bmb29

I just started riding a new road bike in the last 10 days to-and-from work (9 miles, each way).

Last Friday, I got a flat tire, even though I didn't hit any debris or glass. I went ahead and took the tire to a local bike shop to have them replace the tube and I also wanted to make sure I knew exactly how to do it from an expert before doing it myself next time.

I wasn't gone from the bike store 10 minutes, hadn't even re-installed the wheel on the bike and the tire blew out while I was just carrying it. Hmmmmm.

I returned to the bike store and right after he put another new innertube in and inflated it, the tube blew out. (In 1-2 minutes). He removed it, didn't see why, and installed another tube. Same thing. Blow out.

He and his service manager then went about running the cloth tape around the inside of the rim in lieu of the rubber strip that came with the wheel. They did the same thing for the other wheel (I brought both wheels with me, thinking I had a problem here that would be affecting both wheels).

At this point, both tires held their pressure. They were fine the rest of the day. I rode the bike home yesterday evening. No problem.

I come out this morning and now my back tire is flat.

I'm convinced there is an issue with the wheels, not the tube nor the inflation or how I'm riding the bike. I'm on smooth roads the entire way, no glass.

I'm now in contact with the place where I ordered my bike, hoping that they will send me another set of wheels.

ANY advice will be very appreciated. I'm really enjoying riding my bike to work and want to get back on the road ASAP.

THANKS!

toThinkistoBe

Lots of times small pieces of debris or glass you may not notice will work its way into your tire; however, from the rest of your post, it sounds like it was a problem with the rim tape.

For future reference:
Take the tire off. Inspect the tire inside and out for debris. You may want to use a cloth or do so with gloves. Pull any debris you find out of the tire. Do the same thing for your rim.

If you line up the label on the tire with the valve stem on the tube, when you get a flat you will know where to look for debris that may be stuck in the tire.

If the puncture is on the outside of the tube, check your tire. If the puncture is on the inside of the tube, check your rim tape and make sure nothing that could potentially cause the tube to be punctured is exposed.

I'm surprised the LBS just kept putting on new tubes and popping them without checking the rim and tire.

Gimble_Shivers

no debris did this... check your rim tape for gaps or folds that might allow the tube to push through the spoke holes... i had this happen a few times before i noticed that when i used my tire levers to put the tire on the new rim it folded over the rim tape, exposing the spoke hole. at pressure the tube can push into this hole and just pop from the stress/pressure.. my tire actually popped on the stand!

dollars to donuts that is what is happening, and shame on the tech for not noticing!

awunder

Cotton balls are your friends. Run them lightly around the inside of the tire and the outside of the rim. They will tear and leave cotton on anything pointy.

Novakane 

I had this happen before - I had something embedded into the tire. Everything seemed OK after a tube change then darned if it didn't puncture again after a few minutes of riding. Either check your tire as mentioned above (+1 to the gloves and +1 to the cotton ball idea - gonna try that if it ever happens again) or if it's cheap one / department store tire - just buy a new one.

SteveWoll

I have had flats from all of the above. I have ignored failing rim tape and had tires blow straight off. I have had tires that reached their use by date, with apparently enough cuts in them that they just ate tubes. With the low distances, I would have thought it has to be something fine and sharp in the tire. The last bit of glass I dug out of my rear tire was tiny, but big enough!

making

this exact same thing happened to me last year. Mine even blew while carrying it. After 4 tubes (#'s 3 and 4 at the LBS) it just quit happening. I have a couple hundred miles on it now and we never did figure out what it was.

saturnhr

I think a systematic approach is needed: You have to take the inner tube out, mark its orientation, localize the leak in the inner tube (water, if needed) and then go back and look at the corresponding inner or outer section of the rim/tire.

ExpressMech4130

If the tube is blowing out like, forcing itself out from underneath the tire then your tire's bead could be damaged.