Help I Think I'm Cursed
11-05-05, 08:40 AM
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Help I Think I'm Cursed
So for the last two weeks every time I go out for a ride except maybe one or two occasions I have gotten a flat tube. I'm spending all of my money on tubes and Co2 canisters. I finally got sick of it after I got a flat 30m from my house and went to my lbs to see if there was something wrong with the bike or the tires. I got new tubes put in and new kevlar inserts and a new back tire that is supposed to be puncture resistent.
Alright got everything fixed new tubes, new tires got everything checked out then I go out for a group ride and 10m into it I get a flat in the back tire which I just got the new tire put on. I'm begining to think i'm cursed. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Alright got everything fixed new tubes, new tires got everything checked out then I go out for a group ride and 10m into it I get a flat in the back tire which I just got the new tire put on. I'm begining to think i'm cursed. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
11-05-05, 08:46 AM
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Maybe you are cursed, I hope by replying that I don't become part of your curse. I must be Blessed because i bought a Lemond with Bontrager Select and Bontrager race lites on them and rode the tires 1200 miles and bought a set of Bontrager Race wheels with Bontrager Race lite tires and have 350 miles on them and they had 250 miles on them when I bought them. I have not had any flats. I wish I had advice for you but all I can say is carry a cell phone with you in case you need to call for help.
11-05-05, 08:52 AM
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a couple things,
one take off the tire and tube completely, and Check for any pieces of metal sticking out on the inside of the rim and make sure there is nothing sharp sticking out, it is possible that there is something on the rim that is cutting your tubes. And also what type of flats have they been? Pinch flats? Holes?
hi565
one take off the tire and tube completely, and Check for any pieces of metal sticking out on the inside of the rim and make sure there is nothing sharp sticking out, it is possible that there is something on the rim that is cutting your tubes. And also what type of flats have they been? Pinch flats? Holes?
hi565
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11-05-05, 08:53 AM
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having kevlar tires doesnt mean they're puncture resistant.. 
you may be cursed, or just very very very unlucky!!!
i hope your next ride wont be so bad.. i do hope you carry a lot of spare tubes/patches.
BTW, what kind of flats? pinch flats? --- dont hit pot holes, good tires or not, surely you'll get a flat!
you may be cursed, or just very very very unlucky!!!
i hope your next ride wont be so bad.. i do hope you carry a lot of spare tubes/patches.
BTW, what kind of flats? pinch flats? --- dont hit pot holes, good tires or not, surely you'll get a flat!
11-05-05, 08:57 AM
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Acouple have been pinch flats which is what I got this morning the other day I ran over a nail. I havn't hit any debris or pot holes and I had the guy at the lbs check everything he checked the tire, the spokes, the rim. I think the bike gods are just out to get me.
11-05-05, 08:59 AM
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btw, what rims? what tires?
make sure you fill up your tires with the right pressure. underinflated tires cause pinch flats.
i pump my tires up to a 100psi for my 23 tires. on tubeless tires, pressure should be 10~20psi higher.
make sure you fill up your tires with the right pressure. underinflated tires cause pinch flats.
i pump my tires up to a 100psi for my 23 tires. on tubeless tires, pressure should be 10~20psi higher.
11-05-05, 09:03 AM
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the rims are matrix, they are pretty old. the front tire is a iso tech 3 and the back which I just got is a continental puncture resistent tire.
11-05-05, 09:42 AM
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Originally Posted by dexmax
underinflated tires cause pinch flats.
11-05-05, 09:52 AM
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I check the psi before every ride its def. not underinflated I always pay attention to the road and I havn't hit anything lately and I don't ride near the curb. Hopefully my next ride will be uneventful.
11-05-05, 10:07 AM
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Originally Posted by FLsanshou
the rims are matrix, they are pretty old. the front tire is a iso tech 3 and the back which I just got is a continental puncture resistent tire.
Also, and I realize it's just my experience, but I gave up on matrix(that came with Trek) and later on Alex rims. Nothing but flats, broken spokes - way too much time at the side of the road. I have complete faith in Mavics, both Open Pro and CXP33s, fatter tires - 25/28s and kevlar belted.
