Flats!

[Dogmama]

(DebW - I pm'd you on this too!)

I got a flat on my front tire. The tire actually had a small slash. Replaced the tire and tube. Pumped it up, went flat! No hole in the tube at all (slime tube, so I should see something leaking out, right?) Replaced it with another slime tube. Flat again! Replaced it with a regular specialized tube - yup - flat within five minutes!

I can't see any holes in the tube & I don't hear anything leaking out of the valve. I'm taking it to my LBS today.

My question - I'm REALLY apprehensive about riding tomorrow (27 mile race, flat & fast). If this thing keeps flatting, it could be very bad. Have you ever heard of this? If the LBS can fix it, do you recommend riding the 27 race?

[Barb]

Did you run your thumb along the inside of your tire? It sounds like you have something in there that may be puncturing your tubes.

[DebW]

That's really odd. Did you pump up the tubes outside the tire (pump them til they bulge) and put them in water (bathtub) to check for leaks? If a tube won't hold air, it HAS to have a leak or a bad valve (at least logic tells you that, and real life isn't SUPPOSED to defy logic). If these take 5 minutes to go flat, it's a slow leak and will be hard to detect. Leave the tube under water for several minutes and look for just an occassional bubble. If all 3 bubble in the same place, you'll know whether to look for the culprit in the tire or the rim. Check the rim carefully to see if there might be a metal sliver or a spoke sticking through that is damaging tubes. Maybe replace the rimstrip. Check the tire again (I know, it's new). If you find the cause and can keep the tire inflated for 24 hours and can ride it once before the race, then I think you can stop worrying. Otherwise, maybe you could borrow a wheel from someone? Hope this helps. Good luck.

[ridebikeme]

In addition to the above advice, you should also check the rim strip. If the inside of the tire is ok, then a torn rim strip( it covers the heads of the nipples) will also cause the same problems . Another place to also check is the valve hole in the rim, if it becomes sharp or uneven ... it can also cause a flat. Happy riding!!

[Grog]

All what other people said, and yes, do check the rim and rim tape, and the end of the spokes (that could be poking through the tape). Punctures often come from the wheel itself.

Plus, there can be some grit or glass IN the tire that you don't see or even feel with your finger. Running an inflated balloon on both the inside and the outside of your tire, you'll probably find something (if all else fails).

Plus: to find the problem with a tube, inflate it and put it in water. See where the bubbles come from...

[Kalidurga]

I'd like to add a question to this thread, if no one minds: I've got a tiny tear in the tube at the base of the valve stem. I've never patched a tube before, and I'm wondering if it's worth bothering in that spot. It seems like it's so close to the stem that the patch wouldn't adhere properly. Has anyone tried a repair of this sort?

[DebW]

I'd like to add a question to this thread, if no one minds: I've got a tiny tear in the tube at the base of the valve stem. I've never patched a tube before, and I'm wondering if it's worth bothering in that spot. It seems like it's so close to the stem that the patch wouldn't adhere properly. Has anyone tried a repair of this sort?

A patch won't hold there. Time for a new tube.

[Dogmama]

Worn out rim tape. Is 12 years too long to have the same rim tape? There were no sharp edges, but my little LBS guy said that the indentations were deep enough to make a tube blow under 120 lbs of pressure.

This is a tiny little shop - think of Andy Griffith's barber shop - that's it. Older guy & his younger wife run it. Gave me a few bits of info:

He said that putting corn starch on tubes to make them slip in is NOT a good idea because you don't want the tube moving inside of the tire & bending the valve around.

He said Continentals are the last pure rubber tire. Soft, good for gripping the road, most perfectly round tire, but they don't last very long. (I don't care, I have an aversion to road rash.)

He said small shops like his can't compete with Performance, the internet, etc., and soon we'll all be shopping at big box stores. I hate that. The worst repairs I've ever had were at those stores.

[DebW]

Glad the mystery is solved. Was the rim strip rubber or cloth? Did you ever find the leaks in those 3 tubes?

[Dogmama]

The strip was cloth - really really old. He put a rubber strip in.

Never found the leaks in the other three - but I was looking at the outside of the tube when I should have been looking at the inside!

Oh well, live & cuss! Er...live & learn???

[Kano]

Dogmama --

You wrote the first post wondering if it was safe to go on your 27 mile ride. Did you? How'd you do?

Karen in Boise -- who's glad to know about rim strips!

[Dogmama]

I didn't do the ride. I couldn't figure out what was happening with my tire & my LBS was closed on July 3.

Oh well. It will be there next year. I did spinning the last few days. THAT is kicking my butt!!! No downhills or tailwinds!

[fasteryet]

Buy the Conti's! They feel great, hold the road well, and hold up well. Who said they don't last long?
I got about 1300 miles out of the Grand Prix 3000's, and that's around here, which includes anything from a very few roads with perfect pavement, to lots of tarred and chipped roads, to even some hard packed dirt and cinder.
And not to jinx myself, but no flats, either.
I'm going for the 4000's when this pair wears out.

[Jen Jen]

He said that putting corn starch on tubes to make them slip in is NOT a good idea because you don't want the tube moving inside of the tire & bending the valve around.

That is interesting. I've had 2 different bike mechanics recommend using baby powder when you're replacing a flat. I'm guessing that's equivalent to corn starch.

That is why this stuff can get frustrating, you can get conflicting instructions and each sound logical!

[Geonz]

welp, maybe put it around on *some* (most?) of the tire. SOmetimes my tube will simply weld itslef to the tire. (Note: I have not actually gotten the baby powder and done that, so I'm still sometimes peeling off my tube like ductape from a wall... only tougher.)