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I've faced a strange issue with inner rear tube. It is Schwalbe Little Big Ben tyres 700x38C and Schwalbe tubes. After 20km (12.5 miles) riding tube was abraded by tyre at opposite side of valve. It happened two times before I shifted to Maxxis but the same happened again with the Maxxis tyre. I do not have this problem with the front wheel. With red marked places of abrasion. enter image description here Little Big Ben it is special high profile tire acting as vibration damper named Baloon Type. Could be tire too big for the tube? May be I have to inflate more?..Anyway it is strange... Has anybody dealt with something like this?

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    By "opposite" do you mean at the same point in the circumference of the tube as the valve, only on the tread side, or do you mean at a point opposite the valve along tube's circumference?
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Aug 3, 2019 at 19:26
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    Could it be a spoke?
    – mattnz
    Commented Aug 3, 2019 at 20:34
  • What's that thick section? I have seen similar marks around patches, they have never developed into leaks.
    – ojs
    Commented Aug 4, 2019 at 16:44
  • Thick is inflated tube. Better to ask what is the narrroe section. Narrow is caused by valve at opposite side, right below.
    – Dima
    Commented Aug 4, 2019 at 18:59
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    Those aren't abrasions. They're just marks left when the tube was assembled. That tube is a little strange in that a patch-like piece is installed behind the valve. Could be that the valve stem is inserted into the tube from the back after the tube is molded and then the hole is patched. (Though I'm at a bit of a loss as to WHY this might be done.)
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Aug 6, 2019 at 1:24

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I see three possible locations on the tube that could match your description.

  1. On the outside (rolling face) and 38mm across the inflated tube from the valve.
  2. On the outside, but 180 degrees away from the valve (so the opposite edge of the wheel)
  3. On the outside, but 180 degrees away from the valve (so the opposite edge of the wheel) BUT on the inside edge of the tube that faces toward your hub.
    I think this is what you mean.

The first two are the same - there is something in the area that is causing your abrasion. Like a small wire or glass shard that is wedged deeply in the rubber of the tyre and you can't see it by casual inspection. Need to flex the tyre inside-out and look carefully. You can also use the hole in the tyre as a measure around from the valve to see where the damage came from... that will put you within 50mm of the spot. However changing the tyre would have resolved that.

The third option is the most likely. Something on your RIM is causing the issue, so changing the tyre did nothing. Look closely at the rim tape, make sure its laying flat in the channel and that there are no parts of the nipples exposed. Also that no part of a nipple hole is left uncovered. These can frett away at your tube over time. Even paper labels or sand or small rocks can winnow their way through your tube if they are inside the tyre. Some brands of tyre liners can also eat it at the ends of the liner, but these are normally on the outside circumference only and you probably don't have liners anyway.

The fix for this is to replace your rim tape - its cheap stuff, just make sure the replacement is as wide as your existing tape, or slightly wider but not enough to ride up the inside where the tyre bead hooks are. Fouling the bead hooks risks a blowoff.

There's a minor chance this is an installation error where you've scraped the tube with a tyre lever while installing, but that's not as likely.

If none of this helps, do please add some clear and well lit photos of your tube damage, and the area of the rim causing the problem.

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    Need to flex the tyre inside-out and look carefully. You can also use a cotton ball and rub it over the inside surface of the tire. It's much better to find a wire or shard of glass by having it catch a few threads from the cotton ball than by slicing or poking a hole in your finger.
    – Andrew Henle
    Commented Aug 4, 2019 at 14:35
  • It is new tires. There are no odds at inner side of tire. It is OK with rim.
    – Dima
    Commented Aug 4, 2019 at 16:04
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    It has happened to me that a defective rim tape let debris into the space between the walls of a double wall rim, this debris came out into the tire later so I find it inside the tire after I was pretty confident I had thoroughly inspected it. So I removed the rim tape and shook the rim until the little rattling noise went away, and reassembled everything with new rim tape.
    – Jahaziel
    Commented Aug 5, 2019 at 16:01
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    From comments below the question, the location seems to be number one of your list.
    – David Richerby
    Commented Aug 6, 2019 at 9:09
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We are missing some information in the question (the size of tube and inflation pressure). But to me that looks like a tube that is too small and/or under-inflated that is able to move/rub against the inside of the tyre. The pattern of the abrasions look exactly like the threads of a high volume tyre.

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  • The inflation pressure isn’t far off from atmospheric.
    – Paul H
    Commented Jul 7 at 19:48
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Use Vaseline as lubricant to stop abrasive action

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    A petroleum product is not recommended in contact with butyl. Talc is the preferred choice. Just don’t breathe in the dust.
    – Ted Hohl
    Commented Jul 7 at 19:02

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