Flat - No Apparent Reason

jsumara

After our brutally long winter here in SE Wisconsin, I've finally been able to ride outside for the past 2 days in a row!  This morning I woke to a front flat tire. I assumed a slow leak that took over night to empty. However, when I took off the tire, there was a sizable hole that was more like a blow-out than a puncture. This is the same tube I used all last season .. without evidence that there was a puncture (nothing appears to have gone through the tire) what could cause this?  If tubes just wear out after a while, how often should they be changed?

steve Beyer

I've never heard any rule of thumb, but my practice is to put new ones in at the beginning of riding outside. It's a small amount of money/work for the peace of mind it gives me. Having said that, I would check and consider replacing the rim strips....when they get old the tube can protrude into the spoke hole, causing it stress and increasing the chance of the tube blowing out there.

harrast

First, I would rule out a rim or rim tape issue (and I know about rim tape issues). Mark the hole on the tube then match it up with the rim and see if the hole in the tube corresponds with anything funny in the rim, like a teeny spoke whole opening that's not covered by rim tape. I have ridden on wheels and had no issues, then suddenly I blow two tubes in 10 minutes. It's possible that the rim tape shifts from inflation/deflation of the tube. In any case, I would start by looking at the rim/rim tape. FWIW.

William Jenks

I like the rim tape idea, but if that's right, it should be characteristically on the "inside" of the tube's toroidal surface. That should be easy to check if you still have the tube.