jnlabay

This is the 3rd time in 2 weeks I have blown on a ride and starting to get alil tired of changing tire dont get me wrong i am getting faster but is this common for everyone...i have conti ultra's on there now is it just the tires,road, me or what i am confussed???

Flatballer

You're doing something wrong. Or have really crappy luck. Or you ride 600 miles a week, and have somewhat poor luck. Or you keep throwing beer bottles on the road in front of you and then running over them.

hammy56

What psi?

DannoXYZ 

Take a closer look at what kind of damage you have. Is the tyre OK afterwards? Is the tube shredded with big gashes or star-shaped holes?

johnny99

What does "blew a tire" mean? Did the tire come off the rim while you were riding? Is there a hole in the tire itself or just the tube? Is the hole in the tube in exactly the same place (relative to the valve stem) every time?

Machka 

Conti Ultras are great tires ... I do my long distance cycling on them.


But are you just getting flat tubes, or are there visible holes in your tires?

And what psi do you have the tires at? I find they work best somewhere between 90 and 100 psi.

mnkyman

tires or tubes?

dysFTP

Post a pic of the damaged area of the tube.

jnlabay

Sorry I should have been more specific...their is no real gashes in the tube or anything that i can see with the naked eye and cant really tell were the leak is but their is one because the tube keeps going flat, the tires look good also, ive looked inside the tire and cant find anything sticking threw to make punctures any suggestion should i change the tire out for another one or just keep replacing tubes because it is always the back tire and i run about 110psi on the tubes

captnfantastic

I would rather not talk about this subject.

But, since you asked... I got 3 flats in 2 weeks once. Turned out it was my rim tape. It was the non-adhesive kind and it was slipping to the side and puncturing the tube in the spoke holes. I got some better cloth-type rim tape and haven't had a problem since. :::knock on wood:::

Machka 

First, figure out where the leak is.

dysFTP

You can't diagnose the problem until you find the leak. Put some air in it and stick it in a bucket of water and get back to us. Or send the tube to me along w/ a money order for $200 and I'll diagnose your problem.

captnfantastic

take your tube out next time, pump it up partially and see where air is seeping out. If it is a pinhole on the top it's probably a puncture from the road. If it is on the inside of the tube it is probably the wheel (rim tape) and if it is on the side of the tube you are not seating them right when you put them on and pinching them. psi is not the problem.

Mr. Beanz

The main rason riders place the valve stem in alignment with the tire label. Makes it easy to track down the culprit. I sometimes use a flashlight to inspect the tire closely. Glass will reflect amking an easy spot!

I hate this method but sometimes have to run y finger along the inside of the tire to find a thorn.

The other day I had a leak so small I could not find it even after I knew where it was! Had to return to the buicket 3 times. Finally marked it with a wax pencil.

I paid some good cash for Conti 4000's (Black Chili compound) after some friends said they were puncture resistant. Uhhh,,no! They are on my wife's bike, much lighter than my big butt and she has like 4 flats in 2 months. All little itty bitty pieces of glass. We ride smoothly paved trails.

yogi13

I've also had mixed luck with the Conti 4000s. Haven't had a puncture flat, but did have a small hole in the tire expand out into a bulge with tube showing through. Tire had maybe 700 miles on it. This wasn't a slash, but looked like something caused by a glass sliver.

Back to the OP, like others said, you need to figure out where the hole in the tube is. If on the tire side look for a piece of glass, a thorn, or maybe a piece of wire. If on the inner side, feel the rim to see if there is a rough spot, bad rim tape, or some debris.

Of course, it could just be the flat gods venting their wrath...or that you're riding in the winter, when roads are wet and all the sharp things in the road have a tendency to stick to your tires, causing more frequent punctures.

jcpups608

It might be the rim, not the tire or tube. Conti tires have treated me very well.
I assume all on the same wheel?

A faulty wheel(rim) or improper tube replacement tend to be the culprits in this type of situation.
Be careful pumping the tire up. That's usually when the tube gets pinched.

werewolf

I was getting a lot of flats when i was running my tires at max. pressure, but I've gotten much fewer - none actually - knock on wood! - since I lowered the pressure, but still withing the recommended range. I do not notice any more rolling resistance and the ride is more comfortable, too.

Basil Moss

Sometimes conti gatorskins can hold a sharp deep enough in the tyre that it is nearly impossible to find, buy when you inflate a fresh tube in it, it will soon puncture it. This is where the tyre label trick is handy, and a folding tyre is very useful, as you can fold it pretty much inside out. Look in very good light and you'll find it.

werewolf

Too f'ing predictable. I got a flat today, rather a slow leak - tire went flat overnight. I needs some better quality tubes, I think.

Val23708

check the rim tape.. also make sure the tube isnt being pinched under the bead when you put them on.

liquefied

It's been about 3000 miles since my last flat. Mount your tires and tubes correctly and ride carefully.

werewolf

I mean that was me giving advice to the guy about how not to get a flat, so naturally I got a flat the very next day!

tkehler

You always have to use that method, I've found. It's effective.

JaRow

I've had 4 flats in 2 days... on Armadillos.