2nd Flat Rear Tire ~

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Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
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Rubicon, Wisconsin
Last puncture was a 1/4" hole. Only FIX was a new TUBE....
Chopper,
Did the 1/4" hole in the inner tube occur in a thin spot?
First set of tubes for my Sportsman 80 were Bell branded.
Fitted carefully and inflated to Spec. next mourning front tire was flat. Pulled the tube out and there was what looked like a 1/2" hole and the tube rubber was only a few mils. thick in that area. Went back to wally world and on the bottom shelf there were the Goodyear tubes.
The price difference was about double, but so was the weight and each tube came with a tire spoon.
Tom
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
2,786
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Rubicon, Wisconsin
Anybody need a tire spoon?
Not me, Back in 1971 or 2, I was renting a house in Aurora, Illinois and there was a Raleigh shop on the East end of town. I rode my P15 Schwinn down there and bought a genuine Raleigh tool kit, Whitworth wrenches it too ! quarter drive ratchet, sockets up to 15mm, nickle plated metric Allen's, chain breaker/maker, cone wrenches, and I am sure I am forgetting something.
Three nickle plated tire spoons, bent and notched to catch a spoke.
I am known for tooting my own horn., I admit it, but it is fact not brag.
Tom
 

Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
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up north now
When you are waving around good tools, especially "of a certain age" it's not bragging, it's..... awesome!
haha!

When I was at Titan the guys would want to borrow my tools all the time and I made it a point (100 times at least) to say "bring those f ers back, I got those in 1983." or "that's the first ratchet I ever owned, if you fail to bring it back, I know where you live." They knew I meant it.
 

Chopperoad

Member
Apr 25, 2020
62
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Orlando, Fl
Chopper,
Did the 1/4" hole in the inner tube occur in a thin spot?
First set of tubes for my Sportsman 80 were Bell branded.
Fitted carefully and inflated to Spec. next mourning front tire was flat. Pulled the tube out and there was what looked like a 1/2" hole and the tube rubber was only a few mils. thick in that area. Went back to wally world and on the bottom shelf there were the Goodyear tubes.
The price difference was about double, but so was the weight and each tube came with a tire spoon.
Tom
Tom, it was a PC of bamboo. Went right thru the tire & puncture the tube. I tried for 2 hrs to patch it with NO luck. That's why I'm going with No Flat tube. Way to much Crap on the road on or off it.
I like to know I could ride 10mph without a catsophe...
 

Chopperoad

Member
Apr 25, 2020
62
27
18
72
Orlando, Fl
Tom, it was a PC of bamboo. Went right thru the tire & puncture the tube. I tried for 2 hrs to patch it with NO luck. That's why I'm going with No Flat tube. Way to much Crap on the road on or off it.
I like to know I could ride 10mph without a catsophe...
That's 10 miles not mph.
 

Tom from Rubicon

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2016
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Rubicon, Wisconsin
Road litter, what's not to love? Must be at least 52 years ago my cousin Ginny rolled up to the Tire and Muffler shop I was working at with a flat. Fingernail clipper lever through the thread. I think I gave it to her as a remembrance.
Tom.
 
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Chopperoad

Member
Apr 25, 2020
62
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Orlando, Fl
Road litter, what's not to love? Must be at least 52 years ago my cousin Ginny rolled up to the Tire and Muffler shop I was working at with a flat. Fingernail clipper lever through the thread. I think I gave it to her as a remembrance.
Tom.
Eventually I'm buying a liner for the front tire. That should solve the Flat issues. I want to ride like 15 miles worry free.
A Flat far from home is a real issue.
 
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Tony01

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Nov 28, 2012
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Thorn resistant tubes. The 3 times bigger box ones.

Or a 21” motorcycle tube...

Or just stay out of the side of the road. Build a faster bike so you could command your presence and have cars give you way more space than buzzing the bike lane at double the speed..
 
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Bikeguy Joe

Godfather of Motorized Bicycles
Jan 8, 2008
11,837
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up north now
I ride (pedal) 10-20 miles a day on average, -2- flats in 4 years. Both were tubes splitting....and they were new from wartMart Bell tubes.
I ride sidewalks, parking lots, gravel/sand, through the grass in the park, oh, and a lot of road work just outside the white line between the line and the dirt berm.
I am using Kenda tires if that matters.
 
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Chopperoad

Member
Apr 25, 2020
62
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Orlando, Fl
I ride (pedal) 10-20 miles a day on average, -2- flats in 4 years. Both were tubes splitting/age.
I ride sidewalks, parking lots, gravel/sand, through the grass in the park, oh, and a lot of road work just outside the white line between the line and the dirt berm.
I am using Kenda tires if that matters.
I had no problem with my last set of Kevlar tires. It also seems ppl like to bust bottles on the side walks. Welcome to Orlando, Fl.
 
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FOG

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Mar 3, 2019
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I live in a desert where we have these stickers we locals call goat heads, and like BikeGuyJoe I pedal some everyday. What's working for me is XLC tubes. They're thicker on the outside where it matters and at around $15 ea aren't horribly expensive. I'll be pedaling along and see 15-20 goat heads circulating in the front tire and not even care.