Punctures and more Punctures......

[kevenh]

50PSI is high for a 29er MTB tyre.
What style bike is yours?
Is it a road or hybrid type bike?
For mostly road use 50 PSI might be right,
50PSI is not high enough to be a cause of the inner tube failure. Your tyre’s markings indicated that too

I think you could be unlucky and just have a one off faulty inner tube.

 

[March Hare]

50PSI is high for a 29er MTB tyre.
What style bike is yours?
Is it a road or hybrid type bike?
For mostly road use 50 PSI might be right,
50PSI is not high enough to be a cause of the inner tube failure. Your tyre’s markings indicated that too

I think you could be unlucky and just have a one off faulty inner tube.

Hi Kevin!

Thanks for your reply - here’s a photo of my e-bike (Cube Kathmandu) to give you an idea of the type of bike. I’m using it on roads only.

ps. Just in case you zoom in, this photo was taken before I swapped to Schwalbe Marathon e-Plus tyres!

 

[kevenh]

Hi Kevin!

Thanks for your reply - here’s a photo of my e-bike (Cube Kathmandu) to give you an idea of the type of bike. I’m using it on roads only.

View attachment 469539

The LBS 50PSI statement makes more sense now.
If the tyre is OK around where the puncture was, a weak faulty inner tube is my thought.

 

[PhilMary]

Hi LA! Thanks for your reply! Tbh, I did wonder if that was too high, but the pressure was recommended by a chap in the bike shop.

I'll drop the pressure down then and see how I get on!

Thanks again!

Yes, I also run 35-40 psi so 50 is very high.
Sorry didn't see the pictures.

 

[MattR]

Hi LA! Thanks for your reply! Tbh, I did wonder if that was too high, but the pressure was recommended by a chap in the bike shop.

I'll drop the pressure down then and see how I get on!

Thanks again!

Don't drop the pressures - you've got a heavy bike, cycling mainly on roads and the tyres are designed to have 50 psi. You'll end up being slower or using more power to achieve and you'll be at greater risk of punctures if you use them below the recommended pressure.

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[March Hare]

50PSI is high for a 29er MTB tyre.
What style bike is yours?
Is it a road or hybrid type bike?
For mostly road use 50 PSI might be right,
50PSI is not high enough to be a cause of the inner tube failure. Your tyre’s markings indicated that too

I think you could be unlucky and just have a one off faulty inner tube.

The LBS 50PSI statement makes more sense now.
If the tyre is OK around where the puncture was, a weak faulty inner tube is my thought.

Hi Kevenh, thanks very much for your replies and advice - I'll carry on then at 50psi. I will pop back to the bike shop to buy a couple more tubes but will ask if they've got any more robust inner tubes available.

Thanks again!

 

[March Hare]

Yes, I also run 35-40 psi so 50 is very high.
Sorry didn't see the pictures.

Hi PhilMary, thanks for your reply yesterday! You can tell I'm still very new to getting back into cycling - but when I checked the tyres it did say that the 50 PSI was within the recommended PSI (45-70 PSI). It sounds as though I was maybe unlucky to have the inner tube fail, but I'll certainly see if I can find some thicker tubes.

Thanks again for your reply!

 

[March Hare]

Don't drop the pressures - you've got a heavy bike, cycling mainly on roads and the tyres are designed to have 50 psi. You'll end up being slower or using more power to achieve and you'll be at greater risk of punctures if you use them below the recommended pressure.

Hi Mattyjwr, thanks for your reply yesterday! Yes, having checked the tyres, the 50 PSI looks to be ok for the tyres and the bike. I agree ref it being a heavy bike - it weighs about 26kg. Having had a load of punctures with the hawthorns hedges being cut back around here, I'm keen to avoid punctures, so I'm hoping that the Zefal tyre liners will help as well.

Thanks again!

 

[Landy Andy]

Agree that 50psi should be ok, at the time I commented I thought you were running mountain bike tyres, no roadies.
What is the reason for coming away from slime tubes?
if they have lasted you well in the past, why not carry on with them? I used to run them on my previous bike, and had zero issues with them.

