Fifty Plus (50+) - bike flats--help

I have had three flats on my same back tire in a month--The 2nd flat the LBS changed the inner wheel
lining--not sure of the terminology there--then I rode 12 miles came home and 6 hours later my tire went flat--a piece of glass has never been found nor any damage to the tire--I keep my tires properly inflated--
I am riding a specialized sirrus on the road w/ stock tires that have 550 miles--
Should I consider an upgrade to an Armidillo tire on the back? Any other ideas?-The LBS is a mile away and is a Specialized dealer.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus. Over 13,000 flat-free miles. My wife's bike has Armadillos, and I'm not impressed with them.

Paul

Changing the rim strip was a good move by the LBS, but it does not guarantee against other type punctures. You need to find the hole in the tube and realign it with it's position in the tire. This will point to the spot in the tire or rim that caused the puncture. That's why it is a good idea to always mount your tires with the label centered at the valve hole.

Take some cotton, rub it around the inside of your tire, it will snag on any tiny sharp object that the eye misses.

It could be a sharp edge at the valve hole. Feel around the hole for any sharp edge. Gently touch up with a rat tail file.

It is important to know if these flats are all caused by the same object, otherwise you are just shooting in the dark hoping to get lucky.

You didn't mention what kind of bike have, but I would dump the stock tires and upgrade to something more durable. The "bullet-proof" tires tend to be heavy (Gatorskins, Armadillos, Schwalbe "puncture resistant") and very slow, but if you are riding a cross/hybrid or MTB this probably isn't so much of a problem. I got tired of fixing flats every other day too, dumped the stock tires on my road bike (1000+ miles), got some Vittoria Rubino Pros, changed the rim strips and tubes, and dusted everything well with talc before assembling and inflating. I never could find what was causing the flats either, but I haven't flatted once since changing the tires. It was worth every penny.

Armadillo.

Another thing to look for is a spoke that pokes up beyond its nipple. I've gotten flats from them. If you find one, just take a small file and file it down.

I have had three flats on my same back tire in a month--The 2nd flat the LBS changed the inner wheel
lining--not sure of the terminology there--then I rode 12 miles came home and 6 hours later my tire went flat--a piece of glass has never been found nor any damage to the tire--I keep my tires properly inflated--
I am riding a specialized sirrus on the road w/ stock tires that have 550 miles--
Should I consider an upgrade to an Armidillo tire on the back? Any other ideas?-The LBS is a mile away and is a Specialized dealer.

I got around 700 miles on the Flak Jackets that came stock on my Sirrus. Then I started getting flats every 10 miles or so. Upgraded to Armadillos and I've only had one flat every 5000 miles. BTW I prefer the 700x 25 over the 28 - if you can find them this time of year. I just replaced my tires and I had to go to four different Specialized dealers before I found one that had Armadillos in stock

I would bet that there is something embedded in your tire or a rough spot on your rim or something of that nature going on. Upgrading tires is fine, but not likely to address the problem.

I have found that goathead remnants can hide within the tire material, and even with using cotton, you can't find them. They only show and flat the tire when the tube is inflated and one is riding, putting pressure against the goathead remnant, which in turn punctures the tube with a tiny hole. The only way is to turn the tire sort of inside out as you carefully inspect each section, giving pressure from the outside of the tire, and it will generally show the goathead remnant. That may be the case with other flatting agents besides goatheads, also. It can drive one nuts.

Get new tires.

Get new tires.

+1
At least replace the back one. I would consider that tire bad luck

+1 Something is wrong with the tire.

Don't buy your way out of a problem. Solve it. Find out why you are getting the flats so you won't just keep getting them. There is always a reason for a flat and that reason is not always an inferior tire.

Don't buy your way out of a problem. Solve it. Find out why you are getting the flats so you won't just keep getting them. There is always a reason for a flat and that reason is not always an inferior tire.

That's what I think too.

Why did the bike shop replace your rim strip? I'm thinking they found a hole on the inside circumference of your inner tube. If the rim strip doesn't cover ever tiny little crescent of rim hole, you will get repeated flats and new tires won't help.

