Questions tagged [puncture]
Also called "flat". Ways to avoid punctures, deal with punctures, etc.
255
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57
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What type of tires can prevent goatheads?
We have a lot of goatheads1 in our area, and they have a tendency to do something like this to bike tires:
Unfortunately, I ride a road bike (specifically a Kona Dew), so I have much smaller, thinner ...
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47
votes
12
answers
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What are the disadvantages of "puncture proof" (or puncture resistant) tires?
Some people refer to tires that are more resistant to punctures as "puncture proof" tires.
For example: Specialized All Condition Armadillo Tyre
Even though these tires are not really puncture proof, ...
- 1,817
36
votes
6
answers
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Why do bike tires suffer from frequent punctures whereas car tires don't?
I have driven in my life 200 000 km by car and 20 000 km by bike. In my car, I have never had a single puncture. In my bike, my puncture count probably exceeds 5.
Why do bicycle tires suffer from ...
- 20.5k
35
votes
11
answers
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Do glueless tube patches work as well as glue ones?
Quite a few years ago I tried some glueless patches for repairing my punctured tubes while out on the road, and found that they rarely stayed on for very long. I know that technology has advanced a ...
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32
votes
8
answers
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Broken glass on the bicycle path, what to do?
Often I find myself driving with my racing bike on the dedicated bicycle lane in my city. The problem with these bicycle lanes is that there is a lot of broken glass (once every few kilometers). ...
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29
votes
8
answers
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When should you replace tires after getting a flat?
A nail punctured my rear wheel tire today while riding.
My question is, how do you know if you need to replace a tire or simply repair it with a tube repair kit?
The hole looks pretty nasty. The cap ...
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28
votes
9
answers
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Am I too heavy for my road bike tires?
I am wondering if bike tires have a weight limit. I have to admit, I am a large guy at 6'3" 250lb (190 cm, 113,5 kg), and I have always had issues with my road bike's tires getting pinch flats. I ...
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27
votes
7
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How to get the tyre back on to the rim easily?
What is the best/easiest way to get the tyre back on to a rim after removing it to fix a puncture for example?
Some tyres can be really hard to get back on to the rim. I don't like using the tyre ...
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25
votes
3
answers
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What's the rubber tube in my puncture repair kit for?
I've got an old school puncture repair kit, the type with glue and patches.
As well as the sandpaper, patches, 'vulcanizing fluid' and instructions, there is a 2.5cm long, 3mm wide, beige rubber tube....
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24
votes
7
answers
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Which kind of tube valve is the best?
What kind of valve is the best one, a Presta valve (6mm) or a Schrader valve (8mm).
Which has the best reliability, which one is easiest to fix a flat on?
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22
votes
11
answers
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How to find punctures in inner tubes?
When I have a flat tire, I find punctures in inner tubes using three techniques, all starting with the inner tube outside the bike:
Hearing where the sound of air escaping originates.
Feeling the ...
- 531
22
votes
5
answers
3k
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What is the maximum number of pucture repairs an inner tube can take?
Any thoughts - my spare tube that I carry in my bag currently has a dozen or so patches on it, but still works fine. I'm tempted to keep going to see how many I can get on there until it get ...
- 347
22
votes
7
answers
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How do I use the plastic backing on patches?
It seems that the patches I buy for fixing inner tubes come in one of 2 types. Both have metal foil on the stick-to-tube side. One has paper on the other side, the other plastic.
With the paper ones ...
- 1,357
21
votes
6
answers
2k
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How do I fix a puncture?
I got a flat/puncture on my bike tube, how can I fix it myself without going to the nearest bike shop? What kind of equipment would I need?
- 2,908
20
votes
7
answers
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What is a good way to keep my tires from going flat easily?
Title says it all, how do I keep my bicycle tires from going flat easily? I live in an area with a lot of sharp stuff (think glass shards, nails, cactus, etc)...
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20
votes
10
answers
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Why using a puncture repair kit instead of a new inner tube?
I am a casual rider (~30 km commute as often as possible) in an urban setting.
Reading this SE site to learn about biking (the resource is extraordinary, even though I don't understand every ...
- 1,135
18
votes
8
answers
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Is there a recycling program that accepts unrepairable inner tubes?
