<cough>p$%^ture</cough> advice sought...

[johnnyh]

after 500 miles on the 700x25 tyres that came on the bike I opted for some 700x23c Ultra Gatorskins. Whilst at it I put some slime tubes in for the hell of it.

3 rides and 125 miles later and a flat rear coming down a dual carraigeway at 35 mph, first puncture at any speed and was amazed how wobbly the back end became.

So I hoist the bike over the barrier and into the verge behind and set about sorting it out.

Tyre levers quickly pop the tyre half off and an amount of green slime is decorating the inside of the tyre, but I can see no corresponding mark in the tyre and there doesnt appear to be any sharp intrusion.

Is this normal, should I find some puncture mark? Or is it possible the tube just gave up on me?

 

[Randochap]

Slime sucks. I'm wondering what advantage you considered you'd get going from a wider tyre to a narrower tyre and then filling them with the aforementioned gooey tubes?

You need to take a tyre right off and examine it properly for the offending object. See the other puncture thread.

Do not offend witches.

 

[johnnyh]

Well I certainly gained a speed advantage, and I had thought in the event of a flat the slime would enable me to inflate the tyre sufficiently to get home... but nope, it wouldn't hold air so I whipped it out and put a spare tube in.

I'll take it fully off the rim this evening and check it over.

Had I had time to wait around maybe the slime would have sealed the flat and enabled me to add air and get back???

I'll sacrifice a small rodent later for the witches just to be safe...

 

[Tynan]

slime tubes are generally despised on here, largely for the mess when they don't do the job

Ultra Gators aren't universally loved, I chucked a pair after a couple of hundred miles
some flats can be very pin prick and not leave any mark on the tyre noticeable above the general carnage of nicks and slits and cuts

which reminds that a new rear is in the offing, I had the bike on the stand yesterday and some of the gashes in the rear were nothing short of terrifying

 

[johnnyh]

It seems that all tyres are loved/loathed in fair measure, so thought I would just go with something and find out for myself.

Out of interest, is it more usual to get a flat on the rear rather than the front?

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Out of interest, is it more usual to get a flat on the rear rather than the front?

I usually get a front flat....then I change it and then the rear one goes

 

[badkitty]

I'll sacrifice a small rodent later for the witches just to be safe...

Well..Where's my bloody rodent then?






ps..slime tubes have saved my ar$e constantly, but you probably didn't want to hear that..

 

[Tynan]

almost always the rear for me, takes most of the weight init, and wear

 

[johnnyh]

Well..Where's my bloody rodent then?






ps..slime tubes have saved my ar$e constantly, but you probably didn't want to hear that..

you've seen Tom and Jerry where Tom has an axe but Jerry keeps ducking - well it was like that

 

[johnnyh]

I usually get a front flat....then I change it and then the rear one goes

in a word... Bugger!

 

[BigonaBianchi]

erm...yep...

 

[BigonaBianchi]

..yep

 

[johnnyh]

ok, I found the puncture on the tube, and it is not on the tyre side of the tube, and not directly opposite the tyre at say 6 O'clock, but at about 5 o'clock.

So to my mind it can't be anything that has poked in through the tyre, but maybe caused by a pinch???

 

[simongrant]

check your rim tape

simon

 

[punkypossum]

Sounds like rim tape.

Slime tubes are great for thorns, but they don't help much with glass etc.