Stupid tire tube question HELP

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Stupid tire tube question HELP

Postby oklahomajewel » Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:31 pm

I got new tires and tubes put on my mt bike last week at Al's . (( ps... I've been riding good last few weeks... started at 11 miles... now up to 23 and maintaining 14-15 mph average)

Rode it for the 3rd time this week, and had a BLOW OUT on the back tire.

When I had picked up the bike at the shop, I asked about the tire pressure and the guy said to put 100 psi in it ( wow!!! 100? i questioned, but he said yes)

Then after the blowout, I notice the tire says 45-85 psi. So I guess if riding on the city streets, concrete and blacktop, should I put 80-85 psi?

SECONDLY ---and this kinda contributed to my already crummy day -- I got over to the other Al's shop right as they were closing ,to get another tube . The guy came out and took the back wheel off for me (It was so tight , I couldn't get it loose) told him about just getting new tires and the blowout and the 100 psi...etc... and needed a new tube now. I mentioned my tires are "26 x 1.25" and he even looked at the tire .... but after leaving (they were literally lights out and closing) I got down the road and noticed the box says for sizes 26 x 1.95 to 2.125.

I went in Academy right there, and found that same size, well, 26 x 1.75 to 2.125 but nothing of my tire size. I even rechecked my tires.

Help !!!

I really was going to do the 7 am training ride with TBB out in the Jones area but am not gonna be able to make it... .or I'll go with the OBS Moore to OKC whatever it is Breakfast ride but still can't if I don't have the right tube !!!! ACK !!! I'm frustrated! !!!
I can change the tire but what's the deal about the tube he gave me ????

thanks... julie
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Postby Steve_Cox » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:05 pm

I'm no bicycle expert Julie, but have been taking them apart and putting them together for over 50 years. I think the tube will be fine. Perhaps a our resident sheep will come along and shed some light on the subject.
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Postby toypusher » Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:33 am

Julie,

That tube should work for you and I would put the 80-85psi in it. You can use it now and keep looking for a smaller tube but may not find one. Do you have a patch kit? Handy thing to have when riding a bike very much or very far. You need a pump to carry on the bike or get the CO2 cartridges for reinflation if you have a flat.
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Postby George Kraus » Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:30 am

Julie

I think that tube will work, as previously mentioned keep looking for the right one. Do not inflate to the 100 lb. pressure, your right on with do not inflate over the stated pressure. On the pumps, I carry the CO2 cartridges to use. They are fast and easy to use, and I also carry a spare tube, both items take up very little space in comparison to the peace of mind that they give you. Carry extra cartridges for the inflater, they don't take up much room. Another thing to carry to guard against break downs is a zip tie or two. If you break a spoke you may be able to zip tie it to another, I know many people who will say they never had a spoke break, but if you ride a lot it will eventually happen and once they start flopping around they interfere with frame and more importantly your legs and that hurts, I have even used a shoe string in this case. Then you either remove the wheel, the tire, and the offending spoke or just zip tie it, cross your fingers, and go on. They also make multi tools that will fit anything on a bike, a very worthwhile investment. All this along with your cell phone will fit into a very small package

Glad to see that you are getting into it and making admirable progress. 14-15 mph is a great pace, next thing you know you will be on a racer with the "skinny little tires" and doing 100 K's.
Started on the long road to happiness
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Postby emiller » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:03 pm

you can find anything todo with bicycles here and you can ask questions if you can't find what your looking for. http://sheldonbrown.com/flats.html
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Postby Shadow Catcher » Sat Aug 22, 2009 8:23 pm

We run at 100psi on street slicks with our tandem. Any less than that we get snake bites (wheel bottoms out pinch holes on both sides of the tube). With a single (tandems have the correct ration of rider to wheels) the 80psi is probably sufficient and 45Psi off road with Knobby's of sufficient size.
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Postby Gerdo » Sun Aug 23, 2009 5:41 pm

Always follow the pressure on the sidewall of the tire. You can go to the high end for smooth roads and toward the low end for rougher trails. The higher pressure the less rolling resistance.

