Time to change the tube?

veganrun · 06-03-2018 10:26am #1

I got a pair of Schwalbe marathon plus tyres fitted about 6 or 7 months ago. They've been going fine although I've noticed something a bit odd.

A couple of weeks ago the front tyre looked very soft and sure enough it was down to about 20psi. I pumped it up to about 70psi (think the max is 85psi or so). It's been fine since and last night I checked the tyres again. I try to do this once a week and I usually pump them up a tiny bit to take them to around 70psi. They were around 50-60psi last night.

I came out this morning and got on the bike and the front tyre was nearly flat. I pumped it up to about 70psi again and cycled to work and it has been fine so far but I'm wondering will a flat tyre await me this evening.

I had hoped I had just left the valve open by mistake (it's a presta valve) but it was fine.

Should I think about changing the tube? The tyres were a nightmare to fit originally, the front took me an hour and I gave up and had the bike shop do the rear. So I'm reluctant to change the tube unless I need to.

Anyone else had this?

wanderer 22 · 06-03-2018 10:31am

Just change it! Better to learn now than on the side of the road ;-)

rubadub · 06-03-2018 10:38am

Have you got proper levers?

I have broken many cheap ones. I got marathon plus on/off using these park tool plastic ones.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/ie/en/park-tool-tyre-levers-3-x-hooked-tl1/rp-prod7205

Someone may recommend better ones.

veganrun · 06-03-2018 10:44am

Yeah I have good strong levers. The problem I had was keeping the tyre in the rim as it would pop out. Saw a video on YouTube of a guy and he used cable ties to keep the tyres in place. Never thought of that.

06-03-2018 10:51am

Some tips here on what can commonly go wrong and how to correct.

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/tire-and-tube-removal-and-installation#article-section-8

steamsey · 06-03-2018 1:01pm

Sounds like you need a new tube alright. Remember to check the tyre when you take the tube out for any objects that may have been causing the slow puncture. Inspect the outside and run finger inside tyre carefully.

You should be able to get away with only taking one side of the tyre off the rim. One of the best techniques for getting a difficult tyre back on is to hold the wheel perpendicular to your body - see attached pic. Don't be afraid to use a fair amount of force. Also, plastic covered metal tyre levers are a gift.

Defo worth learning how to do this. You shouldn't need cable ties.

Alanstrainor · 06-03-2018 1:11pm

By the sounds of it you've already seen this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XUFVrl0UT4

The video is quite long, and there's no need to use cable ties/straps as he does. The key is pushing the bead into the centre of the rim and feeding it around as he shows. Every time you get a little bit more on. It should only take a few minutes. I battled my Marathon Plus tyres for an absolute age before finding this.

And I would agree with others to change the tube. You'll be left stranded some day otherwise. Better to do it at home when you have the time set aside, and you can bring the wheel inside to keep warm! Be sure to very carefully inspect the tyre and tube.

I would even suggest that before taking the tyre off get a bucket of soapy water, pump up the tyre to the max allowable PSI and then spread the soapy water around the tyre and rim, and with a bit of luck you'll find air bubbles where the puncture is. If you do find air bubbles, you can mark the tyre and inspect that area for tiny shards of glass/splinters etc.

07Lapierre · 06-03-2018 2:08pm

If the tires are a nightmare to fit..I’d change them as well as the tubes. If they are hard to fit while your at home, imagine trying to refit them on the side of the road after a puncture on a cold, wet winters day!

Effects · 06-03-2018 2:13pm

veganrun wrote: »

The tyres were a nightmare to fit originally, the front took me an hour and I gave up and had the bike shop do the rear. So I'm reluctant to change the tube unless I need to.

Anyone else had this?

I tend to take them out of packaging and unfold for a bit. Then I pump a tube in them, and leave for a while, before trying to fit them to the wheel to get them to take shape better.

Effects · 06-03-2018 2:17pm

07Lapierre wrote: »

If they are hard to fit while your at home, imagine trying to refit them on the side of the road after a puncture on a cold, wet winters day!

Isn't it just that they are hard to fit from new, all folded up? Once they are on and broken in then it's no problem.

veganrun · 06-03-2018 2:22pm

I'm hoping that seeing it's been on the bike ages, the tyre is the right shape now. It wasn't folded up when I got it but it was a bit out of shape.

I'm going to change the tube this evening when I get home.

Effects · 06-03-2018 3:54pm

veganrun wrote: »

I'm hoping that seeing it's been on the bike ages, the tyre is the right shape now. It wasn't folded up when I got it but it was a bit out of shape.

I'm going to change the tube this evening when I get home.

I'm thinking of how the Duranos come when you buy them.

Alanstrainor · 06-03-2018 4:09pm

Effects wrote: »

Isn't it just that they are hard to fit from new, all folded up? Once they are on and broken in then it's no problem.

I can't say I would agree with that. They are still incredibly tight after being on the bike for a while. At least that's my experience. I must've had them on the bike a year when I had to replace a tube, and they were still frustrating to get on. It is doable with the right technique though.

Mercian Pro · 06-03-2018 4:50pm

Changing a tube without finding and removing the cause of the puncture is asking for trouble. As Alanstrainor has suggested, pump up the tyre and carefully inspect it for cuts or other damage even before resorting to the soapy water. Finding a small shard of glass or a thorn is a lot easier when the tyre is inflated and stretched than when it is off the wheel.
Failing that, remove the tube without removing the tyre and note which way it came off. Pump up the tube and listen for the leak or feed it through a basin of water if necessary. Once you have found the hole, lay the tube against the tyre in the same orientation you took it off. This should help focus your search. As a last resort, remove the tyre and turn it inside out before inspecting it again.
All of the above assumes it is a slow puncture and not a faulty valve or defect in the tube. I would normally patch a tube if doing it at home but others prefer to fit a new tube.
Happy hunting&#55357;&#56589;

veganrun · 06-03-2018 7:56pm

Thanks for the replies. I cycled home but the tyre was going down again. I took the wheel off when I got home and found what looks like a piece of glass that was wedged in between the thread and seemed to be well lodged in there. It wasn't very big but seemed to have went down into the tyre quite a bit. I got it out and checked the tube but couldn't see any visible hole in the tube.

New tube in now and seems ok so far so time will tell. Had a similar issue before with different tyres which is why I went to marathon plus.

Surprisingly it wasn't too hard getting the tube in. I'd say it took 5-10 minutes to put the tube in and reseat the tyre on the rim. Dirty job but relatively quick and painless to my surprise. No cable ties needed.

Wishbone Ash · 06-03-2018 10:59pm

Effects wrote: »

I tend to take them out of packaging and unfold for a bit.....

Effects wrote: »

Isn't it just that they are hard to fit from new, all folded up?.....

Schwalbe Marathon Plud tyres don't come folded - they're too sturdy to fold.

Mercian Pro wrote: »

.... remove the tyre and turn it inside out...

You won't turn a Marathon Plus inside out without considerable effort.

Time to change the tube?

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