BMX - STRANGE problem with tire/tube

When I bought my Hoffman Disrupter, the rear tire/tube had no valve stem coming out of the wheel. the tire didn't feel mushy or anything so I figured it was all good, at least till air was low and I had to fill it again.

That was about half a year ago, and now I noticed that it seems to be feeling even more mushy than normal, so I figured it was time for me to inflate the tire (I hadn't done it up to that point because it wasn't really getting lower, plus there was no value stem). But since there wasn't a value stem, I was going to have to take the tire off. But I tried and of course couldn't get the tire off. So I decided that I would pop the inner tube to let the air out so I could get the tire off and install a new inner tube correctly. So I got a nail, and poked up into the hole in the wheel, and I felt the nail go through and up into the "inner tube". But I pulled the nail out and it wasn't lreaking. I tried again and still nothing. So I took it into a bike shop yesterday, and the guy there had never seen anything like that before. He tried popping the tube but it seemed like it wasn't an ordinary one.

And today I was looking at it (I managed to "pry" part off the tire up so I could see under), and it looked like I had a solid rubber inner tube. (I sliced at it with a razor blade and still nothing happened except there was a gash in the tube.

So now I can't get the tire/tube off, it feels to low to ride it how it is, and I am going to be needing to ride the bike to work on Monday. (Actually I'm at the office right now posting this because the internet at our house is down and wont be back up for probably a few weeks.)

Are there such things as solid rubber inner tubes (it sure looked like it wasn't a solid rubber tire because the inner tube and tire I'm pretty sure were two seperate things)? If so, is that what I have? And what do I do now? Just slice through the entire tire/tube and then shell out 30 bucks for a new tire and tube (although I'd hate to do that because the tire still has a good amount of tread left on it)?

The guy at the bike shop didn't know what to do (he said I could try slicing it off, but he wasn't sure), and I certainly don't know what to do.

Any ideas?

I've seen this happen to a bike at my local shop, it was crazy.

And yes, there are solid rubber inner tubes, but they don't make them anymore.

I think your gonna have to cut it all off and just pay the money to get a regular innertube and new tire

Wow, that's really wierd.

And yes, there are solid rubber inner tubes, but they don't make them anymore.

Yes, they do still make them. They're horrible.

Why would you want a solid innertube except for that fact it would never pop.

You answered your own question there buddy.

Hahaha.

I want solid rubber tires and tubes in one. To see how long they last. Must be like the same as having 110 in your tubes

Yeah they seem really dumb.

good in theory...but i think (and might be wrong) they were a closed-cell foam...the problem is they start to compress, giving the feeling that the tube has lost air.

I guess it could be a closed-cell foam tube (like new_dharma said), but either way it feels mushier than it used to.

So everybody agrees, the only solution is to cut off the tire and tube and pay some money for new a new tire (I should have a spare tube around somewhere)?

Now if I get a new tire, are there any special types a flatlander needs? Or would a more basic tire work just as well? Don't forget I'm hoping to get a new DK Signal sometime in the near future (within a few weeks to a month or two), so I don't want to spend $50 on a tire I won't use all that much.

Just get a cheap street tire or something.

The local bike shop has 20" tires for $20, and they look OK for my bike. I'm figuring I'll go with those.

Of course after I cut off the tire and stuff from my bike.

There isn't any other way to get the "tube" out, without damaging the tire/rim is there? Cause my front tire is wearing out and if I had to replace one of the tires it would definitely be the front, not the rear, but oh well it looks like I'm gonna have to cut everything off if I ever want to ride my bike again.

Excuse my dumb question but...if they were solid, wouldn't they be near impossible to get on and off?

Or is there a special way?

The only way I know of to get them off is to cut through them.

As for putting them on, I have no idea how they did.

The only way I know of to get them off is to cut through them.

As for putting them on, I have no idea how they did.

Maybe when they are first made, they can stretch just enough. Maybe.

It's hard as hell. I put some on my first walmart bike, because I liked to ride over thorns and crap all the time. They're on for life though, at least the life of the tire and tube.

KHE lamello's are good flatland tires. Aswell as Odyssey Frequency's

I might be getting new tires soon. I was thinking Fly Ruben in the front, Animal ASM in the back.

walmart kevlar tires. their cheap and decent. plus whenm they wear out, you can take them back

I might be getting new tires soon. I was thinking Fly Ruben in the front, Animal ASM in the back.

Good choices