Just got a road bike. Already had 2 flats. Is being overweight a factor?
Options
m1xm0d3
Posts: 1,576 Member
I just got a road bike almost 2 months ago. I had it on the trainer just fine but now I am hitting the road, I've sprung 2 leaks on the rear tire in just as many weekends. Disheartening to say the least.
I weigh around 285 lbs. The bike is a 64cm Motobecane Grand Record with Continental UltraSport tires. I had the bike & wheels tuned & trued upon assembly.
Last week I ran over a patch of pebble gravel and it went down fast. Understandable, I suppose.
Yesterday I was 16 miles in and I sprung a leak about 1mile from home and limped it in.
I ride on all paved roads, some are the roughly paved type where it's bumpy but without loose gravel, I try to avoid parking lots. I keep a close eye as to what's in front of me so I dodge glass shards or cracked pavement/potholes or pavement joints where there is a big gap. I am not sure what else I can do there to be any more cautious as I am already overly p'noid about it.
The one thing I have left to check off as the culprit is inadequate air pressure. My old pump seems to quit right around 100 psi and the tire/tube calls for 120 but when I ride I see very little tire sag and ALWAYS approach pavement changes with care so to avoid pinch flats. I have a new Topeak pump due to arrive on Wed.
When I ride my MTB I have very little problems with flats and that's riding on the road and trails.
Do I need a stronger tire that's more resistant to punctures or do I basically need to drop about 50 lbs so the rear tire isn't stuck between a rock and a fat @ss?
Sorry for the long post but I wanted to give as much info up front. TIA
I weigh around 285 lbs. The bike is a 64cm Motobecane Grand Record with Continental UltraSport tires. I had the bike & wheels tuned & trued upon assembly.
Last week I ran over a patch of pebble gravel and it went down fast. Understandable, I suppose.
Yesterday I was 16 miles in and I sprung a leak about 1mile from home and limped it in.
I ride on all paved roads, some are the roughly paved type where it's bumpy but without loose gravel, I try to avoid parking lots. I keep a close eye as to what's in front of me so I dodge glass shards or cracked pavement/potholes or pavement joints where there is a big gap. I am not sure what else I can do there to be any more cautious as I am already overly p'noid about it.
The one thing I have left to check off as the culprit is inadequate air pressure. My old pump seems to quit right around 100 psi and the tire/tube calls for 120 but when I ride I see very little tire sag and ALWAYS approach pavement changes with care so to avoid pinch flats. I have a new Topeak pump due to arrive on Wed.
When I ride my MTB I have very little problems with flats and that's riding on the road and trails.
Do I need a stronger tire that's more resistant to punctures or do I basically need to drop about 50 lbs so the rear tire isn't stuck between a rock and a fat @ss?
Sorry for the long post but I wanted to give as much info up front. TIA
0
Replies
-
Your weight should not be a factor to the tires. The only concern with weight would be frame and wheelsets.
What happened to the tubes? Was it a puncture? When changing the tube make sure the culprit isn't still in the tire.
100 PSI should be plenty for any tire. I run 100 psi in my 700x23 tires. You have probably just had a batch of bad luck. You might go the rest of the year without trouble.0 -
inadequate tire pressure can lead to pinch flats, and the heavier the rider, the more problematic it can be. Check your PSI. I had frequent and repeated flats when I first got my first road bike. Almost gave up road riding because of it. Someone told me to increase my PSI, which I did, and now I rarely have flats, and never pinch flats.0
-
beemerphile1 wrote: »Your weight should not be a factor to the tires. The only concern with weight would be frame and wheelsets.
What happened to the tubes? Was it a puncture? When changing the tube make sure the culprit isn't still in the tire.
100 PSI should be plenty for any tire. I run 100 psi in my 700x23 tires. You have probably just had a batch of bad luck. You might go the rest of the year without trouble.
The first tube was punctured close to the stem, maybe by 2 inches. I haven't pulled the tire & tube on the flat yesterday, I will tonight to inspect. My riding friend at work seems to think there is something embedded in the tire that caused this second leak.inadequate tire pressure can lead to pinch flats, and the heavier the rider, the more problematic it can be. Check your PSI. I had frequent and repeated flats when I first got my first road bike. Almost gave up road riding because of it. Someone told me to increase my PSI, which I did, and now I rarely have flats, and never pinch flats.
Cool thanks! I'll def increase the PSI as soon as the pump arrives on Wednesday.0 -
I agree with the comment about air pressure. I like to keep mine at 110 psi. I run with Schwalbe tires and these are tough puncture resistant tires.
It should be easy enough to see if your tubes are pinch or puncture flats...0 -
beemerphile1 wrote: »Your weight should not be a factor to the tires. The only concern with weight would be frame and wheelsets.