As far as the bigger tube. It will be harder to get into the small tire and not have it folded or pinched. This can cause a tube to fail. If you can't find them localy, check the internet.
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Postby kennyrayandersen » Sun Aug 23, 2009 5:52 pm

The pressure depends on the tire, not the tube and that number will be written on the side. Smoothies (or baldies as we sometimes call them) for you MTB (26 in) will vary quite a bit in pressure -- some will go as high as 100-125 psi, but most are around 80-85. I started out on a MTB, then went to baldies, then got a road bike, and now I won both. I've never used the wrong size tube in the tire, so I have no idea. The larger tube is heavier, and will probably work until you get the tight sized one in there -- keep the other one for emergencies or for when you plan on going off-road and are swapping the tires out. Get some little plastic tire 'irons' and have someone show you haw to use them. with practice, most tires can be changes without them, but there are a few... *(&%$#).

I also use the CO2 cartridges, but a pump is a little cheaper (you also don't have to buy cartridges) and I also recommend you get a floor pump which is about 100 times easier to use than a hand pump and puts less stress on your stems than jacking around with a hand pump. I carry one extra tube, and a small patch kit, which is lighter than the second tube. In nearly 20 years of biking I've only had two flats on the same day once, and that was because they mowed the grass on the sides to make it look better for the ride and slung thorns all over the road (they never did that again!).

Sounds like you are making some pretty good time -- you'll be wanting a road bike in no time -- nothing like going fast. I hit 40+ mph on one section of the road I ride as I'm a real speed junkie. I did have a flat, on the front, while going nearly 30 mph going down hill in the aero bars -- that was pretty exiting. The main thing is don't freak out, keep it steady and reduce your speed easy. Good luck on the riding. You really need to be able to change the flat by your self (just use care not to 'pinch' the tube and put a hole in it). I can change them in the dark now.
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Re: Stupid tire tube question HELP

Postby Fenlason » Mon Aug 24, 2009 8:25 pm

oklahomajewel wrote:I got new tires and tubes put on my mt bike last week at Al's . (( ps... I've been riding good last few weeks... started at 11 miles... now up to 23 and maintaining 14-15 mph average)

Rode it for the 3rd time this week, and had a BLOW OUT on the back tire.

When I had picked up the bike at the shop, I asked about the tire pressure and the guy said to put 100 psi in it ( wow!!! 100? i questioned, but he said yes)

Then after the blowout, I notice the tire says 45-85 psi. So I guess if riding on the city streets, concrete and blacktop, should I put 80-85 psi?

SECONDLY ---and this kinda contributed to my already crummy day -- I got over to the other Al's shop right as they were closing ,to get another tube . The guy came out and took the back wheel off for me (It was so tight , I couldn't get it loose) told him about just getting new tires and the blowout and the 100 psi...etc... and needed a new tube now. I mentioned my tires are "26 x 1.25" and he even looked at the tire .... but after leaving (they were literally lights out and closing) I got down the road and noticed the box says for sizes 26 x 1.95 to 2.125.

I went in Academy right there, and found that same size, well, 26 x 1.75 to 2.125 but nothing of my tire size. I even rechecked my tires.

Help !!!

I really was going to do the 7 am training ride with TBB out in the Jones area but am not gonna be able to make it... .or I'll go with the OBS Moore to OKC whatever it is Breakfast ride but still can't if I don't have the right tube !!!! ACK !!! I'm frustrated! !!!
I can change the tire but what's the deal about the tube he gave me ????

thanks... julie


I tried helping you through Facebook last weekend .. but you never responded.

The tube while not the best choice should have worked. It is a little large and may be difficult to fit in, or to fit in without it being folded over. Not all tubes marked 26 x1.25 will be the exact same size. Tires of of that same stated size can vary also. That is why I say the tube should have worked.

In almost all cases, your inflate pressure will be the stated number on the tire. In some instances, the rim is not strong enough to hold the pressure, or the rims design will not allow the tire to stay seated, at the higher pressures.
glenn

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Postby oklahomajewel » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:27 pm

thanks y'all.... by the way , I exchanged the tube , they did give me the wrong size. .... but then found that the new tire was defective... Took it back to the shop today and they put a new one on.
Did 20 miles around Lake Hefner...

