Flat tire woes

[Subby]

Did you run your finger along the inside of the tire? I had a similar incident happen to me (new to commuting, multiple flats, etc.) and even though I visually inspected the outside of the tire, I missed a foreign object lodged in the inside.

You probably did, but just something to check.

When you pumped up your flat tubes did you have any luck figuring out from where the leak was coming?

[jabberwocky]

Inspect the tire thoroughly. I’ve found that slow leaks are often caused by a piece of glass getting embedded in the tire. They can be difficult to find. Often they are almost impossible to feel just running your hand along the tire (inside and out); you need to actually pinch the tread and feel for hard bits in there.

Its good practice to note the position of the deflated tube when you remove it (valve and tube direction). If you can’t find the puncture by sight, inflate it and stick it underwater in a full sink or a tub and find the leak. Then backtrack to the tire and figure out where the puncture happened.

Last, check the rim tape. If the spoke holes aren’t completely covered, the metal of the rim can abrade the tube and cause slow leaks. When you find the leak in the tube, if it is on the inside of the tube this is almost certainly the issue.

[baiskeli]

Yes, do everything Jabberwocky said first. The common denominator is the tire.

It could be the loose tire, I guess. But if it looks okay inflated and you’re riding okay, I wonder how it would cause a problem.

Make sure your tubes are the right size for your tire. You could also be pinching the tube when it’s inflated, and that could create a stress point. After I change a tube and seat the tire in the rim, I like to inflate it a bit so it’s spread out evenly, then deflate it and squeeze the tire to get ride of any wrinkles or twists. If I’m at home, I often use baby powder spread on the tube to further prevent kinks and twists. Also make sure the valve is lined up nicely through the rim hole and isn’t crooked, and make sure you hold it all the way out of the hole while you start to inflate so no rubber is pinched as the pushes it fully through the hole – the joint between valve and the rest of the tube is a common place for slow leaks.

Did you use the same brand of tube? Maybe there’s a factory flaw, like a faulty valve or bad seal between valve and tube.

[ebubar]

All right, home and inspecting the tire!

I found the likely culprit. The tire itself has a puncture in it. A tiny little sliver that must be allowing sharp little rocks in to puncture the poor little tube.
I inspected the outside of the tire, saw what might be a weird little sliver, lined it up with the now flat and removed tube and found my puncture.
Oddly, I can’t do the same with the first punctured tube. Still have NO IDEA what the problem with that was. Can’t find ANY leaks, even when lining things up all scientific-like. It looks a little silvery towards the bottom, so i’m wondering if there might be some pinching or something rubbing silvery material from the inside of the rim or something…checking the tape and tire interior for that next.

For now, where to go from here…
Can I patch this tire at its sliver for riding tomorrow?
Do I need to get a new set of tires?
If so, any recommendations?

I am looking to get a new cyclocross commuter, so I’m hesitant to spend too much on this bike as I’m planning to sell it towards said new curly handlebar commuter.

[lancito brazofuerte]

Fist address the tire. Using an old shop rag or tshirt, run it inside the tire. Hopefully it won’t snag on anything sharp. If no sharp stuff is in the tire check out the small puncture you referenced. Does it allow the tube to bubble out of it? when fully inflated, does the tire bulge? If no to both, keep riding it. A bit of added insurance is a sticky tire boot. Park Tool makes the nicest ones and can be had for almost free from any decent LBS.

One other thing to look for is the rim strip. Check to make sure it is aligned over the spoke holes in the rim and not off center or crooked at the valve hole. If your rim strip is kinda boogered, Hit up the LBS for some cloth rim tape. 2 rolls (both wheels) is usually around $8.

Next, using your rag/tshirt/wife’s apron, run it along the inside of the rim. Hopefully you won’t encounter any snags. It’s very rare but I have seen come crazy bad rims from the factory.

If all is well, pull the trigger on some new tubes and make sure you air up accordingly.

If the puncture on the tire is more of a cut and bulges a bit when inflated, dump it and get a new one. Or two. I know my bike OCD would go all Rain Man if I has mismatched tires.

Hope this helps

[ebubar]

@lancito brazofuerte 50209 wrote:

Fist address the tire. Using an old shop rag or tshirt, run it inside the tire. Hopefully it won’t snag on anything sharp. If no sharp stuff is in the tire check out the small puncture you referenced. Does it allow the tube to bubble out of it? when fully inflated, does the tire bulge? If no to both, keep riding it. A bit of added insurance is a sticky tire boot. Park Tool makes the nicest ones and can be had for almost free from any decent LBS.

One other thing to look for is the rim strip. Check to make sure it is aligned over the spoke holes in the rim and not off center or crooked at the valve hole. If your rim strip is kinda boogered, Hit up the LBS for some cloth rim tape. 2 rolls (both wheels) is usually around $8.

Next, using your rag/tshirt/wife’s apron, run it along the inside of the rim. Hopefully you won’t encounter any snags. It’s very rare but I have seen come crazy bad rims from the factory.

If all is well, pull the trigger on some new tubes and make sure you air up accordingly.

If the puncture on the tire is more of a cut and bulges a bit when inflated, dump it and get a new one. Or two. I know my bike OCD would go all Rain Man if I has mismatched tires.

Hope this helps

Culprit looked to be a small piece of glass sticking in the tire. Puncture is perhaps 0.2-ish cm, so doesn’t look like the tube is new tube bulging. Tire looks nice and non-bulgy. Spinning pretty good. Gonna leave it overnight and might try riding the 2 miles to metro tomorrow to test it out with more testing for the weekend.

