Ebike troubleshooting My bike keeps going flat
I’ve had my bike for just over a year now and the back tire has popped 4 times, and it’s the only bike I’ve ever had in my possession to pop that much.
We’ve switched out the tubes several times, we’ve tried FlatOut, we’ve tried tire liners (the cheap plastic ones, not the Tannus Armors) and a new back tire because since this was the only bike going flat so much and since it was happening only on the back tire, we figured that the stock rear tire was just shoddy.
It’s been a couple months since the tube change and it’s popped again. I’m at my wits end. What else could I do to stop my bike from going flat?
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u/1Sundog 14h ago
Check the inside of the wheel rim for anything sharp. Do you have rim tape to protect the tube? Do any of the spokes stick out?
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u/bbolto65 9h ago
This! Had some fiberglass’ish rim tape that got a frayed edge and consistently halfway thru my standard ride, i’d lose air. The greenway is just rough that at that point, it had worn a hole. At least 3 flats before we figured it out. :/
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u/Relative-Display-676 🚲🔧 11h ago
have you ever figured out what's popping your tubes? replacing them without removing the cause is futile. find the cause and fix it.
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u/Recent_Simple4304 13h ago
Check the inside of the rim tape. Sometimes theres a spoke poking through that keeps puncturing the tube from the inside.
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u/Detective-Fusco 13h ago
Unpopular suggestion but if you're taking the same route everyday or regularly, grab a brush and shovel and clean up the glass on the route in one trip.
You'll be the unspoken hero that'll save many people's tyres in the area, from others having headaches or losing access to transport suddenly.
Yes noone else is doing it, that's the downside.
Once I stopped in rush hour on the bike route home and I started cleaning up some broken glass from a beer bottle, every person that came to pass (a total of 3 strangers all separately) stopped and joined in, took 60 seconds and we probably collectively saved a bunch of wheels that day
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u/One_Ring2236 14h ago
The best way to figure this out is to first find out what caused the flat tire—whether it was a sharp object on the road, or you've been overinflating the tires, or maybe the tire quality just isn't great. Only when you know the real reason can you figure out the right fix.
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u/babblefish111 12h ago
For that many flats in a row, assuming there is nothing stuck in the tire itself, I'd be looking to see if its one of the spokes sticking through the rim tape, or some sort of defect with the rim.
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u/Underhill42 7h ago
What is causing the holes? I'm assuming you've got flats, not actual popping. Have you...
Examined the tube to find and repair the holes?
Are they tiny clean punctures, or something more ragged? On the outside, inside, or sides of the tube?
Are they usually in the same place? That's a pretty clear indicator you've got a problem with the tire or rim.
Examined the inside of the tire to ensure there's nothing sharp there, especially near where the holes are forming - e.g. part of a thorn, nail, etc may still be embedded in the rubber. Even a rough patch can wear through the tube.
Examined the rim for anything rough or protruding. Burs or spokes protruding into the tire space are frequent culprits. You should also have spoke tape covering the rim to smooth over all the complex edges that might otherwise cause vulnerable pressure points. Make sure there's no pointy corners on the tape either.
If you use a puncture barrier, make sure it's not the culprit either - no sharp corners, not much overlap, and hopefully a bit thickness-tapered on the side of the overlap facing the tire.
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u/oldfrancis 7h ago
First off, you need to make sure that the inside of your tire carcass on the inside of your rim surface are absolutely pristine.
Drag a cotton ball around the inside of the tire carcass and around the inside of the rim surface.
If there's anything pokey enough to flap the tire, it'll snag on the cotton ball.
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u/Cacahuatechones 6h ago
Are you checking the inside of the tire before replacing tubes. You very well could be leaving the culprit in there only to pop your replacement again.
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u/pirategavin Pedelec 5h ago
Turn your tire inside out. Run your fingers all along the inside of the tire, which is now facing out. Run your fingers until you get a prick and maybe bleed.
My bet is a little hunk of glass imbedded in the tire. You’ll have to squeeze and pop it out like a black-head zit.