The local bike shop, not the wealthiest operation, has a pile of dead inner tubes growing on the floor. I'd love to discover something where used inner tubes are repurposed, melted down, made into ...
- 719
17
votes
8
answers
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Mystery flat keeps happening 3-5 times a week. Do I weigh too much for my tires?
This is a little embarrassing, so I hope no one makes fun of me... But I am a big girl. I always have been. Very big frame, big shoulders, big head, hands and feet. My whole life I've been healthy and ...
- 275
16
votes
5
answers
8k
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Technique for self-adhesive puncture repair patches
Is there any special technique for using self-adhesive puncture repair patches?
Today, I've had two different tubes fail within a minute of being inflated because the air pressure had split through ...
- 17k
15
votes
11
answers
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Why does the glue in a puncture repair kit dry up so quickly?
With puncture repair kits, generally you get like 6-8 patches and a tube of glue.
The only problem is I can really only use the glue for the first patch because once it opens, it just ends up drying ...
- 619
15
votes
8
answers
7k
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Fixing a flat - how to find the piercing object?
Just had a flat and having problems finding the thing that pierced the tube in the tire. Normally I just run my fingers around in it, until I found it, but this time everything looks O.K.
My ...
- 1,269
15
votes
8
answers
7k
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How to stop dealing with flat tires?
I have a very nice fixie bike, which I keep suffering from flat tires. I live in Bogota which is a city full of potholes in the road.
I have been examining options to implement in order to have less ...
- 253
15
votes
6
answers
13k
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Why do I always get punctures in my rear wheel?
I get probably five times as many punctures in my rear wheel as opposed to my front wheel. I run a good pressure and don't get obvious pinch flats.
Does anyone have a logical reason why this could ...
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15
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3
answers
2k
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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 ...
- 253
15
votes
3
answers
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Is it normal for a presta valve to unscrew into two pieces?
I have a Continental Road inner tube with a threaded presta valve. I also have a threaded bike pump which I screw onto the valve to inflate the tube.
When I try to unscrew the pump, the uppermost ...
- 253
15
votes
2
answers
8k
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What's the best technique for removing a tyre from the rim?
This question talks about fitting a tyre back onto a rim, but I'd like to know how to get the tyre off in the first place. Especially if the tyre is very tight, or the dip in the middle of the rim ...
- 23.6k
14
votes
2
answers
2k
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What might cause an inner tube to "behave" flat in a tire?
I've been having a problem with a "flat" tire - I cannot get the air pressure over 5-10 psi (35–70 kPa), I can hear air whistling out if I pump more in. Disassembled, the tube inflates up to ...
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14
votes
7
answers
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If I can't find the hole causing a flat tire, do I need to replace the tube?
My back tire got flat. If I pump it up now, it can hold the air for about 30 minutes to an hour before it's totally flat.
I took out the inner-tube yesterday, pump in a bit air and put it into water, ...
- 347
14
votes
9
answers
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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 ...
- 549
14
votes
7
answers
3k
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Are solid/tubeless tires worth using in Thorny areas?
I picked up riding over the summer as a way to save on gas and get into shape. The trouble is that I live in a somewhat rural area with woefully maintained roads/sidewalks and everywhere is lousy with ...
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14
votes
5
answers
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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....
- 295
14
votes
4
answers
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How do you fix a puncture on tubeless tires?
I recently got a new bike with a set of tubeless compatible rims. The stock tires are clinchers with tubes. I'm thinking about putting tubeless on there, but I don't have any experience with them. We ...
- 11.9k
13
votes
4
answers
9k
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How can I repair a tyre with a deep cut?
I have some foldable racing tyres, still with plenty of tread but with some small cuts through the tread & cloth. Can I do anything to them or are they destined for the bin?
- 6,273
12
votes
11
answers
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Which puncture-resistant tires?
I commute on city streets and have had two punctures in 5 months: first a roofing nail, second a small shard of glass.
Punctures are a nuisance.
I've read some people recommend Schwalbe "Marathon" ...
- 12.2k
12
votes
4
answers
24k
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Tube sealant vs. tire liners vs. puncture-resistant tires -- which best prevents flats?
