Guys

I have an issue with my rear tyre. I keep getting slow punctures and its doing my nut in.

I have checked the rim & the tyre and cannot find the offending item. I have cleaned them out and when pumping up a tube checked to see if its seated correctly.

WTF more can I do? And no, not tubless 😛

Where’s it puncturing (assume you’ve checked the tube and not just junked it)?

Then trace back to the tyre/rim from there.

If it’s at the valve stem, then the rim may be cutting into it where the tape stops.

Otherwise, you are pumping up the tube first before fitting the tyre, aren’t you? And trying to avoid using tyre levers?

Try a different tyre?

What rim tape do you use is it wide enough to cover the spoke holes .Do you notice if the puncture is in the same place on the tyre every time.

Rim tape is Schwalbe rim tape and fits fine in the rim. It does puncture in a similarish place, however, checked the rim around the area and nothing there?

I do pump it up a tad then put tyre on etc no use of levers.

Never had this before baffling me.

I had a similar issue, each time I even turned the tyre inside out to check for thorns. But what was happening was a tiny bit of glass that was pretty embedded into the tread only made itself felt when the tyre was pumped up and had my large ass riding about on it.

In the end I found it by very very carefull examination of the tyre. Clean it well and then check it under good light.

Cheers Trimix ill try with a light, see if I can find anything reflecting off.

I would just get a new tyre, but that costs money and this tyre is almost new.

Is the puncture against the rim or the tyre?

If its against the rim have you considered a rough spoke end/nipple that only protrudes under weight?

£1 says it’ll be something bedded in the tyre that you just can’t see. Have you tried the bog roll trick? Just wipe a piece of (unused!) toilet paper round the inside of the tyre, see if something tears a bit off.

Run a layer of insulating tape over the exisitng rim tape and see what happens. I had a problem on a road bike with some wierd punctures on the rim side of the tube, was using Michelin rim tape so didn’t think that would be the problem, but just to be sure ran the insulating tape over the top. Problem solved.

Ooo Woody, ill try that one too. Never heard of that one. Ill have another good look this evening.

So frustrating!

I’d second the glass fragment. I was getting regular slow punctures and could find nothing in the tyre. Eventually I made a point of noting exactly how the tube lined up with the tyre so that once I’d found the hole in the tube I could pinpoint the correct area of the tyre to explore. Again I could find nothing until I pushed up hard on the tread and found a tiny slither of glass protruding; when the pressure was released the glass became fully enclosed in the tyre again(no protrusion inside or out). Presumably when that area of tyre hit the ground the glass would push out of the tyre and puncture the tube.

Having located it, it was a but of a struggle getting the glass out. If you really can’t locate anything (and fragments of brake/gear cable can be problems too), trying a new tyre might at least help you work out if there is something in the tyre.

Well finally think (fingers crossed) Ive sorted it. Went fully around the internal of the tyre several times with a light throughly checking.

Anyways, decided to check the exteranl of the tyre to see if I could see anything and there the little bastard was, buried in the nobbly bit of my tread. Got it using my light.

Thanks for the tips guys 🙂

It’s always a good idea to add some Stan’s Sealant to the inside of the inner tube too, as this helps seal punctures before you realise they’re a problem.

slipped rim tape exposing spokehole would be my guess

Tubeless

I’ve had this twice and the first time it was a small piece of glass. I found it by tracing where the punctures were forming (are they in the same place?) The other time it was the rim itself. Where it was welded it was ever so slightly pointy and would occasionally puncture a tube. I just lightly sanded and the problem was solved.

You have checked that it is not a bad patch?