I woke up this morning and my 29er had basically no air in the tube at all! I took off the tire and looked at the tube, and sure enough there was a hole near the lalve (but not close enough to be directly related to it.) I’m going to order two more today (one extra), and I just wanted to make sure this one is what I need: http://www.unicycle.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=707 if my tube has this stuff (see pic) written on it. Please reply quickly so I can get back on the road!
EDIT: One more thing, the uni is a Nimbus 29er as most of you know and the tire is a Schwalbe Big Apple 2.35".
Is this hole on the outer (road) side of the tire or the inner (rim) side of the tire? You need a tube repair kit. Pick one up at a bike shop for a buck or two. If the hole is on the road side of the tire, examine the inside of the tire for sharp objects (slivers of glass) protruding into it and remove them. If the hole is on the rim side, examine the rim for exposed, sharp spoke nipples.
Yeah, if you want a Presta valve. Go to a bike shop and maybe they will have the 700c-52/47 with a choice of Presta or Shrader valves and you won’t have to wait for UDC. They may have a tube smaller than 52/47 that will work just fine, too.
That tube is the right size. You may need an adapter for your tire pump for a presta valve stem versus the shrader valve. The tube I ordered came with the different valve stem.
While you have the tire off the rim you should take the rim by a bike shop and have them check the rim strip. The tube probably popped because the rim strip moved and exposed one of the spoke holes. If the rim strip is questionable they can put on a quality rim strip (or rim tape) that will prevent future punctures due to the spoke holes.
You can patch your current tube. Patch kit is about $2. Here’s how to patch a tube:
Scuff up the tube lightly with sand paper around the hole
Spread a thin layer rubber cement like glue around the hole. You want a patch of glue that is slightly larger than the patch.
Allow the glue to dry till it’s tacky. Don’t put the patch on while the glue is wet.
Put the patch on the tube. Be careful not to get your fingers on the underside of the patch cause dirty fingers will affect its ability to bond.
Press down on the patch to get a good bond.
After the patch dries spread baby powder over the patch so the excess glue doesn’t stick to the inside of the tire.
Install the tube and tire.
If your local bike shop doesn’t carry a 29er size tube you can also order directly from Schwalbe North America. Schwalbe Tubes
The tube you want is the “SV 19” for $5.52. SV stands for Presta Valve which is the funny small valve that’s on the Nimbus 29er.
The minimum order is $15 so you’ll need to get 3 tubes. Shipping costs will be $6.50. They ship from just over the border near Vancouver B.C. so it only takes a day or two for ground shipping to get to the Seattle area.
Wow, that sucks! I just ordered two tubes and a patch kit from UDC for $17 plus $10 shipping. That really really sucks. At least I gave UDC more business (like they need it… )
Duct tape will leave a sticky gooey mess behind when you try to remove it later. Use real rim tape or rim strip.
The rim is a regular 700c size which is the size used for road bikes. Bike shops have all sorts of different rim strips and rim tape for that size rim. Get something good that will stay in place.
Patching bike tires and tubes has been happening as long as they’ve been pneumatic; I think it’s a fairly safe thing to do after 100 years or so. The one bit of advice I’d give is to make sure the rim strip is seated all the way around the rim; if the wrong size of rim strip was used, it might not properly cover the spoke holes, and you could get a pop when the tube protrudes into another spoke hole.
The fat 29er tires make for huge explosions when they blow off the rim, which often happens when the tube gets pinched in a spoke hole.
Tyler: When you say the puncture was “on the rim side” is it possible that it’s not completely on that side (i.e. slightly to the side)? When fitting the tyre it’s very easy to get the tube pinched between the tyre bead and the rim if you’re not careful (which people assembling wheels in shops often aren’t) and this causes the tube to burst when pumped up. If it’s only a small pinch it sometimes lasts for quite some time before it gives way. If you can’t feel anything sharp in the tyre or through the rim tape I would suspect that as the cause - it’s very common on quickly-assembled wheels. When you refit your tyre be very careful to check you haven’t pinched the tube - putting a small amount of air in the tube helps (but only a tiny amount or you won’t be able to fit the tyre).
John: “Funny small valves”? No, Presta valves are normal for a bike tube. Those funny fat Shraeder things are for low-pressure things like cars and some mountain bikes Actually, saying that… both my unicycles have Shraeder valves :o
That’s probably what it was. I had to put the tire back on the rim when the uni came because it had fallen partly off in the mail. Maybe I pinched it in the process. I will have the LBS put it on this time.
It’s not hard to do, it’s just when people do it too quickly it’s easy to pinch the tube. If you’re fitting one tyre for yourself it’s not a problem to spend a few extra seconds to do it carefully; if you’re fitting lots of tyres for stock in a shop it (usually) gets done as quickly as possible.
Fit it yourself - it’s not difficult and it’s a pretty much essential skill to have if you’re a cyclist of any kind.
Always try to patch a tube in a clean, dry, well lit environment. I always carry a spare tube. If I get a flat I just install the spare tube. I patch the old one at home or at work (whichever comes first) because then I’m not out in the rain, in the mud, and in the dark. I also have cleaning solvents, tools, and buckets of water to bubble test at home and at work. Cement that is in good condition is also important.
Where JC says to press down on the patch, I roll it with a piece of round stock, like a rolling pin. I do it fairly vigorously too. Patches that are done correctly under the proper conditions hold quite well.
There’s a knack to fixing punctures, but mainly it’s about making sure you’ve got enough glue on, making sure you wait till the glue is very close to dry and making sure you push it down hard enough and it sticks all round.
Don’t use self-adhesive patches, use the ones that come with a little tube of rubber cement, as the self adhesive ones just don’t ever work if there’s even a sniff of rain in the air.
At least I gave UDC more business (like they need it…
)
Actually, saying that… both my unicycles have Shraeder valves :o