What happened to the tubes? Was it a puncture? When changing the tube make sure the culprit isn't still in the tire.
100 PSI should be plenty for any tire. I run 100 psi in my 700x23 tires. You have probably just had a batch of bad luck. You might go the rest of the year without trouble.
The first tube was punctured close to the stem, maybe by 2 inches. I haven't pulled the tire & tube on the flat yesterday, I will tonight to inspect. My riding friend at work seems to think there is something embedded in the tire that caused this second leak.inadequate tire pressure can lead to pinch flats, and the heavier the rider, the more problematic it can be. Check your PSI. I had frequent and repeated flats when I first got my first road bike. Almost gave up road riding because of it. Someone told me to increase my PSI, which I did, and now I rarely have flats, and never pinch flats.
Cool thanks! I'll def increase the PSI as soon as the pump arrives on Wednesday.
If you have a smartphone, I suggest purchasing an app called 'Berto Tire Pressure'. It's an app where you put in the type of bike you're riding, the size of the tires, the bike weight (including water bottles w/ water, tool kit, etc.), your weight (fully dressed), and any extra weight you have on the front or rear wheels - not usually a problem with a road bike.
It will give you the recommended pressure to run on both the front and rear wheel (front will usually be lower) that will give you 15% "squish" (deflection of the tire as it contacts the road). I can go into it, but 15% is basically the ideal amount of squish for optimal rolling resistance, bump absorption, and pinch flat resistance.
Check the max tire pressure on the sidewall of the tire. You're a pretty big guy, so you might be pushing the limits of the tire. Don't feel bad about this, I've been in the same boat.
If the recommended pressure from Berto is higher than the max pressure, you'll be risking pinch flats. The only way around this is to get a fatter tire.
If doing this doesn't help, you're still getting flats, then you might want to upgrade to a puncture resistant tire - Continental Gatorskins are a top pick.0 -
BikeTourer wrote: »I agree with the comment about air pressure. I like to keep mine at 110 psi. I run with Schwalbe tires and these are tough puncture resistant tires.
It should be easy enough to see if your tubes are pinch or puncture flats...
Agreed and thanks!chivalryder wrote: »If you have a smartphone, I suggest purchasing an app called 'Berto Tire Pressure'. It's an app where you put in the type of bike you're riding, the size of the tires, the bike weight (including water bottles w/ water, tool kit, etc.), your weight (fully dressed), and any extra weight you have on the front or rear wheels - not usually a problem with a road bike.
It will give you the recommended pressure to run on both the front and rear wheel (front will usually be lower) that will give you 15% "squish" (deflection of the tire as it contacts the road). I can go into it, but 15% is basically the ideal amount of squish for optimal rolling resistance, bump absorption, and pinch flat resistance.
Check the max tire pressure on the sidewall of the tire. You're a pretty big guy, so you might be pushing the limits of the tire. Don't feel bad about this, I've been in the same boat.
If the recommended pressure from Berto is higher than the max pressure, you'll be risking pinch flats. The only way around this is to get a fatter tire.
If doing this doesn't help, you're still getting flats, then you might want to upgrade to a puncture resistant tire - Continental Gatorskins are a top pick.
Awesome, I'll check out the app. Thanks
I am curious if those tire liners like what Slime makes are useful? I worry about how much real estate the liner is taking away from the tube though.
0 -
what size tyres are you running 700c/23 or 25, 28mm... I found that when I was around the weight you currently are, I had far fewer problems with pinch-punctures when I ran a larger cross section tyre at the back, say a 25c at the front and 28c at the rear... Continental tyres size up as a fair bit smaller than the size would suggest, a Michelin Pro3 Race in a 23c section was actually larger than a Continental GP3000 in a 25c section...
Other thing thats worth checking is the rim-tape - sometimes the tape can come out of place when you either get a puncture, or in the act of removing and refitting the tyre, if it moves, then the edge of the tape can cut into the tube.
But, mainly, as a rule of thumb, at 280+ lb, you'll need to be running the tyre at whatever it says is the Maximum allowable pressure (though check that the rim hasn't got a lower allowable pressure than the tyre, some rims may actually be designed for a lower pressure than the tyre itself can cope with!)0 -
what size tyres are you running 700c/23 or 25, 28mm... I found that when I was around the weight you currently are, I had far fewer problems with pinch-punctures when I ran a larger cross section tyre at the back, say a 25c at the front and 28c at the rear... Continental tyres size up as a fair bit smaller than the size would suggest, a Michelin Pro3 Race in a 23c section was actually larger than a Continental GP3000 in a 25c section...
Other thing thats worth checking is the rim-tape - sometimes the tape can come out of place when you either get a puncture, or in the act of removing and refitting the tyre, if it moves, then the edge of the tape can cut into the tube.
