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Guest
GRRRR!!! Ok, I'm still learning about all this bike stuff. I recently got a flat, first of many I am
sure, and went to patch it. Got the rear wheel off just fine, found the hole, patched it, got wheel
back on just fine. Started pumping up the tire and everything went well. Right about 105psi, I heard
the dreaded "psssssssst." DANGIT!!! Take everything off, undo the tire off the wheel, take tube out,
look for hole. Lo and behold, the problem is that where the stem meets the tube, it looks like has
been cut by the metal of the wheel. DANGIT!!! I chalk it up to the fact that I have hand tightened
the collet (I think that's what it is called) on the stem too much. As I was pumping up the tire,
the collet seemed to pull away from the rim so I would tighten it down progressively. So off to the
LBS I go looking for a new tube. Get tube, bring it home. Get it on wheel. Put on tire. Inflate
away. While I am inflating it, things are going well. When I am about 2 strokes from stopping, I
hear the same dreaded "psssssst"!!!! Did I mention I was 2 stokes from stopping?!?!? Commence with
the expletives. Finish expletives. Apologize to mothers with children playing around neighborhood,
including wife. Take wheel off, take tire off, take tube out. Examine tube. Find SAME, EXACT cut on
tube where stem meets tube. At this point, I am thinking I am doing something wrong. Am I pushing
down too hard on the pump to keep it from popping off stem? Am I too vigorous in my pumping? I've
never had that problem before. So after I cool down, I start looking at the wheel again. I find that
the wheel has some tape along the inside of it. It's like very heavy athletic tape or something all
along the wheel. I think it is rim tape? Well its nice all along the rim EXCEPT right around the
hole that the stem fits through. I think I have found my culprit. Is this rim tape a necessity? I
think it is at this point. Is this my problem? The lack of rim tape around the hole for the stem?
ANY advice/info is greatly appreciated.
sure, and went to patch it. Got the rear wheel off just fine, found the hole, patched it, got wheel
back on just fine. Started pumping up the tire and everything went well. Right about 105psi, I heard
the dreaded "psssssssst." DANGIT!!! Take everything off, undo the tire off the wheel, take tube out,
look for hole. Lo and behold, the problem is that where the stem meets the tube, it looks like has
been cut by the metal of the wheel. DANGIT!!! I chalk it up to the fact that I have hand tightened
the collet (I think that's what it is called) on the stem too much. As I was pumping up the tire,
the collet seemed to pull away from the rim so I would tighten it down progressively. So off to the
LBS I go looking for a new tube. Get tube, bring it home. Get it on wheel. Put on tire. Inflate
away. While I am inflating it, things are going well. When I am about 2 strokes from stopping, I
hear the same dreaded "psssssst"!!!! Did I mention I was 2 stokes from stopping?!?!? Commence with
the expletives. Finish expletives. Apologize to mothers with children playing around neighborhood,
including wife. Take wheel off, take tire off, take tube out. Examine tube. Find SAME, EXACT cut on
tube where stem meets tube. At this point, I am thinking I am doing something wrong. Am I pushing
down too hard on the pump to keep it from popping off stem? Am I too vigorous in my pumping? I've
never had that problem before. So after I cool down, I start looking at the wheel again. I find that
the wheel has some tape along the inside of it. It's like very heavy athletic tape or something all
along the wheel. I think it is rim tape? Well its nice all along the rim EXCEPT right around the
hole that the stem fits through. I think I have found my culprit. Is this rim tape a necessity? I
think it is at this point. Is this my problem? The lack of rim tape around the hole for the stem?
ANY advice/info is greatly appreciated.