# Keep getting punctures, Help!!!



## CycleChris (29 May 2009)

Hello to all on the cycle forum, I'm new so this might sound like an easy question to answer but I'm clueless.
Bought a hybrid a while bk for a 18mile round trip to and from work, the bike cost 450, but it seems every 3 to 4 trips I get a puncture, on the bk wheel very frustrating, man at halfords who does seem to know his stuff says just bad luck and the tyres on the bike are decnt, but I spoke to someone else who said could be tyres, the journey is mainly on country roads which are smooth apart from a few bumpy bits, and a bit of flint on the sides of road, the puntures are varied as well, although the last one looked as if the wheel rim had sliced the innertube, can anyone help with advice because its costing me more in inner tubes than would petrol, really enjoy cycling but if keep getting punctures will have to not bother with commute.

Thanks,
Chris


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## grhm (29 May 2009)

Are the punctures all on the outside of the tube - or on the sides/inside. Not sure from your description, but you might have an issue with dodgy rim tape exposing a sharp spoke - or a sharp bit on the inside of the rim.

I'd suggest taking the bike to a decent LBS (local bike shop) and not halfords (soe are ok but it depends on the staff and you said...). They ought to do able to offer an opinion on the state of your tyres.


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## adds21 (29 May 2009)

I've found that Slime helps a lot. You can, I think, add Slime to standard inner tubes, or buy inner tubes with slime pre-installed (as I have). These are what I use. So far I've had them for about 500 miles, and haven't had a puncture yet. I had about 5 punctures per 100 miles prior to using them (I'll obvously get a puncture on the way home now ).

I've seen others here swear by Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres. I was all set to get a pair if the Slime didn't work.


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## summerdays (29 May 2009)

Are the tyres properly inflated? If not its easier for the sharp stuff to penetrate apparently.

(Would agree that Marathon's might save you having to repair all those tubes and also that not being late factor too).


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## marinyork (29 May 2009)

Marathon standard are fine on that front and easier to put on/take off.


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## arallsopp (29 May 2009)

Next time you get one, try to work out where on the tube its happening. If its on the outside edge, it can probably be solved by more protective tyres (marathons, etc) or correct inflation (higher is normally better). Check your tyres for anything pointy sticking through before refitting.

If its on the inside, it could well be a spoke end, or something wrong with the rim. Again, run a finger around and check for anything pointy. Consider that a loose spoke under load may poke into the tube.

Whatever happens, when you next re-fit the tyre, make sure you line the manufacturer's mark up with a known place on the rim (ie, the valve). Getting this many punctures all on the back is rare enough, but if you also happen to find they always occur on the same section of tube, you can then begin looking at that specific part of the wheel / tyre. 

Oh, and +1 for the LBS over the "very frustrating [...] man at halfords"


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## Arch (29 May 2009)

Yes, check the tyres and wheels for possible cause, and keep the tyres pumped up well to avoid pinching the tube in the rim. The best way to check for sharp protrusions is of course to run your fingers round the inside of the tyre, and the rim. Sod's law says that the less carefully you do this, the more likely you are to find the cause, by slicing your finger on it...

Of course - it COULD just be bad luck, coincidences do happen. However, with them all being on the back, I'd suspect the tyre or wheel - if you were having bad luck with thorns or flints, I'd have thought the front would cop it as well.


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## bonj2 (29 May 2009)

The way I avoid getting punctures is always ride on the road, never a cycle 'path', and preferably not right in the gutter at the side of the road, but a bit away from the kerb, i.e. where the cars go.
This aswell as being safer, means you are always riding on surface on which cars have driven. Constant use of a road by cars tends to perform the very useful service of generally sweeping the road of debris that would remain on a cycle path.
Oh, and tyres generally tend to lose their resistance to punctures as they get old and worn, so if your tyres are a bit old and worn, change them - this might help.


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## Arch (29 May 2009)

Good point about the road debris, the dust and grit at the side of the road can hide all manner of broken glass etc...


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## grhm (29 May 2009)

I'd not spotted that you said it always happens on the back wheel. I think that points to something wrong with that wheel or tyre. Check really thoroughly for something sharp in the tyres on inside the wheel.

If you've still got the old tubes - try to see if you can spot a pattern. Are they are punctured in the same place? If so that ought to point out where the problem is.


