I've just experienced two odd punctures. Firstly, I went to use my mountain bike and remembered the rear tyre had been flat for a few weeks. So I decided to fix it. It turned out to be exactly the same problem as what happened on my road bike last month. Coincidentally the Mountain bike tyre had gone flat at about the same time & also when sitting in the spare room, not on a ride.
Back in November, I went out and did a 120km ride. All was well, I got picked up by car where I was, delivered home. The tyre was good when I put it away. The next day, I went to clean the bike and to my surprise had a flat rear tyre. So I replaced the tube. When I looked at the old tube, I noticed a gaping hole on the outer edge of the reinforced bit where the valve enters the tube. I checked the rim tape & could see no reason for it. Put the new tube in, no problems ever since.
At the time I put it down to the tube being old...I'd done some 5000km without a flat since putting on some new Conti Gatorskin tyres and the tube had been inflated all that time. Rubber's degraded I thought...
So imagine my surprise today when looking at the old mountain bike tube to find exactly the same gaping hole at the outer edge of the reinforcement! Yes, it would also be a tube that had done long service, but I dont ride the mountain bike anywhere near as much as the road bike.
What's going on? Freakish coincidence or can someone suggest a reason for it?
Back in November, I went out and did a 120km ride. All was well, I got picked up by car where I was, delivered home. The tyre was good when I put it away. The next day, I went to clean the bike and to my surprise had a flat rear tyre. So I replaced the tube. When I looked at the old tube, I noticed a gaping hole on the outer edge of the reinforced bit where the valve enters the tube. I checked the rim tape & could see no reason for it. Put the new tube in, no problems ever since.
At the time I put it down to the tube being old...I'd done some 5000km without a flat since putting on some new Conti Gatorskin tyres and the tube had been inflated all that time. Rubber's degraded I thought...
So imagine my surprise today when looking at the old mountain bike tube to find exactly the same gaping hole at the outer edge of the reinforcement! Yes, it would also be a tube that had done long service, but I dont ride the mountain bike anywhere near as much as the road bike.
What's going on? Freakish coincidence or can someone suggest a reason for it?