Got a 2nd puncture within a month?

[Anonymous1502]

What model of tyres are they? Some are really susceptible / basic, others are fine.

This time of year I swap bikes - my 'best' has Contintental GP4000/5000 tyres on and the 'winter' bike has Continental's GP 4 Seasons. Neither are cheap but they tend not to get punctures.

Espoir Sport, 60 TPI, wire bead, double BlackBelt protection, 700x25mm tyres

 

[Anonymous1502]

What are the tyres? It's been wet around London the last few days for the first time in ages so there'll be lots of debris on the roads. You probably got unlucky

I can't remember when I actually last got a puncture (I only seem to have to replace tubes due to knackered valves )

Espoir Sport, 60 TPI, wire bead, double BlackBelt protection, 700x25mm tyres, I assume these are quite basic. Would a tyre sealent help?

 

[DCLane]

Espoir Sport, 60 TPI, wire bead, double BlackBelt protection, 700x25mm tyres, I assume these are quite basic. Would a tyre sealent help?

Your tyres are your problem. I'm afraid they're junk, often supplied on a Specialized bike when new because they're cheap.

Sealant would help with small holes but can be messy.

I'd suggest spend a bit more than a can of sealant and try Vittoria Rubino / Schwalbe Durano / Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons tyres. Any of these are good in all conditions and will help a lot more.

 

[Sharky]

I got a 2nd tyre puncture within a month, I don't know why it is happening since I regularly pump my tyres so the pressure is never low. Are my tires rubbish? I only had them for 3 months so they aren't old. I am contemplating changing my tyres at this point.

What happened this time? I seem to recall that when you had the first puncture, you had to walk home, taking a couple of hours?
Did you learn from the first experience and repair the puncture at the roadside?

If you did - a very well done and a good lesson learned.

You can never eliminate punctures, so I would keep the tyres for a bit longer. If they are prone to punctures, take it as a positive and good experience in learning to cope with punctures at the roadside. With experience and practice you can repair or change a tube in less that 15 mins and the more you do, the less of a worry it is.

If you swap the tyres for something more sturdy , you may find that they are particularly tight to get on/off and could happen when you are a long way from home. So keep the set up you have until you have mastered the art of puncture repairs.

And the PF tends to ignore cyclists who are fully prepared to repair tyres at the roadside.

Good luck

 

[Anonymous1502]

What happened this time? I seem to recall that when you had the first puncture, you had to walk home, taking a couple of hours?
Did you learn from the first experience and repair the puncture at the roadside?

If you did - a very well done and a good lesson learned.

You can never eliminate punctures, so I would keep the tyres for a bit longer. If they are prone to punctures, take it as a positive and good experience in learning to cope with punctures at the roadside. With experience and practice you can repair or change a tube in less that 15 mins and the more you do, the less of a worry it is.

If you swap the tyres for something more sturdy , you may find that they are particularly tight to get on/off and could happen when you are a long way from home. So keep the set up you have until you have mastered the art of puncture repairs.

And the PF tends to ignore cyclists who are fully prepared to repair tyres at the roadside.

Good luck

I took the underground home, I tried practicing at home how to remove wheel take tire and inner tube out then put it back together, but I couldn't put the tire and inner tube in properly so had to take it to the shop for them to do it for me as I just couldn't do it properly. Had to pay for it too they didn't want to show me how to do it. I tried with tutorials but just can't do it correctly. Don't know anyone in real life who could help me.

 

[fossyant]

Go buy some Schwalbe Durano Plus - robust and not too slow road tyres. They were the only tyres that would survive a few miles on a shared use path due to all the glass on my commute. It shredded some very good, and expensive tyres (Continental 4 seasons).

 

[DCLane]

Don't know anyone in real life who could help me.

There must be bike collective / community workshop nearby who run training courses. They'll do more than just that.

A basic course in bike maintenance would be my suggestion.

 

[cougie uk]

It's really not rocket science. Practice makes perfect.

 

[ColinJ]

I've had 2 punctures in 1 second.
Hit a pothole and it took both tyres out.

Me too, but riding over a length of wood in the road!

I got snakebite punctures front and rear when I ran over a piece of 4" x 2" timber which had just fallen off a skip wagon in front of me. After that I got multiple punctures for weeks afterwards. They were driving me potty. In the end, I asked a more experienced cyclist for advice. He asked me how I was refitting the tyres after fixing the punctures. It turns out that I was damaging the tubes when I refitted them, causing weaknesses which led to further punctures.

I am now very careful when fitting tyres. I try to put them back on without using tyre levers. If I have to use levers, I am very careful not to damage the tubes with them. I am also careful not to trap the tubes between the rims and the tyres.

The extra care pays off. It is now very rare for me to get punctures, and when I do, I rarely repuncture afterwards.

Oh, and don't ride too near the back of other vehicles - they can stop quicker than you can, and in this case, drop/hide objects/defects in the road!

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Don't know anyone in real life who could help me.

You could ask here... It's genuinely not too difficult, once you've done it a few times, just requires practice. Skill is not necessary (I'm utterly hamfisted).

 

[Anonymous1502]

There must be bike collective / community workshop nearby who run training courses. They'll do more than just that.

A basic course in bike maintenance would be my suggestion.

My uni would usually offer these but because of covid nothing is on

 

[Anonymous1502]

You could ask here... It's genuinely not too difficult, once you've done it a few times, just requires practice. Skill is not necessary (I'm utterly hamfisted).

I know how to do it in theory but when I replicate it, it just doesn't end up the same. I can't put the tire on properly and insert the inner tube properly into the tire. When I did it, it was wonky and then I couldn't put the wheel in properly, it just wouldn't spin that good.

 

[fossyant]

Don't forget talc

 

[Sharky]

I guess you are in a bit of a dilemma. You won't master repairing a puncture without taking the tyre off and having a go at putting it back on. But if that is the issue and you don't succeed, then you are faced with another trip to the LBS and more cost.

So you need a safety net. Either a friend acquaintance who could be with you to guide you. Or find an old wheel you can practice on. If you were anywhere near gravesend, I would gladly give you an old wheel to practice on. Maybe some chatters live near to where you are London or Edinburgh?

Good luck

 

[DCLane]

My uni would usually offer these but because of covid nothing is on

OK - so as per @roubaixtuesday 's suggestion put a post on here asking for someone nearby to show you. We don't bite