# punctures on turbo trainers



## johnny mcgurk (7 Dec 2010)

Looking for some advice. 
Ive had 3 punctures this week....and I havent even been out on the road.
I recently bought a Tacx Satori home trainer for winter training but this week I have had 3 punctures.
Being a cheapskate I have been using old tyres(rather than a trainer tyre) and have been spinning in 
realtively low gears( have had recent knee problems) but cadence up to about 110 rpm for about 45 mins.
first puncture I put down to old tyre and second to patched inner tube but today's was brand new inner tube and 
brand new tyre (schwalbe blizzard).
have checked wheel rim and it seems ok, also punctures have been on the outer rim of the inner tube.
I don't think there is a problem with the trainer because my wife uses her bike on it 
(for interval training) with no problem.
I am reluctant to fit a trainer tyre because I dont want to have to swap tyres for an outdoor ride and I'm too tight to get 
a second wheel/ cassette/ tyre just for the trainer.
Am i do something wrong or are the punctures caused by tyre overheat?
forgive the longwindedness, any advice gratefully received


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## iAmiAdam (7 Dec 2010)

Have you checked the inside on the tyre for glass etc?

I know someone who got a puncture on the turbo the other week, he hasn't figued it out, but hasn't had another either.


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## johnny mcgurk (7 Dec 2010)

Yup, did all the obvious stuff, checking tyre rim etc but nothing unusual 
new tyre is pristine, hasnt even looked at tarmac, only been used on the turbo.


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## dave r (7 Dec 2010)

Yes I had a puncture on the turbo the other week and still don't know what caused it 
The bike had been on the turbo for about a month and I couldn't find a cause for it at all, but its been fine since.


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## ColinJ (7 Dec 2010)

When I first started cycling again as an adult, I suffered a succession of baffling punctures on commutes to work. It was doing my head in so I consulted an experienced colleague who asked me to describe how I fixed the punctures. 

When I told him how I put the tyres back on, he announced that I was probably damaging the tubes with my tyre levers and showed me how to avoid doing that. He was right - the obscure punctures stopped happening. Every one I've had since then has had an obvious cause (an embedded piece of glass or a thorn, a tube defect, hitting a pothole etc.)

I bet that you are either pinching the tubes with the bead of the tyre, or damaging them using tyre levers to get the tyres on.


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## ventoux50 (8 Dec 2010)

Run your finger around the inside of the rim, to check none of the spokes have come through the rim tape. If you find a suspect area take the rim tape out and gently file down the spoke end. Then put new rim tape in.

I'd replace the rim tape anyway, as a precaution.

Very unlikely to be due to overheating (there'd be tyres popping all over the UK at the moment if that was the case !)


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## Klaus (8 Dec 2010)

ColinJ said:


> *STUFF SNIPPED*
> 
> I bet that you are either pinching the tubes with the bead of the tyre, or damaging them *using tyre levers to get the tyres on*.




A bit confused: how would you use tyre levers to get the tyre on? I just use my thumbs - done so twice recently and works fine.


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## lukesdad (8 Dec 2010)

I get occasional punctures on the turbo and always have dont know what causes them. Mtb and road running gear.


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## Moodyman (8 Dec 2010)

*A bit confused: how would you use tyre levers to get the tyre on?

*Some tyres are a pain to get on without strong hands so folk with soft hands revert to tyre levers to push the last bit of the tyre onto a rim. This often pinches the tube.


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## ColinJ (8 Dec 2010)

Moodyman said:


> *A bit confused: how would you use tyre levers to get the tyre on?
> 
> *Some tyres are a pain to get on without strong hands so folk with soft hands revert to tyre levers to push the last bit of the tyre onto a rim. This often pinches the tube.


You beat me to it!

Getting my MTB tyres on is so easy that even a child's hands would be strong enough.

Getting Michelin Pro Race tyres onto the Campag Proton wheels on my Cannondale is so difficult that I once spent 30 minutes at the side of a Spanish road trying to replace a tyre and that was using levers - a right pig, that combination!

Getting Michelin Krylions onto the Open Pro rims I had on my Basso was quite difficult but doable with bare hands. I think most reasonably strong men could manage it but most women and children would struggle and would have to resort to using a tyre lever.


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## zacklaws (8 Dec 2010)

When I mounted my bike on my turbo last year, I was initially greeted with a puncture, on examining my tyre from the inside, if I recall I removed about 20 flints that had penetrated through the tyre, but why on the turbo and not on the road? I do not know why, but perhaps the tyre flex's more because there is only a small area of contact with the roller compared to being on a flat road, along with all the weight as well all at that point which may push the flints through.

As for getting tyres on with your fingers, I use Bontrager, all weather Hardcase and can easily get them on my rims with my fingers, but I only get one chance, so it has to be maximum effort, get it wrong and my hands ache too much to try again, and if its cold, no chance, I resort to the levers.


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## johnny mcgurk (8 Dec 2010)

My first reaction to ColinJ's post was ...no way. Ive never had a problem with fitting tyres before and I fitted the wifes tyres and they are ok so why mine. But thought I'd have a look at the tubes just in case. 
ON one the patch has blown, easily explicable but on the other 2 there is a tiny gouge just inside the puncture ( a small horizontal slit in both cases) which is presumably causing a weekness. I manged to get the current tyres on, just using my thumbs (not always the case) so am surprised that I have damaged the tube.
At the risk of sounding completely half witted (hey I'm new here), can anyone point me in the direction of the definitive guide to changing a tyre.
I've just looked at a couple of sites which went along the lines of remove old tyre, replace tube, replace tyre.


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## ColinJ (8 Dec 2010)

One tip the old cyclist gave me was to put a small amount of air in the tube before refitting the tyre. That gives the tube some shape and helps prevent it getting pinched by the tyre bead. Note though - if you put too much air in, you won't get the tyre back on!


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## craigwend (8 Dec 2010)

Erm I use a trainer tyre (& may have to get the turbo down if the white stuff does not go soon) as the one thing I know about turbos is the incredible heat they can generate on the tyre / tube, which may explain why 'normal' tyres & otherwise issues with tubes that would not cause a problem do.

Maybe do a shorter session or with less resistance, or buy a turbo trainer tyre...it will proabaly cost you less in the end

however they are the worst tyres I've evere had to get on...I think they are made of _indistrocrubber!_


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## Blue (8 Dec 2010)

craigwend said:


> Erm I use a trainer tyre (& may have to get the turbo down if the white stuff does not go soon) as the one thing I know about turbos is the incredible heat they can generate on the tyre / tube, which may explain why 'normal' tyres & otherwise issues with tubes that would not cause a problem do.
> 
> Maybe do a shorter session or with less resistance, or *buy a turbo trainer tyre*...it will proabaly cost you less in the end
> 
> ...




If all other things have been excluded(flints etc) it is most likely the heat generated within the tyre is the culprit as this can cause the tube to split at a seam or the tyre to delaminate and puncture the tube. A delamination is very hard to spot as the tyre has to be stretched, as it will be when very warm and causing a puncture.

A turbo trainer tyre is made of a cold running compound that is suitable for the turbo only. If you fit one you can immediately feel the heat difference if you feel the tyre as soon as you get off the turbo. The tyres are hard to get on and I stored mine in a hot place for a day or two before trying to fit them as that eases the bead a little (still a hard job, though!)

Good luck.


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## johnny mcgurk (8 Dec 2010)

Thanks for various pieces of advice, my thumbs are now bleeding from trying to put tyres on without levers, should it really be that difficult?
Tomorrow will tell if I've pinched the latest tube


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