Had my first flat ever. I got the wheel off the bike, got the tire off, and threw on a new tube on the roadside. I did check the inside of the tire for burrs or anything, didnt feel anything, visual inspection of the tire seemed fine too. Checked the wheel, ran my hand along tape, felt nothing either. Tire with new tube held pressure, rode it home, seemed perfectly fine.
Tires are bontrager girona comps, tire pressures were about 48psi.
When i checked the busted tube, I found the issue but it was on the inside of the tube? I attached photo of what it looked lile with air being put in (visible hole) and what it looked like deflated. I have since patched it but I don't trust my work so I think I am just going to buy a new tube.
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Does anyone have any idea why my tube failed?
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Is there any followup maintenance I should do now that I've got the bike back home?
Really new to all this so appreciate any help or advice I can get.
by 2Tun21
7 Comments
yeah your pressure was too low
No spokes randomly poking thru on the inside? Is there rim tape?
After you patch that tube or replace it with a brand new tube I suggest the following…
Get a cotton ball.
Drag the cotton ball all around the inside of the tire carcas. Anything that is sharp enough to poke the tube will snag on the cotton ball. Now you can get rid of it before it causes another flat.
Drag the cotton ball around the inside of the rim. Anything sharp and pokey enough to cause a flat will snag on the cotton ball. Now you can resolve that problem.
Now you have a pristine rim and a pristine tire.
Install the tube carefully, making sure that you don’t pinch it between the tire and the rim, pump it up part way, inspect the tire all the way around on both sides to make sure that it is seating, wiggle it back and forth a little bit if you want, finish pumping it up to your proper pressure and you’re good to go.
Looks like hard plastic rim tape where the edge has curled up and started to rub the tube.
Check the exact point of the wheel where the puncture happen. Since it’s on the inside it’s probably something to do with the rim strip or spoke.
Looks more like a tube failure to me. It happens. Maybe the pressure was a little low, causing it to sort of pinch-flat but just pressurise a weak spot on the tube. Then again maybe it was just going to happen anyway. Tube’s fail all the time, it’s just part of cycling. It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong or that there’s anything you need to do. Just enjoy the next ride and make sure you replace the spare tube!
I own a shop, and in the last few years we’ve noticed more tube failures along seams and near valves than ever before. This looks just like that. Depending on the manufacturer, it might be the result of switching to fewer SKUs that each “fit” a wider tire size range without sufficient QC.