While out on a training ride with several friends a few weeks ago I had a flat tire. Three of us had arrived at our meeting place. While we waited for the fourth to arrive we took off on a high speed 5-mile spin through the neighborhood before returning to the church parking lot where we started. As we continued to wait and talk I stood astride my bike. All of a sudden the air in my front wheel, an
Alex 320 Tri clincher, left the tube with a gasp. It was completely flat. Luckily for me this didn't happen 10 minutes earlier.
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The hole in my tube |
"That was weird" we all said before proceeding to replace my tube. The leak occurred right next to the valve stem but no burr was visible on the rim. With no burr to remove I placed a small piece of electrical tape over the valve stem hole as a preventive measure. I put a hole in the tape with a hole punch and made sure the piece of tape was small enough not to interfere with the tire bead seating with the rim.
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Rim strip |
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Electrical tape over valve stem hole |
The Park Tool Co. website has a detailed
tire and inner tube replacement procedure.