So I have this strange thing going on...It's happened enough that I'm just scratching my head...here's an example from Sunday.
I ride from home up Dirt Alpine, do a quick loop and then head down.... I put my bike outside as I go an play with the kids for a few hours, come out to put my bike away and find the front tire is flat.
The funny thing is that I've had many more of these types of flats than flats on the trail...not that I'm complaining about that part, but it just seems curious. The ride last 4 1/2 hours and I noticed nothing during the ride. The tire was inflated when I leaned it up against the house...but a couple later it was down flat. I filled it again to see if there was hole and yup, the next morning it was flat again...The part that I don't get is why, with my body weight + hops etc. it's not deflating, but with nothing but it's own weight (say about 15lbs total resting on the front tire) it's deflating...
I've had about one of these every two or three months for the last year or so...
Slow pinch flat or leak. Check your rim first to make sure there isn't any thorns or anything causing tears, replace tube if you havent already and see if it deflates over night.
I had a similar issue. Turned out to be a sharp edge in the rim hole for the presta valve. Filed it down and added some tape around the hole. Fixed my issue.
I'll look for a thorn tonight...any guesses why it wouldn't deflate during the ride but deflate once the ride is over? Is the pressure of my body weight somehow keeping the thorn in tight or something maybe...
I started getting flats about a month ago. It coincided with running some new tires. I thought the tires were bad. (Are WTB tires less thorn-resistant than Kendas?)
Once I met up with some guys to ride and noticed my tire was going flat from the 20-minute ride up the train tracks. I popped a new tube in after checking to see if there was anything poking through the tire. 45 minutes later my tire was going flat again. I found a broken-off thorn that had worked its way through the tire while I rode. I realized this was a repeat occurrence. I had 2 or three delayed flats where I would find the tire flat the next day.
After six flats in a couple weeks, one with 8-10 goat heads in each tire, I went on a hunt for the culprit. I found the evil plant around the corner from my departure point. A goat head factory that was growing out onto the street. I never have had trouble before and I have been riding this route for three years.
And, yeah Stan's tubes work. My rear tire probably has ten holes in it that have sealed up.
It's not the tubes. I agree with a previous poster. Figure out what's causing the holes. When you take the tire and tube apart, remember their relative positions. Once you find the hole in the tube, find the thorn in the tire, or whatever it was.
This is thorn season, so you're probably getting poked and the thorn is stuck in there enough to hold air in. By time you're done, it's probably popping out and slowly deflating your tire.
Drill your rims out and install Schrader tubes. Pull the core out and put 2oz of Stans in each tube.
NONE of my bikes have presta tubes now, because I like having sealant in my tires (if I'm not going tubeless).
Picked up a thorn the other day in my tube. Pulled it out, Stans sealed it, kept riding.
Tire pressure aides in sealing small punctures, more pressure equals less leakage. As the pressure drops over time the air is able to leak out faster. This accounts for the delayed flat. No science to back this up, just my opinion.
So I changed the tire today...turns out it was a small pin hole in the tire...I didn't see anything on the tire, so a thorn is likely to be the culprit! Ergin, good point about the pressure...makes sense when I think about it, pressure could only go up with there was a significant reduction in volume, which obviously there isn't.
When it rains, it pours....I just looked at my tire (rode to work 3 hours ago) and guess what...Just spotted a nice big thorn in the tire...I wonder if I just missed it this morning changing the tire or if this is a new one...Hole is in a different part of the tube so it's probably a new one...Time to make sure the hand pump still works...
Hey Larry, good to see hear from you again. We will have to get a Diablo ride together at some point. Busy few months, but it can be done.
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