This issue has been bothering me for a long time -- getting a puncture on a ride, and realising that the puncture was_not the result of anything poking in through the tyre, but something else -- age of the tube, or issue with the rim tape, etc.
It is quite frustrating at that point, that when the bicycle was at home, I could have fixed the puncture or replaced the tube, if only there was a way to know of the impending puncture; instead of getting the puncture on a ride, and having to fix/replace the tube, "on the road", with disruption to the ride.
After I got a series of such punctures few weeks back, my patience was running thin, & I needed to find a way to alleviate this problem. Ofcourse, opening the tyre and inspecting/testing the tube, was too effort intensive, so I needed to device some method that would work, w/o having to open the tyre.
After giving it some thought, I decided to try this approach --
*01. Deflate both the tyres, by releasing all the air via the valves.
*02. Move the cycle back and forth, ~2meters, to loosen the tube away from the tyre and rim walls. Aka, "flat tyre rolling".
*03. Inflate the tyres back to regular pressure.
*04. Check the tyre pressure after couple of days, and confirm there is_not much drop (maybe 1-2PSI, not more).
*05. Depending on how reguarly one rides, repeat this 1-2 times, couple of days apart.
*01. Deflate both the tyres, by releasing all the air via the valves.
*02. Move the cycle back and forth, ~2meters, to loosen the tube away from the tyre and rim walls. Aka, "flat tyre rolling".
*03. Inflate the tyres back to regular pressure.
*04. Check the tyre pressure after couple of days, and confirm there is_not much drop (maybe 1-2PSI, not more).
*05. Depending on how reguarly one rides, repeat this 1-2 times, couple of days apart.
I figured that this sequence, would help uncover some impending punctures, proactively at home.
I tried this for 2-3weeks, and to my surprise, it did indeed uncover 2 punctures. In both cases, the air actually escaped from the tube, 2days after the procedure was done once. In one case, the measured pressure also showed a ~5PSI drop over ~2days; so I was already suspecting an impending puncture.
While finding a puncture feels bad... and it hits the pocket (eventually, if_not immediately), I must say that finding punctures at home, rather than on a ride, feels a *lot* better. It is much easier to work on a puncture at home, rather than on the road (with the added impact on the ride).
Am feeling more confident now, that this will reduce the occurence of punctures while riding; other than the ones where something actually pokes in through the tyre, and punctures the tube. That ofcourse is a "regular" puncture, that one one just needs to work on, when/where it happens.
One concern however, is what if the above procedure, somehow triggers more punctures? I suppose I will have to develop a sense for that over time.
Would be good to get your comments on this procedure; especially if you try it out. Thanks.
Happy & safe cycling.