11-05-05, 10:27 AM
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Always check the old tube to find out where the hole is. Even if you are too lazy to patch the tube, finding the hole will tell you what caused the flat. Often, there will be a sharp edge in the rim or debris stuck in your tire that will just cause more flats until you fix the problem. Two parallel slits in your tube indicate a pinch flat that is caused by too low tire pressure or poor riding technique.
11-05-05, 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by pigmode
Not wiping your tires as needed is another.
what? I'm supposed to be wiping my tires? With what?
11-05-05, 10:42 AM
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I had flats every time I went out for a ride also. Probably about 30 or so. We have a huge goathead problem out here and they've been slashed with a knife once too. Way I fixed them was take them down to the LBS and spend 50 bucks on all the tire resistance stuff imaginable. I have probably 5-6 goatheads in my tires and they haven't gone flat yet.
11-05-05, 11:03 AM
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Also, pay attention to where you ride on the road. If you hug the gutter, you are riding in all the junk swept off the road by the car tires. Ride closer to the wheel path (wheel wipe) of the traffic lane & the road is much cleaner.
11-05-05, 01:25 PM
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Don't worry, what you're experiencing is very, very common for the 1st couple years when you start riding. You will learn numerous ideas that will lead to flat-free riding for years on end. I rode cross-country 10-years ago with 2 flats, other people made it all the way across with no flats. I got my first flat in 9000 miles a couple weeks ago. Some really good suggestions on flat-banishing in this thread: airless tires.
Heck, I'll just copy it here:
Heck, I'll just copy it here:
Originally Posted by duckliondog
If you want to reduce the amoun of flats you get, there are several superior options.
1) Super thick tubes: what they sound like. A little heavier, much stronger.
2) Slimed tubes: these are regular tubes with some goo on the inseid that seals punctures on the spot. They work pretty well.
2) Tubeless: go look at notubes.com, this is the ultimate.
1) Super thick tubes: what they sound like. A little heavier, much stronger.
2) Slimed tubes: these are regular tubes with some goo on the inseid that seals punctures on the spot. They work pretty well.
2) Tubeless: go look at notubes.com, this is the ultimate.
Originally Posted by af895
You can get "liners" which go between tire and tube. I think Tufo makes some but I'm not sure.
Originally Posted by DannoXYZ
In addition to these tricks, you want to try the following as well:
5. air-pressure - make sure the tyres are pumped up on the high side of the pressure range. Narrow 20-23mm tyres should be in the 100-120psi range. Wider tyres of 25-28mm can run 95-105psi range. Use more pressure if you're heavier than average. When I weighed 245lbs, I was using 120psi on 28mm tyres. Underinflation is the leading cause of pinch flats (snake-bites). Pump up the flat tube after you removed it. If you see two holes 3-5mm apart across the tube, it's a pinched flat caused by the rim-bottoming out and smashing through the tube. More pressure prevents such drastic deformations of the tyre.
6. kevlar touring tyres aren't as fast as thin race-rubber, but they last a lot longer and are more flat-resistant. Some have kevlar in the casing, others have a kevlar belt in the casing. I like the ones with a separate belt because that leaves the sidewalls flexible and supple for a faster ride and better handling. The belt works by making it harder for debris like glass and thorns to work their way through the casing. They're not bulletproof (I've tested this
) and they won't stop ALL flats, but they'll slow down the penetration and give you more time for the following techniques to work.
7. wipe your tyres with your hands after running over glass & debris. You can hear glass fragments and stuff that can puncture your tyre when you run them over. Good reason to wear gloves so you can immediately rub your tyre and not let the glass/thorns work themselves through after repeated revolutions. On the front, just reach down in front of the brakes and lightly lay the palm of your gloves on the tyre to scrape off any debris.
On the rear, also put your hands IN FRONTof the brakes, not BEHIND or else they'll get sucked into the brakes!
Put it in front of the brake-caliper and seat-stay. Be careful because your hand can get caught between the tyre and back of the seat-tube. Hook your thumb around the back of the seat stay first, then slide your hand down the stay until your palm barely rubs the tyre to wipe off glass & debris. Your thumb hooked around the seat-stay lets you rub the tyre without looking and keeps your hand from getting dragged forward.
