Fixing Punctures / Puncture Repair / Exploding Tubes

i took my tires off completely. saves money, weight and one would never ever have peds step out infront of you! though i seem to go through rims at a higher rate.

I can't believe that I am resorting to asking you lot about a puncture, but I am stymied.

I am suffering from a recurrent slow puncture that I just can't figure out.

A brand new rear tyre (Vredestein Fortezza Tricomp) went on a couple of weeks ago, before the Christmas nasty weather. The first time I rode it, it went down almost immediately and I realised that I had fitted the tube badly. Ever since then, I have had a slow puncture on the rear. I have used different tubes, tested the tubes under water for bubbles, checked the tyre multiple times for glass etc, nothing.

If I pump up to 120psi in the evening, I will have lost about 30psi by morning.

What am I missing? It's driving me mad.

Have you checked the rim tape?

As the problem has only happened since the tyre change then try a different tyre and see if it still happens the next day?

Switch the front tire with the back and see if it occurs on the front. If it does it's the tire, if it doesn't, its the rim.

Switch the front tire with the back and see if it occurs on the front. If it does it's the tire, if it doesn't, its the rim.

dont you mean tube ? :s

No, I mean the tire.

If you switch a tube with a slow puncture to the front and it occurs on the front that proves nothing other than the tube has a slow puncture. Switching the tire to the front isolates one cause of the puncture from another.

Same as just changing the tyre really. If you use a different tyre and it still happens then it is the rim, if it doesn't happen it was the tyre.

And it is more efficient as you only need to remove one wheel and change one tyre :-)

But you would need to but a new tire, that you might not need.

Change two wheels or go out in the cold icy conditions risking abroken hip to get to the bike shop to spend £20 that you might not need to? Touch choice.

Rim tape - good idea. I'll check that and then start swapping tyres.

But what about the fact that I can see no bubbles in the tube when I put it under water? Is it plausible for a puncture to be that slow?

Yes.

No, I mean the tire.

If you switch a tube with a slow puncture to the front and it occurs on the front that proves nothing other than the tube has a slow puncture. Switching the tire to the front isolates one cause of the puncture from another.

but surely only the tube has a slow puncture?

sorry if i missed something

but surely only the tube has a slow puncture?

sorry if i missed something

"I have used different tubes"

The inference being that it is possibly something to do with the tyre that is causing the slow puncture.

My money, currently is on the rim tape, since these wheels are getting on for three years old and I have never checked it.

Rim tape - good idea. I'll check that and then start swapping tyres.

But what about the fact that I can see no bubbles in the tube when I put it under water? Is it plausible for a puncture to be that slow?

Very easy to have such a slow leak you can't see bubbles. If you are only loosing 30 PSI over night then that only a small volume of air escaping over a long time. Also the tire is pumped up to a relatively low pressure when out of the tyre and your checking it in the water so the rate of leak will be even less.

Rim tape - good idea. I'll check that and then start swapping tyres.

But what about the fact that I can see no bubbles in the tube when I put it under water? Is it plausible for a puncture to be that slow?

pump it up big, I mean really big, you can easily get a road tube as big as your arm.

You need to look harder for bubbles... some times TINY little holes can be the cause and they are missed on a normal sweep. Could also be the valve. Are they light race tubes - they will lose a lot more air than normal rubber tubes.

pump it up big, I mean really big, you can easily get a road tube as big as your arm.

That will be about 60psi for Mashton.

Awww, you're sweet vee.

So tonight it's a night of rim checking and big pumping. Oh yeah.

Pot-hole strike leading to delaminated tyre and a pinch puncture at the same time. Had this one a couple of times, both with Specialized All Condition Pro tyres. Delamination gives bump in tyre, hence "phumping"

Awww, you're sweet vee.

sorry Matt I couldn't help it xx

ah i didnt realise he had used different tubes.

Pot-hole strike leading to delaminated tyre and a pinch puncture at the same time. Had this one a couple of times, both with Specialized All Condition Pro tyres. Delamination gives bump in tyre, hence "phumping"

So how can I spot this delamination?

Awww, you're sweet vee.

So tonight it's a night of rim checking and big pumping. Oh yeah.

So you're going to Corny's after all.....

But you would need to but a new tire, that you might not need.

Change two wheels or go out in the cold icy conditions risking abroken hip to get to the bike shop to spend £20 that you might not need to? Touch choice.

Good point. I was assuming everyone had a stash of tyres in their garage. Think I have at least 3 or 4 pairs in there!