Flats Galore
05-30-12 | 04:48 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,144
Likes: 4
From: cherry hill, nj
Flats Galore
Some would call it a bad commuting day......guess I would just call it challenging!
Got to work just fine. Lovely ride in. I park the bike across in the storage area of the kitchen I work in and try to check the tire pressure once mid day but did not do it today. So I was walking the bike outside and noticed it was soft. Decided to fix it at work outside and to enjoy the weather and ease of a simple tire change. Took the read tire off, inspected the outside of the tire first, nothing I could see, took the tube out, filled it with air and no noise and could not feel, see, or hear any air leak. Took the tire off the rim, inspected the inside, didnt find anything. Turned the tire inside out and still nothing. Strange. So I decided to put the new tube in, put the tire on the bike, filled in with CO2 and then noticed I added too much. Damn it. It became unbeaded so I let air out, beaded it, and another CO2 in and it was perfect.
Started riding and went through the glass central of the world, Camden, NJ. Turned a corner and noticed it was turning flat again. Damn it. Off the bike and repeat. Noticed a BIG piece of glass and took it out, tried to patch the tube but the glass pretty much tore so deep into the tube that it was a gonner. I was screwed. I needed to get home because I have a conference call at 4 pm (I left work at 2:45 and it usually takes me 45-50 minutes). So I decided to go with the original tube (and still could not find the leak). So I pumped 120 psi by hand and off I went.
Went by the bike shop and got more tubes.
What was weird was the original tube. Why was it soft? I could not find anything, no leak no nothing. I wonder if one of my chef friends took a little air out of it.
GRRRRRRRR
Got to work just fine. Lovely ride in. I park the bike across in the storage area of the kitchen I work in and try to check the tire pressure once mid day but did not do it today. So I was walking the bike outside and noticed it was soft. Decided to fix it at work outside and to enjoy the weather and ease of a simple tire change. Took the read tire off, inspected the outside of the tire first, nothing I could see, took the tube out, filled it with air and no noise and could not feel, see, or hear any air leak. Took the tire off the rim, inspected the inside, didnt find anything. Turned the tire inside out and still nothing. Strange. So I decided to put the new tube in, put the tire on the bike, filled in with CO2 and then noticed I added too much. Damn it. It became unbeaded so I let air out, beaded it, and another CO2 in and it was perfect.
Started riding and went through the glass central of the world, Camden, NJ. Turned a corner and noticed it was turning flat again. Damn it. Off the bike and repeat. Noticed a BIG piece of glass and took it out, tried to patch the tube but the glass pretty much tore so deep into the tube that it was a gonner. I was screwed. I needed to get home because I have a conference call at 4 pm (I left work at 2:45 and it usually takes me 45-50 minutes). So I decided to go with the original tube (and still could not find the leak). So I pumped 120 psi by hand and off I went.
Went by the bike shop and got more tubes.
What was weird was the original tube. Why was it soft? I could not find anything, no leak no nothing. I wonder if one of my chef friends took a little air out of it.
GRRRRRRRR
05-30-12 | 07:55 PM
#5
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 188
Likes: 0
From: Redding, CA.
Bikes: Giant trance II MTB, Centurion Accordo
05-30-12 | 08:00 PM
#6
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 7,391
Likes: 13
From: Memphis TN area
Bikes: 2011 Felt Z85 (road/commuter), 2006 Marin Pine Mountain (utility/commuter E-bike), 1995 KHS Alite 1000 (gravel grinder)
They were probably inside the office laughing at you while you changed what you thought was a flat 
06-01-12 | 03:38 PM
#8
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,840
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, CA
Bikes: Bianchi San Remo - set up as a utility bike, Peter Mooney Road bike, Peter Mooney commute bike,Dahon Folder,Schwinn Paramount Tandem
Had the tire been filled with air, rather than CO2? CO2 leaks out through the tube, so tires inflated with CO2 will go flat after a while.
As an aside, on my commute and utility bikes, I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires - not the lightest and fastest of tires, but when you count the time saved in fixing flats, they seem much faster. I have (between the two bikes) ~13,000 flat free miles on SMPs. One disadvantage is that you forget how to fix a flat ;-P
As an aside, on my commute and utility bikes, I use Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires - not the lightest and fastest of tires, but when you count the time saved in fixing flats, they seem much faster. I have (between the two bikes) ~13,000 flat free miles on SMPs. One disadvantage is that you forget how to fix a flat ;-P
06-01-12 | 03:43 PM
#9
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,765
Likes: 3,937
From: Louisville, KY
How long was it since you'd last checked the tube? Wild temp fluctuations since then?
__________________
Bikes: 1996 Eddy Merckx Titanium EX, 1989/90 Colnago Super(issimo?) Piu(?),1990 Concorde Aquila(hit by car while riding), others in build queue "when I get the time"
Bikes: 1996 Eddy Merckx Titanium EX, 1989/90 Colnago Super(issimo?) Piu(?),
06-01-12 | 04:20 PM
#10
Banned
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 5,804
Likes: 0
From: Northern California
Bikes: Raleigh Grand Prix, Giant Innova, Nishiki Sebring, Trek 7.5FX
[QUOTE=chefisaac;14291724]
I sense that you're just being polite...
So far so good! Seems like you've done everything by the book...Everything should be just fine!
Since your original tube was just a little low and you couldn't find anything wrong, just a tad more air would have saved you!
I think your leg was pulled on that one, Chef!
PS.
Of course, there was the Camden glass affair, too
Some would call it a bad commuting day......guess I would just call it challenging!
Got to work just fine. Lovely ride in. I park the bike across in the storage area of the kitchen I work in and try to check the tire pressure once mid day but did not do it today. So I was walking the bike outside and noticed it was soft. Decided to fix it at work outside and to enjoy the weather and ease of a simple tire change. Took the read tire off, inspected the outside of the tire first, nothing I could see, took the tube out, filled it with air and no noise and could not feel, see, or hear any air leak. Took the tire off the rim, inspected the inside, didnt find anything. Turned the tire inside out and still nothing. Strange. So I decided to put the new tube in, put the tire on the bike, filled in with CO2 and then noticed I added too much. Damn it. It became unbeaded so I let air out, beaded it, and another CO2 in and it was perfect.
Started riding and went through the glass central of the world, Camden, NJ.
Since your original tube was just a little low and you couldn't find anything wrong, just a tad more air would have saved you!
I think your leg was pulled on that one, Chef!
PS.
Of course, there was the Camden glass affair, too
Last edited by SlimRider; 06-01-12 at 04:23 PM.
