driving me potty

ram038

everytime I go out on my bike now I get a puncture on the front. It is always one tiny little hole but does not happen in the same place. I have checked both the wheel and tyre and can find nothing to cause it I have gone through about 7 tyres because of this. It is getting so I cannot use the bike anymore as it is spoiling my enjoyment of cycling.. Has anyone got any ideas as to why this is happenning or suggestions as to fix it. Really is putting me off cycling now. I have had the bike. a boardman carbon team for 18 months now and this only started happenning about 2 months ago,nothing has changed.

Bobbinogs

If it is the front wheel, have you tried swapping with a spare wheel from somewhere else? It does sound like the wheel to me but trying another one will answer that one for sure.

If it is just a small puncture, I wouldn't swap tyres 7 times but just bring the tube back home and then fix it with a decent puncture kit. Once you get to a certain standard of puncture resistant tyre but still get regular punctures then it is time to look for another reason, IMHO...

cougie

Nobodys that unlucky. Get some insulation tape and wrap a few turns over the existing rim tape - and see how that works out.

acidstrato

buy a different tire

Monty Dog

Either you've got something embedded in the tyre or I'd suspect the rim tape

ram038

Two for rim tape then Ishal change that first. Can anyone recommend good rim tape? I have not swapped tyres 7 times only the inner tube. i have a nice collection of repaired inner tubes whats a good quality tyre to go for? i currently have Continental Ultra Sport.

schlepcycling

Try Velox rim tape http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=426

markos1963

Bingo! Conti Ultrasport. I had these tyres on my Boardman Comp SC and they were cr$p, 10 punctures in three rides were enough to tell me to bin them, changed to Vittoria Rubinos and a puncture free winter followed.

Karl2010

Maybe you need more air in the tyres?
110psi I find is a good pressure. Enough to stop pinch flats. Enough to give comfy ride.
(you could be gettin pinch flats)

I use Continental Gator Skin Hardshell. Excelent for puncture resistance. Can be pumped up to 120psi max.

Recently got myself a track pump because i got a realy bad pinch flat which wiped me innertube out.
I inflated all my tyres on MTB & Road bike. What a differance. You just cant get enough air in the tyres with a hand held pump.

White Line

Karl2010 wrote:

110psi I find is a good pressure ... Enough to give comfy ride.

:shock:

cougie

When you said 7 tyres - did you mean that - or tubes ?

Karl2010

Whats up White Line?

kettrinboy

110 psi in the front would make it feel like you had a pneumatic drill on the end of the front forks, try 70psi in the wet and 80 psi in the dry, far more comfortable.as for the punctures threre might be sharp metal burr in the tyre well, you just need to check very carefully,on my Kysrium SL,s i had a sharp burr around the valve hole that cut into the neck of the tube when i first inflated the tyre and caused two punctures until i deburred it and then it was fine.

DCowling

Hi
Where do you keep your bike, if it is in a shed or similar could it bbe that there is a nail sticking up where you wheel bike in and out, it could even be a rogue carpet tack if you keep the bike inside.
Alternatively if like Cougie says if it is actually tubes, it could be that there is a thorn embedded in the tyre but cannot be felt , but will be jutting out as you ride over various bumps in the road

Weejie54

I had a similar problem on a charity ride many moons ago. It turned out to be minute shards of glass imbedded in the tyre. Punctures were in different places each time because the tyre was moved on the rim during removal and fitting. New and more protective tyre was fitted. Could be rim tape as others have suggested, but remove the old tape. You' may have a job fitting a tyre with double rim tape.

As for ideal tyre pressure, it is a variable based on tyre size, weight of rider and comfort/grip. However, 70psi is way below the recommended pressure for a standard road tyre (23-25mm).

Michelin recommend between 6 and 8 bar (87 and 116 psi).

daviesee

kettrinboy wrote:

110 psi in the front would make it feel like you had a pneumatic drill on the end of the front forks, try 70psi in the wet and 80 psi in the dry, far more comfortable.

??????

Most road cyclists ride I know ride at much higher pressures than that.

I dropped from 130psi to 120 psi for comfort and can see that 110 might be even better.

For speed and resistance to pinch flats, I wouldn't go below 100psi.
Disclaimer:- This is entirely tyre choice dependant. In fact, check the recommended pressures on your tyres.

Rich Hcp

I use Vittoria Runbinos and have had no probs

I run 100 PSI minimum.

I did a century a month ago and I pumped them up to 130, to avoid pinches, it worked, hit one or two pot holes (didn't know the route) and got out unscathed

Lillywhite

Ensure your that your tyres are pumped up to around 100 psi at all times. Check the tyre hasn't any embedded flints, thorns etc. Run your finger around the inside of the tyre and ensure that the rim tape is adequate and that there are no raised areas where the spoke joins the rim. Cloth tape is the best and provides the greatest protection.
Avoid hitting pot holes!

Headhuunter

daviesee wrote:

kettrinboy wrote:

110 psi in the front would make it feel like you had a pneumatic drill on the end of the front forks, try 70psi in the wet and 80 psi in the dry, far more comfortable.

