So, yeah, I managed to get this fun flat on a ride yesterday. As far as I can tell (not very far, I'm a newbie), the rim and tire look fine, but the inner tube and the stem seem to have come apart from each other, which obviously leaves a nice big hole in the inner tube.
I'm hoping to eventually use the bike as my main commuter vehicle, so I'm trying to figure out exactly what went wrong, and how not to run into this particular trouble again. My (stupid newbie) guess is that this indicates there was too much air in the tube... is that a good guess? Or can this flat happen for other reasons? Because the stem is on the inside of the wheel, I'm not sure the terrain would have anything to do with it.
As an added bonus question, since I'll be picking up a replacement soon, what sort of tubes do you recommend? And does rider weight have any bearing on the sort of tubes to buy?
Thanks in advance!
2006-06-25 11:57:32 · 7 answers · asked by Ryan 4 in Sports ➔ Cycling
What it sounds like was that you didn't have enough air in the tube. When the pressure is too low, the tire & tube slide on the rim as you brake. The result is usually a cut in the valve stem or the valve stem can get completely cut away from the tube. Rider weight does not affect the tube. If you're going to commute, go with a puncture or thorn resistant tube. It costs a little more, but is made from a heavier rubber and less prone to pinch flats & punctures. The "slime" filled tubes will usually stop small punctures but only make a mess when it comes to large punctures or cuts.
2006-06-25 15:27:43 · answer #1 · answered by icrashalot 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the stem comes off the tube that means it is broken.
Not much else can be deduced from what you described.
Get yourself a tire pressure gauge, or a pump with a gauge. Tires will tell you what pressure to inflate them to on the sidewall. Check your pressure before every ride.
The tire will fail long before the tube if you overinflate.
I have sometimes had problems with the edges of the hole in the rim cutting the tube at the valve stem. Especially if the tube rolls a little (doesn't stay at 90-degrees to the rim). If you find this to be the case, a carefully place extra piece of rim tape over the hole can help. Once the tape is in place just cut a little slice in it for the valve stem to poke through.
I usually buy the standard lightweight butyl tubes. They are relatively cheap ($5) and pretty durable. I won't buy expensive tubes. Flats occur way too often to waste money on expensive tubes.
Your wieght has no effect on the tubes (but can effect the tires).
Added bonus info: keep your spare tube in a zip lock with a small amount of talcum powder. This will prevent the tube from vulcanizing to the tire and makes it a little easier when changing.
2006-06-25 13:56:48 · answer #2 · answered by Moose C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in case your motorcycle has problem-free spoked wheels, then there are already tubes put in. except the tires are death of previous age and performance by no skill been replaced provided that new, the rubber around the valve stem is dry rotted or they have been patched previously, then the former tubes should be ok. If for some reason your motorcycle has air tight wheels, then do no longer deploy tubes. each producer has went to tubeless tires on virtually each wheeled gadget there is for a good reason. in case you run a nail through a tire with a tube, it is going to lose air very immediately and also you gained't actually have time to tug off the line previously you're driving on the perimeters. A tubeless tire will seal round small products like a screw, nail or piece of wire and could both leak very slowly, if in any respect. many years in the past I had a sheet rock screw run through my rear motorcycle tire and it took it 3 days to bypass flat.
2016-11-15 06:14:26 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another possibility - if you have presta valves.
Make sure you're not over-tightening the little nut that holds the valve in place. You can tigten it when the tire is low, then add air and actually rip the stem away from the tube.
When the tire is soft, just tighten it enough to keep the stem from pushing back in the tire. When the tire is fully inflated, tighten it a little more to keep it from vibrating. Don't crank it down until it's really tight.
The link below will show you a photo of the type of valve I'm talking about. You will see the little nut on the valve, resting on the rim.
2006-06-26 02:33:56 · answer #4 · answered by Cruel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unless you're planning on racing, you should buy either standard tubes, or puncture resistant ones. These have the added benefit of being less expensive than minimal weight ones.
Rider weight does not effect tube choice, but can determine how much pressure to put in them. Heavier riders need to inflate their tubes to the maximum recommended pressure to avoid pinch (or "snakebite") flats caused by the tube being pinched between the rims and the riding surface.
2006-06-26 07:43:05 · answer #5 · answered by k m 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the stem was probably in at an angle which will cut it off after awile. make sure the new tube is installed with the stem straight and you should not have a problem
2006-06-25 13:15:43 · answer #6 · answered by native 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like a bad tube
2006-06-25 12:52:12 · answer #7 · answered by DesignR 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