Am I too heavy for my bike? Popping tubes.
06-03-11, 07:28 PM
#26
Senior Member
For future info... When you get a flat, do not pull the tube all the way out. Leave the valve stem still in the rim and just under the tire. Line up the hole(s) with the tire and the rim. Check the tire in that spot for debris or holes. Check the rim for debris or openings in the rim tape.
This goes a long way to helping solve mystery flats like this.
This goes a long way to helping solve mystery flats like this.
06-03-11, 10:41 PM
#27
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But the section that rubbed paint off on my bike was at the top and upper section of the seatstay wishbone, not the sides of the chainstays (your pics).
I didn't even notice till I removed the wheel. 
06-04-11, 12:58 AM
#28
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I had 2 similar tube blowouts, the cheap plastic OEM rim tape was cutting into the tubes. Replaced with velox rim tape and no more problems.
06-04-11, 06:51 AM
#29
don't try this at home.
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Pinch flats are two (or one) small cuts, maybe a quarter inch at the most, caused when the tire hits a pothole, and bottoms out against the rim. The edge of the rim cuts the tube.
Bad rim tape usually causes a small hole on the inside of the tube, where it gets pushed down into a spoke hole in the rim.
A long split in the tire, like your photo, is usually caused by the tire bead coming off the rim. The tube inflates like a balloon, and pops with a Bang!. I don't have any good ideas on the small split near the valve. It's not far enough over to be a rim tape/spoke hole problem.
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Try different tubes. I like ones with smooth valve stems, not threaded. I don't have to yank the pump off the valve.
Stiffer tires won't help. The 110 psi means there's 110 lbs pressing on each square inch of tire, and the tire won't be stiff enough to overcome this. A flexible tire doesn't use much energy when rolling over tiny bumps in the road, so the ride is smoother.
Keep riding your wheels. Just check regularly where the spokes attach to the rim, looking for cracks. Usually, any cracks start small, then eventually get big enough to let a spoke pull through the rim. But it's normally not a sudden event.
Bad rim tape usually causes a small hole on the inside of the tube, where it gets pushed down into a spoke hole in the rim.
A long split in the tire, like your photo, is usually caused by the tire bead coming off the rim. The tube inflates like a balloon, and pops with a Bang!. I don't have any good ideas on the small split near the valve. It's not far enough over to be a rim tape/spoke hole problem.
------
Try different tubes. I like ones with smooth valve stems, not threaded. I don't have to yank the pump off the valve.
Stiffer tires won't help. The 110 psi means there's 110 lbs pressing on each square inch of tire, and the tire won't be stiff enough to overcome this. A flexible tire doesn't use much energy when rolling over tiny bumps in the road, so the ride is smoother.
Keep riding your wheels. Just check regularly where the spokes attach to the rim, looking for cracks. Usually, any cracks start small, then eventually get big enough to let a spoke pull through the rim. But it's normally not a sudden event.
Last edited by rm -rf; 06-04-11 at 07:01 AM.
06-05-11, 10:55 AM
#30
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+1 on the rim tape. You aren't even close to being too heavy for that bike. Stock rim tape is often just an over sized rubber band. Velox is the good stuff.
06-05-11, 04:49 PM
#31
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It's not a rider weight problem, either. It's simply a failure of equipment.
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Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
06-05-11, 09:40 PM
#33
Newbie
I have a Klein Reve with wheels/tires that look suspiciously similar to your Trek (Klein was owned by Trek when my bike was made). I'm around 245 and the wheels have held up surprisingly well. The Bontrager (another trek brand) tires and tubes that came with the bike were absolute rubbish, though. Local indie klein dealer offered to change them when I bought the bike but I declined. Well, flat after flat after flat! A longtime cycling friend suggested I switch to his favorite commuting tire, Vittoria Rubino Pro 700c x 25 tires. I also added michelin tubes. They clear the frame and pumped to 110psi, ride like an absolute dream! Night and day difference and not a flat since. Check the rim strips when you put on the new tires. I also like the old trick of adding a thin layer of talcum powder inside the tire so the tube doesn't seize in the tire - it makes the eventual change much easier. Hope you solve this!
Last edited by tigerdog; 06-06-11 at 07:42 AM.
06-08-11, 05:46 PM
#34
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Thank you guys so much, You have all made very valid points and gave me some great tips on what I need to do to make my summer as flat proof as possible! Thanks!
06-09-11, 12:31 PM
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I'm at 205-210 and I use Michelin pro 3s and cheap tubes. I also have cheap r500 wheels. Its not your weight. You should be able to ride 700x23 with no difficulties. Its most likely the cheap tires. As others have mentioned, rim tape and burs might be the culprit.
Last edited by sjvcycler; 06-09-11 at 12:32 PM. Reason: added
06-10-11, 08:32 AM
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The tires are okay on the rim and everything, the tubes are the ones that are usually giving me problems. What got me thinking about the tire is that when I have it inflated to 120psi and when I put all my weight on the rear tire (imagine riding with no hands) the back tire looks low, possibly giving me problems with pinches and such. I'm thinking a thicker tire would retain its shape better, therefore protecting the tube inside, maybe the continentals are just too soft.
