Originally posted by sorebutt
I was sitting outsdie the Los Altos Starbucks, enjoying an Iced Late, when suddnly I hear a Pffffsssst!, and my front tire goes flat right in front of me..... The bike was just leaning against the wall!!! took 3-4 seconds for it to go totally flat.. what gives?
When I taken the tire off, there was nothing sticiking in it, i ran my finger inside it and it was nice and clean, and the tube had a little hole in it which didn't look like a cut, but more like an imperfection in the material (like an air bubble?).. I am happy it didn't happend while I was riding, but why did it happend? Is there anything I could have done wrong? are there better tubes I could try?
Thanks,
A.
Came to this one a bit late. A couple of things need clarifying.
First, if, as you say, it was on the 'sidewall' of the tube, that indicates a pinch flat caused by incorrect placement of the tube. However, your description of 'an imperfection in the material like an air bubble' sounds more like the sort of puncture like WildHare described that you get from a combination of a highly inflated tyre and crappy rim-tape, where the tube expands into the spoke-well and bursts like a pimple, even if the spoke wells aren't exposed.
The fact that it went down so quickly indicates the latter. Pinch flats usually take a bit longer to deflate. Also, the 'pimple burst' flat can happen at any time - it happened to my bike not so long ago in a similar way to yours.
Your description of your rim tape sounds like that useless black rubber stuff that is commonly put on bikes out of the factory. If so go with WildHare's suggestion and replace it with the good Velox stuff (ask at your local bike shop).
Was it really on the 'side wall' of the tube or on the rim side?
Allister