why does my bike tire keep going flat

11 Reasons As to Why Does My Bike Tire Keep Going Flat

Why does my bike tire keep going flat – Getting a flat tire is one of the most frustrating things about cycling, and it can totally throw you off your rhythm, causing you to spend valuable time sitting at the side of the road or trail fiddling with tubes and pumps while your muscles fill with lactic acid and start to become cold.

This is inconvenient enough when it happens once, but if you get several punctures during a ride, or over the course of just a few rides, it can totally kill your enthusiasm for cycling and lead to a loss of motivation.

This is particularly true for newer cyclists who may not be as confident fixing punctures or dealing with flats, and this can often leave these riders in a position where their ride is totally ruined.

What’s more, regular punctures can be dangerous and put you at risk of injury as well as risk damage to your precious bike if it happens at the wrong moment.

In this guide, we’re going to look at why you keep getting punctures and why your tires keep going flat, as well as some key ways to locate and handle this issue, what causes it and, preventative measures to take to prevent a flat from ruining your next bike trip.

But first, let’s look at common causes of flats to get a better understanding of what to avoid and how to prevent them.

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Common Causes of a Flat

Flats can be caused by many things, and while not all of them are avoidable, being aware of the potential causes will help you to be conscious of these issues and allow you to reduce the impact they have on your cycling.

  1. Sharp objects such as nails or rocks
  2. Friction or rubbing between the tube and wheel
  3. Rim damage
  4. A pinch flat (wheel rim pinching the tube)
  5. Over Pumped tires
  6. Damaged valves
  7. Slow punctures
  8. Low tire pressure
  9. Low-quality tubes/tires
  10. Wear and tear
  11. Terrain hazards

These are just some of the issues that can cause a flat, and not all flats will result in an immediate loss of pressure.

While sometimes you’ll hear the unmistakable burst or hiss or air when you get a nasty pinch flat or puncture flat, some types of flat can go unnoticed, but slowly reduce your tire pressure to a dangerous point, putting you, your bike, and other riders at risk.

Always have a Bicycle Repair Kit with you to help you with repairs on your bicycle, for you to ride safely without danger.

why does my tire keep going flat bicycle repair kit

What May Cause A Slow Puncture

why does my bike tire keep going flat repairing single speed bicycle

Slow pictures can be caused by all kinds of issues, from slices and punctures to pinches and even just wear and tear or a broken valve.

How To Locate A Slow Puncture

Locating a slow puncture is one of the most difficult things to do, and while you may suspect you have a slow puncture if you’re constantly losing pressure, actually locating and fixing this issue is a little more complex.

The first thing you need to do is remove the offending tube.

Then you can try visually checking the tube, but often this won’t yield any clues to the source of the puncture.

Next, you can try lifting the tube to your face and checking to see if you feel any air rushing out of the tube when you squeeze it. You can also listen closely to see if you hear hissing when you squeeze the tube and increase the internal air pressure.

If this still doesn’t help, there’s one final trick you can use to find a slow puncture.

First, you’ll need a bowl of water. Then you’ll need to submerge the tire into the water and check for any signs of air bubbles in the water. Trace the source of these bubbles to find the area where the air is escaping from the tube, and you will have located your slow puncture!

From here you can decide whether or not you’re able to patch the puncture with a repair kit, or simply want to retire the tube and keep it as an emergency spare or simply throw it away.

Prevent your slow punctured tire from deflating with Tube Repair Sealant for emergency repairs

why does my bike tire keep going flat tube repair sealant

Riding Style and Terrain

A big cause of why does my bike tire keep going flat, and particularly slow punctures, is the riding style and the terrain being ridden.

A technique you can use to reduce punctures is unweighting, which is a technique used in cycling to temporarily lift your body weight up off the bike when hitting a patch of very rough terrain, clearing certain objects, and making landings.

The rougher the terrain, the more effective this is.

More aggressive riding techniques and styles are also often more prone to causing punctures, so consider slowing down and focusing more on your line choice if punctures are getting you down.

For mountain biking and rough terrain, fix tire punctures immediately with Inner Tubes Puncture Sealant Self Sealing

why does my bike tire keep going flat inner tube self sealing

Tubes and Tires

Low-quality tires and tubes are often a big factor in why punctures happen, so avoid cheaping out on these if you want to keep on rolling.

It’s also important to ensure you’re getting inner tubes that are the right size for your wheels and the tires themselves, as incompatible options will dramatically increase your chances of getting a puncture.

Final Thoughts

Getting a puncture is always a very unpleasant experience, and can often totally spoil your ride and cause all sorts of problems.

There are also many causes of flats, and continual issues often mean there is something badly wrong with your configuration, riding technique, or both, and will mean you need to reevaluate both of these things in order to improve the performance of your tires and inner tubes.

11 Reasons As to Why Does My Bike Tire Keep Going Flat

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