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Frustrated with flats

Ok…..I’ve been getting flats just about every other time I go out for a ride and it’s getting really frustrating. I’m even thinking about hanging up my wheels for good, as that is how very frustated I am. Any ideas??

31 Replies

gregonline, September 6, 2011 at 6:41 am

Check to see if you have something stuck in the tire that is cutting the tubes.  Then check your spokes where they seat into the rim, one may be cutting the tube ….other than that just a run of bad luck….it happens.

#8074

jwsknk, September 6, 2011 at 7:06 am

is it always in the same place? rim or tread side of tube? next time, line up something like the logo on the tire with the stem. Then when you have a flat and find the puncture in the tube, you have a good idea where to inspect the tire.

#8075

kicks9, September 6, 2011 at 7:14 am

Replace the rim tape is a good place to start as well.

Kicks9

#8076

lgriffin, September 6, 2011 at 7:33 am

I’m guessing you have a very small piece of something (probably wire) stuck in the tire or you need new rim tape. I know it sounds funny to think of old rim tape causing flats but I’ve seen it before.

I had a tire late last year that went flat just about every time out and I inspected it each time and then replaced the rim tape. But, it kept getting flats so it was time to replace the tire. No more flats. There obviously was something in that tire I just couldn’t see.

Thoroughly inspect the tire for anything that could possibly cause a flat and go ahead and replace the rim tape. It’s not that expensive. You may have to just give up and replace the tire.

#8077

giantron, September 6, 2011 at 8:37 am

I’ve had rim tape do that. it was really a narrow tape and allowed the tube to sneak around it and poke through a spoke hole and pop it. And also had REALLY TINY thorns in one tire that kept doing that as well. Man is that frustrating. After the third tube, and aligning where the tube had a hole and the tire location, I was only able to find it by slowly feeling along the inside of the tire. Then had to use tweezers to get it out.

Eventually I went to Gatorskin tires and have had good luck with those so far, and it’s been at least a year on those.

#8078

Sandaltan ., September 6, 2011 at 11:20 am

Two thumbs up for all of the above.
Take the tire completely off the rim and run your fingers slowly and carefully around the inside diameter of the tire.  First clockwise and then counter clockwise.  You are looking for one of those teeny tiny wires that sometimes are picked up when riding on wet pavement. 

RIDE RIGHT

#8079

ts, September 6, 2011 at 12:27 pm

jwsknk said: line up something like the logo on the tire with the stem. Then when you have a flat and find the puncture in the tube, you have a good idea where to inspect the tire.

Best advice so far.  Many tires have a “red mark” somewhere near the logo.  If so I align the stem with that, otherwise I just center the logo above the stem. Ever since I started doing this, I *always* find the source of the flat.  I had a flat on Saturday, the 23rd, this year due to old rim tape.  The edge of a spoke hole was showing through the tape and it aligned exactly with the puncture in the tube.  The tire was inflated when I loaded the bike into the truck that morning, but was flat when I got it out to ride to the expo later that afternoon.  Lucky timing.

#8080

jwsknk, September 6, 2011 at 12:55 pm

another thought, you haven’t changed tires lately have you? I had 5-6 one 1/2 day on RAGBRAI one year. Finally gave up when I saw a sag wagon stopped and I knew the driver. So I got into the overnight and went to a bike shop and somebody put the wrong type tire on, I think it was a fold-up that got put on. The bead wasn’t holding so when too much pressure built up it and hit a rock, crack of little hole, blew the tube and tire off the rim and the hole was always someplace different. 

#8081

RonB, September 6, 2011 at 5:42 pm

Sandaltan said: Two thumbs up for all of the above.Take the tire completely off the rim and run your fingers slowly and carefully around the inside diameter of the tire.  First clockwise and then counter clockwise.  You are looking for one of those teeny tiny wires that sometimes are picked up when riding on wet pavement.  RIDE RIGHT

Good advice, but to take it one step further, if you can’t find anything with your fingers, get a piece of silk cloth or something similar.  Run this around the inside of the tire and it will snag on anything sticking out, even if you can feel it with your fingers.

#8082

David Elkow, September 6, 2011 at 7:11 pm

Also; If a tire has been cut or punctured I find it a good idea to put a patch on the inside of the tire over the hole, then install a new tube.  If you don’t, believe it or not, the tube can ooze out thru the tiny hole and poof!, another flat.

#8083

Emmet Barta, September 6, 2011 at 8:56 pm

I use good <font class=”fontsize3″ size=”3″ face=”arial”>Serfas Seca Road Tire with Mr Tuffy tire liners  and have only had 2 flats over two years time.  
http://www.serfas.com/product_details.asp?ID=248
http://mrtuffy.com/

</font>

#8084

Bartaped, September 7, 2011 at 8:52 am

What size tires you ride? If you ride a wider tired bike (Hybrid or touring) try a set of Conti “Contact” or Conti “Touring” they are made to be flat resistant in the compunds of the rubber. They are available in 26 and 700 rim size.   

#8085

Numbers, September 7, 2011 at 9:07 am

I had to throw away a brand new tire once because I had ridden over a cactus and was not able to get all the needles out. It kept giving me flats, so out it went. Too frustrating to keep the tire and fixing flats! Bummer too because the tire was brand new. (yeah, i know, what am i doing riding over cactus!!!??? it wasn’t intentional…of course).

#8086

indianafrank, September 8, 2011 at 9:01 am

If your tires are underinflated you become prone to pinch flats if you hit any rough spots.
You have to do some checking, taking the tires off, running your finger along the inside, checking the tape to make sure spoke ends aren’t digging holes in the tube, or go to a bike shop and consult with them.
Pinch flats are a real headache. They happen with brand new tires if they’re too soft.

#8088

“Bicycle Bill”, September 8, 2011 at 10:08 am

indianafrank said: If your tires are underinflated you become prone to pinch flats if you hit any rough spots.You have to do some checking, taking the tires off, running your finger along the inside, checking the tape to make sure spoke ends aren’t digging holes in the tube, or go to a bike shop and consult with them.Pinch flats are a real headache. They happen with brand new tires if they’re too soft.

+1, indianafrank.

And as a warning — the narrower the tires you ride, the more important it is to keep the pressure up to snuff.  There’s less volume of air in the narrower tire, so there’s less of a cushion or pillow effect; not only do you end up with more pinch flats (or ‘snakebites’, because a pinch flat usually results in *TWO* little holes parallel to each other) but you run the risk of damaging the rim itself.

-“BB”-

#8089

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