 

[MattR]

Agree that 50psi should be ok, at the time I commented I thought you were running mountain bike tyres, no roadies.
What is the reason for coming away from slime tubes?
if they have lasted you well in the past, why not carry on with them? I used to run them on my previous bike, and had zero issues with them.

I've never used slime tubes but do use tubeless on my mtb. Do slime tubes need topping up or need to be rotated every so often to maintain effectiveness?

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[Landy Andy]

I've never used slime tubes but do use tubeless on my mtb. Do slime tubes need topping up or need to be rotated every so often to maintain effectiveness?

They have a year of use from memory, but once I fitted them, I must have had them in for at least three years without issue. They also do feel like thicker rubber

 

[March Hare]

Agree that 50psi should be ok, at the time I commented I thought you were running mountain bike tyres, no roadies.
What is the reason for coming away from slime tubes?
if they have lasted you well in the past, why not carry on with them? I used to run them on my previous bike, and had zero issues with them.

Hi LA, thanks for your reply! I’m afraid I was not strictly accurate when I said I’d had “Slime Tubes”, because what I meant was that I’d added the Slime liquid (half a bottle in each tube) to regular tubes. I did that because at the time I couldn’t find the correct size / valve combination of the Slime tubes. I’ve since found some, and they’re in my stock of inner tubes!

As to the reason for moving away from them, where we live is at the bottom of a valley, and to avoid a fairly busy main road, I take a lane near the house which involves three very steep climbs in the first mile or so. So what I was finding was that it was just taking so much more effort compared without the Slime - really noticeable. Mostly at the weekends I use the main road which involves a couple of miles on the flat before a steep climb, and for that I’m guessing that the Slime has had a chance to disperse around the tube and the climb is easy’ish.

As an example, I’ve just done the same 20 mile route I took on Monday (with Slime) when I had to have a couple of stops “to admire the scenery” and was using mainly “Sport” and some “turbo” for the steep climbs. However today without the Slime, same route and I flew around with no stops and on “tour” or “eco” and “off”all the way. It’s a different bike, and no longer feels like cycling along with the brakes stuck on.

Having said all that, when I took the tyres off, I could clearly see that the Slime had been put to good use as there were 3 hawthorn thorns in one tyre and 2 in the other, and the Slime had done an excellent job at healing the puncture. What I’m thinking is that I’ll stick with the Zefal tyre liners for now, but will put the proper Slime tubes in the tyres in the autumn ready for the farmers to start their hedge trimming! That’s the plan for now anyway

I've never used slime tubes but do use tubeless on my mtb. Do slime tubes need topping up or need to be rotated every so often to maintain effectiveness?

Hi Mattyjwr, Thanks for your reply. As above really, you can either buy bottles of the Slime liquid to add to your regular tubes (there’s a tool in the top of the lid to help remove the core of the valve to allow you to add the liquid from the bottle/tube), or the alternative is to buy Slime inner tubes already loaded with the Slime liquid. It’s the former that I used. I read up about it before using, and don’t recall seeing any info ref needing to top it up. I could see where the Slime liquid had ”healed” what would otherwise have been thorn punctures to the tubes, but in each case only a small amount of the green liquid had escaped before the hole had self-sealed.

 

[MattR]

Hi LA, thanks for your reply! I’m afraid I was not strictly accurate when I said I’d had “Slime Tubes”, because what I meant was that I’d added the Slime liquid (half a bottle in each tube) to regular tubes. I did that because at the time I couldn’t find the correct size / valve combination of the Slime tubes. I’ve since found some, and they’re in my stock of inner tubes!

As to the reason for moving away from them, where we live is at the bottom of a valley, and to avoid a fairly busy main road, I take a lane near the house which involves three very steep climbs in the first mile or so. So what I was finding was that it was just taking so much more effort compared without the Slime - really noticeable. Mostly at the weekends I use the main road which involves a couple of miles on the flat before a steep climb, and for that I’m guessing that the Slime has had a chance to disperse around the tube and the climb is easy’ish.