But, mainly, as a rule of thumb, at 280+ lb, you'll need to be running the tyre at whatever it says is the Maximum allowable pressure (though check that the rim hasn't got a lower allowable pressure than the tyre, some rims may actually be designed for a lower pressure than the tyre itself can cope with!)
They are 25mm, Yin. I pulled the tube and found 2 tiny TINY holes about an inch apart that were only detectable when submerged in water (pinch flat, right?). I checked the rim tape thoroughly and the inside of the tire as well, no issues so I put in a new tube and aired it back up as much as possible which was pretty darn close to 110 PSI and went for a 13 mile ride with no problem.
How can I tell what the max rating is on my rims? I didn't see anything on the side.
XRP COMP Vuelta, 6061T6 Double Wall aluminum with machined brake track
Thanks for the response.0 -
Pinch flats are self evident due to the snake fang look of the puncture(s), and those can be mitigated with proper pressure and riding style.
Now, other puncture types -- figuring out where the puncture is happening helps. If the tube keeps getting punctured in the same place, you can figure out the cause pretty easy. For example, it might being a spoke issue or a rough spot on the rim itself as being the culprit.
If you have a rubber rim strip over the spoke nipples, you might have a lot less problems with some good cloth rim tape. I use the rim tape by Velox and it is excellent.
I put some new wheels on my road bike last summer and kept getting flats. Since I patch my tubes and re-use them, I saw that all the punctures where in the same area. I eventually figured out that there was a little ridge where the rim was welded together and that was sharp enough to wear through the side wall of the tubes. I just sanded the metal down there and it was fine.
0 -
How can I tell what the max rating is on my rims? I didn't see anything on the side.
XRP COMP Vuelta, 6061T6 Double Wall aluminum with machined brake track
Thanks for the response.
To be honest, if it's not shown on the rim, then the design rating will be higher than the tyres would stand anyway... most of the rims i've seen with ratings on have been "at the lighter end" of the aluminium clincher market (or carbon hoops!) anyway, so assuming they're stock wheels from a sub $2000 bike I'd not worry too much about it.
The small punctures about an inch apart don't sound like snakebites tbh... a snakebite (or pinch puncture) is generally 2 smallish cuts in the tube, maybe 2-3mm long and no more than 5-10mm apart. A bit like this...
0 -
Yeah the holes in my tube were pinholes at best, def not slits. Eh, I'll chalk it up as bad luck then I suppose. The scale is slowly heading south so whatever overstress my weight is giving hopefully wont be as much a factor in the upcoming months.
I expect to hit <250 in the summer and it's a goal well within my reach. (my weight tends to rollercoaster... eating disorder) but now I have an indoor trainer for rainy days and the winter months, I won't be in such terrible shape next spring! lol
Again, thanks. And you too, Arch!0 -
Have you talk dot someone at your LBS about it? When I lived in Western Colorado, I put liners in my tires because of the number of goat heads. I now run gatorskins to deal with flats.
It is not the weight. When I started riding, I weighed the same. Carry a spare tube, and practice changing tires And, part of that checking tires is running your hand along the inside of the tire. My guess is the second flat wasn't caused by something already in the tire. The time I got a flat form something still in the tire, it happened immediately.0 -
I got 2 flats same day, same ride. Glass. Puncture.
.... have liners in the tires, but they don't always work doggone it.
Keep riding your bike
0 -
Have you talk dot someone at your LBS about it? When I lived in Western Colorado, I put liners in my tires because of the number of goat heads. I now run gatorskins to deal with flats.
It is not the weight. When I started riding, I weighed the same. Carry a spare tube, and practice changing tires And, part of that checking tires is running your hand along the inside of the tire. My guess is the second flat wasn't caused by something already in the tire. The time I got a flat form something still in the tire, it happened immediately.
I have not because it's not been problematic enough to address it with them... hopefully it wont. I do carry a spare tube in my wedge pack and have gotten pretty skilled at the r&r.allaboutthecake wrote: »I got 2 flats same day, same ride. Glass. Puncture. .... have liners in the tires, but they don't always work doggone it.
Keep riding your bike
Uugh! What kind of liners? And yes I intend to keep riding. Goal is 2,000 miles for 2015.0 -
Since I started in 2013 I've gone through 20 tubes...
It happens, if it gets bad there are options like liners and all those puncture resistant tires.
I was about your size when I stared now down in the 230's I found that 28's really helped with the quality of the ride. I've rode 23's for a long time and the flat factor was really high and that could be a lot of things as well.
