Originally Posted by
cyccommute
A couple of things:
1. "Clock" your tire and tube. Align the tire label with the valve stem. It makes finding the cause of punctures easier. You might go so far as marking the direction of rotation on the tube which makes it even easier.
2. Carry some cotton balls or have some at home. When you drag the cotton ball around the inside of the tire, it will catch on something sticking through the tire and leave a bit of cotton on it. It makes it easier to find.
3. Get a steel can and use it to vigorously scrub the inside of the tire before you install the tube. This will knock out any thing that you can't find with the cotton ball or by hand. Just about any can will work. We use the can that vulcanizing fluid comes in at my co-op. Of course you can't do this on the road unless you happen to be carrying around soup
I've learned the hard way that you have to take care to identify the location of a leak in the inner tube and inspect the tire in that location. Otherwise, you can end up with a second flat in no time. I like the idea of a cotton ball rather than my finger.
Also, if you are on the road and find something pointy that is so small you can't force it out of the tire, you can try putting a folded up dollar bill in the tire. Hopefully it will be thick enough to prevent the pointy thing from puncturing the tire again. I found a very small swarf in my tire on my one flat and was fortunately able to remove it since there was enough length on the outside of the tire to grab with my fingers. It was barely noticeable on the inside of the tire.