Problem getting flats, what to do?
 

I got a flat on the front about a week ago, I had not inflated the tires for a week or so at the time of the first flat and suspected that to be the reason. Yesterday I got another one after putting air in the tires before I rode. I was riding city streets in NYC.

Rims are Alex DA-13 700c, 32 hole, tires are Maxxis Detonator 700c x 25. Tanwall

Do I just have awful rims, bad tires? could I be putting too much air into the tire? Not enough? Bad luck?

I am trying to figure out do I need to buy something new, change the air pressure in the tire, or just be more careful?

Thanks

Nevermind

Hello akkando. there are dozens of reasons for flats. I am not familar with your tire/rim combo but unless you are a Clyde your x25 should be good tires.
there reason for your first flat was likely a "pinch" flat from hitting something on the road (big crack, whole, debris, up or down a curb) with your pressure low. did you patch that tube and reuse it? a pinch flat usually has two small holes close together. if you patched the tube it is possible that you missed one of the holes, there were more that one or two holes or the patch did not work.
or you first flat may have been a 'puncture' the object that caused it is still in the tire. it is a good idea when you are changing a flat to run you fingers around the inside (carefully) of the tire to be sure nothing is still embedded in the casing.
also pinching the tube with a tool can cause a flat.

always pump up your tires before riding (or atleast check if you ride everyday)

they were maxxis detonator tubulars, of course.

i was just asking a question. don't be an ass.

yeah, I agree, adriano. Your tone has become especially sarcastic, dry, and, more importantly, degrading as of late.

thats where you went wrong... haha but really, check your rim tape and also check to see if you have any little pieces of glass lodged inside of your tire. im almost positive your flats were pinch flats because i have gotten 2 flats on 1 ride before(one for each tire :S) when my tires were at a very low psi. now i just pump my tires before every ride and i havent gotten a flat in 2 months.

Should I avoid curbs?

I got a new tube after the first flat. I had an LBS change the tube the first time. The guy there inflated the bad tube and eventually pointed out a small puncture that seemed difficult to find. Maybe there were two but I thought I only saw one. He then flipped the tire inside out and looked for anything in the tire for a while, but didn't find anything. He seemed to look like he knew what he was doing. Maybe he didn't. I sure don't know what I am doing.

You guys need coffee or a better sense of humour... the OP posted what kind of tyres he was running.

:)

Adriano... the :) and :D is your friend.

Yeah but I pumped up both front and rear to 120 psi before I left yesterday. Sometimes I give a it a few extra pumps to maybe 123 psi or something before taking the pump nozzle off because I assume it loses some air when you take it off?

yeah I mean I agree it was a stupid question to begin with as the OP stated 700c, but no need for wise ass comments. Also, it isn't specific to this thread, that's the only reason I said something. People who make smart ass comments all the time get annoying, that's all.

EDIT: akkando---did you use a patch to fix your first flat? Did you check the inside of the tire for sharp little buggers that could have punctured your tube again?

I had a run of bad luck last year where I got like 5 or 6 flats within a 2 month span. I was running crappy tires, but I was also doing other stupid stuff like not inflating properly and not checking for shards after each flat. Detonators should be good enough that they don't get this many flats. I am guessing it has to do w/ user error somehow

ok fine it was a stupid question. i didn't read the entire post. jeez

edit: NOOOOOO xlazymx! come back!

If it's not a pinched tube, maybe you could try some tire liners?

What do you guys think about Panaracer tires or Continental tires for city street riding? That's what the guy at the bike shop recommends. He says the maxis detonators I have are not puncture resistant and they may be the problem but I am not wise enough to know if he is just trying take my money.

Somone asked if the original tube was patched or replaced. It was replaced.

Quality tyres are the way to go... with those tyre liners become redundant unless you live in goat head territory.

Gatorskins if you want a lighter tyre.

Schwalbe Marathons if you never want to fix a flat.

I either use a Vittoria Randonneur in front, which are more or less invincible, or a lighter tire with a Mr. Tuffy liner inserted.

LEarn how to fix a flat too. You don't need a new tube every time you get a fraggin puncture.

After a while you will learn to use the force and avoid a lot of flats (most of which tend to be glass shards as the most common cause of flats for me), but everyone has bad runs every now and then.

I can do it in about 10 mins max + 10 mins for glue to dry + 10 mins to put em back on. I heard good people (if simply replacing tubes) can do a legitimate fix in about 5 mins. Is this true?

akkando, your tires have car valves ? I have similar problem soon after putting air on my tires. They're no name brand. I have switch to french valves since then .

Yeah man, under 5 mins is pretty easy if you're just replacing a tube. I don't think I've ever waited 10 mins for a patch to dry either. 5 tops if I'm patching on the road.... probab;y about 3 mins I wait usually.

under 5 minutes is an extraordinary claim, and is very inspiring if true.
how about a video?

akkando,

Here's what I do:

1. pull everything apart and run a cotton ball along the inside of the tire. You do carry cotton balls right (ha ha)? The cotton will pull on anything stuck in the tire. If something is stuck then time to get it out.

2. Run a finger along the inside beads and trench of your rims. Pull back a bloody digit? Rim issue - time to change and next time run your fingers over slower.

3. If 1 and 2 are good then you know for sure it's a tube issue. I pump some air in the tube and pull it under my nose until leaking air gives me a tickle. Kinda' fun in it's own way. Repair with some form of speed patch and get back to it.

Actually, I check 1 and 2 and throw in a fresh tube and deal with the puncture when I get back home. The reasons why a tube flats out are myriad but if you are flatting regularly and 1 and 2 are good then it's probably pressure.

just not conti ultra-race. those tires are giving me flats if I run over a tiny amount of glass.

Are these punctures or blow-outs? Blow-outs usually indicate improper installation or casing failure. Punctures can result from either foreign objects (glass, wires, etc.) or pinch flats. If the roads you ride have lots of debris, consider a heavier or belted tire, or self-sealing tubes. Pinch flats indicate improper inflation (low pressure).

heh.. I dunno if it's that inspiring, but maybe try looking at some road racing forums for a video. I've never timed it, but when I ran through the process in my head I'm sure I can get it done in 5 mins or less.

I can change out a tube in 5 minutes. Probably not much quicker than that, but definitely around the 5 minute mark.

OP- detonators might not be the best tire out there, but they should be fine. I went 2.5 months without flats on Michelin Speediums (worst tires ever) and Detonators are WAY better than Speediums. I definitely think you had a small piece of something caught on the inside of the tire.

If you are planning to buy new tires soon, I recommend gatorskins. They are only ~ $27 from probikekit.com. They are really good at not picking up flats and they roll relatively nice. Nothing like GP4s or Evo Corsas, but they are decently fast and you never have to worry. I have them on both my bikes and for that price there is no better bang for ur buck.

everwears are pretty good, but sometimes have sidewall issues. i'd say armadillos maybe.

dillos are indestructable, but they don't ride well. They are heavy and slippery in the corners. But, they won't get flats and will last forever.

Everwears aren't good tires, IMO. Too heavy and the whole thing is a gimick. Sure, they may last forever, but they will square and ride like crap. Personally, I would rather just buy a new tire rather than ride a squared up everwear.

Well... Going from flat / f'ed to rolling again in five minutes is inspiring to me!
Awesome.

good rim tape and some randonneurs
i rode the detonators on my steamroller for a while...they were alright as long as i kept checking the pressure, i remember getting a couple pinch flats