How do you fix a hop in the tire??

Paul Hough

I was out on my road bike last Monday.  At one point I thought I was getting the distinct signs of a flat when the rear wheel wasn't feeling right.  When it stayed inflated, I realized that it was some sort of minor hop in the wheel.  I got around to putting the wheel on my  truing stand today and could see the hop on the outside of the wheel/tire where the valve stem is.  I removed the tire and tube and the wheel was fine.  I reseated the tube and tire, inflated it back up and there is still a small hop on the side of the valve stem.  The inside of the tire is fine.  The outside is showing only minimal wear with two very minor cuts that I filled with superglue.   Has anyone else experienced a hop in a tire and figured out how to eliminate it?  Does it mean the tire is defective and needs to be replaced?  

kjanracing

kinda sounds like it. is the hop in the same place on the tire?

Keith Wick

I found that my hop also was by the valve stem. I'm assuming its a clincher and what I've found is that the tube can sometimes not allow the bead of the tire to sit down into the rim and around the tube near the valve stem. I just had to slowly inflate it and keep trying to work the tube up into the tire and edges of the tire down around the tube near the valve stem. When you do this, be very careful or you'll pinch flat the tube.

Paul Hough

@ Keith - I think you are right. Although there was a small hop noticeable on my truing stand after I reseated the tire last night, I took the road bike out today for a century ride and could only feel it (barely) on the smoothest of roads. I really felt the bump/wobble before. I think it must have happened last time I changed a flat and I didn't have it quite right even though it was on good enough to avoid a pinch flat.