Pinch Flats

[Halthane]

So I've been having lots of problems with pinch flats on the rear tire. I'm running at proper opperating pressures, with properly mounted tubes and tires. My tires are getting a little old (~1800 mi), but they don't seem like the tread is getting especially thin, but the sidewalls do feel a little bit softer/more flexible and I was wondering if that could be having anything to do with it.

[Bill Kapaun]

Pinch flats are caused by under inflation, period. Have you checked the accuracy of your gauge?
Maybe the tubes have been "slightly" hammered enough times (or getting "rotten" enough) that they are now reaching the point of a puncture.?
Crank the pressure up another 10 PSI.

[Halthane]

Pinch flats are caused by under inflation, period. Have you checked the accuracy of your gauge?
Maybe the tubes have been "slightly" hammered enough times (or getting "rotten" enough) that they are now reaching the point of a puncture.?
Crank the pressure up another 10 PSI.

I'll check the gauge but it's new enough that I doubt it's off call, and its happened with old and new tubes. But thanks for the info. I'll try the pressure thing though.

[Tom Stormcrowe]

Sounds like time for a new tire! The tire may be starting to break down on ya. The best way to tell is if you start flatting a lot!

[Halthane]

Sounds like time for a new tire! The tire may be starting to break down on ya. The best way to tell is if you start flatting a lot!

Thats what I was starting think last night after my first reply. I'm using the same pump, the same tubes and the same mounting technique as I use on the front, but I'm not having flats on the front end, or on my commuter, so off to the LBS I must go, oh darn. Ya know, i need new gloves too.... and I could use...

[Wogsterca]

Thats what I was starting think last night after my first reply. I'm using the same pump, the same tubes and the same mounting technique as I use on the front, but I'm not having flats on the front end, or on my commuter, so off to the LBS I must go, oh darn. Ya know, i need new gloves too.... and I could use...

Hint, put the NEW tire on your front wheel, and the old front tire on the back, you always want your best tire on the front, a catastrophic tire failure on the back, will at worst cause the back end to wash out. A Catastrophic tire failure on the front, will often result in the rider doing a forward unplanned dismount, flying over the handlebars landing on their face. :eek::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

You can also extend the life of your tires slightly, a front tire will usually last 3 times what a rear one will, so that front tire is hardly used when you put it on the back, and your putting that new one on the front.

[Halthane]

That as the say... is the plan

Hint, put the NEW tire on your front wheel, and the old front tire on the back, you always want your best tire on the front, a catastrophic tire failure on the back, will at worst cause the back end to wash out. A Catastrophic tire failure on the front, will often result in the rider doing a forward unplanned dismount, flying over the handlebars landing on their face. :eek::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

You can also extend the life of your tires slightly, a front tire will usually last 3 times what a rear one will, so that front tire is hardly used when you put it on the back, and your putting that new one on the front.

[Pinyon]

I had a bad tire too. Up until last Friday, I had only 2 flats since March. But between Friday and Tuesday, I had 4 flat tires, and all of them on the rear tire. Reading this thread yesterday made me investigate my tire. It was flat as a pancake where it hit the road, and very thin. Those Armadillo tires work great at preventing flats, but they wear out after about a year for me.

I got a new tire yesterday, a Continenal Ultra-Gartorskin (had a gift card from lbs that does not sell specialized armadillo tires), and had no flats during a 54 mile ride this morning. I was riding up 12% slope hills nortorious for goat-head thorns this time of year too. No problems so far. :)

[hammond9705]

What width tire are you running? I think wider tires help avoid pinch flats also.

[fbagatelleblack]

What width tire are you running? I think wider tires help avoid pinch flats also.

Wider tires definitely help against pinch flats.

Also, the "recommended" tire pressure might work fine for a 150lb person, but the extra weight of a 200+lb Clyde is going to definitely increase the likelihood of pinch flats, especially with narrower tires, at any given pressure.

Yes, softened sidewalls and rotten tubes will increase the chances of pinch flats as well.

I love my 32mm Pasela TGs. Never pinched 'em once.

- FBB

[Halthane]

Swapped the tires and that was definitely the problem. Using the exact same conti ultrasport 28s (as wide as I can fit in the stays) and the difference is obvious. It had been riding a little like the tires were flat even at full pressure now it rides fine. I think the sidewalls were just to soft. Rides great now so I imagine that was the issue.

[socalrider]

I really think that all us riders in the clyde category have to choose our tires wisely.. I have been using continental Gatorskins, 3000 & 4000 tires with great success.. I bought some Hutchinson TDF team tires on sale via performance and had nothing but grief with pinch flats.. Some tires are just too soft for heavier riders..

Since taking them off, I have been flat free with the continentals for 200 miles.. With the Hutchinsons, I had 5 flats in 3 rides, all pinch flats..