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-   -   Continual punctures (https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-mechanics/1196616-continual-punctures.html)

sykerocker 03-28-20 06:02 PM
Originally Posted by dabac (Post 21387348)
Zooming in on the rim, it looks like it has a fairly narrow central ridge where the nipple holes are. Sometimes when you have a rim profile that’s deep and narrow, the tube won’t fill the trench evenly. It’ll get hung up on the edges and then only the material earlier spanning the trench will stretch to the bottom of the trench. Whether it’s the localized stretch as such that pops the tube, or the thinness that makes it more sensitivite, I don’t know.
You have a couple of options if you want to research this route:
1) make sure to use the widest tube possible
2) inflate slowly, giving the tube time to creep into the crevasse
3) use some talcum powder, corn starch etc on the inside of the rim to encourage creep
4) if you don’t need the trench to get the tire on, fill it. I’ve got an old Dutch bike with a similar rim profile that had a length of rope as filler. Not a great choice of material b/c of water retention and long-term survival of the rim, but sound in principle. If I ever find a less rusty replacement rim I’d probably use a length of transparent fuel hose of the right size instead.
5) or deck it over. I’d probably use something sold as a tape rather than something sold as a rim strip. Duct tape with a long-lasting adhesive cut down to width for example.
Some very good ideas there, thank you. I tend to inflate those style rims slowly anyway, if only to ensure that the tire bead doesn't slip off while inflating. And that's usually putting in the first 10lbs, then working the tire down on the rim, add another 10 and repeat. By this point I'm feeling fairly certain (see below) that the tire is mounted properly, so I'll put the remaining 30lbs pressure in in two installations. Definitely never go above 50lbs, as I have had a front on my Raleigh Tourist blow off with 55 in it . . . . and 60 is just right out.

Then again, this doesn't necessarily guarantee everything works to perfection. Getting back from the first 5 mile ride today, I check out the tire and discover that the bead had slipped off the left side of the tire at the valve stem and going about two inches on either side. Happily, the Chinese tires had stiff enough sidewalls that it held the tube in place (50 yards? 4.9 miles?) during the ride and got me home safely. Immediately depressurized the tire, shoved the bead back in place, held it down with an old toe strap wrapped around the tire/rim and went back thru my inflating ritual. Held just fine second ride.

Going to take it out over the next couple of days on my usual five mile rides, only going further away from the house as I start to trust the bike.

sykerocker 03-28-20 06:05 PM
Originally Posted by 79pmooney (Post 21387320)
Ride with the same tube and patch it. This will give you a running record of where tie issue(s) is. (Remember, the cut is "n" spokes from theeh valve but can be in either direction.) My guess is that you will see the patches falling in near the same place (or directly beside each other if you hold the valve and pull the tube away from it). Now you know the issue is. Knowing exactly where to look makes finding an unknown much easier.

I patch tubes for routine flats whenever possible. For very small punctures, it tells me where to be looikng for that nearly invisible tire wire or tiny piece of glass or broken thorn, all of which can be entirely inside the casing waiting to cause the next flat.

Ben
Being a cheap bastard, I tend to patch also, maximum of three per tube. About the only real exceptions to that are my six bikes running sew-ups. Patching a sew-up is probably one of my least favorite tasks in the world. Fortunately, I tend to have good luck with them, and the inevitable puncture only happens once the tread is worn enough that I say to hell with it and toss the tire out.

cyccommute 03-28-20 11:06 PM
Originally Posted by sykerocker (Post 21388557)
Being a cheap bastard, I tend to patch also, maximum of three per tube.
Three!? That’s not being cheap. That’s hardly broken in! I start thinking about giving up on a tube around 20 patches. Twenty five is silly and thirty is starting to reach ridiculous levels but not necessarily impossible.


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