‘Flat Tires Come in Threes’ so I should be safe for a while
I rode over to Towpath Bike Shop on my lunch break to pick up some new brake pads and a new tube. I think I will be needing the pads soon, so I thought it would be a good idea to have them handy when I get courageous and inspired enough to try replacing them on my own.
The guy at the bike shop thought I might be a brake pad hypochondriac but after I showed him the bike he agreed that I would probably need them at some point soon. They seemed slow at lunch so I was getting plenty of help from multiple people. I ran my multiple flat tire scenario past one person who what helping me & she said that she’s always found that flat tires come in threes. She also said that it’s possible that I might need to get new tires at some point but that they didn’t seem that thin yet & I could probably hold off. Good news.
Really, the tube could have been defective or something but I can’t really claim that I was riding on a pristine trail free of broken glass yesterday. I remember wondering at one point how so much glass could be on the canal path. Did they buy the gravel for the path from a broken glass supplier?
So now I have two rainy day bike projects.
- Replace the rear brake pads
- Attempt to put on the new fenders I bought. (The bike shop dude told me they would be tricky to put on but I really didn’t want to leave my bike with them for days and days and I was pretty sure they wouldn’t do it on the spot.)
May 6th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
I’ve been a fiendish “bikehead” for longer than I care to admit.
Surely, there is better and more complete information available. But here’s my 2 cents:
A properly installed tire and tube should last years, unless you’re doing super heavy mileage. Tires, like the bike, should be matched to the type of riding.
I always try to use new tubes, freshly patched tubes replace the one in my tool bag. Old tubes are saved, but rarely used. There are a multitude of reuse possibilities, but most end up being sort of “ghetto” if over-done. Rarely do I have a tube fail due to age or defect.
Flats are always caused by something. I guess most common for off-road is the “snake-bite” or pinch flat. That happens when you hit a rock or something which pinches the tube against the rim. Under-inflated tires make this more likely. Almost instant flat tire. Just patch or replace tube for that. Check the rim for damage.
Related, is the flat caused when the tube is pinched between the rim and bead during installation. When you inflate, it will suddenly explode with a loud bang! Mostly happens when your using an air hose like at the gas station.
New wheels need to be checked for sharp edges. Inspect around each spoke hole and where the valve goes through. A little fine sanding helps to ease the corners. Don’t skimp on a sufficient rim tape to cover the spoke holes. This kind of flat will happen any time.
Foreign object penetration! No one likes that. Typically a slow leak or gradual flat. Always check the tire, inside and out, to make sure there is nothing left. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to redo a repair because I missed a tiny sliver of metal or puny thorn in the tire. Not a whole lot you can do other than avoid obvious hazards. Rarely will glass cause a flat, unless your riding through massive shards.
Now, the last thing could be related to your brake pads. A poorly aligned pad can wear unevenly and/or rub against the tire sidewall. Eventually this could destroy the tire and cause the tube to pop out or just wear a hole in it. Proper brake pad alignment is critical and can be one of the more difficult things to learn. Essential though.
I’m running disc brakes on my new bike.
Nothing about bike maintenance is rocket science. Mostly it is about having the right tools. Some things just can’t be done with regular household tools. Learn to use: Chain Tool, Cassette Remover and Chain Whip, and Truing Stand.
Believe me, there is no one better to work on your bike than yourself. I’m actually kinda looking for rainy weather (we’ve had awesome stuff up here!) so I can “need” fenders too. As it is, I’m already way over equipped for the casual riding I do around here.
Check out bikeforum.net
May 7th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Thanks for the info. I think for the last two flats I must have been dealing with the ‘foreign object penetration’ scenario. In both cases I rode home without incident only to find my tire completely flat at a later time. I never did find the object in either case but I did find some sand/debris inside the tire. I cleaned it out pretty carefully the second time. Hopefully I got the repair right this time & I’ll be set for a while.