Slow punctures - how slow is 'slow'?

[N A Chess]

Hi All


I have heard the expression slow puncture ever since I was a kid with my first push-bike, but never experienced one - until now??


Did my usual Sunday checks for the week ahead and pulled out what looked like a staple from the rear tyre. A very small staple - like one in any office. It had not gone straight in but seemed to have gone in at an angle. On removal, the penetration hole was tiny.


I did the soapy water trick (with fingers crossed) but a heart-sinking moment later I saw tiny, tiny bubbles begin to appear.  Being curious, I just checked the pressure just now  and it had lost half a pound (41.5 from 42pds) in 9 hours..............


Is that a 'slow' puncture??  The difference is so small that I think I must be imagining things.


Any tales of similar woes, or just comments would be greatly appreciated.


Ride safe.

[noggythenog]

Well youve seen bubbles so clearly it is leaking.


But at the same time 9 hours could mean a big difference in temperature so pressure could differ anyway plus your gauge will need to be super accurate.

[esetest]

I always check mine once a week and I always have to top them up , the front loses the most .

[helloindustries]

I have a similar leak in my rear (hurr hurr).
About 5psi/week when it's warmer out, but with the weather like it is, it's down to about 1.5-2psi/week

Might not be a puncture in my case, could just be that the tyre isn't sitting right on the wheel.

[Exupnut]

[Gazbo]

Hi.
I had one leaking at about the same speed.
I suppose - it's a slow puncture, if you are going to pump it up again, at regular intervals. It's a quick puncture - if you are a week away from a pump !
So it's all a bit subjective.
Mine was from  a lagging screw from work. they are a roughly 1/2" long self tapper. and they lurk everywhere that tyres dare to run. They are JUST long enough to get the pointy bit all the way in.
I too had the tiny bubbles gig.
As I'd had it plugged at 300 miles from new, and as he said Only one plug per tyre, and as I was only at about 800 miles in, I decided to attempt a repair.
(After all - I've had bigger bubbles coming from a rim/bead leak !)
I fixed mine on the bike, and ADMITTEDLY - i was lucky.
Once home, I found the leak, and marked it with a cross.
I have some very fine nozzzles for superglue bottles, that I use for rc model building. so I took a nozzle, and forced it to fit onto my lad's "Dunlop Push-iron Puncure repair kit" Glue tube.
It being friday evening an- all , I let the tyre down. then carefully, so as not to snap it off,  I shoved / wiggled / shoved the fine nozzle into the hole as far as it would go. then screwed the glue tube to it. now, keeping max pressure on the glue tube, I slowly withdrew the nozzle, squeezing glue as I went. Once done, chuck the nozzle. put cap back on glue. and retire to local alcohol consuming emporium.

Saturday morning ( maybe 14 / 16 hrs later) , I fired up the compressor  The neighbours curtains must all be on air rams, cos they all open when the compressor is on.

So far, I haven't lost a single pund - and that is from about 2 months ago. Job done !
So I spose you could call that an extremely slooooooooow puncture now  )
Hope that helps.
Gaz.

[Arfa]

Had a slow puncture on mine last year, slowly got worse and worse. Thought feck this, ordered a new tyre as it only has a couple of months left in it. Then I noticed that it was pissing air out of the valve! A £5 quid tool from Halfords let me tighten it up and it was all good then... Still went a got new tyre though... Moral of the story, check the simple and obvious shit first.

However, if you've seen a bubble from the staple hole, then yeah its definitely leaking there. Why not pop by your local tyre place, they'll ought to be able to repair it from inside, maybe with glue, maybe with a plug. Far better than trying to bodge it from outside where it'll take wear and abuse from the road.

[BBROWN1664]

if the tyre is over half worn, or newer if you like, get a can of the tyre sealant stuff from Halfrauds and stick that in. Problem should go away then.

[Exupnut]

Don't listen to that shite ..... Tyre weld is the worst thing  you can do.... FFS ... I Keep postin the answer on these questions but here we go again..

[helloindustries]

Don't listen to that shite ..... Tyre weld is the worst thing  you can do.... FFS ... I Keep postin the answer on these questions but here we go again..

It seems like a good idea, but i can't help but feel very uneasy about even considering to buy it based on the dodgy-as-fuck looking website and branding.

It just screams 'scam'

I'm not saying the product itself is bad or anything, but they really need to sort out the look and feel.

[darrsi]

if the tyre is over half worn, or newer if you like, get a can of the tyre sealant stuff from Halfrauds and stick that in. Problem should go away then.

That's what i did last time, and it got me out of trouble eventually when i heard a pop as a screw went in at a shitty angle but the tyre didn't deflate at all so i was able to immediately ride straight to a bike tyre shop a few miles away and get positively mugged off for a nice new T30.
It can be difficult to put in though, as it's very small beads of rubber and it gets clogged up in your valve as you try to squeeze it in so you need something pointy to hand to unclog it and a proper air pump, not a foot pump, to help things as well.


Once it's in your tyre it can't be repaired after that, small leaks are okay and will just seal themselves but a tyre fitter will not even consider plugging a tyre with that gear in, which is fair enough.

[BBROWN1664]

Once it's in your tyre it can't be repaired after that, small leaks are okay and will just seal themselves but a tyre fitter will not even consider plugging a tyre with that gear in, which is fair enough.

That's why I suggested using it on tyres over half worn.

[JoeRock]

Why not just plug the tyre properly, and be done with it?

I commute on mine and get punctures relatively regularly- if it's right at the end of its life then I'll swap the tyre but otherwise I just get it plugged - think the most I've had was three?