New Wheels - Lots of Flats - What gives??
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: La Verne CA
Posts: 5,049
Bikes: Litespeed Liege, Motorola Team Issue Eddy Mercxk, Santana Noventa Tandem, Fisher Supercaliber Mtn. Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
7 Posts
New Wheels - Lots of Flats - What gives??
Just bought a new set of CXP 33's and I have had 3 flats in the last 2 rides.. All of the flats were small pinch flats.. What is weird is that I am using a tire that I had good success with in the past.. Specialized Turbo Pro with Flak Jacket.. Could it be the aero CXP 33 rim or possibly the cheap plastic rim tape that the builder installed on the rims.. I am going to get some velox rim tape tomorrow and see if it is the rim tape.. Anyone have experience with the rims or cheap rim tape as a possible culprit.. Before these new wheels, it has been at least 4 months since my last flat tire..
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Left Coast
Posts: 1,717
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
sometimes those cheap plastic rim tapes have burrs on the edges that can dig into the tubes. I would never use anything except cloth rim tape.
Check for burrs or machining roughs around the valve hole and also make sure nothing is caught inside the tires.
Check for burrs or machining roughs around the valve hole and also make sure nothing is caught inside the tires.
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: La Verne CA
Posts: 5,049
Bikes: Litespeed Liege, Motorola Team Issue Eddy Mercxk, Santana Noventa Tandem, Fisher Supercaliber Mtn. Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
7 Posts
Checked the tire many times.. Even switched to a different tire yesterday and still flatted the same way..
#4
8speed DinoSORAs
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Oxford, UK or Mountain View, Ca
Posts: 2,749
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Bad luck Socal,
I second the rim-tape possibility - poorly fitting or sharp rim tapes are useless, especially on double walled rims where the tube can blow out into the cavity in the rim, this has happened to me on new wheels before I knew better.
That said, I have a set of CXP33's and never suffered this problem, since they had decent cloth rim tapes fitted. Check for burrs too, as RacerX suggested
However, if the tires are not new, make sure there are no broken kevlar fibres near the bead that could puncture the tube (this has also happened to me!)
Good luck,
Ed
I second the rim-tape possibility - poorly fitting or sharp rim tapes are useless, especially on double walled rims where the tube can blow out into the cavity in the rim, this has happened to me on new wheels before I knew better.
That said, I have a set of CXP33's and never suffered this problem, since they had decent cloth rim tapes fitted. Check for burrs too, as RacerX suggested
However, if the tires are not new, make sure there are no broken kevlar fibres near the bead that could puncture the tube (this has also happened to me!)
Good luck,
Ed
__________________
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
Get a bicycle. You will certainly not regret it, if you live.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Grass Valley, CA
Posts: 2,544
Bikes: Time RXRS, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Don Cook
I doubt that it's the rims. One of my bikes has the same wheels. Right at 8,000 miles and one flat.
#7
Former Hoarder
Hey SoCalRider - it's because you ride in Claremont. Try riding in Montclair. Or San Dimas or Laverne - they have better roads.
Seriously, check your tube to make sure it's not pinching between the tire and the rim. Sometimes with a new rim, it's take a special touch to get the entire tube under the bead. Good luck and stay out of Pomona.
55/Rad
University of Laverne - 1978/79
Seriously, check your tube to make sure it's not pinching between the tire and the rim. Sometimes with a new rim, it's take a special touch to get the entire tube under the bead. Good luck and stay out of Pomona.
55/Rad
University of Laverne - 1978/79
#8
Roadie
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 119
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by socalrider
Just bought a new set of CXP 33's and I have had 3 flats in the last 2 rides.. All of the flats were small pinch flats.. What is weird is that I am using a tire that I had good success with in the past.. Specialized Turbo Pro with Flak Jacket.. Could it be the aero CXP 33 rim or possibly the cheap plastic rim tape that the builder installed on the rims.. I am going to get some velox rim tape tomorrow and see if it is the rim tape.. Anyone have experience with the rims or cheap rim tape as a possible culprit.. Before these new wheels, it has been at least 4 months since my last flat tire..
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Peters, Missouri
Posts: 30,225
Bikes: Catrike 559 I own some others but they don't get ridden very much.
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1572 Post(s)
Liked 642 Times
in
363 Posts
Originally Posted by socalrider
Just bought a new set of CXP 33's and I have had 3 flats in the last 2 rides.. All of the flats were small pinch flats.. What is weird is that I am using a tire that I had good success with in the past.. Specialized Turbo Pro with Flak Jacket.. Could it be the aero CXP 33 rim or possibly the cheap plastic rim tape that the builder installed on the rims.. I am going to get some velox rim tape tomorrow and see if it is the rim tape.. Anyone have experience with the rims or cheap rim tape as a possible culprit.. Before these new wheels, it has been at least 4 months since my last flat tire..
#10
Banned.
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: toronto
Posts: 456
Bikes: specialized allez pro, giant tcr composite
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
If you are getting snake bites then up the pressure. If the pinch flat is a single hole maybe it's the rim tape, but if you are getting the two little holes side by side across the tube then I wouldn't think it is the rim tape.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Pasadena, CA
Posts: 3,162
Bikes: Litespeed Firenze / GT Avalanche
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Are you putting the tire on in a way that you can tell if it is the same spot? Line up the colored label on the sidewall with the valve stem. That way you will know exactly where to look for the problem.
#13
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: La Verne CA
Posts: 5,049
Bikes: Litespeed Liege, Motorola Team Issue Eddy Mercxk, Santana Noventa Tandem, Fisher Supercaliber Mtn. Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
7 Posts
I'm going with the plastic rim strips.. Velox tape now installed and going on a ride tonight.. So we'll see what happens.. I pump my tires up to 120psi so its not the tire pressure and it has happened with 2 different tires..
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: La Verne CA
Posts: 5,049
Bikes: Litespeed Liege, Motorola Team Issue Eddy Mercxk, Santana Noventa Tandem, Fisher Supercaliber Mtn. Bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 11 Times
in
7 Posts
30 miles tonight - new velox on the rims - no flats...