Punctures, punctures everywhere!!!

onekeano

I spent about €600 on a bike a couple of months ago. Its one of these light weight things (carbon fibre???) by Raleigh with these very narrow wheels.

The problem is that every week (and maybe more often that once a week) I get punctures. I've fixed lots but have also had to replace tubes on a couple of occasions and have also replaced tyres (for "specially reinforced versions").

However the downtime on the bike is still, in my opinion ridiculous (at least 25%) and I'm thinking either there is something fundamentally wrong with these bikes (tyres / tubes) or they are not really suitable for city cycling.

It's obviously very frustrating terms of time repairing and seriously expensive as I am unemployed.

ANY advice would be much appreciated.

Roy

mp31

What sort of tyre pressure are you running?

Lumen

Lots of people ride these bikes in urban areas without any punctures, so either you're very unlucky, you're using crap tyres, your regular ride has some exceptional amounts of crud on it or you're doing it wrong.

Use a pump with a pressure gauge to maintain pressure of at least 100psi (more if you're over 80kg).

Stay off footpaths and off-road cycle lanes.

Cycle away from the gutter.

Exactly which tyres are you using?

Seaswimmer

Ok I will start as everyone else is out cycling and I am in work!!

Are the punctures always in the same wheel.
Are they in the same place in the tube in relation to the valve..
Can you find the cause (glass, cut in tyre ect)
Do you ever get a double puncture hole like a snake bite. 2 holes about 5mm apart??
Are the holes on the inside (against the rim) or outside (against the road) part of the tube..
Do you check your tyres after a puncture to make sure the offending article is not still there.

Now for some suggestions..

1. Do you have a pump with a gauge (track pump). This is a pump that you would leave at home but use to make sure you are inflating your tyres to the correct pressure. Around 100PSI for the tyres I would think you are using on that bike.
2. Most people on here would recommend either Continental Gatorskin tyres or Armadillo tyres for maximum puncture protection. Your tyres could be poor quality.
3. You need to inspect your tyres regularly and remove any pieces of glass or other debris as these will eventually work their way through the tyre and puncture the tube.
4. Is there good rim tape on your wheels. No spokes poking through or no part of the steel rim in contact with tube?

that should be enough to get you troubleshooting. there will be more good ideas and suggestions for you I am sure but in my experience a track pump is vital to get your tyres to correct pressure...

rich.d.berry

Do you know what is causing the punctures?

It could be that you are riding too close to the kerb and are picking up some of the junk that's lying there. Cyclepaths are also full of glass and other nasties.

The other possibility is that you are not putting enough pressure in your tyres. You need around 100 psi for most 700x23c tyres. Too little pressure can cause pinch flats and can allow bits of glass to become embedded and work their way through the tyre as the rubber flexes.

It will help with the diagnosis and finding a solution if you can tell us what tyres you are currently using and the pressures you're running.

I swapped my Conti Ultra Race tyres for Conti Gatorskins and a heavier tube and have gone from a bad week when I had 3 flats in 3 days to no flats in the last 3 months.

I'm not too happy with the Gatorskins though because of their lack of grip, so I'd be hesitant to recommend them, but the heavier tubes I'd recommend in a heartbeat. They add a few hundred grams of weight, but I have not detected the difference. If I were competing then perhaps it would be something I'd be concerned about, but as I use my bike mainly for commuting, the slight weight gain is no problem. Happily my personal weight has dropped enough over the last few weeks to more than compensate for my bike's slight weight gain.

morana

onekeano wrote: »

I spent about €600 on a bike a couple of months ago. Its one of these light weight things (carbon fibre???) by Raleigh with these very narrow wheels.

The problem is that every week (and maybe more often that once a week) I get punctures. I've fixed lots but have also had to replace tubes on a couple of occasions and have also replaced tyres (for "specially reinforced versions").

However the downtime on the bike is still, in my opinion ridiculous (at least 25%) and I'm thinking either there is something fundamentally wrong with these bikes (tyres / tubes) or they are not really suitable for city cycling.

It's obviously very frustrating terms of time repairing and seriously expensive as I am unemployed.

ANY advice would be much appreciated.

Roy

I would bet its the pressure.I see it all of the time. When I tell them go to 110psi it seems to solve it. Get yourself a track pump in halfords/argos/bike shops. they are not expensive. Pump them every week to 110psi or whatever is recommended.

Mycroft H

Fiver says its either a spoke doing it or crap tyres.

Mycroft H

I also would recommended one tyre for ultimate puncture resistance, the Schwalbe Marathon Plus. Yes they are heavy but nearly impregnable. I've never had a puncture with them. Everything else is a compromise, including the gatorskins.

