• This topic has 22 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 8 years ago by Solo.
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  • Recurring flat tire
  • alex283
    Free Member

    Hello everybody.

    So, I’ve bought a new bike (Merida Crossway) about 3 months ago and in the last 2 weeks, my back tire has gone flat 3 times. I’ve patched it the first time, the patch blew through after a week, so I’ve changed the tube completely, and a day later, the tube blew again (I took it home in the car, hadn’t even ridden it yet!).
    I’ve double and triple checked the tire, there’s no kinks in it, nothing sticking out. The wheel is fine as well, the tape is in place and no spokes are loose. The punctures were in different places on the different tubes and the tube wasn’t stuck between the tire and wheel or anything.
    Can someone help me explain why this keeps happening? I don’t want to put another new tube in, just to have it blow again, and there’s no way my tires are worn after barely 3 months of riding!
    Help me please!

    soobalias
    Free Member

    what about the condition of the tubes,
    are they new reasonable quality,
    new but cheap and may have lived on a shelf in the shop for several rubber degrading years,
    old and patched to within an inch of their lives?

    nickc
    Full Member

    The only time this happened to me, I found the teeniest shard of glass embedded in the tyre. Like you I’d checked everything, and it was in a different place as I took the tyre off, and put it back in a different place.

    I had to go over the tyre inch by inch, and in the end found it, just enough sticking through the inside so that the inner pushing against it would rub.

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    Trimix
    Free Member

    Either you are unlucky, or there is a shard of glass / thorn that only presents itself when you are riding. Might not be visible on the inside of the tyre.

    I take my tyre off, and look very closely at the inside for the offender.

    When you say the patch blew, do you mean the patch came off ? If so use a proper patch, one of those with the orange feathered edges and read the instructions. You can put a patch on badly even though its a simple job.

    Failing all that, get someone to do it for you and watch what they do.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    next tiem you get a flat – remove one half of the tire

    remove the tube

    inflate.

    find hole- put the valve inline with the valve hole- that should show the area the hole is in.

    PJM1974
    Free Member

    This time of year is usually the worst for punctures, as the hedgerows are trimmed back and the thorny detritus is left on the ground.

    Check the inside of the tyre for any burrs or sharp edges. I’ve had the shard of glass experience too.

    I ended up filling my tubes with 50-100ml of Slime (or similar) fluid which solved the problem for me until I went tubeless.

    alex283
    Free Member

    I’ve double and triple checked the inside of my tire, there was absolutely nothing there. My colleague also checked for me when I changed tubes last week, he’s a bike mechanic and also the one that had patched the first tube for me.
    I would have gone with it being bad luck, except that between replacing the tube and it blowing again, I haven’t actually ridden the bike yet… I’m really at a loss here!

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Either user error or something in tyre.

    Cowman
    Full Member

    A ball of cotton wool rubbish around the inside of the Tyre will sort out if there is anything you can’t see as it’ll catch. Its often this for me, with the smallest of thorns / wire embetted in the Tyre.

    Otherwise you could be pinching it putting it on with a funny bit of a Tyre lever.

    Cowman
    Full Member

    # rubbed not rubbish, dammed autocorrect

    bails
    Full Member

    What’s your rim tape like? Are there any spokes poking through that could be causing the punctures?

    Kahurangi
    Full Member

    Several clues are not hinted at. Are you finding the location of the puncture each time? Is is the same place? Are you sure?

    How fast is the puncture letting the tube go down? If it goes down quickly the damaging object (if there is one) should be fairly prominent.

    Check the outside of the tyre for evidence of shards of glass, etc.

    Are there any burrs on the rim, the tape, the tyre levers?

    Are you putting a new tube in each time? Is it perished? Is it over-stretched?

    imnotverygood
    Full Member

    There are a lot of people with their heads in the sand over this one. It is clearly the work of the p*nct*re fairy.

    alex283
    Free Member

    Brand new tube last time, looked in very good condition as well. Not used a tyre lever, so can’t be that and I’ve gone along the tires both inside and out with my fingers and eyes, and there is nothing! The first time it was a slow puncture, but the second time it just started suddenly and you could actually hear the air escaping pretty rapidly… while the bike was parked in my flat…. not having been moved in a day…. and the puncture was at the top…. any ideas?
    No spokes poking out either, checked for that first, and the tape is covering everything… although I’m still considering getting a thicker tape, just to be safe!

    Solo
    Free Member

    For me, mystery deflation was for one of two reasons.

    Loose valve inner, so I bought a couple of valve keys. Sorted!

    Hole through tyre. Hadn’t spotted the hole. Theory is the hole was opening when that part of the tyre was pressed against the ground and was “nipping” the inner tube. After a few rides, the hole munched clean through the tube.

    nickc
    Full Member

    Well you have 2 options; there’s something in the tyre, keep looking until you find it, or get a new tyre.

    RamseyNeil
    Free Member

    Well from your description the tyre has gone flat 2 times not 3 . The first , if I understand correctly was caused by a failure of a repair patch and the second sounds like the tube may have been pinched when fitted , this can cause the tyre to suddenly deflate , often accompanied by a loud bang . I would put a new tube in and if it happens again then it must be the tyre or the rimtape .

    RustyNissanPrairie
    Full Member

    1. Always line the tyre logo to the valve stem for two reasons – it keeps STW’ers happy and it also means you can identify where abouts a tiny mystery thorn is embedded in the tyre.

    2. Talc powder the tuber/inside of the tyre – stops them sticking to each other and rubbing.

    3. Wipe a small amount of ‘spit’ over the valve after you’ve inflated the tyre to see if its working properly.

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    Have you looked on the outside of the tyre?

    I’ve had a mystery puncture that I wound by opening any cut and nicks from the outside.

    Most of a bucky bottle was lodged in there hidden from view when mounted and every so often a bit worked its way through.

    Trimix
    Free Member

    Perhaps it haunted by disgruntled tubeless riders.

    LordFelchamtheIII
    Free Member

    Patches are only a temporary fix. Replace with a new one as soon as and submit to the fact MTBing will drain your bank account if you want to do it properly.

    pdw
    Free Member

    Was the bike in the car when it blew the 3rd time? A fully inflated tyre in the back of a car on a hot day can get hot enough to blow on its own.

    What shape is the hole in the last tube? Is it a pin prick or a slit?

    If you’re certain the holes aren’t in the same place (you’re sure the tyre didn’t go back on in a different position?) then it’s possible the new tube is faulty.

    As had been said, the patch blowing of is just a poor repair, so you’ve really just had two punctures.

    Solo
    Free Member

    Wipe a small amount of ‘spit’ over the valve after you’ve inflated the tyre to see if its working properly.

    This would not have identified my leaking valve. Twice I took it swimming in a basin of clear water and not one bubble of air did it release.

    What torque for valve inners?

    Oh, wait a minute….
    😯

    Edit.
    Patched tubes are fine, I’ve used patched tubes for years and added patches if required.
    It’s your money, but I prefer not to sling a tube for one patch.

Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)

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