What's wrong with my tyre??

Dan133269

Hello everyone I?d appreciate some advice here if you can.

I cycle a Trek hybrid bicycle (DS 1 - https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/hybrid-bikes/dual-sport-bikes/ds-series/ds-1/p/2310600-2017/?colorCode=grey) which I bought in January. I cycle to and from work Monday to Friday ? roughly an 8km journey each way, pretty much entirely on concrete using cycle lanes with a little bit through a park on a kind of stone walkway path. Also about 500 metres on cobblestones (I?m in Belgium by the way, not in Ireland).

I got a puncture on my back wheel the Monday before last. I only noticed after I arrived at work. After work I took it to the local bicycle repair shop and they fixed the puncture. I cycled home that evening and all was fine. The next morning I noticed that the back tyre was completely flat before I set off for work. I pumped it up and cycled to work no problem. I cycled home that evening no problem. The following morning the back tyre was still ok. I cycled to work and locked it in the carpark. Then when I went to cycle home that evening I noticed the back tyre was flat again. I took it back to the shop and explained that I got the puncture repaired there and something must have been wrong because it keeps going flat. The guy checked it out, pumped it up and told me everything was fine, that his colleague did everything fine the first time.

Now a couple of days later, after cycling my bicycle to work in the morning I noticed that the back wheel is flat again in the evening. What the hell is going on? Is it possible that both of these people at the bicycle shop missed something? Or is likely that someone is going around deliberately leaving air out of my tyre? We have a locked underground carpark in work with security in a cabin keeping an eye on things.

Any advice is very much appreciated, thanks.
Danny.

De Bhál

deflate the tube, take off the tyre and run your hand around the inside of the tyre to make sure there's no nails or glass embedded and sticking into the tube. Even the smallest piece over time will deflate a tyre.

SuperS54

When you say it's fine, do you mean on a visual check or physically checking? It may be a very slow puncture and a visual check is not enough to know that it is going soft before becoming completely flat. I'd also check the valve and cap to confirm that it's not leaking from there.

hesker

You could have a slow leak. It could be coming from the repair or it could be a completely separate leak or a new leak if it's a new tube.

When following the tyre check advice above you can also check the tube. Inflate the tube and immerse a portion of it in a tub of water and watch for bubbles. Rotate the tube around to check all the way.

Also immerse the valve.

If it's a slow leak the rate of bubble formation could be very low but you will usually see one appearing on the tube, sitting there for a while before rising up. Then another will follow and so on.

If it's coming from the repair you could take it back to the shop, or better learn how to fix yourself. It's quite easy. Or buy a new tube. They're not expensive.

I love Sean nos

Dan133269 wrote: »

they fixed the puncture.

Did they patch the existing tube or fit a new one?