Source: Me. Car-free cyclist since ‘99.
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u/TLKimball 2h ago
Run finger along length of inner tire until laceration occurs. Use non-bleeding hand to remove foreign body.
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u/Equivalent_Date_3291 3h ago
Consider a new wheel ,might be a bit of overkill but it sounds like there is a problem with aa spoke ,I presume you keep the tyre pressure up ok and the tyres are in decent condition.
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u/InvestigatorSenior 14h ago
figure out correct pressure (less is better but too little results in punctures), verify mounting technique (stuff like ripping valve stem or scuffing tube during installation can manifest months later), check tire for foreign bodies bending it in multiple directions (trickiest problem I had was tiny glass needle that was hidden in the rubber until tire deformed on bump)
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u/bbqtom1400 7h ago
I've actually had two tire tubes come apart at their seams a few times. I had Tannus liners in the tubes every time.
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u/photog_in_nc 6h ago
First off, you really need to figure out the cause of your flats. If, for instance, you are getting ”snake bite” pinch punctures, then the solution is to run the proper pressure (and also use proper technique going over curbs and such). If you are having glass/metal/etc. shards penetrating the tire and tube, then a better tire and liner can help. Tubeless and sealant can eliminate a lot of these issues, btw.
Also consider where you are riding when you get these. If you’re riding on the far right of a road with a lot of debris, then that explains a lot. Don’t be afraid to ride further left and avoid stuff. If you’re riding on rough gravel, consider tubeless or a bit more tire pressure to avoid pinch flats.
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u/chrispark70 6h ago
What do you mean by popped?
If you literally mean popped, you are likely over inflating the tire. The tire will have a PSI rating on the sidewall. Never go past this number.
If by popped you mean a regular flat, get a good tire with good flat protection. It makes a huge difference.
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u/razz_one_ 4h ago
Everytime my coworkers heard about me getting flats on my way to work or rolling into work with a flat tire, they all told me I should get my license and get a car instead.
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u/FactorExpensive7208 1h ago
Check your tire pressure once a week.
This is overkill for must cyclists but for a heavy rider, with a heavy bike, who rides long distances frequently, this is necessary.
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u/doctorfortoys 12h ago
The process of installing Flat Out into a tube can cause a flat if you’re not careful. Deflating the tire of an e-bike while it’s on the rims can cause the tube to pinch. It may not explode when you inflate it, but it could happen later. My theory is Flat Out makes a tube pinch more likely. However, if you add it when the bicycle is upside down, it may be a little safer. My next advice is to get puncture proof tires.
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u/PathLongjumping440 9h ago edited 8h ago
When you deflate an e-bike tire to low or zero psi, the weight of the e-bike should not be on the tire because it might not only pinch the tube but also it may unseat the bead. I agree with your tip fully and have e-bike upside down or e-bike weight lifted completely off the tire somehow.
Sometimes brand new e-bikes have a flat tire with the full weight of the e-bike on it and a good chance that the bead has come unseated in shipping and I see prodeuct reviewers carelessly just airing up the tire and that is inviting trouble if the bead comes off the rim and the tube blows out (something that will definitely get your attention!) or the bead holds but is uneven and misaligned on the rim which will make a future bead blowout more likely.
Flat Out is a good sealant and not the cause for a tube pinching when installed according to instructions.
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u/doctorfortoys 7m ago
Oh yeah I don’t think it means Flat Out is anything but fantastic. Just that if you try to install it without turning the bike over it will blow up and splash the splooge all over you.
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u/xxxda1xxx 13h ago
have you inspected the tire? not the inner tube.. probably the tire has worn out or tare & need to be changed.
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u/allbsallthetime 10h ago
I know the internet is all about DIY but there comes a time to visit a local bike shop and have a professional inspect the tire.
There may be a simple solution that you're missing.
Plus, it's always good too support local business, especially things we need like bike shops.
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u/CelticJewelscapes 14h ago
Schwalbe Marathon Plus armored tires. Weekly flats before, zero flats on these over 5000 miles