Thanks for all the help to all of you! If I’m able to keep things working on this bike with your expert assistance perhaps I can convince myself i’ll be able to maintain a nicer bike!

[brendan]

If it’s on the front wheel, a caution: I’m a bit more likely to trash a problematic tire if it’s on the front wheel, simply because a blowout on the front wheel is much more dangerous than on the rear wheel.

If it’s on the rear wheel and you do buy a new tire, move the older front tire to the back and put the new tire on the front.

A bit OCD on some maintenance issues due to some close calls (and volunteering to fix bikes for other people).

Brndan

[jabberwocky]

Park makes a tire boot specifically to repair small cuts in tires.
http://www.parktool.com/product/emergency-tire-boot-tb-2

I generally junk road tires if they have bad tears in them, but a 2mm cut shouldn’t be an issue. You just gotta be careful that not too many of the structural fibers were cut (since those are what holds the tire together). If it airs up and there is no bulge, you should be fine. You might want to put a boot inside the tire just in case (and to protect if anything gets caught in that cut in the future).

[lancito brazofuerte]

Couple more bits of cheap insurance-

Use QTubes. They are the house brand of tubes from bike distro QBP. They come with removable valve cores and have a thicker bit of rubber around the base of the valve.
The removable valve core is key. Using a small pair of pliers (with some tape on the surface) unscrew the valve core and set it aside. Then you can add your favorite tire sealant. I prefer Stan’s. Comes in a 2oz. bottle with a small enough tip to fit inside the valve. I typically use the whole bottle for a road tube up to about 44c. Once the sealant is in the tube reinstall the core and carry on normally. I recommend Stan’s solely on the basis of reliability. Aside from deep sidewall on fishhook action, I’ve never had a flat while using it. Your mileage may vary.

I also typically throw out the little valve stem donuts that come on threaded valves. Too many times I’ve seen people crank those down till they pull the valve right out of the tube. If your valve is rattling a litle bit in your crabon aero wheelz, just wrap a very short length of electrical tape around the valve. Instant dampener.

I do the whole QTubes/Stan’s rigamarole in my daily driver track bike for two reasons- In Florida everyone throws their empty beer bottles in the street. (I think it’s a state law). And most of the time I’m too busy thinking about doing sw8 fixay skidz to remember to bring a seatbag with my flat kit.

[baiskeli]

@ebubar 50207 wrote:

All right, home and inspecting the tire!

I found the likely culprit. The tire itself has a puncture in it. A tiny little sliver that must be allowing sharp little rocks in to puncture the poor little tube.

It wouldn’t need to be little rocks. A tiny hole in the tire means the tire isn’t holding back the pressure in the tube at that point, so it could cause a weak spot.

Can I patch this tire at its sliver for riding tomorrow?

Well, too late to answer – let us know what you did. I would have told you to put something in between the tire and tube. When this happens on the road, cyclists often use a folded up dollar bill between the tube and tire hole to get home.

[baiskeli]

@jabberwocky 50247 wrote:

Park makes a tire boot specifically to repair small cuts in tires.
http://www.parktool.com/product/emergency-tire-boot-tb-2

That’s cool. Never seen that. It seems to be meant for emergencies though, not a long-term solution.

[jabberwocky]

@baiskeli 50256 wrote:

That’s cool. Never seen that. It seems to be meant for emergencies though, not a long-term solution.

Yeah, but it works fine for small stuff. I’ve used them successfully many times on tires that were then ridden for thousands of miles. I’ve used industrial duct tape for the same thing as well.

Like I said, I don’t mess with anything significant on a road tire. A 2mm cut is barely more than a puncture though. Its rare that a set of road tires on my bike doesn’t have half a dozen little punctures and tears by the end of its life.

[ebubar]

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions. I made it to the metro (~2 miles) without incident. I’m thinking i’ll take the tire in to a LBS to get their opinions on long term rideability.
Might just need a Park boot (those are nifty looking, definitely picking some up for the flat-pack) if i’m lucky. I’m heartened to hear that they can work “longer term” for a small
little blemish like mine.
Also might try those tubes that I can fill with the sealant.
If I end up getting a new tire, any suggestions from the folks on here?

[lancito brazofuerte]

Panaracer RiBMo PT. 700×32 or 35. Run you around $50 per. Hands down the best urban tire I’ve ever ridden. Folding bead, sticky in the wet, and super long lasting. They will also allow you to run a higher psi than most other “commuter” tires.

Panaracer Paselas (non TG) are typically $25-30 each if you can find them. These are my favorite “do everything” tire. Alleycats, crits, gravel grinding, barhopping… Plus tan sidewalls are Classy!

[DismalScientist]

@lancito brazofuerte 50274 wrote:

Panaracer RiBMo PT. 700×32 or 35. Run you around $50 per. Hands down the best urban tire I’ve ever ridden. Folding bead, sticky in the wet, and super long lasting. They will also allow you to run a higher psi than most other “commuter” tires.

Panaracer Paselas (non TG) are typically $25-30 each if you can find them. These are my favorite “do everything” tire. Alleycats, crits, gravel grinding, barhopping… Plus tan sidewalls are Classy!

Niagara cycle has Paselas for about $20 each. With TourGuard: about $25. RibMo: about $30.
I typically ride Paselas w/ TG.

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