As an example, I’ve just done the same 20 mile route I took on Monday (with Slime) when I had to have a couple of stops “to admire the scenery” and was using mainly “Sport” and some “turbo” for the steep climbs. However today without the Slime, same route and I flew around with no stops and on “tour” or “eco” and “off”all the way. It’s a different bike, and no longer feels like cycling along with the brakes stuck on.

Having said all that, when I took the tyres off, I could clearly see that the Slime had been put to good use as there were 3 hawthorn thorns in one tyre and 2 in the other, and the Slime had done an excellent job at healing the puncture. What I’m thinking is that I’ll stick with the Zefal tyre liners for now, but will put the proper Slime tubes in the tyres in the autumn ready for the farmers to start their hedge trimming! That’s the plan for now anyway



Hi Mattyjwr, Thanks for your reply. As above really, you can either buy bottles of the Slime liquid to add to your regular tubes (there’s a tool in the top of the lid to help remove the core of the valve to allow you to add the liquid from the bottle/tube), or the alternative is to buy Slime inner tubes already loaded with the Slime liquid. It’s the former that I used. I read up about it before using, and don’t recall seeing any info ref needing to top it up. I could see where the Slime liquid had ”healed” what would otherwise have been thorn punctures to the tubes, but in each case only a small amount of the green liquid had escaped before the hole had self-sealed.

I was under the impression that tubeless tyres were almost maintenence free until I went on a ride which required me to top up my tyres with air many times. It transpired that the slime needed to be topped up every 3-6 months as it dried out, it was recommended to ensure that the valve was not kept at the bottom of the wheel when in store and that ideally, the tyres should be rotated regularly, even when in storage and topping up air in the tyres before rides was normal. Hardly maintenance free.

Having had our LBS top up the slime 4 times over 2 yrs or so, I've got my own refilling kit and a bottle of slime (see links above) so I do my own tyres - so far the slime I use appears to last longer than the other slimes I've used and is a lot cheaper. I seem to only need to top up air once every month or two, if not less.

Are your wheels tubeless ready? It might cost to get the wheels tubeless but you'll save on inner tube weight.

 

[andy63]

Reading the various comments..

You do have to maintain a level of sealant in your tubless tyres...or they obviously won't seal if you develop a leak..
Every few months I remove the valve core with it at the lowest point and dip the level in the tyre.. I have been using a cocktail stick
It doesn't take long to figure where the level should be with say 100ml of fluid in the tyre..
Andy..

 

[MattR]

Reading the various comments..

You do have to maintain a level of sealant in your tubless tyres...or they obviously won't seal if you develop a leak..
Every few months I remove the valve core with it at the lowest point and dip the level in the tyre.. I have been using a cocktail stick
It doesn't take long to figure where the level should be with say 100ml of fluid in the tyre..
Andy..

That is what I found out after I had the problems with deflating tyres on my ride... Very frustrating

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[Neil Bedwin]

When you go to get new innertubes remember that they come in different widths as well as diameters. Your old innertube is a 29er but was it wide enough for the 47mm tyres? If it was a 29 x 35mm it may well have burst as it didn't fill the inside of the tyre.

 

[Ridgeway]

Could also have been nicked by the tyre lever when installing it. The actual rupture as seen in the pic has little resemblance to the defect or damage caused on the inner tube itself.

 

[MattR]

When you go to get new innertubes remember that they come in different widths as well as diameters. Your old innertube is a 29er but was it wide enough for the 47mm tyres? If it was a 29 x 35mm it may well have burst as it didn't fill the inside of the tyre.

The tyres are 29 x 1.75

 

[Neil Bedwin]

The tyres are 29 x 1.75

Yep... etrto 47-622 as it says on the side. If the inner tube used was too narrow it could have stretched too much and burst.

 

[MattR]

Yep... etrto 47-622 as it says on the side. If the inner tube used was too narrow it could have stretched too much and burst.

Agreed but 29" slime tubes only come as a size to fit 1.85 - 2.2” wheels. That tube would have been fine, if not a little too big for that tyre wouldn't it?

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