# Keep popping tubes



## swmbkrn (Jul 9, 2012)

I keep popping back tubes. Both were installed by a bike tech. Is there something in the rim


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*To vague*



swmbkrn said:


> I keep popping back tubes. Both were installed by a bike tech. Is there something in the rim


What do you mean by "popping"? Are they actually going BANG! or you're just getting flats. You need to provide significantly more detail before you can get any meaningful advice.

In general you need to see if the flat occurs in the same spot each time. If so then determine if the hole in the tube is on the "outside" (where the tube is against the tire) or on the "inside" (where the tube is against the rim. If you are getting BANG! flats then it is most likely an installation error where the tube is pinched under the bead of the tire.


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## rider9 (May 27, 2011)

What Kerry said.

Does your wheel have rim tape? No rim tape, flat city.

How heavy are you? Are you over 200 # and using 23 mm tires? Do you run over a lot of potholes?

If you are heavy, I recommend keeping your tires to 100 psi. Tire pressure low and heavy rider induce pinch flats.


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## notquitethere (Aug 26, 2011)

Ask the tech you are using. If he doesn't have a good answer, I'd find somewhere else for all my work. 

1) He obviously should be installing the tube correctly and checking for any possible issues with the tire.

2) should also note if you should be using a different size.

3) should recommend correct pressure - are you checking your pressure regularly? With a gauge?

Of course when I took my first road bike out for it's inaugural road ride - only planning on 6 miles as I was new and out of shape - I got a flat 1.5 miles out. While experienced in changing MTB tires, the smaller nature of the road bike tires was a challenge. got it fixed and got home. My wife said "you were gone longer than I expected" I said "unfortunately I rode less than I wanted to." It sucked but I learned from it.


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## swmbkrn (Jul 9, 2012)

I'm 230 and running on a 25mm tire. It has the liner and has been popping inside generally in the same spot. It popped at tube without me even riding on it. I'm gettin to the point of buying a new back wheel


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## nismo73 (Jul 29, 2009)

Feel inside of tire for a piece of glass or something that is stuck in the tire. That would keep blowing a tube.


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## swmbkrn (Jul 9, 2012)

Bought that tire brand new the day before the first flat. I ran my hands through it nothing is in there. I ran a layer of electrical tape over the rim tape in hopes it helps now I need a tube it went through all of mine


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

swmbkrn said:


> It popped at tube without me even riding on it. I'm gettin to the point of buying a new back wheel


You keep saying "popping a tube" without explaining what exactly you mean by the word "popping." There's a significant difference between a tube "popping" with a loud sound and a tube just going flat. A loud pop indicates that the tube was able to escape the confines of the tire or the rim—almost always because of installation errror or, less common, because of a substandard rim strip on a rim with spoke nipple access holes. Just going flat without a loud sound indicates something is punching a hole or holes into the tube—usually a small foreign object or objects stuck in the tire.

Buying a new wheel in an attempt to solve this problem makes no sense at all in my view, sorry.

/w


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

swmbkrn said:


> Bought that tire brand new the day before the first flat. I ran my hands through it nothing is in there. I ran a layer of electrical tape over the rim tape in hopes it helps now I need a tube it went through all of mine


You're not getting it swm. You're providing no relevant information. Where is the hole in relation to the tire and the rim? On the outer circumference?(indicating to a tread perforation puncture). On the inner circumference? (indicating a rim tape issue).

For instance - I recently had a rare (for me) flat tire. On inspection, the hole in the tube was on the inside circumference, ragged (but not ripped), not a neat pinpoint hole. There was zero damage to the rim tape in the area of the puncture. There was nothing that gave me a clue as to the cause of the puncture. Conclusion - weak or deteriorated rubber. Proof - new tube has been inflated for about two weeks with no issues.

You see how we can deduce the cause of a flat tire if we're given enough info?


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## pennyfarmer (Jul 8, 2012)

My take is its tire pressure. If you are not checking your tire pressure before EACH AND EVERY ride then you are going to get flats. I often check pressure during rides when I stop. 

My commuter never has an issue but for some reason my roadie has tube issues.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*During a ride?*



pennyfarmer said:


> My take is its tire pressure. If you are not checking your tire pressure before EACH AND EVERY ride then you are going to get flats. I often check pressure during rides when I stop.


If you need to check pressure during a ride then you have a slow leak somewhere. I find that I lose 10-15 psi (1 bar) per WEEK. That is with Michelin ultralight butyl tubes (70 gm).


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

pennyfarmer said:


> If you are not checking your tire pressure before EACH AND EVERY ride then you are going to get flats.
> I don't and I don't.
> 
> 
> ...


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