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.

[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.