Bicycles Stack Exchange
Bicycles Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [puncture]

Also called "flat". Ways to avoid punctures, deal with punctures, etc.

248 questions
15
votes
3 answers

What kind of flat is this?

I'm stumped. For the last yew years I have been getting flats that look like this: As you can see, it's a tiny, tiny hole that can only be found by inflating the tire to twice its size or so. I know these aren't puncture flats because there is…
JKnight
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14
votes
9 answers

How To Prevent Holes Around The Inner-tube Valve?

In the last two months I have experienced something new: three inner-tubes (700X25) have popped with holes immediately around the valve and on the same side of the tube as the valve. I suspect there is a deficit of support for the tube as the hole…
Dale
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14
votes
5 answers

Are there other explanations for slow tyre pressure loss?

I rode my road bike on Friday and the tyres were at the correct pressure then, around 100psi. On Tuesday, I jumped on without checking them and quickly realised something was wrong with the rear tyre. It wasn't completely flat but was fairly soft.…
Luke Halliwell
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6
votes
2 answers

Does riding on the sidewalk make it more likely to get a flat tire?

I just started bike commuting, and the two times I've gotten flats were when I was biking on the sidewalk, and in both cases they seemed pretty random. I use a mountain bike. Is it just a coincidence or is there more to it?
gr33kbo1
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5
votes
3 answers

Tire Continually going flat

I have a Specialized Crosstour that is about 10 years old. I rode it occasionally and never had a flat. Then it hung in my garage for a couple of years. When I took it down, the tires were flat and I couldn't shift. It went for a tune-up. Hours…
Craig Treptow
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4
votes
2 answers

Can't find puncture cause

I'm changing my first inner tube after getting a puncture in the back wheel. I had to put the tube in water to find the puncture and it was a tiny hole on the inner side of the tube. On the wheel I can't see or feel anything that would have caused…
bleubleupurple
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4
votes
2 answers

Tire went flat, then held air?

During a recent ride my tire went flat on my tri bike. I was about to change the tube but thought I'd just put some air in the flat tire first. Amazingly it held air for the rest of my ride (another 2 hours). Why does this happen?
Jordan
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4
votes
1 answer

Tyre liner causing a slow puncture -- am I doing something stupid

On a beater bike I've got (25 year old Raleigh MTB) I run tyre liners because I had spare tyres and was too cheap to buy good anti-puncture ones. They do their job quite well -- I've just picked broken glass out that had gone through the tread but…
Chris H
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3
votes
2 answers

extremely slow leak in tire

Im getting an issue with my bike where the back tire is deflating extremely slowly compared to a normal flat where it takes maybe 2 days to be noticeable in terms of lower pressure and maybe a week to fully deflate. Im replacing the tube regardless…
Lightsout
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2
votes
2 answers

Is it possible to get a slow leak straight after installing new tires?

So I decided to replace my bike tires to Gatorskins to prevent punctures. Anyway, so I installed them and they seemed to be okay. I had checked it a day or two afterwards and it was okay. But this morning, after 3 days, I see the tyre is flat…
Guest101
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2
votes
4 answers

Is a bigger wheel likely to get fewer flats?

Someone suggested recently that rather than using a fatter tyre in my search for fewer flats, I could use bigger wheels. Specifically, that switching from 700c to 27" (622 to 630) would make a detectable difference. Since I currently use 406 wheels…
Móż
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2
votes
1 answer

Patched inner tube helped by pressure against tire?

When I patch a tube, does it need to be in a tire to "remain fixed"? I mean: I understand an empty fixed tube will remain fixed if I keep it folded in a box... But how about with air inside? does the patch need the pressure against the tire to…
ptpdlc
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1
vote
2 answers

Tape substitutes to prevent flats in mtb inner tubes?

There are products (tapes) on the market that protect mtb inner tubes from flats. Apparently, these tapes go over the inner tube and are puncture resistant. I'm wondering if there are substitutes for these commercial tapes that some of you are…
Beginner Biker
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1
vote
3 answers

Why does a tire patch leak near the lip, and how to properly patch the flat?

I had a flat in my back wheel because the tire was worn out. I removed it and patched it as in these directions, except for the abrasion with sandpaper, which I never do. I put the tire back in and mounted the wheel, but it deflated again overnight.…
miguelmorin
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1
vote
0 answers

fixing flat tire

I had to repair a flat. Have some questions. Is it best to apply patch to a completly flat tube? I found a small copper wire in tire. Is there something to minimize what can puncture tire? Thanks
fixit7
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