Flat tire after flat tire
#1
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Flat tire after flat tire
Hey guys, I ride into work 6 miles 5 days a week. On road and bike paths. I bought a road bike not to long ago and for some reason I get a flat tire every day it seems like. The bike is a giant defy. I do not understand this. Ive tried putting 70 dollar (each) tires. But its not working. I'm thinking of getting thicker tubes because at this rate I'll be buying a new tube every other day. At 8 bucks a tube it adds up. I've also tried putting tire liners in but that does nothing as well. Has anyone else had this problem. Thanks.
#2
Banned
Schwalbe Marathon + tires and Thorn resistant HD tubes . none light choices.. but since Its my Bike Friday
the weight penalty is not too bad ..
ran blackwall 622-40 tires and HD-TR Presta tubes , 9 month tour of Ireland and Scotland ,, zero punctures..
I Pootle, not, Hammer./
the weight penalty is not too bad ..
ran blackwall 622-40 tires and HD-TR Presta tubes , 9 month tour of Ireland and Scotland ,, zero punctures..
I Pootle, not, Hammer./
#3
Senior Member
Just checking...
When you replace your tube, are you carefully running your finger through the inside of the tire to make sure there is nothing sharp lodged in the rubber? This will typically result in "flat tire after flat tire."
When you replace your tube, are you carefully running your finger through the inside of the tire to make sure there is nothing sharp lodged in the rubber? This will typically result in "flat tire after flat tire."
#4
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Something is wrong for you to get a flat nearly every day. Have someone look at it with you. I ride lightweight tires with no protection, and I don't get many flats. Is there a lot of broken glass on your streets?
And stop buying new tubes. Carry a spare and change it on the road. When you get home, patch the tube, and use the patched tube as your spare. Carry a patch kit, too, in case you get more than one flat on the road.
And stop buying new tubes. Carry a spare and change it on the road. When you get home, patch the tube, and use the patched tube as your spare. Carry a patch kit, too, in case you get more than one flat on the road.
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Hey guys, I ride into work 6 miles 5 days a week. On road and bike paths. I bought a road bike not to long ago and for some reason I get a flat tire every day it seems like. The bike is a giant defy. I do not understand this. Ive tried putting 70 dollar (each) tires. But its not working. I'm thinking of getting thicker tubes because at this rate I'll be buying a new tube every other day. At 8 bucks a tube it adds up. I've also tried putting tire liners in but that does nothing as well. Has anyone else had this problem. Thanks.
H
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H
#7
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I'd echo what's been said above.
I'll even flip the tire "inside out" and feel around inside and out once again if problems persist. Sometimes you can see or feel something once the strain on the tire has changed. Also look at and feel the rim and rimstrip very well. Look to see if the puncture happens at the same place every time.
I usually look my tires over pretty well before bringing the bike in after a ride. I still got my last two goathead thorn punctures after I had moved to San Jose from Albuquerque. Clearly, I brought those sons of *****es with me!
I'll even flip the tire "inside out" and feel around inside and out once again if problems persist. Sometimes you can see or feel something once the strain on the tire has changed. Also look at and feel the rim and rimstrip very well. Look to see if the puncture happens at the same place every time.
I usually look my tires over pretty well before bringing the bike in after a ride. I still got my last two goathead thorn punctures after I had moved to San Jose from Albuquerque. Clearly, I brought those sons of *****es with me!
#8
Super-spreader
Also, check where your tubes are getting punctured and see if there is a pattern. Maybe it's your rim(s)?
#9
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I hire kids on my street to do them. 11-year-olds are elated to be paid $5/hour. Or I use my punctured tubes as exercises in my bike repair classes. When class is over, I have a box full of patched tubes. Or you can do it by the fireside while the radio plays.
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“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
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As no one else has broached it... are you maintaining proper air pressure?
I got like 3 flats the first week when I started commuting. Turns it out it wasn't due to debris, but lack of air pressure.
I got like 3 flats the first week when I started commuting. Turns it out it wasn't due to debris, but lack of air pressure.
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#11
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I once had the weirdest (too me) bur on the inside of the wheel it barely poked through the rim tape when wheel was disassembled.
I only found it as I was running finger along each surface and it gave me a rather nice slice. Pulled off rim tape and there were a couple burs where the spoke holes were drilled. Sanded them smooth. Some nice new tape and no more flats!
I only found it as I was running finger along each surface and it gave me a rather nice slice. Pulled off rim tape and there were a couple burs where the spoke holes were drilled. Sanded them smooth. Some nice new tape and no more flats!
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Something embedded in the tire, the rim tape, or too low pressure is giving you pinch flats.
It may be a very small chip of stone or whatever in the tire or tape that you can barely feel. It doesn't have to be sharp - it will rub until it wears a hole.
It may be a very small chip of stone or whatever in the tire or tape that you can barely feel. It doesn't have to be sharp - it will rub until it wears a hole.
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Are you actually finding the source of the punctures in each case? Is there a culprit or are there just holes appearing in the tubes?
In any case,m get new rim tape. It's likely that the bike came with a cheap rubber strip that covers the spokes and keeps them from puncturing the tube. These are crap. Replace them with a good rim tape.
I had a rubber rim strip go bad once and flatted 5 times in one day.
Or, as others have suggested, keep the tire pressure up, especially if you're seeing cases of TWO holes in in the tube which is almost certainly a "snake bite" caused by hitting something with low tire pressure.
In any case,m get new rim tape. It's likely that the bike came with a cheap rubber strip that covers the spokes and keeps them from puncturing the tube. These are crap. Replace them with a good rim tape.
