Bicycle inner tubes.

[rontaki]

I've used (US) dollar bills as a boot for a sliced tire on a friend's bike. Haven't seen him in years, he still has my money!

With my first set of sew-up tires, I took a little dirt shortcut. Picked up dozens of little thorns, so had to replace the tube. The thought of removing all the stitches to replace the tube, followed by stitching the whole tire up was daunting.
An experienced friend showed me how to open the tire up at the valve stem, cut the old tube, cut the new tube, glue them together and pull the new tube through with the old one. Then overlap the two ends of the new tube, glue together and mount a replacement Schrader valve in the tube where it was glued, and therefore double thickness. Then sewed up the tire and had many good miles on it.

 

[bunyip]

I have found that a lot of cheap oriental rubber is very porous and I now buy locally made or quality Japanese or Euro tubes, expensive but worth getting rid of the heartache.

 

[KennyG]

I think all the potential causes have been covered here, but I will note that mounting without using tire tools is recommended and is easier if you mount and dismount the tire several times without the tube to make the bead a little more flexible.

I ride several thousand miles a year and can't remember the last time I had a flat. I use only Continental Gatorskin tires and Conti tubes.

 

[Egon]

There are times a little dish soap on the rim helps.

 

[dodge man]

I think the next time I buy tubes I’ll try and get better tubes. The bike shop that got tubes in that appear to beholding said he didn’t find anything in the tire that was causing a flat.

 

[ArlyA]

There are times a little dish soap on the rim helps.

Not a good idea. This will lucubrate the tire to rim contact and allow the tire rotate slightly while braking and tear your tube stem off. Best lubricant to use is talcum power which still helps you get a tire on while not allowing that tire/rim slip.

 

[ericm979]

I've not needed lube on the rim except for a few tubeless MTB tires and then I only use water.

I used to use talc but it didn't seem to change anything other than keeping the tube from sticking to the tire. But it's not that hard to pull them apart.

Someone earlier mentioned the Conti tubes. I agree, they're good. I like their GP4000s tires as well. I didn't like Gatorskins- they rode rougher and had less traction especially in the wet, and still got flats.

 

[KennyG]

Gatorskins are a little heavier and harder than other Contis but for me the greater reliability is worth it. Traction seems OK. I've worn out quite a few Gatorskins but never had a flat with one. (I may have just jinxed myself.)

I typically don't use lubricant on the beads but I thought dish soap would set up and not cause slippage like a true lubricant.

 

[Egon]

Gatorskins are a little heavier and harder than other Contis but for me the greater reliability is worth it. Traction seems OK. I've worn out quite a few Gatorskins but never had a flat with one. (I may have just jinxed myself.)

I typically don't use lubricant on the beads but I thought dish soap would set up and not cause slippage like a true lubricant.

Yes, that is what happens. It’s only a lubricant until it dries.