DnvrFox

So, I walk out to ride the mtn bike to the mailbox, and . . . garage flat. I won't even mention whether or not I was going to wear a helmet for the .1 mile ride.

So, I inspect the outside of the near-new Vittoria 1x1.75 semi-slick tire very closely and see nothing suspicious. OK, I take the wheel off, and pump to 60 lbs and give it the bathtub treatment, wanting to get a bit closer fix on where the cause might be - fully cognizant that the bubbles can come out in a very different place than the puncture. I rotate the fully covered with water tire and rim and Schrader valve very slowly - and NO BUBBLES. I continue doing this for many minutes (yes,I am persistent) and still no bubbles.

So, I leave the wheel/tire sitting out for several hours and it is still rock hard. I plan to leave it out all night.

So - your prediction

Will it be flat in the morning or still pumped to 60 lbs?

And, your guess as to the cause. I am suspecting an intermittently defective Shrader valve at the moment.

And, I did NOT wear my helmet while typing this post.

And the 70+ bit in the title? I haven't a clue, my hands just type that way

cranky old dude

Nice bike!!

DnvrFox

The weather was nice today.

Bent Bill

you didn't have anything concealed when you were working on it did you ?

jimmuller 

I've had a garage flat recently on the rear tire of my Masi, a Vittoria Open Corsa Evo SC. I'd ridden it the day before and it showed no sign of low pressure (that I noticed). I pulled the tube and found no obvious leak, so I pumped it up for a ride the next day. Next day it was flat again. So I rode a different bike, and later pulled the tube and did the water bucket thing. It did have a leak but a very, very, very, very, very tiny one. That's not enough very's. I had to pump the tube a lot so that it blew up like a balloon. Then I searched the tire and found a tiny curved thorn-like pointed object sticking through the tire, no more than half a millimeter long if that much, and much thinner. Perhaps it was organic in origin or perhaps it was a piece of wire. I'm not sure I would have seen the leak if I'd dunked the entire wheel.

DnvrFox

Sorry - that it a bit too . . . for me**********

DnvrFox

Yeah - tomorrow will tell how much further I need to pursue other approaches!! Likely I will be pulling the tube, doing the dunk, and inspecting the inside of the tire with a microscope.

I was just hoping . . . !

overthehillmedi

It wont be flat tomorrow, the Flat Faerie is going to wait a few days.

DnvrFox

Yeah - until I am out in the middle of nowhere, no shade and 99F.

I have no problem replacing the tube, but I have to find the cause.

Bent Bill

sorry this thread was moved like yours recently also after the trolls started there stuff
it ended up being a concealed firearm argument

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...4#post15832864

DnvrFox

OK - I get it, but it was not my thread that was moved, this time at least.

Perhaps we can keep the thread to sneaky garage flats?

Retro Grouch 

My prediction is your tire will be fully inflated when you check it. It won't lose it's air until you get all the way down to your mail box. Then you'll have to walk back.

DnvrFox

In desperation, I rode my wife's bike. No way I am walking to the mailbox

To further explain, I only have 7 bikes in the garage. But, my Lemond requires clipless, and I was wearing Crocs. My Utility Road Bike was hanging and needed air. My wifes Mtn Bike was also hanging and air less. I had 2 Worksman tricycles for Andy, but my weight would crush them. So, I took my wife's hybrid to the mailbox.

Dudelsack 

Speaking of concealed carry....as I had a cardiology appointment today, I carried about three months of Bicycling magazine to read. In a maintenance tip column, they mentioned that if you keep a bicycle out in the garage and the tiyers sit directly on concrete, the moisture in the concrete can contribute to degradation of the tiyers. They said if you must, at least have a layer of cardboard between the tiyers and the concrete.

Could this have contributed to the problem?

jimmuller 

What the '??? Moisture from concrete cause tire degradation? How many years is it supposed to take? Sorry but this sounds like an old wives' tale, urban legend, Internet poppycock, if you take my meaning.

You get no sympathy here! I once had to go back and swap bikes when I realized my cap was the wrong color for that bike. It's a bummer but we all suffer through that kind of error every so often.

DnvrFox

These are almost new tires. I have never had "concrete degradation" in 15 years of parking a bike in the garage, so I doubt it. Thanks for the input.

t4mv

Leak at the stem base.

stapfam

Just about to post this suggestion and didn't realise it had already posted. I was skipping through all the post to miss the helmet threads.

Wogster

Gee, my MTB sat out in the car port all winter, sometimes with salt water almost up to the rims, the tires were fine....

DnvrFox

UPDATE

6:00 am - the tire is fully inflated. BTW, the tube is almost new, also. I did jiggle the valve stem a bit to see if it was the stem base, but did not remove the tube to really check. I think I will just put it back on and ride. In any event, it seems a slow leak (if any), and if it leaks again, I can likely get home just by pumping it up. (Famous last words!!)

I'm still betting on an intermittently defective Schrader valve core, and I will be sure the current one is tight.

ursle

Well, when had it last been aired, do you sleepwalk?

As it's a schrader, and there's an if, I'd pop out the valve stem oil it and re-install

Dudelsack 

Hey, it wasn't my idea. I just read it in Bicycling Magazine.

TromboneAl

I predict you will fall and hit your head on the mailbox.

Dudelsack 

But he'll be OK if he wears his helmet.

DnvrFox

And I really appreciate the info.

UPDATE 2

I pumped the tire this morning, and I do believe that I lost about 10 pounds overnight - from 60 to 50. It is still rock hard, of course, but has lost a bit of pressure.

So, I will go the next steps and pull the tube, etc., etc., etc.