Bicycle Mechanics - Three Flats, Three days in a row!!!!!!

In the last three years I have ridden three different bikes around 20,000 miles. MOst of these miles have been on unpaved roads with lots of road hazards. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how flat tires come in waves. They ALWAYS do.

Wednesday:

Riding mountain bike with IRC Mythos Slick MTB tires, 26 X 1.95. About 3 miles into ride i notice the front is going down. I stop and air it up hoping the slime will take hold. It never does. So I get off and patch the tube and complete the ride.

Thursday

Same bike. About 15 miles into the ride, on a gravel section, I notice the back tire is going down. Again, i stop and air it as it seems to be pretty slow. I am able to ride about 5 miles between getting off to add air. This increases and i end up pumping about 5 times total to get home. Still this was faster than removing wheel and repairing.

Friday

Completely different bike. My other Trek 4300. It has 26 X 1.4 Ritchey Tom Slicks on it. I leave the house, early AM as usual and it is sprinkling lightly. The roadway is wet. I ride about half a mile from my house and i hear a gusher. With the wet roadway it sounds like a runaway garden hose, as the tire spins round and round. I quickly turn back home and repair the tire at home before setting off again.

________________________________

So now you can see that I have had three flat tires on three different wheels in three different rides. Completely nuts. This has happened before believe it or not. Whenever i get flats, they come in waves. The ironic thing is that my last flat before this week, was probably early last Spring. In other words, probably at least a thousand or more miles ago.

I also ride a road bike. I will be riding it tomorrow early AM. Undoubtedly I will get a flat. Even though I haven't had a flat on my road bike this season. (Approx. 1500 miles)

I had the exact same experience earlier this summer, three flats in three days on two different bikes. And I knew it was gonna happen that way because it's happened before... so weird.

Like I said in the SSFG forum, bad things cluster. So do good things.

I had the exact same experience earlier this summer, three flats in three days on two different bikes. And I knew it was gonna happen that way because it's happened before... so weird.

I had two in the last three days. I'm talking blow outs BANG!!! This first one I just got done installing chainrings and a crank. Wanted to test my work so I thought I would put some air in the tires first with this real slow 12v compressor. Tire just about done and BANG!!!

The second blow out, I was just sitting eating dinner and from the other room.............. BANG!!! This time it's the back tire. All on it own. No assistance from anyone.

These are both new tires and tubes. Less then a week old. I replaced them because the bike had all original tires and tubes in them. Thought it was the safest thing to do. Now I have the original 26 year old tubes back in.

I'm now sure why this is happening but I'm looking into it.

Haven't had the third blow out yet and I hope I don't!

J B

I haven't gotten a flat in a long while but i run armadillos which help though they are far from flat proof.before i had the armadillos i had sefras "flat proof tires" on my rear and had about 3 flats in a row got so upset that i just went out and bought the armadillos Built my first bike for my roomate this week and we had two blow outs, the tires weren't on the rim exatly right leaving a bludge when filled up to 90 PSI the exploded. Usually when i put any tire on i fill it up half way and check for bludges by spining the wheel but in my excitment for the first bike i ever built i became careless.

Sounds like you may be running your "tars" (as we say in Kentucky) under-inflated. Are you getting pinch flats (two holes in the tube like a snake bite)? Since I have been running my tires 10% over-inflated, I have not gotten one flat. I weigh 190, which puts a lot of pressure on an under inflated rear tire, so I make sure I am running the pressure at 110%.

Sounds like you may be running your "tars" (as we say in Kentucky) under-inflated. Are you getting pinch flats (two holes in the tube like a snake bite)? Since I have been running my tires 10% over-inflated, I have not gotten one flat. I weigh 190, which puts a lot of pressure on an under inflated rear tire, so I make sure I am running the pressure at 110%.


Not a factor. I keep my tires on the high side just so the slime has a chance to work. I could run lower pressures since i only weigh 150. It's common to think there is something you can do to prevent these types of flats. It's also wrong.

...I thought I would put some air in the tires first with this real slow 12v compressor. Tire just about done and BANG!!!

The second blow out, I was just sitting eating dinner and from the other room.............. BANG!!! This time it's the back tire...These are both new tires and tubes...

I'm now sure why this is happening but I'm looking into it.


Ummm... COMPRESSOR, dude! You're more than likely overinflating your tyres. Your pressure gauge may be broken or something

I read this thread before riding today. "Shouldn't a dun it"!! Final 11 miles of a 50 mile ride - I'm walking my bike across a bridge (where we two-wheelers are not allowed to ride across - gotta walk, don't ya know).

Get to the other side, and my rear tire is flat as a flitter. Down to my last spare tube, but I did have it and my pump with me. Changed the tube and rode the rest of the way home - no prob. I actually managed to get 105 psi into the new tube with my hand pump (seems I have a problem getting full pressure using that hand pump.

It had been a while since I had a flat - so, I guess I cannot complain.

Pulled what looked like a 3/4-inch strand of cable out of the side wall of my Schwalbe Kevlar belted tire - can't imagine how I managed to hit something that embedded a single strand of wire through my sidewall like that - spent the entire day riding the roads - go figure.

Caruso

Ummm... COMPRESSOR, dude! You're more than likely overinflating your tyres. Your pressure gauge may be broken or something


The compressor is a real slow 12v and I switch it off and on during inflating to flex and role the tires. I have two tire gages and I use the one that reads a little lower then the other. I did find out the reason was because I am using old smooth beaded rims and the tire wants to lift off the rim. I am looking for better tires for these rims. I don't want to update the rims because I want to keep the bike stock. Also these rims only have under 100 miles on them. Real nice aluminum.

J B

Take those "real nice" low-mileage rims off your bike. Store them in a safe location, and get more modern wheels for your bike. You can always "restore" the bike to its original "stock" condition whenever you feel like it. In the meantime, you'll have better wheels for every day riding, and you can pump your tires up to respectable pressure without assuring blow outs.

Been der, dun dat.

Caruso

I had two in the last three days. I'm talking blow outs BANG!!! This first one I just got done installing chainrings and a crank. Wanted to test my work so I thought I would put some air in the tires first with this real slow 12v compressor. Tire just about done and BANG!!!

The second blow out, I was just sitting eating dinner and from the other room.............. BANG!!! This time it's the back tire. All on it own. No assistance from anyone.

These are both new tires and tubes. Less then a week old. I replaced them because the bike had all original tires and tubes in them. Thought it was the safest thing to do. Now I have the original 26 year old tubes back in.

I'm now sure why this is happening but I'm looking into it.

Haven't had the third blow out yet and I hope I don't!

J B

To be honest it looks like you've not seated the tyre properly on the rim or caught the tube under the tyre, and as its inflated its bulged out from under it, and the tyre's popped it (results in a massive BANG!) and a puncture like you show.

M3ta7h3ad,
"I did find out the reason was because I am using old smooth beaded rims and the tire wants to lift off the rim."



Take those "real nice" low-mileage rims off your bike. Store them in a safe location, and get more modern wheels for your bike.


Caruso

Caruso,
That is a good idea but now I have to shop for everything including freewheel and all its assemblies? Or do I get rims with everything already assembled? I doubt everything from my old wheel assemblies will fit a newer rim. Like I say you make a good point. I just don't know all the options at this point for doing this. I would need to do some research on this.

Can you tell me exactly what you think I would need?

Thanks for your help,
J B

Continental Ultra-Gatorskins + MrTuffys = no mo flats!!!!1elven

I think I could shoot my tires with a gun and only damage the rims.


Now watch me get a flat tomarrow....