flats question - Triathlon Week

01-17-2005, 09:27 AM

Is anyone else having a problem with flats that occur with long-stemmed
Continental tubes? They tear right where the stem enters the tube.

Or is it just me after 35 years of cycling and fixing flats?

Ray

01-17-2005, 10:12 AM

Ray,

Things to check:

Properly inflated?
Make sure valve is pushed into tire before inflating
Valve hole on rim has no burrs
Not pulling down on valve when inflating
Other then that, just bad luck.

Steve H
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

01-17-2005, 03:47 PM

please... didn't you see the reference to 35 years?

I am asking if anyone else thinks there is a flaw in these tubes.

Ray

<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:1105981928.072336.174950@z14g2000cwz.googlegr oups.com...
> Ray,
>
> Things to check:
>
> Properly inflated?
> Make sure valve is pushed into tire before inflating
> Valve hole on rim has no burrs
> Not pulling down on valve when inflating
> Other then that, just bad luck.
>
> Steve H
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>

01-17-2005, 05:17 PM

Ray Plotecia wrote:
> please... didn't you see the reference to 35 years?
yes and he probably saw the refernece to "is it just me?"

01-17-2005, 07:29 PM

"Ray Plotecia" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>Is anyone else having a problem with flats that occur with long-stemmed
>Continental tubes? They tear right where the stem enters the tube.
>
>Or is it just me after 35 years of cycling and fixing flats?

Just so I don't pre-bias your answer, let me ask a few questions about
the wheel you're having the problem with...

1) Is it a fairly new wheel?
2) Did you build it yourself?
3) What did (do) you use for spoke lubrication, if anything?

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Home of the $695 ti frame

01-18-2005, 12:09 AM

Yep. I have been having problems of the same nature. Like you Ray, I have
many years of cycling long distance.
I have used continental tubs for many years with only normal problems but
for the last year have not been able to get many miles out of the tubs
without failure near the stem / tube junction

Ken DaVico

"Ray Plotecia" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> Is anyone else having a problem with flats that occur with long-stemmed
> Continental tubes? They tear right where the stem enters the tube.
>
> Or is it just me after 35 years of cycling and fixing flats?
>
> Ray
>
>

01-18-2005, 12:09 AM

Yep. I have been having problems of the same nature. Like you Ray, I have
many years of cycling long distance.
I have used continental tubs for many years with only normal problems but
for the last year have not been able to get many miles out of the tubs
without failure near the stem / tube junction

Ken DaVico

"Ray Plotecia" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> Is anyone else having a problem with flats that occur with long-stemmed
> Continental tubes? They tear right where the stem enters the tube.
>
> Or is it just me after 35 years of cycling and fixing flats?
>
> Ray
>
>

01-18-2005, 05:42 PM

I had this problem. It was because of the weight of the longer stem. Go 40
miles an hour downhill or hit some bumps and the force of that long stem
pushing back into the rim from the inertia can quickly put a tear in your
tube. You can usually solve this problem by finding a piece of plastic and
threading it down the stem after it's on the rim so that it secures the stem
in one place against the rim. I think that Continental's tubes thread all
the way down? This will keep that heavy chunk of metal from sinking back
into the rim from whatever reason.

Solution #2 .... Switch to tubulars like I did.

Regards,

Aaron

"Ray Plotecia" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> Is anyone else having a problem with flats that occur with long-stemmed
> Continental tubes? They tear right where the stem enters the tube.
>
> Or is it just me after 35 years of cycling and fixing flats?
>
> Ray
>
>

01-19-2005, 09:58 AM

Ray;

This may or may not apply to your situation, but years ago I had a
similiar problem with Spinergy long-stemmed tubes. These had threaded
stems, and the flats arose because I had overtightened the nut on the
stem which exacerbated rubbing between the tube and the valve hole. I
just stopped using the stem nut and the problem was solved. YMMV.

Ray Plotecia wrote:

> Is anyone else having a problem with flats that occur with long-stemmed
> Continental tubes? They tear right where the stem enters the tube.
>
> Or is it just me after 35 years of cycling and fixing flats?
>
> Ray
>
>

01-21-2005, 02:23 PM

> I have used continental tubs for many years with only normal problems but
> for the last year have not been able to get many miles out of the tubs
> without failure near the stem / tube junction

That solves it for me. If two of you long-time guys have the same
troubles I'll buy into the "it's the tube" theory.
I've only seriously cycled for 10 years, and last spring had 4 or 5
flats in a few weeks. I thought it was because my continentals were
"old" from a couple seasons prior.

I used spinergy rims with those extenders and continental tubes. after I
used up my stock of tubes my bike shop sold me a different brand with
longer stems... no more flats but I sure was spooked on fast downhills
for the rest of the season.

I'm 52 years old and 190 lbs; I hit the pavement hard, don't bounce
very good, and don't heal as fast as I used to... I don't wanna eat any
more asphalt from a front flat on a steep hill
Eric

01-21-2005, 03:55 PM

I have gone to heavier tubes and now not experiencing problems. I used
Conti Tubes for years and did not have problems until a year or so back. I
tried deburring the rims and really rechecking the correct installation but
the stem / tube junction continued to fail. I only use tubes for training
so it is not an issue when racing. Flats from equipment failure really
break your training sessions.
I could tell you stories about bouncing along on the hard stuff but those
were not due to a tube failure.

"Eric" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:speId.2727$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
>> I have used continental tubs for many years with only normal problems but
>> for the last year have not been able to get many miles out of the tubs
>> without failure near the stem / tube junction
>
> That solves it for me. If two of you long-time guys have the same troubles
> I'll buy into the "it's the tube" theory.
> I've only seriously cycled for 10 years, and last spring had 4 or 5 flats
> in a few weeks. I thought it was because my continentals were "old" from a
> couple seasons prior.
>
> I used spinergy rims with those extenders and continental tubes. after I
> used up my stock of tubes my bike shop sold me a different brand with
> longer stems... no more flats but I sure was spooked on fast downhills for
> the rest of the season.
>
> I'm 52 years old and 190 lbs; I hit the pavement hard, don't bounce very
> good, and don't heal as fast as I used to... I don't wanna eat any more
> asphalt from a front flat on a steep hill
> Eric
>