I have 25's now if I could fit them I'd have 28's
Good luck0 -
During college I worked in the campus bike shop and we sold a lot of tire liners. They are good for large width tires (28+) but not recommended for narrower tires. One needs to pay attention to the tire pressure and placement else run the risk of pinching the inner tube (and be prepare to fight to get the tires off with them on). During breaks I worked in a normal shop and assemble countless bikes. The first thing we did was take the tire off to true/round the wheels. Believe of not they are not the best from the factory and rim tape/tubes are often just thrown on especially on mid and lower end models (could also be from being dislodged during shipping, but who knows). We carried liners but normally only recommended them on mountain bikes.
As others have indicated, the first thing is to change out the rim tape (from cheap plastic or rubber to cloth tape) and make sure there are no sharp edges in the rim that may causes a puncture (sand it down). Second is proper inflation of the tires. I tend to be lazy and check every 2-3 weeks on my road bike which can translate to a difference of 10-20 psi. I ride 28s so it doesn't make that much of an impact except being more comfortable as time goes by. Even when I was 210, I never pump them higher than 90-100 psi (same pressure I keep at 167 now; still lazy). Finally, make sure you know the proper technique of installing a tube. Believe it or not, it's the number one cause of flats that I came across. I'm guilty of it too and gone through four tubes last year when I was to lazy to change out the rim tape and the cheap plastic failed leading to puncturing both wheels on my dedicated bike fixed to KK road machine (had the frame since 1998, Schwinn Prologue, and only built it up three years ago from using parts from a donor bike off ebay; wheels look trued so I didn't bother). I changed the tape and the tubes but did it in a rush. Two weeks later, another set.0 -
Get some puncture sealant in the tubes this will help a lot.
I used to use a trailer to carry over 100Kg of beer etc to do deliveries for my shop, I got a few flats on the trailer until I put the sealant in there, then it was like 2 years without one flat.
Various makers out there, I used Stans
http://www.notubes.com/Sealant-C14.aspx0 -
So I looked up the app for tire pressure. It's only for androids. I looked at the spreadsheet and it said I should be putting about 70 lbs of pressure in my tires. I found an iPhone app by Vittoria called iTire Pressure. It took a little digging on the specs on my tires but it came up with 100 in the front and 110 in the back. That seems more reasonable.0
-
Have you talk dot someone at your LBS about it? When I lived in Western Colorado, I put liners in my tires because of the number of goat heads. I now run gatorskins to deal with flats.
It is not the weight. When I started riding, I weighed the same. Carry a spare tube, and practice changing tires And, part of that checking tires is running your hand along the inside of the tire. My guess is the second flat wasn't caused by something already in the tire. The time I got a flat form something still in the tire, it happened immediately.
I have not because it's not been problematic enough to address it with them... hopefully it wont. I do carry a spare tube in my wedge pack and have gotten pretty skilled at the r&r.allaboutthecake wrote: »I got 2 flats same day, same ride. Glass. Puncture. .... have liners in the tires, but they don't always work doggone it.
Keep riding your bike
Uugh! What kind of liners? And yes I intend to keep riding. Goal is 2,000 miles for 2015.
Am sorry, I missed this....the bike liners were put in by LBS. Not sure brand. (I really don't pay attention, they take *that* good of care!) However, the bike liner in the rear tire has not flatted on me (is that a word?). The front tire did. And if I recall, it was a side-wall that bit it.
0 -
Get some puncture sealant in the tubes this will help a lot.
I used to use a trailer to carry over 100Kg of beer etc to do deliveries for my shop, I got a few flats on the trailer until I put the sealant in there, then it was like 2 years without one flat.
Various makers out there, I used Stans
http://www.notubes.com/Sealant-C14.aspx
I will admit, I run normal tubed tyres (shwalbe one in a 25c on the "sunday best" bike and some tough-ish Conti's (again 25c) on the CaadX in road-trim, Vittoria Cross XG-Pro's in offroad trim) at the moment, BUT after the 2013-14 winter season I became a convert to adding a little liquid latex sealant to the inner tubes (get Conti/Schwalbe tubes with the exchangeable cores, and a 75ml syringe to add the gloop down the valve stem) - The Continental own brand stuff (they actually recommend it for their Tubulars mainly) is great for the lighter weight tyres, but last autumn I experimented with some sealant mainly intended for MTB's running tubeless - not sure if it's available outside the UK, but it's made by Fenwicks - it's very similar to that bilious green "Slime" stuff, but doesn't smell as bad and doesn't "clump" in your inner tubes if you don't ride for a while...
http://fenwicks.info/bike/index.php/tubeless-systems/airtight-tubeless-sealant
it worked pretty well - pulled a 1" thorn out of the CaadX cross tyre spun the wheel and it stopped hissing - 30 seconds with the mini-pump and I was back to pressure and the tyre held for over 1000km of on/offroad until I switched the knoblies for road-tyres, at which point I patched the tube and they're sat awaiting going back on the CaadX as soon as I'm sure the weather is good enough for the Dolan to be by exclusive road ride...
0