??????

Most road cyclists ride I know ride at much higher pressures than that.

I dropped from 130psi to 120 psi for comfort and can see that 110 might be even better.

For speed and resistance to pinch flats, I wouldn't go below 100psi.
Disclaimer:- This is entirely tyre choice dependant. In fact, check the recommended pressures on your tyres.

Absolutely, I never drop below 100 in either front or. Usually run at 120psi in both

cougie

I've been running my tyres at 90 - 100 PSI for 4 years now. Hugely improved resistance to punctures and I'v not noticed any extra rolling resistance.

In the past I'd be over 110 all of the time and that gave me far more punctures.

Headhuunter

cougie wrote:

I've been running my tyres at 90 - 100 PSI for 4 years now. Hugely improved resistance to punctures and I'v not noticed any extra rolling resistance.

In the past I'd be over 110 all of the time and that gave me far more punctures.

To be honest, pressure of much more than about 110 psi is not supposed to help in any way with rolling resistance and in fact can have a detrimental effect as rather than the tyres absorbing the shocks from little bumps in the road, the whole bike effectively bounces off them as if riding on solid tyres, ultimately slowing you down fractionally. I like my tyres at 120psi though, I like the rigidity it gives and the confidence on corners.

rick_chasey

Only fatties need psi over 110...

Headhuunter

Rick Chasey wrote:

Only fatties need psi over 110...

How very dare you. I'm not fat. 6'3" and about 12.5-13 stone

Karl2010

Pumped up hard tyres 120psi on new/smooth roads is the best way to ride.
Sadly there is too many bad roads around here. Pot hole city. The roads a sh1t!

Headhuunter

Karl2010 wrote:

Pumped up hard tyres 120psi on new/smooth roads is the best way to ride.
Sadly there is too many bad roads around here. Pot hole city. The roads a sh1t!

Carbon is the. Carbon really helps iron out road buzz and bumps. My weekend/club ride bike is all carbon (forks, frame, seat post, not wheels) and it's noticeably smoother compared to my aluminium get to work bike

rolf_f

Weejie54 wrote:

I had a similar problem on a charity ride many moons ago. It turned out to be minute shards of glass imbedded in the tyre. Punctures were in different places each time because the tyre was moved on the rim during removal and fitting.

Should always be putting the tyre on in the same place relative to the rim - that's the real reason why it is a good idea to put the tyre name level with the valve hole every time you put the tyre on - a) when you've located the puncture you can locate the possible cause, b) if it repeats, you know where the offending object will be c) it might be less likely to repeat because you've got an extra layer of rubber (the puncture repair) over the inner tube though that's just the sort of wishful thinking that asks for trouble!

It isn't just for OCP photos!

rick_chasey

Headhuunter wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Only fatties need psi over 110...

How very dare you. I'm not fat. 6'3" and about 12.5-13 stone

*shrugs*

I'm 5ft7 and 8 and a half stone.

Weejie54

Should always be putting the tyre on in the same place relative to the rim - that's the real reason why it is a good idea to put the tyre name level with the valve hole every time you put the tyre on - a) when you've located the puncture you can locate the possible cause, b) if it repeats, you know where the offending object will be c) it might be less likely to repeat because you've got an extra layer of rubber (the puncture repair) over the inner tube though that's just the sort of wishful thinking that asks for trouble!

That's the lesson learned from the experience!

Monty Dog

The debate on optimum tyre pressure continues to rage:

Increasing tyre pressure beyond about 7 bar has sod-all effect on rolling resistance unless you have the means to create a billiard-table smooth tarmac surface. It only feel like you're going faster - until you stop for a puncture that is.

Higher pressure give less grip and increases the likelihood or punctures from sharp debris - buying supple tyres and inflating them rock hard is pointless.

Those in the 'know' ride wider tyres and run then at 6 bar max and rarely puncture.

Headhuunter

Monty Dog wrote:

The debate on optimum tyre pressure continues to rage:

Increasing tyre pressure beyond about 7 bar has sod-all effect on rolling resistance unless you have the means to create a billiard-table smooth tarmac surface. It only feel like you're going faster - until you stop for a puncture that is.

Higher pressure give less grip and increases the likelihood or punctures from sharp debris - buying supple tyres and inflating them rock hard is pointless.

Those in the 'know' ride wider tyres and run then at 6 bar max and rarely puncture.

Increasing pressure actualy drecreases the chance of puncture from sharp debris, however as mentioned earlier, beyond about 110psi, you're effectively riding on a solid tyre which means that you bounce off rather than roll over small imperfections in the road surface so is counter productive, however you wouldn't get as many punctures and you definitely wouldn't get pinch flats. I run at no less than 110 ever and I have never had a pinch flat in my life.

benno68

Is the tube puncturing on the outside (tyre side) or inside (rim side)?

If it's the inside check for protruding spokes and/or change the rim tape. If it's the outside it must be something stuck in the tyre.

You say the bike is 18 months old, not sure if you've changed the tyres but maybe that the tyre is coming to the end of its useful life although I'd have thought the rear would wear first causing the problem.