• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

Quick Tip: Carefully Installing Your Tube and Tires Prevents Flats

Today’s comes to us from Michael Hormel, about his method to prevent flats – and the results are astonishing. Here’s what he wrote:

I’ve only had one flat in the 10-15 years since I went from sew-ups to clinchers. The one was early this summer when I hit a rough spot were a culvert had been replaced and I bounced over it and got a pinch flat.

I take my time when installing tires and tubes:

  • I powder my tubes and the inside of the tire.
  • I make sure the tube is well-seated inside the tire and rim by pinching the tire together and wiggling it as I work around the wheel.
  • I inflate to a low pressure and apply weight to the wheel by holding the skewer and rolling the tire across the floor to seat the tube.
  • I let most of the air out, then reinflate.

All of this takes a little extra time but saves me a lot of time on the road.

I got this method from my father, who was a WWII Marine air core mechanic. He said they were having problems where every time a plane would land, it would blow a tire. He got the idea to inflate, deflate, reinflate to make sure the tube was seated properly. No more blow-outs after that.

Next Article: Can You Use a Gravel Bike as a Road Bike?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kerry Irons says

    November 10, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    These are good techniques, and the same results can be obtained by working the tire and tube with your fingers to make sure the tube is “free” inside the tire and the tire is properly seated before pumping to pressure.

    However essentially all of my flats are from punctures: bits of glass or wire (and sometimes nails, staples, or screws). Nothing in this method will prevent that kind of puncture. While I live in a state with a good bottle law we still see broken glass and other debris along the streets and rural roads.

    Reply
  2. Rob A says

    November 10, 2016 at 5:31 pm

    Great tips but as Kerry indicated, these will help prevent failure due to poor seating of the tube/tire, but will not prevent any flats from punctures.
    I think the author really means he has only had one flat in the last 10-15 years from incorrect tire/tube mounting, not punctures. Flats will eventually occur when riding a road bike on public roads. That is a certainty!

    Reply
  3. Scott says

    November 11, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    Great tips for avoiding pinch flats, but as stated will not prevent punctures. I live and ride in Boise, ID, and around here “goatheads” (seeds of the Puncturevine) are the bane of our existence. In addition to installation techniques similar to Mr. Hormel’s, and per the advice of the mechanics at my favorite LBS, I also do the following:
    -Use training tires that have extra protection (Kevlar belt or similar).
    -Use tubes with removable Presta valve cores. Initial cost is about twice that of a tube without removable core, but worth it.
    -After installing tube and tire, and seating tube, remove valve core and inject approximately 1 oz. of Stan’s liquid into the tube. Reinstall core and inflate tube.
    This technique has almost completely eliminated puncture flats for me, my wife, and kids. Can be easily done with all Schraeder valve tubes as well.

    Reply
  4. Jim Mason says

    April 13, 2020 at 12:26 pm

    If you live in the land of goat heads (Tribulus terrestris) then half a dozen flats a year would be outstanding! I’ve had as many as 3 in one ride.

    Reply
  5. Walt says

    April 13, 2020 at 12:40 pm

    All good points.

    One additional thing I do when inflating a tire is to make sure it is seated well AND then watch while pumping up to pressure to make sure it stays seated (if one sees a bulge where the tire is coming off the rim, one can usually quickly deflate and save the tube – and one’s hearing. The tires most likely to blow off the rim are those which are easiest to remove from the rim when removing the old tube. I have found some brands (like Schwalbe) to be terrible…some seem to have a larger diameter than they should and I have had some new tires which were impossible to to keep on the rim…some of the wider 700c tires and some mt. bike tires.

    Reply
  6. Ed Pavelka says

    April 13, 2020 at 2:44 pm

    Many punctures are not instantaneous (goat heads excepted). They happen when a sharp enough object sticks to the tread and grinds through to the tube during many subsequent revolutions.

    Knowing this, I have a quick post-ride ritual: I put my bike in the repair stand and spin each wheel through a rag to brush the tires clean. Then I use a small flashlight to go around each tire, checking for anything embedded in the tread.

    When I find something I remove it with the corner of a small flat-blade screwdriver. Or needle-nose pliers if it’s a piece of wire. The entire process takes about one minute per tire.

    No, this won’t eliminate all flats. But it will prevent flats that are poised to happen because the culprit is already at work.

    Using this quick and simple tire check I average one flat every 8-9,000 miles — and I start every ride feeling confident that this won’t be the day.

    Reply
  7. Donald Dickson says

    April 13, 2020 at 3:12 pm

    Tire wipers can help too –
    https://www.renehersecycles.com/shop/components/tires/700c/tire-wipers/

    Reply
  8. larry english says

    April 13, 2020 at 3:15 pm

    how much did the one-flat guy ride in that 10 (or 15 ) years?

    Reply
  9. Michael H says

    April 13, 2020 at 4:01 pm

    Ok, how many miles did I ride in those 10-15 years…. A lot. I don’t have an exact figure, but it would be in the thousands. I’m surprised I wasn’t contacted about printing my whole name by RBR before doing this, but again RBR, you’re forgiven. I first sent this tip in to John Marsh when he was running the site & he contacted me about printing it at that time 2-3 years (?) ago, I don’t think he printed my last name, but whatever, not a big deal.
    Yes this mainly helps with pinch flats, but I haven’t had more than 2-3 flats in that time, if at all & I’m being generous with that estimate. Maybe I’m just lucky, or there’s some kind of magic! It also probably has to do with riding “decent” roads, although most are county roads with plenty of potholes & chip & seal etc. I’m careful about what I ride through & also use the old tip I was taught early on that if you go through debris, you use a gloved hand to wipe the tires as you’re rolling along after passing through. Kind of like the “tire wipers” mentioned above. I give my tires a quick look before each ride to check for wear & any embedded objects. Tires have mainly been Hutchinsons, Michelins, Continentals, Vittoria Diamonte Pros, All were 200-250 gram race/training type tires, lighter weight tubes, nothing heavy duty for tires or tubes. I’m fairly light also (effect??) approximately 150lbs combined rider/bike. “I can’t help it if I’m lucky….” (Thanks Bob…).

    Reply
  10. Michael H says

    April 13, 2020 at 4:15 pm

    P.S. forgot to add, pressure has been as high as 110 to down to 75-80 now with the new research on this.

    Reply
  11. Walt says

    April 13, 2020 at 5:30 pm

    Ed: Good suggestion. I check my tires regularly for thorns, glass and other debris.

    Most thorns (here in AZ) are flush with the tire surface when inspected and are impossible to remove with a pliers. I take an old spoke and grind one end to a sharp point. This makes a good and inexpensive removal tool.

    Reply
  12. Roy Bloomfield says

    April 14, 2020 at 8:58 am

    I carry these in all of my bike saddlebags:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001OPF5B4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    . . . VERY helpful, very small, and very affordable.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • Newsletter Issue No. 1053
  • Can you use Shimano rotors with SRAM brakes? (Or vice versa?)
  • 16 Tips for Increasing Your Annual Cycling Mileage
  • Intense Exercisers Have More Plaques but Fewer Heart Attacks

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1053

Newsletter Issue No. 1052

Newsletter Issue No. 1051

Newsletter Issue No. 1050

Newsletter Issue No. 1049

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in