FOUR inner tubes replaced in a single evening

brucebanner

Perhaps the worst evening in a long while. On my way home to work, I cycle ~100 metres and tyre punctures. Luckly I was very close to the office, so I just headed back to change the tube.

On my way to the cycle show to pump up tyres, and POP! I replace the tube a second time, pump up the tyres and it pops in the shop! I replace it again, head out and POP!

head back to the cycle shop and several people - thank you all - help me in finding the glass shard inside my tyre. I couldn't find any. Another gentlemen - thanks A LOT, dude - with what looked like a Trek 1.5 in Red, Black and White said he was getting rid of his tyres and putting on Armadillo and no longer needed his Bontrager tyres any more. I took his tyre and got home! Thanks again.

Sad thing is two of the inner tubes were Bontrager Race XXX Lite Presta Innertube. I've already patched them. Shall I use them again, just throw the tubes away or use them for an emergency?

I was/am using the stock tyres on the Trek 1.5, but now I'm looking for replacements. What does everyone recommend for the streets of London. Also, bear in mind I haven't had a puncture since I've bought bike, which is ~4 months ago.

confusedrider.com!!!

i had bontager race lite hard case on for 2500 miles without a puncture.changed to schwalbe lugano and got two in three days and one ripped tyre.changed that to a continental and got another one-three in a week!
needless to say,back to the bontragers

FransJacques

Too bad you've taken the tubes off the wheel already before you examined them very carefully. If the punctures are on the spoke bed side (ie inside) of the tube and they look like small pin pricks (ie there's only 1 hole) surrounded by rubber which looks frosted or whitish it's a spoke bed puncture.

The cause is that many cheaper wheels come with fibre or plastic rim strips that migrate around after a rain shower (esp. on the rear, due to torque I guess) exposing small gaps that the tube expands into. Best thing to get is Velox 16mm or 18mm cloth rim strips for this. they have adhesive backing and dont't squirm around. Asymmetric rims are great for spoke tension but suffer from this issue since it's hard for a 16mm strip to cover all the holes a they're not on the lowest part of the spoke bed and the strip is essentially under tension so it forms to the smallest diameter. the higher end Boardmans use Ritchey wheels which have said rear rims.

Else take the tyre off and examine it carfully and flex it to find the holes in the casing - sometimes if the inside is still clean and black they show up better on the inside.

i have a general rule that if I flat 2/3 times on successive rides it means the rubber is too thin and I bin the tyre straight away before extreme frustration sets in.

sundog

Always good to check the source of the puncture before replacing the tube very carefully avoiding any pinches.

brucebanner

AGHGHHH! it happened again just near the office!

vorsprung

I agree with the other comment about the "spoke bed"

If the rim tape has moved following the initial flat this might be causing the subsequent flats

Or you might have a sharp spot on the rim somewhere.

If you look at tube for the hole and then compare with the position on the wheel you will find some kind of problem at that position

Lillywhite

sundog wrote:

Always good to check the source of the puncture before replacing the tube very carefully avoiding any pinches.

I agree.

TMR

brucebanner wrote:

Perhaps the worst evening in a long while. On my way home to work, I cycle ~100 metres and tyre punctures. Luckly I was very close to the office, so I just headed back to change the tube.

On my way to the cycle show to pump up tyres, and POP! I replace the tube a second time, pump up the tyres and it pops in the shop! I replace it again, head out and POP!

head back to the cycle shop and several people - thank you all - help me in finding the glass shard inside my tyre. I couldn't find any. Another gentlemen - thanks A LOT, dude - with what looked like a Trek 1.5 in Red, Black and White said he was getting rid of his tyres and putting on Armadillo and no longer needed his Bontrager tyres any more. I took his tyre and got home! Thanks again.

Sad thing is two of the inner tubes were Bontrager Race XXX Lite Presta Innertube. I've already patched them. Shall I use them again, just throw the tubes away or use them for an emergency?

I was/am using the stock tyres on the Trek 1.5, but now I'm looking for replacements. What does everyone recommend for the streets of London. Also, bear in mind I haven't had a puncture since I've bought bike, which is ~4 months ago.

You need to change your name to Lance! What bad luck!

sundog

The Mad Rapper wrote:

brucebanner wrote:

Perhaps the worst evening in a long while. On my way home to work, I cycle ~100 metres and tyre punctures. Luckly I was very close to the office, so I just headed back to change the tube.

On my way to the cycle show to pump up tyres, and POP! I replace the tube a second time, pump up the tyres and it pops in the shop! I replace it again, head out and POP!

head back to the cycle shop and several people - thank you all - help me in finding the glass shard inside my tyre. I couldn't find any. Another gentlemen - thanks A LOT, dude - with what looked like a Trek 1.5 in Red, Black and White said he was getting rid of his tyres and putting on Armadillo and no longer needed his Bontrager tyres any more. I took his tyre and got home! Thanks again.

Sad thing is two of the inner tubes were Bontrager Race XXX Lite Presta Innertube. I've already patched them. Shall I use them again, just throw the tubes away or use them for an emergency?

I was/am using the stock tyres on the Trek 1.5, but now I'm looking for replacements. What does everyone recommend for the streets of London. Also, bear in mind I haven't had a puncture since I've bought bike, which is ~4 months ago.

You need to change your name to Lance! What bad luck!

Wait until his chain falls off