Possible Reasons Why Your Bicycle Tires Keep Losing Air
Posted on: 7 January 2020
One of the most frustrating problems you can have with your bike is a tire that won't stay inflated. Keeping your tires properly inflated is important for safety and handling, but sometimes tires and tubes seem to go flat even though you can't see anything wrong with them. Here are some reasons why your bicycle tires keep flattening out and what you can do about this problem.
Your Inner Tube Really Has a Puncture
Sometimes tube punctures are so small that they aren't visible or you can't hear them when you inflate the tire. These leaks often cause small losses of air over time and eventually leave your tire flat.
Your Valve Stem is Damaged
A bad valve stem is one of the top causes of slow leaks. Many bike experts recommend carrying a new valve stem core with you if you do long rides since carrying extra tubes with new stems is not practical. However, if you mostly do short rides, then replacing the tube is the easiest way to fix this problem.
Your Bike's Tire is Very Worn
Worn tires, especially those worn down to the threads, often leak, especially if you have tubeless tires. Also, worn tires are more easily punctured by road debris, and this could also cause leaks in your inner tube.
Your Wheel's Rim Tape is Worn
The rim tape protects your inner tube from punctures by the spoke heads. If the tape is worn or missing, then those heads can poke or rub against the tube. The good news is that rim tape is easy to replace.
Your Inner Tube is Pinched
Sometimes inner tubes get pinched against the tire bead during their replacement. You can help prevent this by putting a little air into the new tube before putting the valve stem into the hole on the rim and the tube into the tire and onto the wheel.
Your Wheel is Out of Round
If your spokes are broken or weak, or your wheel is not trued properly, then your wheel may be more oval-shaped than round. This can not only cause leaks for tubeless tires but also increases the chance of an inner tube being pinched.
If you've exhausted all your options, and your tire will not stay inflated, then take your bike into a bicycle repair shop to have the wheel and tire checked. Your wheel may need truing, or you may need an entirely new wheel or tire. Either way, you should get this problem fixed not only because of the frustration of frequent tire filling but also to maintain safety and handling.
To learn more about bicycle tires, contact a bicycle repair shop in your area like Bicycle Center.
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