Puncture help

Crazy Climber

Hi. This is my first post here so hello to all.

Having just changed jobs my aim is to commute to work (10 miles each way) from south London to Surrey.

This was all going great for the first week. Then the second week and the beginning of this week I have been somewhat hindered by punctures - 4 in the past two weeks! First thing I've done it change the tire, I now have (after much reading of reviews and peoples experiences) a Specialised Armadillo on the rear ( the problem wheel)

This still has not seemed to help me much - two punctures this week already! I am avoiding pot holes as best as I can do and am being as carefull as I can in putting tubes.

So my question is this, Either I am getting the repairs wrong, so can someone point me in the direction of a good guide to see if I can figure out where I'm going wrong.

Or is there anything I can put in the tube to help seal it should I get a puncture (I am fully aware that noting will stop punctures altogether but surely there has to be something I can do to reduce the number)?

I am using a road bike currently on 700x28C tires, running at aprox 100psi.

Any help would be much appreciated!!

Thanks.

meanredspider

What sort of punctures are they? Penetration punctures (glass, thorns etc) or pinch flats (on the side of the inner tube - typically two holes side-by-side: a "snake-bite")?

Without waiting for answers, the most puncture-proof set-up I've arrived at (30-mile Highland commute) is Continental Gatorskin tyres (23mm)(they have a kevlar anti-puncture belt), standard inners, and 120psi. I almost never get a flat. Whatever you do, don't bother with Slime or the like - far more trouble than it's worth.

rhann

no had a problem with slime, very useful had many punctures that ive not noticed and carried on

meanredspider

rhann wrote:

no had a problem with slime, very useful had many punctures that ive not noticed and carried on

To be fair, I think it's a Marmite product - either love it or hate it. I notice on Wiggle that only 2/3rds of people would recommend.

For me it only stopped 1 out of 3 punctures - then caused 2 more punctures when the patches I fitted came off a week after I'd fitted them.

Safe to say, I've had less punctures with a standard inner and a puncture-proof outer (Gator) than a puncture-proof inner and mildly puncture-proof outer (Schwalbe Lugano)

Buckled_Rims

Sounds like a foreign bit of dirt/grit is on your rims or stuck in your tyre. Take off both the tyre and inner and double check nothing is in them. Next inspect your wheel rim for sharp bits of swarf or damage.

Only when you're absolutely sure there's nothing in the rim or tyre, then you can suspect it's the way you fit the inner and tyre.

Crazy Climber

Yea I checked the rim and the tire, cleaned them and checked them again. and can find nothing that looks out of the ordinary.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... t-ec018205

This is what I've been looking at if anyone has any experience with it or anything similar. Also can you get this stuff through a presta valve?

as you say, I've heard some people say its great others say don't go near it. Some also say you cant get it in through a presta valve?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bon ... e-ec001854

This was another option, again, any thoughts on these?

Thanks

Crazy Climber

What sort of punctures are they? Penetration punctures (glass, thorns etc) or pinch flats (on the side of the inner tube - typically two holes side-by-side: a "snake-bite")?

What tyres do you have fitted? (ie brand and model)

Punctures are only single holes, but I cannot find anything penetrating the tire, or on the inside of it that would cause a puncture....

the tires are Specialized All Condition Armadillos 700x28C so should be relatively puncture proof...

meanredspider

Where on the inner are the punctures? Side, inner or outer surface. There's rarely any point fixing a flat until you're sure what's caused it. Simply match the inner to the wheel and tyre (using the valve as a reference point) to find the cause.

I don't believe in tyre sealants are necessary.

MichaelW

Remove your tyre and check for small fragments of glass, metal or flint protruding inside. You have to bend the tyre sort of inside out and run your finger over to feel.

Check that the spokes dont protrude.
Use some decent rim tape. Velox cloth tape is good.

Check the valve hole for sharp edges and smoothe off with emery paper
Make sure that the inner tube is replaced with the valve pointing to the hub.

The Rookie

A puncture has to have a cause (they don't just happen), either your leaving the cause in the wheel each time you 'repair' it or you are the cause during the 'repair' process.

I'm not on puncture proof tyres and have had one in 1000miles.

Simon

Crazy Climber

The punctures appear to vairy in position, I have checked the inside of the tire, the outside and the rinm and cannot see anything untoward that would be the culpret (and lined the tube up with the rim and tire to) hence leaning towards the conclusion it is the way i am putting it all back together...

Anyone have any good tips for a mong to make sure I'm doing what I can to avoid my work causing punctures?

meanredspider

Tips? Put a bit of air in the tube before putting the tyre on. Helps prevent the inner getting pinched. Don't use levers unless absolutely necessary to get it on - just use hands/fingers.

Personally though I doubt it's your reassembly. If you pinch the inner then put 100psi in it, you soon find out - certainly before you mount the beast.

Where on the inner are the holes? on the outer circumference (likely a penetration puncture), on the side flanks (likely a pinch flat or reassembly fault) or the inner face (likely a wheel/spoke issue)

Crazy Climber

Well I've just fitted a brand new tube, gave the rim and tire a good look over and all seemed ok, fitted the tube with some air in it, and iv got it up to 80psi at the min, so going to leave it a while and fingers crossed I'll be cycling again tomorrow!!

The latest puncture appeared to be on the side... I have just been very careful and used hand and thumbs to fit the new tube so we'll see what happens next.

In the mean time, thanks for all the advice!!

Tom

jeremyrundle

I never get a puncture, I use Slime innertubes AND slime inserts between the tube and tyre, I want to avoid the problems, I feel for people who have to repair punctures in the rain or cold.

meanredspider

jeremyrundle wrote:

I use Slime innertubes AND slime inserts .

I was always taught that prevention was better than cure

meanredspider

Crazy Climber wrote:

The latest puncture appeared to be on the side...

and definitely just a single hole?

Try lifting the pressure to 110psi on your final inflation and check it very frequently. I check mine every day.

jeremyrundle

What bikes do you people ride, all my tyres say 30-65psi, yet here you talk 100+

meanredspider

jeremyrundle wrote:

What bikes do you people ride, all my tyres say 30-65psi, yet here you talk 100+

Road ("racing") bike tyres (eg 700x23) typically need pressures of 100-120 psi. They are much narrower and pressure is a measure of force (your weight) over area (the contact patch of the tyre) - hence the high pressures (your weight stays the same but the tyre is much narrower).

Make sense?

The Rookie

If you trap a bit of tube between tyre and rim it can take a while to cause a puncture...

Most manufacturers recommend you inflate the tube just enough so that it holds shape during assembly to reduce the chance of that (or lever pinches) happening.

If you never find the cause of the puncture, it was either you or you left it in there.

Simon

fatherted

jeremyrundle wrote:

What bikes do you people ride, all my tyres say 30-65psi, yet here you talk 100+

Roadbike.
65psi is just over half what I put into my 23mm tyres.

jeremyrundle

Ah, so roadbike needs more psi than mtb