Folding Bikes - 16" inner tube recommendations? - Mine keep splitting!

Hello all,

This is really starting to grate my cheese. Since I've had my Strida 3, I've had no end of inner tube problems. Basically, they keep splitting along the joins/seams. I've bought various brands from both the Halfords and Evans cycle shops down the road, but they only seem to last about 3-4 weeks before going flat. Can anyone recommend a good/reinforced/reliable inner tube - size 16" x 1.5" or 1.75"?

Cheers,

Rich

Hello all,

This is really starting to grate my cheese. Since I've had my Strida 3, I've had no end of inner tube problems. Basically, they keep splitting along the joins/seams. I've bought various brands from both the Halfords and Evans cycle shops down the road, but they only seem to last about 3-4 weeks before going flat. Can anyone recommend a good/reinforced/reliable inner tube - size 16" x 1.5" or 1.75"?

Cheers,

Rich
That's a ridiculous failure rate. Are you sure there is no cause inside the tyre? If you used different brands, this can't be a quality issue.

I've ridden my Merc almost 1700 miles on the same tubes over a year and a bit. they have never gone flat or had a puncture yet. I just top up the air about once every three weeks to keep the tyres near enough to the recommended pressure.

You can buy these tubes from Merk Bike and sometimes on ebay. The tyres cost £6.50 and have a kevlar belt which is the main reason why I've had no punctures. The tread of the tyre has some bad cuts, but nothing has gone inside. Tubes cost £2.95', but m sure they are just ordinary ones, so that's why I think you have a problem inside the tyre.

http://www.sheeaune.co.uk/shop/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=53&cat=Merc+Bike+Spares

Hello all,

This is really starting to grate my cheese. Since I've had my Strida 3, I've had no end of inner tube problems. Basically, they keep splitting along the joins/seams. I've bought various brands from both the Halfords and Evans cycle shops down the road, but they only seem to last about 3-4 weeks before going flat. Can anyone recommend a good/reinforced/reliable inner tube - size 16" x 1.5" or 1.75"?

Cheers,

Rich

On both wheels?

What pressure are you running them?

We raised the pressures to ~ 70 psi (depends how (in)accurate our gauge is of course) & haven't had so many. Also I've fitted 2 "ATB Duro" tyres from SJS cycles & had no punctures for about a month now.

Sadly the big apple & Marathon I fitted both had a puncture from sharp flints, so I haven't found them to be any more reliable.

Thanks for the replies :)

It's weird - I don't think there's a problem with the tyre itself. I put in some tyre liners which has stopped any punctures - the splits are happening where you can see the manufacturing seam on the edge of the inner tube, and it's only happening on the back wheel (where most of the weight is on a Strida). The pressure is good but not excessive - about 40psi I think.

Maybe the width of the inner tube causes it to rub excessively on the inside edges of the tyre - causing the seams to weaken...? I remember the original recommendation was to use 16"x1.5" but when I could only find 16"x1.75", I spoke to the people at Strida and they said that should be fine...but I'm wondering if it is too wide...hmm

Thanks for the replies :)

The pressure is good but not excessive - about 40psi I think.

Maybe the width of the inner tube causes it to rub excessively on the inside edges of the tyre - causing the seams to weaken...? I remember the original recommendation was to use 16"x1.5" but when I could only find 16"x1.75", I spoke to the people at Strida and they said that should be fine...but I'm wondering if it is too wide...hmm

It might be worth going up to 50 just to see if there's any improvement.

Is this a longitudinal seam, or lateral?

I just buy whatever tubes I come across, usually no name Chinese ones. We've had a couple bulge a lot near the valve too.

I've just bought a couple from Asda supermarket, but they're 1.75 too, which in some cases does feel too big, but so far they've mostly been ok.

I did notice that one my wheels had a raised internal sharpish ridge, from the manufacturing mould I imagine. I just used fine sandpaper to flatten it out, but I don't think it actually caused a puncture.

Also it's best to look for the metric sizes if possible, to avoid being sold 349 instead of 305's, which we have on a Strida. This may be handy:

http://www.harwoodcycles.com/tyre_size.htm

It's weird - I don't think there's a problem with the tyre itself. I put in some tyre liners which has stopped any puncturesAh - there's your problem! The tyre liners are the cause - check for sharp edges along the liner. These will cause slits in the tube which look like seam splits. Use sandpaper or something to blunt the edge of the liner.

The pressure is good but not excessive - about 40psi I think.



Actually, I'll amend my figure to 65 psi, as I've just read that 65 is the designer's recommendation for plastic wheels! So maybe running them at ~ 70 as I have been for the last month has helped. Obviously there are many variables with punctures. It could be that 40 is a contributing factor. On my other bike I've got Schwalbe marathons at 100 psi, & no punctures yet (so today when I go out.... ;-) )

Running the Strida at 70-ish hasn't caused Chop!'s "big bang" experience (another thread), but then we've only had torrential rain, not loads of sunshine recently :-)

Jur,

are there big differences in liners then? I'm looking at this "Panaracer Flat-Away" liner here, which I still haven't tried, & it feels pretty smooth, or is it perhaps the adhesive tape that has sharp edges?

Jur,

are there big differences in liners then? I'm looking at this "Panaracer Flat-Away" liner here, which I still haven't tried, & it feels pretty smooth, or is it perhaps the adhesive tape that has sharp edges?
Not all tyre liners are nice and smooth along the edges; if you cut a set shorter to fit small wheels, then presto! sharp edges. Likewise if you cut some wide ones narrower, which is what I did once, only to flat 40 minutes later with long slits in the tube.

BTW, there aren't real seams, the ridges that look like seams are just the mould edges where the rubber seeped in during manufacture.