P*******e Questions

[marooncat]

I have just had my second P*******e in two commutes, both on the front wheel but I think that is fluke not something in the tyre, it was flat when I left work Thursday last week so I changed the inner tube and it was fine going home and still blown up this morning. Then about a mile into my journey this morning again it was flat, I suspect I might have picked up something going through a builder yard type place during the trip.

Anyhow, I have got quite competent at changing an inner tube (my puncture repair method) and apart from the delay in my journey it does not bother me.. but I still have some silly newbie questions.

I have had real problems both times getting the tyre to sit right in the wheel about where the inner tube valve is. Is there a knack to getting this right, I have tried fitting the tyre back on from where the valve is and starting elsewhere on the tyre with no difference to getting it to sit right. I do not like "poking" the tyre with the tyre leavers but that is what I resorted to this morning, it worked ok but I don't think that is the approved method.

Does it matter which way round the wheel goes (front wheel obviously!!) if you do not have directional tyres? Somehow this morning I put the wheel back on wrong (and only realised when the trip computer did not work!!), it seems to be fine and unless I have to I do not want to change it over again (just will move the magnet from the computer)

Is there any value is buying more expensive inner tubes? I have just put in a cheap tescos one which I bought as a back up over the weekend after p*******e number one but I am not sure if this is false economy (it was less than £2)

Cheers

 

[alecstilleyedye]

might be worth checking the tape around the inside of the rim. if the tape has failed, the tube will inflate into the hole for the spoke, causing a puncture (or indeed get fowled on the spoke itself, depending on the type of wheel.

good quality tape costs very little, so is worth the money.

 

[bonj2]

could be just that the tyres are getting worn. ime - basic, new tyres are better than good quality but old ones, so if money is a constraint buy basic ones regularly rather than expensive ones and struggle with them when they get worn.

try to seat the bead with your thumbs about 4 inches either side of the valve, and the bit where the valve is should then seat as you work it round. that's how i do it anyway.
Not sure if this is right or not but i've heard that it's best for the last bit to get seated (the bit you use tyre levers on) to be the bit that's not 1/2 as is commonly thought but 1/4 of a turn around from the valve.

 

[tyred]

As mentioned, I would check the rim tape. I wouldn't bother with fancy, expensive tapes, just use ordinary electrical insulating tape.

When seating the tyre around the valve, it can be helpful to push the valve into the tyre about half an inch or so and the tyre will seat easier. This is especially true with narrow wheels in my experience. just make sure you keep hold of it!

It shouldn't matter which way around you've put the front wheel unless you happen to have an old Raleigh with the original spec hub which need to go in the correct way due to the cone/locknut design.

ALso, I'm sure you know this anyway, but just incase, when fixing a puncture, always run your fingers around the inside of the tyre to feel for anything that may be causing a puncture.

 

[Landslide]

ALso, I'm sure you know this anyway, but just incase, when fixing a puncture, always run your fingers around the inside of the tyre to feel for anything that may be causing a puncture.

Or even better, get a "friend" to do it whilst you unpack spare tube/fiddle about with pump/check rim for any sharp bits so you don't cut your fingers!

 

[marooncat]

Thanks for all the replies. I have checked the tyre at lunch and it is still blown up fine.

have moved the computer magnet to the other side of the wheel so that is that sorted. I will take the wheel off and check the tyre tape tonight.

 

[swee'pea99]

Did you register "When seating the tyre around the valve, it can be helpful to push the valve into the tyre about half an inch or so and the tyre will seat easier."? In response to your query, that's right on the money. When you're putting the tyre back, start at the valve point, push the valve up through the hole so the tube's right up against the tyre, then stick in the first section of tyre-wall - maybe 8", 4" each side of the valve - then release the valve and pull it back into place, which will grip the tyre walls while you screw up the wee ring thing that holds it in place.

 

[jimboalee]

I never use the lockring on valve stems.

It gives an uncertain 'upright' position of the valve. If the valve IS upright, you can bet the tube is in a 'proper' position.
If the valve leans over, the tube is stretched on one side and needs to be massaged round to equilibrium.

I have fixed THREE punctures so far this year, all on 26 x 1 3/8" tyres ( which don't have kevlar, but do have Slime stuff ). These tyres are not clinchers and the rims are not clincher rims.
When seating the tyre, I inflate to 10 psi then manually pull and push the tyre into an equally concentric position on the rim ( and check for valve seating, as above ). Then inflate quickly with an airhose.

 

[marooncat]

Well I thought my problems had gone away, made it home on Tuesday night with no problems checked everything as suggested on here and found nothing wrong so just put it down to bad luck. They cycled in and out of work yesterday no problems.. then woke up this morning to another flat tyre.

I decided that I was going to drive to work and then examine everything again tonight. I had two out of my three punchured tubes (the other is still in the corner of the garage at work where I threw it in a fit of temper having changed it!!) so blew them up, found the hole and it was in the same place on each tyre. Eventually I found a bit of "something" embedded in the tyre, it was not through the tyre which is why I did not find it when I checked the inside of the tyre. I am not quite sure what the "something" was as when I was trying to get it out it went flying accross the room. I can only assume that there was a sharp side on it and it was digging into the tube and if I went over a bump with that part of the wheel on the ground it was digging in.

 

[palinurus]

That can happen. You should be OK now.

 

[summerdays]

I always work out where the hole is in relation to the bit you pump up (brain dead can't remember its name), and then look carefully at the tyre at that point.

 

[marooncat]

Well that is the two inner tubes mended (after a trip to get another repair kit having discovered the glue in my original one was not working

I must say re-fitting the tyre was fine, using the hints on here it is sitting fine, however I must say it is easier doing it in the house rather than in the rain at the side of the road.