Clarification:
I am not asking for a solution to punctures, or about the nuances of ride quality with the various solutions. I am asking whether one method of reducing punctures has been proven ...
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12
votes
1
answer
11k
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Benefits of latex tubes... Are they worth it?
Is using latex inner tubes worth it?
My use of it would be on a racing bike, for training and racing purposes, only on road, mostly in good condition (but in an urban environment so there are some ...
- 1,952
11
votes
7
answers
11k
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Repeat Punctures
I was cycling home today and I got a puncture a few minutes in where the air slowly drained rather than instant rim to concrete!
Fitted a new tube and 10 minutes further down, exact same issue.
...
- 213
11
votes
5
answers
3k
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Slow leak on front cruiser tire
I ride my cruiser to the supermarket and back, using either a trailer or a basket over the front wheel for carrying groceries. The bike has developed a persistent slow leak on the front wheel, and I'...
- 18.1k
11
votes
2
answers
2k
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Minimize puncture risk during race. Should I change the tyres?
I used these tyres for one year/ about 5000 km.
They look fine/ok (not very worn), BUT, I got a first puncture two weeks ago. While looking at the tyre I noticed it has some cracks here and there, as ...
- 546
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Do I need to refill sealant after puncture?
I got my first set of brand new tubeless wheels (Mavic Aksium Elite UST) and next day I had a somewhat large (it looks more than 4 mm) puncture. The sealant did its job, but my teammates described it ...
- 213
11
votes
2
answers
3k
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Can Latex inner tubes be patched?
I've personally never ridden on Latex inner tubes.
If I get a puncture on a latex tube I'd prefer to be able to fix it, given they're a lot more expensive than regular butyl tubes.
My research ...
- 129k
10
votes
5
answers
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Bicycle's inner-tube got puncture right next to the valve, How to patch it there?
There is a very small cut 1-2 millimeters or less long in the inner-tube, right next to the bottom of the Schrader valve. The cut is only 1-2 millimeters away from the valve's bottom.
The hole has the ...
- 531
10
votes
10
answers
26k
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I keep getting flats
I have been getting flats every 20-30 miles for the last 2 months. This has caused serious inconvenience to me, as bicycle is my preferred mode of transport to work and class. Details of the situation:...
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10
votes
5
answers
16k
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Relationship between punctures and tube pressure
What could be the relation between a bicycle's inner tube getting punctured and the pressure of the tube.
Are they directly proportional? I.e, if the pressure of Bicycle tube is higher then it has ...
- 203
10
votes
5
answers
2k
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Schwalbe Marathon Plus recurring puncture - options?
Does anyone have any experience of using puncture resistant tyres when they have been cut so badly as the object pierces the tyre right through?
Being Mr. Unlucky, 2-3 months ago I managed to get a ...
- 1,482
10
votes
5
answers
29k
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Is there anything I can do to prevent snakebites (pinch flats)?
Riding in an urban setting, I've lost two tubes in the last week to snakebites, and it's easily the most common way for me to get a flat. I've got Gatorskin treads, which help prevent standard ...
- 265
10
votes
3
answers
793
views
Are bikes more prone to punctures after a spell of rainfall/flooding?
We've had an unusually wet winter and flooding has been a problem in my area. Now that the weather has improved and cycling is possible/pleasurable again I'm finding I'm getting many more punctures ...
- 749
10
votes
3
answers
7k
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Can you use slime (brand) auto tire "tubeless" sealant for a bicycle tube?
I'm used to using slime in my tubed tires, the bicycle sealant kind with the "red trim":
but I noticed some "prevent and repair flat tires tire sealant, all tubeless tires" blue trim tire sealant, ...
- 243
10
votes
1
answer
9k
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How do self-sealing inner tubes work?
How do self-sealing inner tubes work? I understand it protects against objects up to a certain length, but do I need to still remove the offending object eventually? Or do I need to leave it in?
Are ...
- 407
10
votes
1
answer
881
views
Cut off tubeless plug head?
I use tubeless tires ranging from 30 to 40mm in width. When I puncture and the sealant doesn't cut it, I plug the hole with a Dynaplug.
On longer rides, I carry a spare tube (or two) just in case. It ...
- 201