprovicycle
so i peeled black the tire ( gp4000) tire bead and saw a hole and exposed fibers , it doesn't show unless i bend the bead in that area , this might explain it , i cant be sure unless i buy new tires !
I always have a few extra "wear" items available, since I will need them anyway. Tires, tubes, chains, cassettes....

Sounds like you need a new tire.
__________________
Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.

FYI: https://www.bikeforums.net/forum-sugg...ad-please.html
Homebrew01 is offline  
Old 06-13-19, 11:33 AM
  #15  
ART_K
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 5
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by Homebrew01
I always have a few extra "wear" items available, since I will need them anyway. Tires, tubes, chains, cassettes....

Sounds like you need a new tire.
thanks
ART_K is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
black_box
Road Cycling
24
09-06-16 10:36 AM
one4smoke
Bicycle Mechanics
9
08-08-15 11:11 PM
jprocks97
Bicycle Mechanics
8
06-19-13 10:14 PM
TacomaSailor
Bicycle Mechanics
21
09-26-11 10:13 AM
Cyclist75354986865
Road Cycling
5
04-03-11 07:41 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.