(Oh and welcome to the forum by the way )


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## jig-sore (29 May 2009)

i had a similar problem when i first got my hybrid and it was due to some really naff thin rim tape allowing the tube to bulge into the spoke holes in the rim. changed it and the problem went away.


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## HJ (29 May 2009)

Are the p*nct*res single holes in the inner tube or two holes (looks like a snake bite)? If it is the latter this would be due to the tyres being under inflated. Best to get a track pump with a gauge and keep the tyres well inflated, close to the max pressure (usually stated somewhere on the tyre).


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## CycleChris (29 May 2009)

Thanks to everyone for your great advice, one thing I can say is that my tyres are always inflated to the top 120psi I think, and I have a track pump to check, all the other things I will be checking out to try and find the reason, its good to hear this is unlikely to be coincidence, I was beginning to think I was riding on the most cursed 9miles in england haha!
It will be great to ride to work without getting a puncture twice a week.
Thanks again, 
Chris


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## Randochap (29 May 2009)

120 psi is a tad high. This actually may be your problem.

Most flats will usually occur on the rear wheel. Try to discover if they are pinch flats, cased by hitting potholes, etc. or, as others have said, a faulty rim tape or other problem with rim ... or if you have indeed been unlucky. I ride year round and usually count on about 2 flats in that time.


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## palinurus (29 May 2009)

What tyres are you using?


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## HJ (29 May 2009)

Randochap said:


> 120 psi is a tad high. This actually may be your problem.



Not if they are racing tires...


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## Ademort (29 May 2009)

It could be any one of a number of things, but firstly what tyres do you have on the bike and what size are they.
Ademort


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## Randochap (29 May 2009)

Hairy Jock said:


> Not if they are racing tires...




From the OP: 



> Bought a hybrid a while bk for a 18mile round trip to and from work ...



So what's the chance they're racing tyres? 

Even if they were, there's not any benefit to running them at 120, unless someone is looking to get rid of some old tooth fillings..


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## CycleChris (30 May 2009)

Hey everyone sorry for late reply:
They are racing tyres, maxxis detonator which is very apt considering they keep exploding, it says max pressure 120psi on the tyres, and I just pump them up to that, because I dont want the bumps to have an affect puncture wise, the last puncture was a pinch i think but dont know about the others.


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## HJ (30 May 2009)

Randochap said:


> From the OP:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You were saying??


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## ASC1951 (31 May 2009)

CycleChris said:


> it says max pressure 120psi on the tyres, and I just pump them up to that..... the last puncture was a pinch i think but dont know about the others.


That's weird. A pinch flat is when the tyre is forced out sideways so far that the tube is pushed against the inside of the rim. I don't see how you can have that happening if you really do have 120 psi in there - it only ever happened to me before I got a track pump, when I was running tubes at 75-80 psi.

Sorry to cast nasturtiums, but is your gauge accurate? 120 psi means that you can hardly dent the tyre with the firmest thumb pressure.

I would put my money on sharp rims or thin rim tape. Have the wheel out, check round it as mentioned by others, and if need be run a bit of fine glasspaper particularly round the inner roll of the bead. If the rim tape is thin, a good substitute is electrician's insulating tape, the cloth type.

On factory assembled wheels you sometimes find that their plastic rim tape is plenty thick enough but has been heat-shrunk in the wrong position. You can't re-position those ones, IME, you just have to cut them out and replace with sticky cloth tape.

[I've just though of another possibility. Did you get all your tubes from the same place? I use cheap tubes myself (£2.99 if I can get them) and don't have any problems, but the quality control isn't great on tubes and it is quite possible to get a bad batch. You would still be getting rear wheel blowouts because that takes a greater riding load. Thorn punctures and pinch/snakebites normally affect the front wheel more.]


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## Randochap (31 May 2009)

Hairy Jock said:


> You were saying??



The Maxis Detonator is no "racing" tyre. And the _maximum_ pressure noted on a tyre does not mean one slavishly follows the maximum recommended. The idea is to inflate for conditions.

I'm writing this from a hotel, as I'm organizing a 600km brevet and just spent the day following riders over a remote, scenic and very hilly piece of west coast topography. 

At one control, I helped one of the riders with a flat -- her second with that tyre. Guess what kind? Yep, a Detonator! Who would seriously name a tyre after an explosive device? 

As it turned out, the cause was a worn rim tape at the valve hole. An electricians tape patch did the trick. But I noticed the tyre, though new, had plenty of cuts already.

Oh, and I pumped the rear up to 110 and the front around 100.

