Hiroduke

Hello everyone, this will be one of my first posts online and I was wondering if you could lend a bit of advice.

While looking at my tire it seems that I ran over some hot ash when riding along the strand where there were bond fires being held. I took off the tire and noticed that it did not burn through the tire, but burned far enough that I can see the base layer of the tire. There are now two burn (melted) holes (3mm wide) within the surface of the tire, would you suggest buying a new tire or just leaving it as is?

During that same ride I also got a flat tire and replaced the tube with a 700X23C tube (tire is 700X25). While reading the forums I know it doesn't matter using a 23c tube on a 25c tire, but I noticed after not riding for a week, the front tire was completely flat.

I took off the tire and put the tube in water to locate a leak. The tire did not have any sign of glass etc, and the tube didn't seem to have a leak when put under water. Should I just credit this to the fact that a 23c tube will lose a lot more air quicker than a 25c? Or do you assume that I must have a leak somewhere in the tube. Thank you.

10 Wheels

The tube has a leak somewhere.

Blow it up to twice the normal size and look- feel for the hole.

Get a new tire.

Hiroduke

10 wheels, thank you for the reply. If I still can't locate the hole, should I just throw in a new tube instead? Thanks

Elvo

I'd buy a new one just to be safe. I have to do a time trial by fire sometime.

10 Wheels

Remove the tire that had the flat.
Turn it inside out and bent it and look for a tiny wire.
New tube if you don't find anything.

ahsposo 

Use a cotton ball to wipe the inside of the tire. The nearly invisible wire will grab some cotton threads thereby giving it's location away.

Hiroduke

Thanks... ran the cotton ball... nothing... looking for the wire by flipping the tire inside out.... nothing.... I replaced the tube and hopefully that did the fix. Thanks

Pamestique 

Just FYI for the future if you are concerned about where the flat occurred but cannot find it: fill your bath tub enough to cover a tube. Blow the tube up and pushed it under water and look for air buddles. Sometimes the holes are very, very small. They can be patched if you can find them. Never ever ride a tire with holes down to the bead. Will almost guarantee a pinch flat as the tube can squeeze through the beading and tire and get squished (not exactly a scientific term but you get it).

JaceK

Pinch Flat

A hole in an inner tube caused by getting the tube pinched between the rim and a hard, sharp object, such as a rock, curbstone or the edge of a pothole. Pinch flats (also known as "snakebites" because there are usually two small holes in the tube, as if made by the fangs of a snake) are usually caused by carelessness or riding under-inflated tires. They can also be caused by the use of a tire which is too narrow for the weight it is asked to carry.
If the tire is too soft, or too narrow, it is easy for it to bottom out when striking an obstruction. Rim damage also may occur, loosening spokes and possibly causing a rim brake to grab.
If the tire is hard enough and plump enough to carry the weight, the air will keep the tube from being pinched between the rim and the road hazard.
The issue with holes through the bulk of the tire is that the tube will blow out through the hole.

Hiroduke

Just got back from the bike shop. It turns out that the only reason why the replacement tube went flat again after sitting for a week was because I used C02 to refill the replacement tire. I guess C02 doesn't hold within a tube as long as an air filled tire. In terms of the hole melted from ash... I ordered a new tire, since it didn't burn all the way through the tire, it should hold me over until Tuesday. Thank you all for the the great tips and advice. Thanks again

10 Wheels

Happy you got it lined out.