Holyboy

I would put a fiver on it having double walled rims and a rubber rim tape.

experimenter

I'm cycling since last summer on a trek 1.2 with two 23mm Gatorskins tyres and tubes @ 100 psi... I'm about 86kg in weight and have yet to have a puncture...

I wouldn't have anything else on my wheels..

Arthurdaly

experimenter wrote: »

I'm cycling since last summer on a trek 1.2 with two 23mm Gatorskins tyres and tubes @ 100 psi... I'm about 86kg in weight and have yet to have a puncture...

I wouldn't have anything else on my wheels..

+1, Get a pair of gatorskins and pump them to the required pressure and all your worries will go aways (and avoid riding in the gutter or where rubish sibsides).

radiat

Seaswimmer wrote: »

3. You need to inspect your tyres regularly and remove any pieces of glass or other debris as these will eventually work their way through the tyre and puncture the tube.

i'd agree 100% on that. Let the air out of the tyres and squeeze the side of the tyres picking out any glass etc. If the glass gets too far in you'll just need to replace the tyres.

I learned this the hard way

you should even do this with the gatorskins

kenmc

rich.d.berry wrote: »

I'm not too happy with the Gatorskins though because of their lack of grip

I call bs on this. I corner HARD and have never had a gatorskin slip on me. been riding them for years,wouldn't commute on anything else, one puncture in 3 years, including winter training. really don't understand how anyone can call then slippy.

bedirect

try continental gps 4000, great tyre, and like everybody said pump them hard and dont cycle close to the kerb(thats where all the debris collects)

rich.d.berry

kenmc wrote: »

I call bs on this. I corner HARD and have never had a gatorskin slip on me. been riding them for years,wouldn't commute on anything else, one puncture in 3 years, including winter training. really don't understand how anyone can call then slippy.

I've only been cycling on skinny tyres since April last year, so I do not claim any expertise on these tyres. However, my limited experience has been that the Ultra Race tyres performed far better in the wet than Gatorskins do in straight line braking. I don't come even close to the limit under cornering, so I have not had them slip in cornering either.

The Ultra races lasted 2000km, the Gatorskins look like they should do at least triple that. Three months old (1500 km) and the front tyre has not yet lost the central moulding ridge. There has to be a trade-off in grip with a harder compound tyre. But then the softer compound is more prone to punctures and does not last as long. Until I've tried the Schwalbe Marathons (already decided they'll be my next set of rubber) I will have no other tyres to draw comparisons with.

Mycroft H

rich.d.berry wrote: »

I've only been cycling on skinny tyres since April last year, so I do not claim any expertise on these tyres. However, my limited experience has been that the Ultra Race tyres performed far better in the wet than Gatorskins do in straight line braking. I don't come even close to the limit under cornering, so I have not had them slip in cornering either.

The Ultra races lasted 2000km, the Gatorskins look like they should do at least triple that. Three months old (1500 km) and the front tyre has not yet lost the central moulding ridge. There has to be a trade-off in grip with a harder compound tyre. But then the softer compound is more prone to punctures and does not last as long. Until I've tried the Schwalbe Marathons (already decided they'll be my next set of rubber) I will have no other tyres to draw comparisons with.

Marathons are a good bit heavier then the gatorskins, but I've never had one puncture. Toured under load with a tandem with them on it and they performed admirably

onekeano

Thanks a million for all the replies. It turns out the most recent puncture was caused by me using tyre clips to put the tube back on, not just take it off. I think the clips pinched it and caused a small hole so lesson learned!

I also invested in a pair of gatorskins and have been cycling a good bit in the last few days with no complaint so hopefully that's going to fix it. I have a pump with a gauge but probably wasn#t using it right (sometimes the valve wasn't straight so I had a bubble in the tyre). Anyway it looks like it was a combination of things - crap tyres, wrong pressure, putting tubes on incorrectly - so hopefully it's sorted now. Thanks again for all the replies, much appreciated!

Wishbone Ash

Inflate the tube slightly prior to refitting the tyre. This should prevent it from kinking or twisting. If you are having difficulty replacing the tyres with your hands use cable ties to secure it as you go along preventing the other side from coming off again.

The opinions on Gatorskins here always puzzle me. I had a pair once and thought thay were an absolute disaster in the wet. I had to reduce speed considerably to prevent the rear from stepping out of line.

You won't beat Schalbe Marathon Plus for puncture resistance. My wife's bike has 7,500 puncture free km's on a pair. I didn't realise they did a 700x25 until recently and I think I get a pair myself.