Constant punctures

jamlala

Hi all

As a not-so relative newbie I was wondering if anyone could help me re punctures. Never had 1 in 3 years of riding. At the Dartmoor Classic I popped a spoke, they mechanics straightened it enough for me to finish before popping another on the way to the car park (phew!). Took it into my LBS where the lads replaced the spoke and trued the wheel up. The weekend after I did the Ride to the Horns (no I'm not sure either), and I got 4 f**king punctures. Fortunately was riding with my other half so had enough tubes (just) to get round. On the final change I noticed the tape that is on the rim had sliped over to one side exposing the holes where the spokes attach to the wheel. I assumed that under pressure the inner tubes had poked down the 'oles and then burst....simples!

Got back home, LBS trued the wheel up again as it had buckled slightly, I took it home, put new tyres on both wheels and thought that all was good (having checked the tape over the holes! Did 25 miles on Sun, no probs. Went out for a few miles tonight, a puncture and a 6 miles walk home in socks and now heavily blistered feet are my reward. On invesitgation the rim tape had slipped a tiny bit exposing one or two of the spoke holes again. Is the rim tape the issue? Looks more like insulating tape compared to the textiled tape that was there before.

Any suggestions? I love my LBS but am getting rapidly pissed off now, I JUST WANT TO RIDE MY BIKE!!!

wheelygood

Replace the rim tape with some of the stcky type of tape such a Velox. It won't slip out of place.

kingrollo

Stating the obvious but sort the rim tape and take it from there.

if it persists swap the tyres.

Bobbinogs

Went out for a few miles tonight, a puncture and a 6 miles walk home in socks and now heavily blistered feet are my reward

?? How comes? Did you not repair the tubes from the other day and take a spare working tube with you? I cannot imagine going out without at least one spare tube.

I do recommend the Park sticky patches, great in case you have a puncture mare...but I echo the comments above about sorting out the rim tape by simply replacing it.

glanma

Had a similar prob myself recently - almost every time I went out I got a puncture! Swopped tyres tubes and rim tape numerous times but the problem wouldn't go away. So decided to change the rims - and not had a puncture since! I'd had no spoke issues previously so not sure if our problems are the same but could be worth trying.

Headhuunter

I had a problem with that sh!tty rubber rim "tape", the type that's a thin strip of rubber, the same material as an inner tube, that you simply drop over the inside of the rim. It kept moving and exposing the heads of the spokes and I got puncture after puncture... In the end I worked out what it was and replaced the rubber strip with actual tape and haven't had any problems since....

MichaelW

Use Velox rim tape.
There is no need to remove rim tape when you replace a spoke, you can re-use the existing spoke nipple.

godders1

Check for burrs on the rim holes too, have had one poking through the rim tape and causing multiple punctures before.