P**cture

straas

Got a p**cture on the way home on friday, checked the inside of the tyre thoroughly and found no obvious cause, so bunged a new tube in and got on my way.

Went to take the bike out this morning and the same tyre was flat, checked the tyre again (nothing) and checked for any sharp surfaces or spokes poking through but found nothing.

The tyres on the bike are continental gatorskins, I've done around 4000km on them and they were on the bike when I bought it (2nd hand) so unsure of the actual mileage on them. Is it possible that the tyre is too thin and this is causing the p**ctures?

meanredspider

Rim tape moved? Have you matched the hole in the tube against the rim and tyre and thoroughly checked for causes?

thistle_

meanredspider wrote:

Rim tape moved? Have you matched the hole in the tube against the rim and tyre and thoroughly checked for causes?

+1 for lining up the tube in the tyre to narrow down the location.

I've had a few mysterious punctures which have turned out to be small shards of glass in the tyre. The only way I found them was by poking a small screwdriver in the cut marks on the outer of the tyre.

If the tyre was worn through, you normally get an abrasion tyre mark on the innertube rather than a discrete hole.

milemuncher1

The last time I had a 'mystery puncture' it turned out to be something hiding under the rim tape, it didn't puncture the tube until I was actually riding the bike, and I never would have found it, without taking the rim tape off.

pblakeney

I have had this before. It turned out to be a miniscule glass shard that only made it presence known under full pressure and full load. I found it my matching the tube to the tyre, turning the tyre inside out and folding it to open the tyre up between threads.

imatfaal

Cotton wool swept around inside of the tyre works well - it will catch a few fibres even on bits of glass that you cannot see. Otherwise invert the tyre and check methodically

davis

imatfaal wrote:

Cotton wool swept around inside of the tyre works well - it will catch a few fibres even on bits of glass that you cannot see.

That is genius, sir.

warreng

PBlakeney wrote:

I have had this before. It turned out to be a miniscule glass shard that only made it presence known under full pressure and full load. I found it my matching the tube to the tyre, turning the tyre inside out and folding it to open the tyre up between threads.

+1 for this. I had one that went through a couple of tubes before I found it - drove me mad

Every Friday night I turn the bike upside down and pick out stones and glass from the tyres with a Swiss Army knife - normally pick out half a dozen potential troublemakers. Last Friday I'd had a couple of ales and a pair of gins and slipped and ruined my front tyre

greg66_tri_v2.0

davis wrote:

imatfaal wrote:

Cotton wool swept around inside of the tyre works well - it will catch a few fibres even on bits of glass that you cannot see.

That is genius, sir.

It is, but I found an easier solution when I had a mystery repetitive puncture.

Bin the tyre.

It's cursed. Accept that it is cursed and move on.

hopkinb

Greg speaks sense. I had about 6 in a week with a 2 month old Schwalbe One on my rear wheel last year. Tried all the tricks, but kept exploding, obviously due to a curse. Threw it away in a huff and have only had one since, and i didnt have too much bother identifying the culprit.

straas

Thanks for the advice - I've got another tyre on order. Went for foldable with the hope it's easier to remove and install - the gatorskin with the wire bead is a complete tw*t to get back on.

milemuncher1

straas wrote:

Thanks for the advice - I've got another tyre on order. Went for foldable with the hope it's easier to remove and install - the gatorskin with the wire bead is a complete tw*t to get back on.

If you're using a folding bead tyre, you may find a new thing happens. When you change the tyre, the bead can fold under the tube, and you may find that you tend to have to un jam the side wall, before pumping it back up fully. I've found this happens more regularly with folding beads, than with wired beads. If you do see that the tyre has folded under, and got stuck, all you need to do, is work your way round the tyre, and gently prize the bead up into the clincher. If you ride off with the tyre trapped, you'll have a fairly instant pinch flat to deal with.

essex-commuter

Been there....here's my woes...

viewtopic.php?f=40012&t=13078648

surrey_commuter

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

davis wrote:

imatfaal wrote:

Cotton wool swept around inside of the tyre works well - it will catch a few fibres even on bits of glass that you cannot see.

That is genius, sir.

It is, but I found an easier solution when I had a mystery repetitive puncture.

Bin the tyre.

It's cursed. Accept that it is cursed and move on.

+1 - £30 to cure a curse is money well spent

rick_chasey

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

davis wrote:

imatfaal wrote:

Cotton wool swept around inside of the tyre works well - it will catch a few fibres even on bits of glass that you cannot see.

That is genius, sir.

It is, but I found an easier solution when I had a mystery repetitive puncture.

Bin the tyre.

It's cursed. Accept that it is cursed and move on.

Says he who wants to commute on tubs

greg66_tri_v2.0

Rick Chasey wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

davis wrote:

imatfaal wrote:

Cotton wool swept around inside of the tyre works well - it will catch a few fibres even on bits of glass that you cannot see.

That is genius, sir.

It is, but I found an easier solution when I had a mystery repetitive puncture.

Bin the tyre.

It's cursed. Accept that it is cursed and move on.

Says he who wants to commute on tubs

But that is one of the great things about tubs. You cannot get that annoying curse that keeps killing inner tube after inner tube.