Well, it's after midnight and it'll be another long day tomorrow. Glad I'm not with the riders who are still on the road ... climbing a mountain pass when we last saw them.


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## CycleChris (31 May 2009)

Thanks again guys will be starting the new improved more knowledgable cycle to work on tuesday thanks to all of you, I think on my pinch puncture i had the wrong size innertube in the tyre, so prob why that happened. I will let you know what has happened later in the week,
Regards Chris


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## jpatterson (3 Jun 2009)

For people who really really dont want to get more punctures
Its heavy, but at least its good training!

For 'The System' you will need:
1 pair of the biggest puncture proofed tyres that will fit in your frame
an old pair of smaller tyres with the beads cut off
a pair of slime filled inner tubes

Fit the smaller tyres inside the bigger puncture proof tyres and then fit as usual. Fit the slime tubes as usual et voila. Nothing is going to get through those.

Its heavy, its slow, but at least you dont have to worry about flatting. 
For the racing folk this is a great setup to run on your winterbike , come easter when the good bike comes out of the shed you will be flying!


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## Ianesque (7 Mar 2010)

*Punctures*

I had the same problem. After cycling reguarly for 6 months with only one puncture on a cheap bike, i thought punctures were a relic of my childhood. Then i bought a better bike (better tyres) and lo and behold 6 punctures in 8 weeks!
I did the usual checks of course, checking innertube and usual paths with nothing standing out. Then after another check i found a sliver of sharp metal implanted in the tyre, flush with the inner and outer surface of the tyre but probably poking out with just enough nth of a millimetere on the inside to be causing the punctures. So my advice is to check, check and treble check your tyre!!


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## bauldbairn (7 Mar 2010)

Ianesque said:


> I had the same problem. So my advice is to check, check and treble check your tyre!!



Good Advice! 

....and Welcome to the CC forums Ianesque.


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## threefingerjoe (7 Mar 2010)

Tip: When checking the tyre for the cause of the puncture, avoid the temptation to run your fingers around the inside of the tyre. On the first check, use your hanky, or a rag. You'll feel it snag on the thorn, nail, glass, or whatever. If it's so small that you don't find it on the first check, only then go back very carefully and look and feel for something.

Once, while repairing a puncture in the dark, I cut my finger on a piece of glass. After that, everything felt sticky...my pump, my headlamp (that I had removed and was using as a torch), the wheels... When I got to work and saw the bike in the light, it looked as if an axe-murder had taken place!


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## Debian (7 Mar 2010)

I always keep a thin cotton glove on me and wear that to check the inside of the tyre.


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## Bill Gates (7 Mar 2010)

One thing that no ever mentions is the use of talcum powder. For me this is as vital as the patch or the glue or the pump to putting a tyre on a rim and/or repairing punctures. And I don't mean splashing it on yourself to make you smell nice.


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## Sheffield_Tiger (7 Mar 2010)

threefingerjoe said:


> Tip: When checking the tyre for the cause of the puncture, avoid the temptation to run your fingers around the inside of the tyre. On the first check, use your hanky, or a rag. You'll feel it snag on the thorn, nail, glass, or whatever. If it's so small that you don't find it on the first check, only then go back very carefully and look and feel for something.
> 
> Once, while repairing a puncture in the dark, I cut my finger on a piece of glass. After that, everything felt sticky...my pump, my headlamp (that I had removed and was using as a torch), the wheels... When I got to work and saw the bike in the light, it looked as if an axe-murder had taken place!




I thought you were going to say "hence the name, three finger joe!!"


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## bauldbairn (8 Mar 2010)

Sheffield_Tiger said:


> I thought you were going to say "hence the name, three finger joe!!"


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## MacLean (8 Mar 2010)

Sorry for the minor hijack but its very related:

On sat I got a thorn puncture and changed the tube, is it worthwhile repairing the punctured tube with a patch and keep it as a spare or is it better to bin it and buy a new one?


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## normgow (8 Mar 2010)

Keep repairing them. If you're not using them for racing should be no problem.
The best repair equipment I've found is from "Tip-Top" but don't know if it is available in UK.


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## threefingerjoe (9 Mar 2010)

I'd repair it. If done properly, one can consider a patch to be a permanent repair. I've had 5 patches on a tube, and dustbinned it when I got another puncture too close to a patch to repair. A friend of mine dustbins his after 2 repairs, or puts on a third patch and carries it along as a "give away".


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