See above

The tape lasts years and its job is to protect the tube from sharp edges. It doesn't do anything related to holding air in. BTW, get good quality cloth tape -- don't get the cheapo plastic stuff. It will cost at least twice as much, but it works way better and will last much longer. Having your tires flat because your rim tape failed (and the cheap stuff will after awhile) sucks.

Whatever you do, do not repair the tubes you have right now. If you've never changed them before, they're old enough that you'll want new ones even if you can find and patch the leak. Also, don't let it get you down if you screw up the repair. That's just an educational expense. Once you get used to this sort of thing, it's really easy and you can do it in a few minutes.

Very slow flats are almost always caused by a tiny metal wire or tiny glass shard that is embedded in your tire. Just like you can stick a tiny pin in a balloon without popping it but it will very slowly deflate, the same is true of bike inner tubes.

A flat is caused by the inner tube having a leak somewhere. Therefore to fix it, you need to figure out what caused the leak in the first place and make sure that is fixed BEFORE you put in a fresh or patched inner tube; otherwise you risk having the new tube leak out as well.

Many shops have a free flat fixing clinic or may even just show you how if you ask. Videos are good but hands on instruction and practice is best. Good luck.

I'd encourage you to buy good-quality tubes, too- like Michelins. Cheapy crap-O tube seem to develop leaks for no apparent reason; or the stems start to leak; etc. I had that problem with the garbage Kenda tubes that came on my first cheap-O road bike. Used to have to pump 'em before every ride. Switched to Michelin, and now I go for months without having to add air.

Running a cotton ball around the inside of your tire (once you learn how to get the tire off :) ) will help you find any small protuberances that might be causing punctures- as the cotton will snag on it.

These can hide in the tire and only protrude when the tire and tube are pumped up.

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...s/Royswire.jpg

http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...ireNoGlass.jpg

I have a bike like that and I'm not going to fix the flats - saving it for my daughter so she knows how. She's gonna patch the tubes. It's gonna be her bike anyway. She can change the tire and oil on a car, so I guess it's time for advancement to bikes.

Don't forget to open the brake caliper when trying to get the tire out of the brakes. There's a small lever that will open the caliper.


http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=432621

See the open - close lever on the left side. Open it to remove the wheel/tire, close it to bring the brake pads to their normal position.

True, Some have regualr butyl tubes.

But what makes a tubular lose air faster is the latex innertube. A tubular with a butyl innertube will sty inflated the same as a clincher.

When you check the tire for the cause of your flat (flats? is it one or both tires?) turn the tire inside out. Some tires, especially those with thick rubber, will seal over small objects like the ones in 10 wheels photos. Take the time to thoroughly inspect the tires. Also, are the threads on the outside of the tires showing through? If so, you need to replace the tires themselves or you will just get more flats.

MVNSND makes a good point about the releasing the brake caliper. If it is a back tire, put the bike in the smallest gear on both the front and back. Not the easiest, the smallest. This will make it much easier to slip the wheel off and on.

I don't think this has been said, but get proper tire levers. Don't be tempted to use a flat head screwdriver to get the tube off and on. You don't want to damage your rims. If you can't get the tube back on, brace one side of the wheel against your stomach and work your hands around the tire until they meet on the opposite side, working the tire into position as you go. I don't have very strong hands, so I often have to do this.

When you are done, feel free to yell at your parents for not making you learn how to do this when you were a kid (maybe it is because I grew up on an unpaved street, but I learned how to change a flat at a young age).

Agree that those "rubber band" strips are next to worthless. You can make them work, but over time they will get bad at the spoke holes and might also rip around the valve stem hole. I ended up going with Continental HP "Easy Tape" tho I guess Velox is the tried and true solution.

scott s.
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I found one of these not long ago in my back tire. It was literally as long as the rubber was thick. It could've stayed in there forever except I just caught a glint of light reflected off it and pulled it out with a tweezers.


Am I the only one who saw the title of this thread and was disappointed on opening to find that it didn't have a link to buy $14 Continentals?

Wasn't that a parody on the Lance Armstrong video? Or is my mind playing tricks on me?

When he was looking for debris in the tire and used "pellets" as an example of what could be in there, that was a bit of dark humor on his part. :lol: