What’s going on here then?

Two separate punctures today in the same tube. Specialized tubes and Ground Control tyres, both only one ride old. First puncture was whilst riding steadily uphill, didn’t hit any rocks, just a forest road, tube just started hissing and was flat within 10 seconds. Fixed that one which was a split about 2-3mm long on the inner circumference of the tube, i.e. next to the rim tape.

10 mins later, going down rocky singletrack this time, and the same thing happens. Same size split in a different place, but again on the inner circumference of the tube, plus one opposite on the outside.

Tyres were up at about 55psi, but wouldn’t a pinch flat be at the side of the tube anyway, not the inside? Can’t find anything within the tyre, wheel or rim tape amiss. The tyres fold so I guess they’re Kevlar sidewalks – could this be what’s making the difference (never had flats like this before), or just a duff inner tube?

Thanks

Nobody?

I had persistant, repetitive punctures on my commuter for a while. on the inside like yours. this was after several months of riding without issues – no changes. then about 15 punctures in two weeks. tearing my hair out. tried taking rim tape off and wet’n’drying all tge spoke holes before reassembling (several times!) many times cleaned rim, tubes, tape, tyre with soap and water and spent up to 15 mins at a time looking for foreign bodies.

eventually tried: gaffer tape over spoke holes, rim tape on, gaffer over rim tape. problem solved. replaced rim tape soon after and haven’t had a prob since. that was rear wheel. few months later the front started so I gaffered over the rim tape while at work and no probs since. have a new band waiting for it but haven’t had to have the tyre off since.

I reckon cheap rim bands compress and harden over time and then slice the tube. the cuts in the tube were even aligned that way.

They are a good few years old