I had a rubber rim strip go bad once and flatted 5 times in one day.
Or, as others have suggested, keep the tire pressure up, especially if you're seeing cases of TWO holes in in the tube which is almost certainly a "snake bite" caused by hitting something with low tire pressure.
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You really have to find what is puncturing the tubes. Look over the inside of the tires well making sure there are no glass chards or wire from blown truck tires. The rubber debris that you see along the highways after a truck blows a tire is usually hazardous to bicycle tires. There is very small unseen pieces of wire everywhere and those will get lodged into your tires and work its way through the tubes. Check your tires really well and also the rim strip. It also helps to use tires with kevlar treadguard or some form of extra flat protection.
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There's a simple trick to finding what has created the puncture. Take the tube completely out - trying not to rotate the tyre at all while you do it. Pump the tube way up and find the hole, often you can hear the hiss or sometimes the air blowing out from a little puncture can be felt blowing on moistened lips.
Having found the puncture you can then align the valve up with the valve hole in the wheel rim and feel carefully inside the tyre where the tube hole is (you will likely have forgotten which way around the tube was - so there'll be two alternative places to look, flip the tube side to side)
Sometimes you have to fold the tyre into a bend to open up slashes to find small bits of embedded glass.
This is a frig, but will what is effectively the same puncture coming back.
OR
get Marathon + and be done with it.
Having found the puncture you can then align the valve up with the valve hole in the wheel rim and feel carefully inside the tyre where the tube hole is (you will likely have forgotten which way around the tube was - so there'll be two alternative places to look, flip the tube side to side)
Sometimes you have to fold the tyre into a bend to open up slashes to find small bits of embedded glass.
This is a frig, but will what is effectively the same puncture coming back.
OR
get Marathon + and be done with it.
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#19
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^^^ This. I have puncture resistant tires, but found a thin thorn that slip through the threads to the protective wrapping (kevlar, I think). Pulled it and fixed my repetitive flat problem (for now).
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I once had the weirdest (too me) bur on the inside of the wheel it barely poked through the rim tape when wheel was disassembled.
I only found it as I was running finger along each surface and it gave me a rather nice slice. Pulled off rim tape and there were a couple burs where the spoke holes were drilled. Sanded them smooth. Some nice new tape and no more flats!
I only found it as I was running finger along each surface and it gave me a rather nice slice. Pulled off rim tape and there were a couple burs where the spoke holes were drilled. Sanded them smooth. Some nice new tape and no more flats!
I had a series of 3 bad tubes on my newest bike. All blew out where the stem is joined to the body, all appeared to NOT puncture in the traditional sense but the rubber skirt surrounding the valve came unfastened from the body, must of been insufficient vulcanization. These were all puncture resistant tubes too - fat lot of good that did.
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Hey guys, I ride into work 6 miles 5 days a week. On road and bike paths. I bought a road bike not to long ago and for some reason I get a flat tire every day it seems like. The bike is a giant defy. I do not understand this. Ive tried putting 70 dollar (each) tires. But its not working. I'm thinking of getting thicker tubes because at this rate I'll be buying a new tube every other day. At 8 bucks a tube it adds up. I've also tried putting tire liners in but that does nothing as well. Has anyone else had this problem. Thanks.
You can't "buy" your way out of tire hazards on the road or path. (If that were the case, pro road racers would NEVER have a flat.....)
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Sorry to jump in AGAIN, and I hesitate to suggest them.
If you are having that many issues you may want to consider airless tires. These are foam filled tires that of course will never go flat as they require no air. The "leading" supplier of these has a horrible reputation, so I won't even mention them. Some people swear by the tires, others swear AT them. Most say the increase rolling resistance significantly. I've never tried them. They look to be about 20-30$ each.
If you are having that many issues you may want to consider airless tires. These are foam filled tires that of course will never go flat as they require no air. The "leading" supplier of these has a horrible reputation, so I won't even mention them. Some people swear by the tires, others swear AT them. Most say the increase rolling resistance significantly. I've never tried them. They look to be about 20-30$ each.
#23
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Check your rim tapes. I just went through a similar issue. The rim tape was an old plastic one and it had some slices over the spoke holes that were holing the tubes.
What I did about 4 years ago was to go to tubulars. I ride Tufos (tubeless tubulars) and put in some sealant - either Tufo's or Stans. I never get flats anymore but when I look at my maintenance records, I'm getting 1/8th the flats I was getting before. The last several tires I've worn them out and they've never flatted. I've since switched all our bikes over to tubulars.
J.
What I did about 4 years ago was to go to tubulars. I ride Tufos (tubeless tubulars) and put in some sealant - either Tufo's or Stans. I never get flats anymore but when I look at my maintenance records, I'm getting 1/8th the flats I was getting before. The last several tires I've worn them out and they've never flatted. I've since switched all our bikes over to tubulars.
J.
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Are you referring to the Armadillos? I was considering them so I'd like to know what you didn't like.
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I'm right there with you. I've had a ridiculous amount of flats on my "other bike". Everything on that bike is brand new except the wheels. I checked the rims with a cotton ball as someone suggested and didn't find any sharp edges. I put new rim tape in and still got a flat within a day. They were cheap no name rims that came off my old $200 fixie so I'm hoping the new wheels I just bought will fix the problem. For the record I've changed out tires and tubes on my commuter three times now just trying different tires and have had zero flats so I don't think it's something I'm doing wrong....but who knows. Good luck and if it keeps happening I would swallow some pride and go to the LBS and have them fix the flat and see if the results are any better.