flat tire question

The Causey Way' death@tospam said:

I recently had a rear tire go flat. Inspecting the tube, I found a pin hole near the valve, but I
can't find a corresponding hole in the tire. I've used the tire for a bit since with no problems.
So do most people replace the tire with every flat or is that not necessary? Thanks.

Yes, you should replace your tire *and* tube every time you get a flat. You then give the almost new
tire and tube to the youngest bike mechanic at your shop. S/he is the one in charge of quality
control for the tire manufacturers and will make certain that the tire and tube are properly
stress-tested and the results are reported in the national 'customer throws away yet another almost
perfect tire for no good reason' database.....

Actually, sounds like something very small made a hole in the tube and then dropped away, either
while riding or when you did the repair. Finding such a hole could be very hard. I'll check the tire
carefully to see if anything is still embedded in it. If not, patch the tube, reuse the tire, and
see what happens. Sounds as if this has worked out for you.

Short of a cut, no need to throw out a tire because of a flat. Then again, if you like keeping bike
mechanics in free tires, toss the puppy! 🙂

Quoted message said:

So do most people replace the tire with every flat or is that not necessary

God, no. I'd go broke. Just check for anything sharp in the tire. Phil Brown

The Causey Way said:

I recently had a rear tire go flat. Inspecting the tube, I found a pin hole near the valve, but I
can't find a corresponding hole in the tire.

When you say "near the valve", do you mean on the rim-facing side? In that case it's not a tire
issue at all. If it's on the tire-facing side then it's possible that the foreign object could still
be embedded in the tire. Sometimes these are very hard to find -- for example a piece of fine wire a
couple of mm long such as come from car tires that have worn down to the steel belts. It's useful to
mount your tire so that the valve is aligned with the tire's label. This way, when you have a flat
you can estimate the area of the tire involved once you find the hole in the tube. It also helps to
rub your thumb along the inside of the tire. Often it's easier to feel the object than to see it.
All that said, you can sometimes still not find the thing and ocassionally I've had more than 1 flat
from the same object before I finally found
it. Not a reason for throwing the tire away unless the cords have been cut through.

Quoted message said:

I've used the tire for a bit since with no problems. So do most people replace the tire with every
flat or is that not necessary? Thanks.

Unlike car tires, bicycle tires only hold the pressure. The tube holds the air. If you get
my meaning.

As long as the tire looks OK, the rubber isn't all worn off, or seriously dry/cracked or the casing
is not damaged, you don't have to replace it, no.

May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills! Chris

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