damn defective tubes!!111
 

i went to pump up my tires today with the pump i got yesterday... rear tire has a piece of glass in it, tube goes flat.

i drive up to performance to pick up a tube, all they had with long valve was their ultra-lite road tube. i wait twenty minutes to pay for it while the guy working there helped some inept roadie (who didn't even know what kind of valve he needs on his flat tire) and some fat dude returning a training stand.

finally pay, come home, put the tube on, pump to 80psi and it pops. i'm gonna go attempt to exchange it for a new one, if they don't take it they can expect some form of arson on their place of business.

oh, and my rim tape is in place and there's no glass still in the tire. i already checked.

Theres a good chance the bead of the tire was pinching on the tube. It happens to everyone once in a while. Most shops will be generous about it.

--Aaron

I got a flat the other day. I patched the tube and finished my ride with no problems. The next morning the tire is flat, so I figure there must have been another slow leak that I missed. I immerse the tube in water and find some small bubbles coming out from under the patch, indicating that the patch didn't take well. Anyway, I put the tube down for a minute and then put it in water again to confirm the exact position of the leak and I cant find any bubbles. I twisted, tweaked, stretch the tube with no results...no bubbles. So I reinstall the tube and now its holding air. I don't think I was hallucinating a flat tire, but I have no other explaination.

All the more reason to keep a spare tube in your bag and more "in stock" at home.

Or keep about 6 in your bag if you go on group rides.

Check for a split in your tire.

i went back and the guy was totally cool about it. he didn't even check to make sure it was a performance tube and didn't check my reciept.

he gave me a replacement tube AND a free one (because the replacement tube i picked was a buck cheaper than the ultra-lite tube i originally paid for).
regardless, i had to give it up tonight on the pretzel ride when my friend powered over a curb. i'm thinking about getting a bunch of ebay or getting that four for ten dollar deal iro has.

patch kits are cheaper than tubes, and less wasteful:rolleyes:

yeah, but when you're a big guy patching tubes doesn't always work out for you.
i'd rather get a new tube than have a patched tube blow out on me in a crucial time. i've rode enough patched up tubes to have that happen enough.

huh. i've never had a tube fail at the patch. i don't even buy new tubes anymore, i just dumpster punctured ones at a bike shop and patch them. are you sure you're patching it correctly?

the patched area should be stronger than the rest of the tube.

After I patch a tube, I run glue over the top of the patch around all the corners to make sure there's no leaks.

As for the tube popping at 80psi, you got a pinch in the rim...sucks.

I generally use patches only when I can fix them at home (I like to take my time).
If im on a ride, Ill put in a new tube to fix a flat. I do keep the flat tube for later repair.

10 for 20...

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/109...-Set-of-10.htm

i go through road tubes so much on my commutes i always have a couple of these and i still patch quite a bit.

and btw... i agree if your patches ain't holdin your doing something wrong (probably not witing long enough for the glue to completely dry BEFORE sticking the patch on). i also put extra glue around the edge when i am done top make double sure.

Extra glue around the edge doesn't do anything. There should not be puncture near the edge anyway, and it's vulcanizing compound, not filler. Tacking down edges that didn't quite stick down is one thing, but slathering a layer around the edge of a good patch isn't going to do jack.

thats is exactly what i use the extra glue for...sorta melts the edges of the patch that didn't quite stick.

you'll know for sure if you do it right when you ride away and then ride for months on that patched tube! :D

me too. i just put a new(old) tube on if i'm out, and patch it when i get home. i'm not patient enough to wait for the glue to dry on the side of the road.

the tire probably wasn't seated correctly as mentioned above.

always check this carefully and pump up the tire slowly. i usually pump to 40psi, check the tire, pump to 60psi, check the tire, and then pump up the rest.

patches are perfectly fine as well. every rider should know how to patch a tire. it'll save you money and isn't as wastefull as replacing the tube each time.

Another trick is to do that, but then let all the air out and pump it back up to pressure. Just as an extra precaution.

yeah there's really nothing worse than sitting on the side of the road trying to patch a tire with cold, numb fingers. i just replace it with a different tube on the road and patch the punctured one when i get home.

Put one side of your tyre onto the rim.

Stick a small amount of air into your tube, push the valve into the hole and then slide the semi inflated tube into the tyre.

Snap the other bead onto the rim, then inflate fully. This helps to get the tube and tyre seated without pinching between tyre and rim.

My tubes last until I get a puncture so big it can't be patched (rare) or the valve goes (slightly more common for me, as I usually bend the head of the valve when pumping :s).

Carry a couple of spare patched tubes, then mend your flats when you have a spare minute. I don't think I could afford to replace my tube every time I had a flat!

Good luck!