Louis tip about aligning Tyre logo with the valve is good. AS in attachment

Get a puncture and you can pinpoint where the puncture occured. Get 2 punctures in the same spot and you definitely have something in the tyre. Can't feel it? Turn the tyre inside out and it will become feelable if not visible. Then it may be the Stem Valve hole. Normally shows up when well inflated and pulled and twisted. And on those Presta Valves- DO NOT tighten down the nut hard. This will just pull the valve surround into the hole and cause the same problem. Finger tight is enough. Spokes poking through the Rim Tape will cause the same problem but you will be able to check this on where the puncture is.

I always wipe my tyres clean after each ride. Then you can see the Flint- thorn- glass ond prise it out of the tyre before it works it way through the Tyre and into the tube on the next ride.

And finally- a worn tyre will have less rubber on it to keep the Intruder away from the tube.

Lots of good advice above! I've learned some new tricks, too.
I have gatorskins on one bike and Armadillo on the back on the other and Swhalbe on the front. Since I put them on I haven't had a single flat for the past 3000+ miles. I haven't noticed any of these brands being slow, but then I'm not a Lance wannabee although I'm always in the front half of the pack.

Maxxis Re_fuse tires. Tough, and they roll easy!

Probably a stupid point, but make sure LBS installed the right width rim strip. Narrow rims use a much narrower rim strip than a MTB or hybrid rim. I bought a bunch of both widths at Pricepoint, they were cheap. A narrow strip will not adequately cover the dimple from the spokes on a MTB rim.

Right now, they are on sale for $1.49 for a road bike, and $1.98 for the wider mtb version at www.pricepoint.com

Right now, they are on sale for $1.49 for a road bike, and $1.98 for the wider mtb version at www.pricepoint.com

In one of the great ironies of our time, the wide rim tape goes on the narrow rims, and the narrow rim tape goes on the wide rims.

I tried the Armadillo on the back--it seems slower even though it it is a narrower tire-
it seems to have less air pressure even though the pump reads around 120PSI on both front and rear tires
is that common with a flat-resistant tire like the Armadillo?
I have a 30 day exchange with specialized-if I want to change to something else

You do need to find out what is causing the flats. Looking at where the hole in the tube is, then go to that area on the tire and really inspect that area of the tire. Isa the leak on the rim side of the tube or the tire side? And I have had great luck with the Ruffy-Tuffy 700x28 tires from Rivendell. But then again, I am stating to look at some narrower tires for when those wear out, we'll see on that one. But they just do not get flats at all.

Before doing any ride you should make sure the tires are properly inflated. If your tire requires 100 psi, make sure it's at 100 psi. If low, you will likely pinch flat. Pinch flats are probably the most common cause of flatting.

Make sure your tires are in good shape. If worn, obviously replace. Make sure you avoid debris especially glass (sounds simple but you would be surprised). If you run through glass, stop and check your tire for punctures. Also make sure there is no defect with the wheel. Sometimes the spokes are missing a "nipple" or dimple and even new rim tape won't help.

There really is no excuse for flats on a properly inflated tire on a new bike. You can try a different tire - I recommend the Cont. Gatorskin over the Armadillo. I put my 'skins on last July and not had a flat since then. Also try a wider tire... like a 25 or 28. Less likely to flat then narrow tires.

Lastly, use good tubes. I bought some Performance tubes years back and they all promptly flatted (after 4 flats, I gave the rest of the tubes away). Turns out they were splitting at the seam or near the valve. Now I only buy Specialized tubes. Now no flats.

I tried the Armadillo on the back--it seems slower even though it it is a narrower tire-
it seems to have less air pressure even though the pump reads around 120PSI on both front and rear tires
is that common with a flat-resistant tire like the Armadillo?
I have a 30 day exchange with specialized-if I want to change to something else

Armadillo tires trade just about everything else for superior puncture resistance. That's what I like about them and that's also what I don't like about them.