I'm tarred...

Julie
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Postby Mauleskinner » Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:43 pm

George Kraus wrote:JIf you break a spoke you may be able to zip tie it to another, I know many people who will say they never had a spoke break, but if you ride a lot it will eventually happen and once they start flopping around they interfere with frame and more importantly your legs and that hurts, I have even used a shoe string in this case. Then you either remove the wheel, the tire, and the offending spoke or just zip tie it, cross your fingers, and go on.

I had my first three (!?!) broken spokes this year. Apparently the "abused mountain bike" that I got my drive train off of last year is suffering some residual issues. :?

First one happened about a mile from home, so I just rode on. Went to the bike shop, got some new spokes, and made the change.

Second one happened a couple of days later, again, close to home. Finished the ride, and changed out the spoke.

I decided, though, that I'd better have a backup plan...and I couldn't find a good place to carry my chain whip for taking the cassette off the wheel to change the drive-side spokes on the road. So...

I took the two broken spokes (both of them broke at the bend near the hub, which is normal), cut them off at about 3" from the threaded end, and bent a loop into it, so I could thread it into the nipple on the rim and have a loop a couple of inches from the rim.

Then, I put several feet of 80# test braided fishing line in my tool kit.

When I broke spoke #3 at the start of a ride, I just took the broken one out, started the modified spoke into the nipple (just a turn or two), wrapped 8 loops of fishing line between the loop on the modified spoke and the hole in the hub where the broken spoke attached, and threaded the modified spoke into the nipple by turning the spoke rather than the nipple...this tightened by both threading in the spoke and twisting the fishing line, like a Spanish windlass. When the wheel was close to true (spun freely between the brake pads), I packed up and continued.

There was a little bit of stretch to the system, so after about 10 miles I stopped and added a couple of turns to bring it back towards true.

20 miles that day, 20 miles to the bike shop (I was out of spare spokes), and 20 miles back home before replacing the jury-rigged spoke, and it was holding up great! None of the wobbling you get if you just tie the broken spoke off and continue, and it only took about 15 minutes to set up.

I can get enough for several of these into an old patch kit box, so they don't take up much space. Definitely worth putting the kit together, IMO.:thumbsup:

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Postby Fenlason » Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:38 am

oklahomajewel wrote:thanks y'all.... by the way , I exchanged the tube , they did give me the wrong size. .... but then found that the new tire was defective... Took it back to the shop today and they put a new one on.
Did 20 miles around Lake Hefner...

I'm tarred...

Julie


I think we ALL knew it was the wrong size.. but it probably would have worked in a pinch.

Happy riding..
glenn

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
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Postby kennyrayandersen » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:25 pm

Seems like once you start breaking spokes it’s time to start taking a look at replacing the wheels. You can buy them pretty ‘cheap’ these days. I had this happen on a wheel set I had and about spoke 4 or so, I saw that the rim was also starting to fatigue crack; so, when the spokes start fatiguing the rim could be going south as well – that’s why it might not be worth spending the money to have the whole wheel rebuilt with new spokes. If the wheel is new, or newer, it might be due to a bad build job that had uneven tension in the spokes, in which case you could have the local shop true them and check the tension.
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Postby emiller » Mon Aug 31, 2009 4:59 am

I had my spokes replaced on my 1945 bike just because I wanted to feel safe but they sill looked strong, they had surface rust on the spokes and wheels. The wheels I bead blasted and looked great so I kept them.
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Postby kennyrayandersen » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:58 am

emiller wrote:I had my spokes replaced on my 1945 bike just because I wanted to feel safe but they sill looked strong, they had surface rust on the spokes and wheels. The wheels I bead blasted and looked great so I kept them.


In 1945 the rims were probably steel. Steel isn't so prone to fatigue problems as aluminum; still, good call on the spokes. Surface rust is a VERY likely place for a fatigue crack to start -- especially as the spokes are running at a higher stress level than the frame. It really doesn't take too much to get one going. I'm not sure about the gages back in '45, though I'm guessing they were a bit thicker. I was mostly giving Mauleskinner a heads up. This would be especially true of an 'enthusiastically' used MTB. :lol:
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