I picked up a new bike a couple weeks ago (Fuji Team) and tonight when I went to go for a ride it had a flat tire. So I pulled the wheel off took the tire off and found a lil pin hole in the tube from a piece of wire that went through the tire. It was such a microscopic piece of wire that I just patched the tube and put the tire back on. But when I inflated it I got a bubble on the side wall. I thought maybe I squeezed the tube with the patch so I took it back apart and the bubble wasn't near the patch. I double checked everything and put it back together and got the bubble again.
WTF? Think the tire is defective? I never had this problem with my old bike and I had a bunch of flats on that thing!
yes, I think the tire is defective. it may be related to your flat or not, but you are not supposed to have any bubbles anyware
TBaGZ said:
I picked up a new bike a couple weeks ago (Fuji Team) and tonight when I went to go for a ride it had a flat tire. So I pulled the wheel off took the tire off and found a lil pin hole in the tube from a piece of wire that went through the tire. It was such a microscopic piece of wire that I just patched the tube and put the tire back on. But when I inflated it I got a bubble on the side wall. I thought maybe I squeezed the tube with the patch so I took it back apart and the bubble wasn't near the patch. I double checked everything and put it back together and got the bubble again.
WTF? Think the tire is defective? I never had this problem with my old bike and I had a bunch of flats on that thing!
The tiny piece of wire that penetrated your tire left a tiny hole. No prob until you inflate the tire, then the tube peeks through. If this is the case you have a couple of options. You can trash the tire & get a new one, or you can boot the tire. I'd opt for the latter.
Here's how:
1. With a magic marker or similar, mark exactly where the hole in the sidewall is.
2. Remove the tire.
3. If you can get a piece of a wrapper from a Fed Ex envelope, fold it so there are 4 layers.
4. Place the envelope material (the boot) over the hole in the inside of the tire. You can use scotch tape to hold it in place if you need to.
5. Put the tube & tire back on the rim, pump it up, then ride away with a big smile.
If you can't get the Fed Ex envelope stuff you can use a small piece of sidewall from another tire, or anything that's flexible but impervious to high air pressure. A dollar bill works well too. Just fold it so there are 4 layers & use that. Regular paper will not work.
The bubble and the wire puncture are unrelated. You still haven't explained whether you experienced the tube coming through the sidewall or under the bead, or if it is a sidewall bulge. If it is a sidewall bulge or the tube extruding through the sidewall, then your only option is a boot, as described by Mr. V. Even the boot may result in a "residual bulge" and rapid tire wear or, if bad enough, cause you to throw out the tire. If the problem was the tube coming under the bead, then it was an installation error.
A simple "sidewall bubble" cannot exist in a bicycle tire for more than a few minutes. A leaky inner tube would be the source of the air in the bubble, and the bubble would pop quickly as the tire went soft from the tube leak.
The tire is not at full preassure in the pics but you get the idea. I highly doubt it is the tube under the bead because I checked it pretty good and made sure it was not. I have to go to the shop tomorrow anyways so I will just let them look at it.
Did you damage the bead when you removed the tire to fix the puncture? What kind of tire levers did you use? Also, why is there a shiny spot in the center of the tread next to the bulge?
The shiny part is black marker that i used to mark the tire. I don't think I damaged the bead, it came off pretty easy. I just have some no name levers that I have always used.
I had a brand new Michelin Krylion that recently blew out. When I put another tube in and reinflated I saw a small bulge along the sidewall. At first I thought the tire was not seated right but when looking closer I found that there was a small tear where the bead goes through and the tube had blown out through that spot.
A lil update... It was broken bands in the sidewall.... Dunno if it was from me or just a bad tire. But the guys at the shop gave me a new tire and tube and I was back rolling!
I was just going to post that possibility. Broken cords can happen as a result of bunny hopping, hitting the sharp edge of a chuck hole, running over something with a pronounced edge, etc. And a bad tire is also a prime suspect.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Road Bike, Cycling Forums
5.4M posts
205K members
Since 1990
A forum community dedicated to Road Bike owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about bike parts, components, deals, performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!