Continuous rear wheel flat tyre

[Soup890]

Since I got my new bike in December 2013 up in till now I keep getting rear wheel flat tyres. My front tyre has never had a flat and it's still at the same pressure.

Any ideas why this keeps on happening?

And is there any good inner tubes I can buy (please post a like)?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

When fixing the puncture have you checked to make sure that nothing is still sticking in the tyre? (I've had a few occasions in the past where I've picked up multiple thorns). Have you checked to make sure the rim tape is still covering all the spoke nipples? (Which will rub a hole in the tube after a while if not covered properly)

My experience is that punctures are more frequent in the back tyre and I suspect this is mainly because there is more weight on it.

For puncture prevention good tyres rather than tubes are the best option. Something like Schwalbe Marathon are very puncture resistant.

 

[smokeysmoo]

+1 for RP's comments.

There's either something stuck in the tyre, a burr on your rim or damaged/misaligned rim tape.

Or your tyre pressure is too low.

FWIW I run Conti Gatorskins at 120psi, plus I check the pressures before every ride and have very few incidents.

 

[ianrauk]

You haven't said what is causing the flats. That would help.

 

[HLaB]

How often are you getting a p'ture. Its normal for the rear to p'ture more than the front, as 3/4 of your weight is over the rear. However if its happening every ride you've got a problem.

 

[jay clock]

run your finger round the inside of the tyre in each direction about 5 times. Feel for anything stick through (thorns/flints/wire etc). Also with tyre flat squeeze the tyre all round and find any minor splits/nicks etc or flints. Pic them out. I use a very sharp pointed knife.

Pull any bits out from the outside

Check the rim tape is well seated

 

[potsy]

New bikes often come with crappy tyres as a cost saving so it may just be this, my road bike punctured 3 times on one commute before I got rid and put something a bit tougher on.
If it's every time you go out then there is probably something in the tyre, check really carefully and take your time, easy to miss a small bit of wire or glass, it's also easy to cut yourself too.

 

[Rob3rt]

run your finger round the inside of the tyre in each direction about 5 times. Feel for anything stick through (thorns/flints/wire etc). Also with tyre flat squeeze the tyre all round and find any minor splits/nicks etc or flints. Pic them out. I use a very sharp pointed knife.

Pull any bits out from the outside

Check the rim tape is well seated

And if you are lacking in the sense of touch, get some cotton wool and rub it. It will snag on even the tinniest sharp!

 

[summerdays]

What they said above including the occasional half hour spent picking out bits of glass/grit from any of the slits in the tyres before they work their way in.

 

[adscrim]

Check the rim tape is well seated

Is there rim tape present?

Are there any burrs on the valve hole?

Friend of mine was getting recurring puntures and it turned out to be a tiny metalic 'shard' in the rim tape.

 

[Kestevan]

I had a similar problem, a large number of slow punctures on the rear wheel. I'd tried all of the above without success.
I eventually found the culprit by making sure the labels on the tyre lined up with the valve hole and waiting for another leak. When it happened I carefully removed the tube, and found the hole. this enabled me to see roughly where in the tyre the problem was.

I couldn't see or feel anything, except a tiny spot in the inner part of the tyre. Poking about with a needle revealed a tiny piece of wire embedded in the tyre carcass . Removed this and no more punctures.

 

[Nathan AV]

Check no spokes are piercing the tube. I know rim tape should prevent it but ive seen on one occasion (very rare) a spoke causing multiple punctures . When the tyre was at the intended pressure it must of been a weak spot and kept giving out.

 

[ColinJ]

Another possibility ... I punctured twice a day for a week until an experienced cyclist told me where I was going wrong, which was damaging the tubes using tyre levers when putting the tyre back on. (You shouldn't need to use tyre levers to replace a tyre, but if you do, be very careful not to nip or tear the tube.)

 

[Leodis]

I had the same problem with Kojaks on my Badboy, replaced them with M+ and de nada...

 

[gavgav]

When fixing the puncture have you checked to make sure that nothing is still sticking in the tyre? (I've had a few occasions in the past where I've picked up multiple thorns). Have you checked to make sure the rim tape is still covering all the spoke nipples? (Which will rub a hole in the tube after a while if not covered properly)

My experience is that punctures are more frequent in the back tyre and I suspect this is mainly because there is more weight on it.

For puncture prevention good tyres rather than tubes are the best option. Something like Schwalbe Marathon are very puncture resistant.

I don't think we will ever forget that ride when you tried 4 times to fix that puncture and it effectively exploded each time you put it back on!!