Bike problems *growl*

[lethargic_man]

A few weeks ago I managed to trash the front inner tube on my bike, by tearing the valve away from the rubber when I was inflating it. I'd destroyed another inner tube a few months beforehand the same way, so when I got a replacement, I was careful to make sure the ring nut holding the valve in place was secure every time I pumped my tyre up.

This morning I got to my bike and, discovering the front tyre was flat, checked the ring nut was secure, then started pumping it up, only for the valve to tear loose within a few seconds and let all the air out.

Now, I could have replaced the inner tube there and then, but I didn't have the patience; and since I'm not going to be able to get to bed tonight early enough for a 7:50 arrival at work tomorrow, something's going to have to give if I wish to cycle home in daylight tomorrow: either my lunchbreak, or when I leave tonight.

This is very annoying, and I wish I knew what I was doing wrong to keep trashing my inner tube.

I also wish I'd stop getting punctures. I bought a new tyre a while ago; I'd got an Armadillo tyre for my rear wheel, and have got I think one puncture since then on it as a result. For my front wheel they didn't have Armadillo tyres when I bought my new one, so I went for a slightly cheaper one, reasoning I'd be okay as the front wheel takes only a small fraction of the weight, but have kept getting punctures anyway. Maybe I'm going to have to bite the bullet and spent £24 (or whatever) on an Armadillo tyre for my front wheel anyway.

Comments

[green-knight.livejournal.com]

I have no idea whether they still make the stuff, but I went from at least two punctures a month (I was cycling sixty or seventy miles a week at that point) to almost nil after investing in what I think was the best invention ever - a gel containing lots of short fibres which would settle in any small cracks and holes and provide efficient airseals. For the problem described above that wouldn't help - it could't help large gashes, and eventually the rubber got brittle after a couple of years, but WOW, it was great stuff. *No* idea whether it's still made, or findable, and I've long since forgotten the make, but it beat sliced bread hands down.

As for the inner tubes - try a different make? I can't see you get too much pressure on your tire with a handpump.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Could you explain how you apply this stuff? Is it to the outside of the inner tube, or to the inside of the outer tube, or what?

[hatam-soferet.livejournal.com]

Does the ripping have anything to do with the motion of the hand pump? I mean, if you got a foot pump, would it be any different? I could imagine a hand pump wiggling the valve around too much.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

That was indeed the cause of the problem, even though I tried to minimise this by tightening the nut and holding the thumb of the hand holding the pump against the wheel rim.

As for foot pumps, (a) I'd be worried about overinflating, and (b) I can scarcely carry one around in my saddlebags at all times!

[hatam-soferet.livejournal.com]

a) I had the kind with a pressure gauge, and it was fine and dandy.

b) Well, no, but keeping one at home would reduce the percentage of pump-related accidents, even if it didn't remove it entirely.

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

Possibly. As it happens, something I'd forgotten until I took the old inner tube out was that when I last trashed my inner tube, I'd run out of new inner tubes and put an old one back in, so possibly it was already stressed due to previous wear and tear. <hopes>