Front wheel flats--what am I doing wrong?
 

I bought a IRO SS a couple of months ago and I always get a flat on my front wheel after riding for 2-3 hours on okay-paved bike trails with some rough patches. I slow down on the rough patches and try to take it easy to prevent it from happening.

The first time it happened I thought maybe the tube had a hole. I couldn't find the hole to patch so I just bought a new tube, but that one deflated too after a couple of hours of riding. Now I'm thinking the stock tires just aren't good enough or its my riding style that's causing the problem...please enlighten me on the best fix (technique, better tire...). I really love riding for hours on the weekend, and the change over to an IRO SS from my 27 speed has been awesome...but these flats are taking all the fun out of it.

Ayuda!

-Johnny

My recommendation would be to take the tube out of the wheel, inflate it and submerge in water. look for the tiny air bubbles that are sure to appear. Then check the rim to see if the spokes or spoke holes are poking through and causing a small puncture.

Put a puncture resistant tyre on the front (like a gatorskin)?

Check rim tape and tire pressure. Make sure to inflate to the recommended psi and pump your tires before any long ride. If that doesn't work get gatorskins :)

Sometimes small pieces of glass,wire,etc can get lodged in the tire. Every time you get a flat you should run your fingers down the inside of your tire to check for these small pieces of glass, wire, or whatever else might cause a flat. Sometimes you cannot feel them so it's best to put some pressure against the inside of your tire and see if anything pokes you. Be careful you can cut yourself doing this. I've found a few pieces of wire and glass this way.

Are you running presta valves? It could be that the valve isn't getting screwed down all the way and air is slowly leaking.

Quality rim tape makes a big difference, as it protects the tube from being pinched by the spoke holes. Rim tape made of fabric (Velox is a common brand) works much better than the rubber rim strips that some shops use, as it doesn't stretch and get pushed into the holes like rubber.

Velox comes in a few widths; I used 17mm for my Open Pros. If you're not sure which to buy, you could either measure the approximate width of the area where the tape would sit inside the rim, or lookup a proflie (cross section) of your particular rim online. I think 17mm would be most common.

Velox Rim Tape on biketoolsetc.

This is really the best solution, as it lets you check for a puncture source either at the rim or at the tire. There are plenty of suggestions here regarding fixing a problem with one or the other, but it makes a lot more sense to isolate the problem before replacing the tire, rim strip, spoke, whatever. Just be sure you mark the position of the tube with respect to both the rim and the tire (the valve hole makes this easy on the rim, but don't forget to note which way the tube is facing), then use the water trick and you'll know exactly where to look for the problem.

Thank you for the suggestions. Crossing my fingers that one of them will fix my problem for this weekend!

There is probably a rock or a piece of glass embedded in the tire. Check carefully. If this is not the case, buy a new front tire. I remember whatever tires I got on my stock IRO weren't very good.

Like all these people have said, check the inside of the tire for any glass or pokie things that may keep popping your tubes. Also check your rim tape to make sure none of the spokes are poking through.

+1 rim tape. from what you're describing about riding conditions and since you've replaced the tube once i'm guessing internal punctures are the cause.

do this. it can save you lots of money on tires/patches