Flat tyre at 50+ mph

Luckily I was transporting the bike in my car at the time ;-)

Strange though... I remember feeling the tyre when I got in the car after work and it was firm. Ten
minutes later there was a suspicious hisss, and the tyre was flat.

When I got home I found that the culprit was the rim tape not covering the spoke holes properly,
leaving sharp edges exposed. Funny that it waited until the drive home, after being in the hot
car all day.

BTW this was my first pucture repair since I was a kid, having taken up cycling again after being
given an old road bike. Hoping to do ok in the London to Brigton on the 15th on my new Dawes Audax
(2002 model picked up at a good price).

cheers Roger

Ah, my most recent flat was at 0 mph, while the bike was in its cubby-hole under the stairs. Having
bought a rather nice stirrup pumb from Tchibo for less than a tenner, I took the opportunity of the
last ride to put the tyres up to about 130/110; the bike rode very well, and I put it away after the
ride thinking no more about it. When I came to take it out for the next ride, I found the back
completely flat, and on investigating discovered that when I'd last changed the rear tyre/,
I /hadn't/ changed the rim tape, which was a rubber one. Tbe increased pressure had forced the rim
tape into the spole holes, allowing the tube to chafe on the edges. So, one new tube needed, and
rim tape replaced with more modern fabric-based stuff.

** Phil.
--------
Roger wrote:
>
> Luckily I was transporting the bike in my car at the time ;-)
>
> Strange though... I remember feeling the tyre when I got in the car after work and it was firm.
> Ten minutes later there was a suspicious hisss, and the tyre was flat.
>
> When I got home I found that the culprit was the rim tape not covering the spoke holes properly,
> leaving sharp edges exposed. Funny that it waited until the drive home, after being in the hot car
> all day.
>
> BTW this was my first pucture repair since I was a kid, having taken up cycling again after being
> given an old road bike. Hoping to do ok in the London to Brigton on the 15th on my new Dawes Audax
> (2002 model picked up at a good price).
>
> cheers Roger

Philip TAYLOR [PC336/H-XP] wrote: [snip]
> I found the back completely flat, and on investigating discovered that when I'd last changed the
> rear tyre/,
> I /hadn't/ changed the rim tape, which was a rubber one. Tbe increased pressure had forced the rim
> tape into the spole holes, allowing the tube to chafe on the edges. So, one new tube needed,
> and rim tape replaced with more modern fabric-based stuff.

How often should rim tape be changed? Mine is yellow plastic - i thought it would be adhesive
backed, but it isn't. This is on a new bike. Is fabric based better?

Thus spake Roger <rh.gg1@bigfoot.com>

> Philip TAYLOR [PC336/H-XP] wrote: [snip]
> > I found the back completely flat, and on investigating discovered that when I'd last changed the
> > rear tyre/,
> > I /hadn't/ changed the rim tape, which was a rubber one. Tbe increased pressure had forced the
> > rim tape into the spole holes, allowing the tube to chafe on the edges. So, one new tube
> > needed, and rim tape replaced with more modern fabric-based stuff.

> How often should rim tape be changed?

When it looks like it's not doing the job, no more. After *any* puncture due to rim tape failure
(not misplacement)

> Mine is yellow plastic - i thought it would be adhesive backed, but it isn't.

My experience with plastic rim tape is a deterrent to *ever* going near the stuff again.

> This is on a new bike. Is fabric based better?

Yes. Velox is the business. We had a similar thread about this here quite recently.

--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.