"Ghost" punctures

[Skunk]

I last used my bike on Friday. I went to go to work on it this morning and the back tyre was flat. I pumped it up tonight to check it out and it appears to be staying up. Is there an explanation for this? I've got a date with a couple of bottles of home brew tonight and didn't wanna miss that for changing a wheel, would you risk carrying on with it, if it stays up until the morning?

 

[Pete Biggs]

Skunk wrote:
> I last used my bike on Friday. I went to go to work on it this morning
> and the back tyre was flat. I pumped it up tonight to check it out and
> it appears to be staying up. Is there an explanation for this?

1. Someone let the tyre down as a joke.

2. Slow puncture caused by tiny hole or fault at the valve where it's
bonded to tube, or something else like that. It may be slowly deflating
now.

> I've
> got a date with a couple of bottles of home brew tonight and didn't
> wanna miss that for changing a wheel, would you risk carrying on with
> it, if it stays up until the morning?

Probably wouldn't be too dangerous if you carried on with it but make sure
you have a spare tube. Personally, I would have a closer look.

~PB

 

[dkahn400]

Skunk wrote:

> I last used my bike on Friday. I went to go to work on it
> this morning and the back tyre was flat. I pumped it up tonight
> to check it out and it appears to be staying up. Is there an
> explanation for this? I've got a date with a couple of bottles
> of home brew tonight and didn't wanna miss that for changing a
> wheel, would you risk carrying on with it, if it stays up until
> the morning?

It's either a slow puncture or a problem with the valve. Sure as eggs
is eggs it will go down again, and Murphy says it will do it at the
worst possible moment. Sometimes you can go for weeks with a tyre like
this but often it goes down a little quicker each time. I'd spend 5
minutes bunging a new tube in tonight before cracking those bottles and
put the suspect tube aside for Ron.

--
Dave...

 

[Skunk]

Uh - ok.
As it's been locked up in the outhouse since friday, I can rule out the practical joke. I was guessing it might be the valve so I'll put a new tube in and leave the old one for good ole Ron.
Cheers.

 

[Tony Raven]

Skunk wrote:
> Uh - ok.
> As it's been locked up in the outhouse since friday, I can rule out the
> practical joke. I was guessing it might be the valve so I'll put a new
> tube in and leave the old one for good ole Ron.
> Cheers.
>
>

When you change the tube check the inside of the tyre. Sometimes thorns
can puncture a tyre but make a fairly effective seal in doing so. I
have ridden for miles on a tyre with a thorn in but the moment you spot
it and try and move it, the tyre goes flat.

Tony

 

[Dave Kahn]

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 19:25:52 +0000, Tony Raven <[email protected]>
wrote:

>When you change the tube check the inside of the tyre. Sometimes thorns
>can puncture a tyre but make a fairly effective seal in doing so. I
>have ridden for miles on a tyre with a thorn in but the moment you spot
>it and try and move it, the tyre goes flat.

Tee hee. I've done that too. "Ooh, I ought to pull this out." Pssssss.
"Bugger!"

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

 

[Lance Armstrong]

"Skunk" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I've got a date with a couple of bottles of home brew tonight and didn't
wanna
> miss that for changing a wheel, would you risk carrying on with it, if it
stays up until the morning?
>
>
> --
> Skunk


It won't stay up till morning after a couple of bottles of home brew, it may
not go up at all.

 

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>, Skunk
('[email protected]') wrote:

>
> I last used my bike on Friday. I went to go to work on it this morning
> and the back tyre was flat. I pumped it up tonight to check it out and
> it appears to be staying up. Is there an explanation for this? I've
> got a date with a couple of bottles of home brew tonight and didn't
> wanna miss that for changing a wheel, would you risk carrying on with
> it, if it stays up until the morning?

'Slow' punctures are not that uncommon. I've currently got them on both
wheels of my 'winter training' (i.e., at this time of year, general
purpose) bike. It needs the tyres pumped up once or twice a week, but
won't let you down even on a 100Km ride. Consequently it doesn't feel
worth while to whip 'em off and patch 'em.

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they
;; do it from  religious conviction."          -- Pascal

 

[James Hodson]

On Thu, 23 Dec 2004 19:53:48 +0000, Simon Brooke
<[email protected]> wrote:

>'Slow' punctures are not that uncommon. I've currently got them on both
>wheels of my 'winter training' (i.e., at this time of year, general
>purpose) bike. It needs the tyres pumped up once or twice a week, but
>won't let you down even on a 100Km ride. Consequently it doesn't feel
>worth while to whip 'em off and patch 'em.

Until I repleced the tube a fortnight ago I had a similar problem on
my MTB. The tyre would take a couple to days to deflate to an
unacceptable level - that was until the valve-stem came clean off the
rest of the tyre.

I may be wrong but I think my track pump is to blame, or my use of it,
perhaps. It needs a good tug to remove the pump from the tyre.

James

 

[Tony W]

"James Hodson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I may be wrong but I think my track pump is to blame, or my use of it,
> perhaps. It needs a good tug to remove the pump from the tyre.

A bit of spit on valve or track pump thingy seems to lubricate things well.

T

 

[James Hodson]

On Fri, 24 Dec 2004 16:11:06 -0000, "Tony W"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>A bit of spit on valve or track pump thingy seems to lubricate things well.

I shall try that, Tony.

Here comes the phlegm, do-do-do-do.
Here comes the phlegm, and I say ...

James