50 Mission Cap

I've been getting some nasty flats on my LHT's rear wheel. I've taken the tire off, found nothing, put a new tube in, only to keep getting flats. Any suggestions?

Also, I'm a bit concerned b/c I can't really find tubes (26 x 1.25-1.5 for my 1.5 WTB tires) at any of my local shops. I plan on riding across the country (some day) and I'm concerned about being able to find tubes along the way. I've got presta valve style wheels which seems to complicate matters. Any thoughts? Can I run a 650 x 1 on this, or is that too risky?

I love this bike and am hoping that this tube issue doesn't complicate matters for me.

jisaak

Did you check where the puncture was on the tube? Reference the puncture to see if you have either something sticking through the tire or possibly the rim tape is not doing it's job - again depends where the puncture is.
As far as tubes if your lbs does not stock, they should be available online. With a handle like 50 Mission Cap sounds like your from Canada - try Mountain Equipment Co-op (mec.ca) carries a 26 x 1.25 - 1.5 tube.

Thisisit

Where exactly on the tube are you getting flats?

I recently built up my 26" wheeled LHT and in the first 150km I rode it I got 4 flats in the front, it made me fearful that my brand new bike was cursed.

It actually turned out that where they drilled the hole for the valve wasn't that smooth, and would puncture the tube right at the base the valve stem. So check there and see if there are any rough spots. My shop kept checking out the wheel and eventually put some special kind of heated rim pad that filled up the valve stem hole a little better. That was 3 days ago and about 95km and it's been good so far.

As for the tubes that's kind of odd, one of the largest selections of tubes I see is 26x1.5.

What kind of rims/tires are you running. For the record I'm running Mavic XC 717 Rims, with Schwalbe Marathon Racers.

EDIT: Holy crap jisaak didn't notice you were in Port! Pretty cool!

roadfix

I've used 1.75/2.00 tubes in 1.5 tires, no problem.

50 Mission Cap

No pinch flats w/ that big a tube?

El Pelon

Nope. It works with motorcycles, too. When I'm riding my 450 in the desert, I carry only one tube (for my front wheel) even though it is significantly bigger than the rear. If I flat in the rear, I can throw the front tube in without a problem. Of course, resetting the bead is a bit more of a challenge.

badger1

+1, and re. pinch flats no worries. I've been running 1.75/2 tubes (not by choice, but by default) with Panaracer Pasela TGs (the nominal 1.5s, which are in fact about 1.35) for about 4 years now; no pinch flats at all. I don't like this (not quite the right fit/useless extra rotating weight) but as per OP true 26x1.25/1.6 or so tubes are hard to come by over the counter/usually have to spec. order. ThisIsIt: I'm in ON too -- where are you finding 1.5 tubes easily and (2) how are you liking the LHT?

jisaak

[QUOTE=badger1;7550510 ThisIsIt: I'm in ON too -- where are you finding 1.5 tubes easily and (2) how are you liking the LHT?[/QUOTE]

Badger - Mountain Equipment Co-op carries 1.35-1.5 26" tube. There an MEC in TO and one to open soon in Burlington. Plus you can order on-line.

badger1

Thanks much for that; never even thought of MEC - obvious place to look. I get down to TO/Burlington often enough, so problem solved.

treebound 

Strange or funny but I can find tubes in that size at the shop I helped at this summer (things have slowed so I'm back on the customer side of the counter). They even have had at times a 26"x1-3/8 tube.

Have you determined where the flats are on the tube? Are they in the same place each flat? Are they doubled/pinch/snakebite flats? I've found a few problem tires where the only way I could find the problem with recurring flats was to inflate the tube out of the tire until the hole revealed itself, then used that to find the approximate location on the tire, then bending the tire casing in that area basically inside out where I sometimes find little almost microscopic wires sticking through the tread and puncturing the tube slowly over time. I've also found little bits of embedded glass shards this way too, gotta be carefull not to cut yourself while looking and feeling for the sharp stuff though.

Dellphinus

Take your bike to a shop and have them drill the rims for Schraeder stems. Get an adapter, pu tit in when using Presta, take it out when using Schraeder.

Dellphinus

Me too. Well, only "problem" is it's kinda tough to stuff the tube in and keep it from folding over on itself. Not that bigodeal though.