thebankman

Help me narrow down the problem here. New bike, pumped the tires up to mid-range of sidewall's recommended specs (55lb pumped the day prior, 65lb max spec). After a good two days of thrashing on trails the front tube popped. I'm 220 lbs and the tire felt like it had just enough give to be comfortable and turn well on pavement.

Was the tire pressure too high for aggressive trail riding? Or should I be looking at the cheap Specialized tubes/tires/poor LBS build quality as the problem? I'll be taking the tube/tire apart for inspection today, didn't have the heart to check it yesterday as the bike is a day old and I was tired

Thanks much!

LowCel 

Unfortunately flats just happen from time to time, there doesn't have to be a reason. While you have the tube out though check to see if you have a plastic rim strip (between your rim and tube). If so replace it with some rim tape (only a couple bucks at your lbs). The plastic strip can actually cause you to flat from time to time. I actually flatted my front tire while on the trainer once when I was using those things.

junkyard

55lbs. seems high for trail riding. Highest pressure I use is 40lbs. - 45lbs. Many here use much less than that. I don't know that the high pressure would do it in on it's own. I'd pull the tube out and see if you can spot the leak. That might give some better indication to if it was the valve failing, pinch flat, spoke poking a hole in it, some debris (for example, a thorn) from the trail, etc.

thebankman

Thanks for the advice! I've replaced those nasty plastic rim strips in the past....they just don't work. My other specialized had horrible rim tape inside that let all the spokes push into the tube, it was pretty obvious that was the problem plus Cheng Shin tubes are not so hot.

Have you folks used Slime tubes? I've got them in another bike and no punctures since, but that bike doesn't take as much punishmment as the stumpjumper

cyccommute 

Velox is your friend. Nothin' else comes close. Your local shop should have it and, if they don't, find another shop

I purchased a set of Slime tubes last fall for a ride in goathead country. Shouldn't have bothered and I should have known better. The tubes themselves were poorly made (and cost $7 each ) in that they leaked at a joint in the rubber and then, after a puncture, it didn't seal so I had to patch it anyway. I can do that without the carrying around the green crap! Going back to Tuffy's and regular tubes.

cryptid01

The last couple times I used Velox, it sucked.


I think they changed the adhesive or something.

edit: haha, look what I found over in the mtbr reviews:

C Law

how come no blue text?

cryptid01

I suppose he's not "skilled" enough to figure that out.

cyccommute 

I fail to see how it could "suck". Velox has never had a strong adhesive but it doesn't need much. You put it in the wheel, pump up the tire and the pressure holds it in place. After a few month's of use, it's pretty much fused to the rim. I have removed mine and reused it but, at $3 a roll, a new roll isn't going to break the bank.

santiago

Gastro's mechanical skills apparently suck.

cryptid01

Apparently - I think I just got instructions on how to change a tire.

cycocommute, the "suck" is a figure of speech that's been used in jest around here lately. Please disregard.

santiago

Too many people are replying seriously to the 'suck' comments. Makes for some good reading sometimes.

hopperja

Take off the rim liner and make sure there aren't any spokes that are too long. I had this happen on my Adams Trail-A-Bike, brand new, put air in it and it popped. Changed the tube, did the same thing. Fixed the protruding spoke and now it's fine.

thebankman

OK got the tire and tube off, inspected the tire...and oh boy the quarter inch nail that punctured the tire and caused a snake-bite-looking double hole in the tube would have pierced any tire. Now I don't feel so bad for wondering how I popped a tire so fast with proper tire inflation.

cyccommute 

Unfortuneately, the 'suck' comments around here have gotten out of hand. Used in the vernacular, it means to be bad, to be worthless. Someone coming here for good information will find all of these sperious 'suck' comments and conclude that a product is bad and won't use it. In the end the Mountain bike forum will become clogged with useless information and become useless itself. Do we really want that? All for a private joke?

I'm all for joking and I've done my share but when you get to the point of being unable to tell the jokes from good information, the jokes have gone too far.

FatBomber

Seems to me your pressures were too high.

I'm a big fella (240#) and I generally run my pressures between 35 and 40 psi. I flat rarely on roots and rocks.

santiago

People who make sense suck.

cryptid01

I agree to a certain extent. But I will stand behind my assertion in this thread that the adhesive on the more recent Velox tape sucks compared to what I have used in the past. And if you really want to get down to brass tacks, I am speaking only of the wider versions of the tape, and only of the stuff that comes in precut lengths, not the big stock rolls in the shop. It's certainly not nonfunctional, it's just not as good as it used to be.

For now, I will refrain from expounding upon your comment about the mtb forum being clogged with useless information. I hope it will suffice to say that for good or bad, different people visit this forum for different reasons.

mcoine

From now on, if you post the word "suck", you have to drink.

thebankman

BF members have grown a mean attitude over the past year. I thought all the snarky remarks went on in the fixed gear forum? In any case, as long as we're helping each other it's all good!

LowCel 

It's pretty much like this on all forums during the off season. People get bored so they joke / play around a little more than usual.

santiago

The voice of reason sucks.

thebankman

This off season in San Francisco has been really crappy, but the last two weeks have been nothing but nice riding weather (which is 65 degrees F or below, but good for us) and I've been going out a lot. Hence a new bike Tire is fixed, ready to get abused again after work today!

never

I was going to question the off-season comment...and slap anyone from that area who doesn't ride during the off-season!

nathank8792

I hate nails. Same thing happened to me, but I spotted it, since I wasn't going to be able to ride home, I wanted to see what was wrong with my tire. now i carry a pump with me just in case (mountain morph)