Racing bike: wheel keep getting busted,why????

shrewd

Hi all,
i just bought a racing bike,you know those bikes with skinny wheels and light weight, after a year and a half of riding a mountain bike.

the problem now is that my wheels keep getting busted approx. 3 times a week.:mad:

i have been careful in avoiding stones and broken glasses on the street but still i get a busted wheel.

i'm getting an instintive guess that bumps on the road might be causing this but not i'm not sure

anybody share similar experience or is this how racing bikes are?

any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

d4r3n

How much do you weigh?

Lumen

Busted how?

victorcarrera

d4r3n wrote: »

How much do you weigh?

+ What type of wheels + how many spokes on each?
Are the spokes breaking or pulling the nipples through the rim?
Is the rim being damaged from the road or buckled?
Which wheel fails the most?
Who is repairing the wheels?

mo_bhicycle

Is the wheel getting bent or is the tyre/tube getting punctured?

07Lapierre

Are your tyres inflated to the correct pressure? Are the tyres old?

shrewd

the tyre/tube keep getting punctured..

07Lapierre

Search this forum for 'punctures'

shrewd

i never check if it was inflated to the right pressure as it is usually fixed by a proper repairman
the tyres are new as i just bought the bike

shrewd

victorcarrera wrote: »

+ What type of wheels + how many spokes on each?
Are the spokes breaking or pulling the nipples through the rim?
Is the rim being damaged from the road or buckled?
Which wheel fails the most?
Who is repairing the wheels?

i haven't checked by weight for some time now, but i'm around 80kg. didn't know racing bikes have weight limit.

Are the spokes breaking or pulling the nipples through the rim? No

Is the rim being damaged from the road or buckled? No

Which wheel fails the most? the front (3x) the back (1x)

Who is repairing the wheels? the supplier (where i bought it, Joe Daly Bikes to be specific)

Lumen

shrewd wrote: »

i never check if it was inflated to the right pressure as it is usually fixed by a proper repairman
the tyres are new as i just bought the bike

You need to check your tyre pressures regularly, as in every few days with a pressure gauge and before every ride by hand. Use a track pump and stick 100psi in the front and 110psi in the back.

Avoid cycle lanes.

Post up what tyres you're running.

droidus

I went from MTB tyres to 28s and it took me 2 punctures before I realised Id have to change my habits. Try taking your weight off the saddle by standing whenever you go over any bumps - also, be aware that may have to dodge road 'features' that you would have cycled over before such as shallow potholes, small bumps and drains.

Canis Lupus

There's no magic involved.

Buy some continental gatorskins. Look at the side wall to show the recommended pressure, I set mine at 115 psi (I'm 87kg btw).

You'll have good weeks/months and bad ones. One week I think I got a puncture a day (rainy ****ty weather which hides glass shards + just plain bad luck).

You do not need to take a bike to a shop to repair a puncture. Buy some spare tubes, some tyre levers, a decent pump (I bought one which turns into a mini trck pump that I can get a tyre up to 100psi is a quick space of time as well sa a proper track pump with pressure gauge at home) annnd a puncture repair kit.

You get a puncture out on the road change on a new tube, process takes circa 5 mins. When you get home you can be fixing the punctures with the repair kit again usually takes just a minute once you locate the puncture.


Useful 'things' to note: When you remove the tyre check it thoroughly for whatever punctured you in the first place.

Orientate the tube when you locate the puncture. If it's on the outside rim it was a foreigen object usually if it was on the inside then you've a gap in your rim tape somewhere possibly...

Err.. what else... Oh yeah, when you put the new tube in make sure the tube is properly inside the tyre at the valve section, sometimes if you don't pay attention you can trap the tube against the sidewall and when if you pump up when not paying attention your new tube will go bang and probably in a way that prevents patching.

victorcarrera

shrewd wrote: »

Which wheel fails the most? the front (3x) the back (1x)

Ok, Its called a puncture.
80 Kg is not too heavy for a racing bike and wheels.
Normally we get most punctures on the rear wheel, so be aware of and avoid small pieces of debri on the road. A track pump is a fast convenient way to check and pump tyres before you set out.