I pulled my bike out of storage last week. It had a flat, so I bought a new tube and replaced it. I put air in it and took it for a ride. The next morning it was flat. So I bought another tube, put air in it, and took it for a ride. This morning it was flat again.
What gives? If there was something sharp inside the tire, I would have expected it to deflate while I was riding it, not overnight.
First, figure out where the leaks are in the inner tube…
Inflate the tube and hold it under water to see where the leak is. Match up the location of the leak to your tire and rim. Run you finger along the inside of the tire to find a thorn (or ???) sticking through. If you don’t find anything sharp in the tire, one of the spokes might be sticking up through the rim and poking a hole in the tube.
A slow leak like that is probably a thorn. Goatheads abound here and I frequently find a flat the next morning.
I’ve had this consistently happen to me since I was a kid. I wish I had a definite answer. But it has always been ‘normal’ for me to not have a blowout for a couple of years, then go through around 5 tubes within two days to two weeks before I get frustrated and pull out the big guns or find one that holds.
I’ve heard it all; you left a rock in the tire; theres a piece of glass in there for sure, check the inside of the tire; you have a pinch flat from under inflating; you’ve over inflated; the spokes are sticking into it, cover the spokes; your tires are too worn and thin…none of these is the case based on my best inspection techniques.
I think I know the issue, but I don’t have enough information for sure. Do you partially inflate the tube BEFORE putting it on the rim? Do you seat the tube, then partially inflate, then release the air, then partially inflate further?
I seem to recall being told that inflating to full after you insert the tube will cause this issue.
good luck and tell me how you solve the problem, because I’ve been doing a slow burn for 35 years about this and next time it happens, I’m going to have to do terrible things to kittens with a fork.
My bike had steel belted tires when I bought it and one of the steel threads was poking into the tube. Took me three tubes to figure it out. Carlarm’s suggestion is very good.
Things embedded in the tire can cause fast leaks, slow leaks, or completely random blow outs. Check the tire, also check the tape around the wheel to see if any spokes are poking through. You can examine the leaking tube (soapy water and a sink) to find the leak and look for some obvious clues.
I must emphasize, all of the suggestions so far in this thread failed to produce a smoking gun or sharp pointy thing for me…EVER!!!..
still bitter…
grumble, grumble
…wanders off aimlessly…
And not just spokes poking through. Make sure the tape completely covers the holes that the spokes go through. I’ve had flats caused by the sharp edge of one of those holes when the tape somehow got pushed to the side.
Also make sure the tape is in good shape. I once rode over a screw that penetrated completely through the tire and tube and then into one of the spoke holes. That left a hole in the tape. I didn’t think too much of it and only replaced the tube. Next time I rode it, that hole in the tape caused a flat.
Why soap? Plain water usually works just fine.
Plain water works if you’re holding the tube underwater. With soapy water, you can rub a little on the tube and watch for bubbles. It’s easier if you don’t have a deep sink.
I feel your pain-and expense.
Mark the position of the valve when removing the tube so you can check that position of the tire for something sharp. That may have been the source of the original leak. A thorn, glass shard or hair like piece of metal would do it.
Last time I had this very problem it turned out to be the old tire itself. The part of the tire near the rim had oxidized so badly that there were hard sharp pieces of rubber flaking off. They were sharp enough to wear through the tube after a very short time. I replaced that tire and that took care of it. You may be up to this point if you can’t find the source and the tire is badly worn anyway. Start with fresh stuff and move on to save time and money in the long run.
Since this has been going on for 35 years, it might be your technique.
What I do: inflate tube just enough to hold shape, place in tire.
Remount tire using your hands(not irons) as much as possible.
Release air as needed to get the tire on.
Use a Quik-Stik to finish mounting the tire. It’s tip is shaped so as to not pinch the tube.
Since no one else has mentioned the obvious, I will.
Check the valve to be sure that it is tightened down. A loose valve will give a slow leak that will not deflate (much) on a short ride, but will cause the tire to be flat the next day.
Schrader, (car tire type) valves can get stuff wedged in the recess that can prevent them closing completely.
Presta valves might avoid that problem, but they are still susceptible to being not tight enough, (or a Schrader adapter on a Presta can get jammed with a foreign object).
I’m grumbling, too, after NINE flats in two weeks. And I commute (teach at a school … where all the students point at the late, sweaty, greasy-fingered teacher).
But I finally gave up, got a new tube AND TIRE. Hasn’t been a problem since.
ps: Got a KEVLAR-lined tire–seems to cut down on nails, glass etc.
How much do you weigh?
You didn’t run over any gum did you?
452 lbs.
Some additional tips & suggestions:
Replace the rim tape if any part of it looks worn. It’s cheap. When you install the new one, make sure it covers every spoke hole completely. (If the tape is too narrow to do that, go and get a wider tape.)
Do not use a tire lever when mounting the tire. It’s only for removing the tire; if you use it for mounting the tire, it’s easy to damage the tube in the process.
When you mount the tire, make sure the tube isn’t pinched between the rim and tire. Usually after I mount the tire, I go around both edges of the rim (pushing or pinching the tire to make a gap between the rim and tire) to make sure the tube isn’t stuck there. (You may want to inflate the tube partially before you do this.)
Get a wad of cotton and run it around the inside of the tire in both directions. Inspect anywhere the cotton fibers get hung up. The fibers will often catch on sharp points you can’t feel with your fingertips. I used to get goatheads like crazy when I rode in southern California and that was the only way to find them all.
Check the area where the stem goes through the rim, those can be sharp and slice through the stem itself or the area where the stem joins the tube.
Also, a tire that’s at full pressure when you pump it up in the chilly morning can rupture if it’s sitting out in the sun in the afternoon, but that’s usually pretty obvious.
Are you using a decent pump to inflate the tyre? Get a floor pump with a pressure gauge, not usually expensive, so that A) you’re putting the correct amount of air in for the tyre (usually written on the tyre) and B) it will be much, much less effort to inflate than a hand pump.
Combined with the advice already given on checking the rim and valve you should be able to sort this out - makes no sense for a tyre to multiply flat overnight like that without a clear explanation presenting itself.