8. Tire savers are the most under-utilized anti-flat tool out there! Touring folks swear by them. These are little wire scrapers that you bolt to your brakes and they have a little half-circular hoop that rides just above your tyre. You push them down onto the tyre and mold it to fit the profile of your tyre closely. Adjust so it rides only 0.5-1.0mm above the tire surface. Any glass or thorns that you pick up is immediately scraped off. I just make my own from some wire coat-hangers.
9. Don't hit stuff like rocks and pot-holes which can cause pinched flats. Most people ride their bikes like their cars and keep their eyes on the horizon. You're not going to reach that spot for another 20-minutes, so look down in front of the bike more. I like to keep my eyes 50-75ft ahead and I can see the horizon through my peripheral vision. Look up and down often to scan the entire road ahead of you. When you see a rock or a pot-hole, look away at the path you want to take. If you look at that rock or pothole, you're GONNA hit it!
5. air-pressure - make sure the tyres are pumped up on the high side of the pressure range. Narrow 20-23mm tyres should be in the 100-120psi range. Wider tyres of 25-28mm can run 95-105psi range. Use more pressure if you're heavier than average. When I weighed 245lbs, I was using 120psi on 28mm tyres. Underinflation is the leading cause of pinch flats (snake-bites). Pump up the flat tube after you removed it. If you see two holes 3-5mm apart across the tube, it's a pinched flat caused by the rim-bottoming out and smashing through the tube. More pressure prevents such drastic deformations of the tyre.
6. kevlar touring tyres aren't as fast as thin race-rubber, but they last a lot longer and are more flat-resistant. Some have kevlar in the casing, others have a kevlar belt in the casing. I like the ones with a separate belt because that leaves the sidewalls flexible and supple for a faster ride and better handling. The belt works by making it harder for debris like glass and thorns to work their way through the casing. They're not bulletproof (I've tested this
) and they won't stop ALL flats, but they'll slow down the penetration and give you more time for the following techniques to work.7. wipe your tyres with your hands after running over glass & debris. You can hear glass fragments and stuff that can puncture your tyre when you run them over. Good reason to wear gloves so you can immediately rub your tyre and not let the glass/thorns work themselves through after repeated revolutions. On the front, just reach down in front of the brakes and lightly lay the palm of your gloves on the tyre to scrape off any debris.
On the rear, also put your hands IN FRONTof the brakes, not BEHIND or else they'll get sucked into the brakes!
Put it in front of the brake-caliper and seat-stay. Be careful because your hand can get caught between the tyre and back of the seat-tube. Hook your thumb around the back of the seat stay first, then slide your hand down the stay until your palm barely rubs the tyre to wipe off glass & debris. Your thumb hooked around the seat-stay lets you rub the tyre without looking and keeps your hand from getting dragged forward.8. Tire savers are the most under-utilized anti-flat tool out there! Touring folks swear by them. These are little wire scrapers that you bolt to your brakes and they have a little half-circular hoop that rides just above your tyre. You push them down onto the tyre and mold it to fit the profile of your tyre closely. Adjust so it rides only 0.5-1.0mm above the tire surface. Any glass or thorns that you pick up is immediately scraped off. I just make my own from some wire coat-hangers.
9. Don't hit stuff like rocks and pot-holes which can cause pinched flats. Most people ride their bikes like their cars and keep their eyes on the horizon. You're not going to reach that spot for another 20-minutes, so look down in front of the bike more. I like to keep my eyes 50-75ft ahead and I can see the horizon through my peripheral vision. Look up and down often to scan the entire road ahead of you. When you see a rock or a pot-hole, look away at the path you want to take. If you look at that rock or pothole, you're GONNA hit it!
Last edited by DannoXYZ; 11-07-05 at 01:02 AM.
11-05-05, 01:53 PM
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What type of rim strips are you using. My bike came with a thin rubber strip on both tires. I kept getting flats on the front tire every time out. I changed the strips on both tires and haven't had a flat since although it is only about 200 miles. The cloth tape that sticks to the rim works the best Velox I think.
