Leah: If your tire flatted, it had a puncture, either from an exterior penetrant, or from an interior penetrant, or because of some defect in or damage to the tube itself. Exterior is obvious; interior: several times I had tires that kept flatting despite very conscientious search for penetrant. In one retrospectively hilarious incident: I kept my beloved racing bike propped up in my bedroom 2' from my bed. 3 am. BAM! Panic! In all cases, this too, the culprit was slipping rim tape that let the highly pressurized tube force its way into the spoke hole, where it was punctured by the sharp inward end of a spoke.
Other culprits, and one I've had problems with with Schwalbe tubes: seal between valve and tube proper is bad and a split or small tear lets air escape. Both of these can be pressure-related; a tube might hold air until a threshold is reached and then, leakage. If you want to be proof, as far as such security can be had, against just about any flat, use what local shops here use: a belted tire (which can be horrible to ride -- like cold molasses), a tire liner, a Schraeder valve thorn proof tube (these weigh as much as tires), and a sealant. Nothing is guaranteed in this lower world of becoming and change, but insofar as anything can be guaranteed, this "system" will keep you flat free. I've ridden through 1-2 miles of goathead plants and come out the other end with no air loss, even several days later (no slow leaks), and IME, Schraeder valves have fewer problems with the valve stem/rubber interface. Or else, do what I used to do: choose your tires carefully, and buy your patches yearly in batches of 200, and I am not kidding. On Fri, Jan 4, 2019 at 2:20 PM Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! < [email protected]> wrote: > My mechanical knowlege of bikes is embarrassingly scant. I love my bike. I > ride it a lot. But I take it to the shop for all its maintenance. I really > should do better, and if I hear of a local place teaching bike maintenance > classes, I will try to enroll. But meanwhile, indulge me? > > I decided to take my boys for a ride a couple of days ago, and was shocked > to find the 24 inch Specialized Hotrock had a front flat. Like, completely > flat. I could see no obvious trauma, so I decided to fill the tire with our > air compressor and see if it would hold air. It did. I decided it would be > safe to ride if we went slow down the hill, and it was all well and good. I > just checked it again today, 2 days later, and the tire remains well > inflated. > > However, it bothers me that I don’t know why that tire went flat. And what > if it does it again WHEN HE’S RIDING IT? What happens to you if your front > tire suddenly blows? I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be extremely dangerous. > The tires were replaced in 2017, if that matters. > > So, what could cause a tire with no puncture to flat? And would you > replace the tube just to be on the safe side? Am I overreacting? > Thanks! > Leah > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- *------------------------------------------------------------------------------------* *Still 'round the corner there may waitA new road or a secret gate,And though we pass them by today,Tomorrow we may come this wayAnd take the hidden paths that runTowards the Moon or to the Sun.* --- J.R.R. Tolkien ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching Other professional writing services Expensive! But good. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Auditis an me ludit amabilis insania?* -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
