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Message started by magicfairy on 05/17/06 at 19:21:07

Title: Tyre pressure
Post by magicfairy on 05/17/06 at 19:21:07

My rear tyre (8 month old S40 - 7000ks, lots of tread left) was way down in pressure when I checked it - 20 psi instead of 33. (It didn't feel right at all when riding) So I filled it but the next day it was down even more - 18. (After a 20 k ride to work and back) So of course I thought a leak somewhere - will need repair, replace.

Cos I have a foot pump at home I put it back up to 33 to see how much it went down overnight. I noticed that the little bolt thingy (at base of valve where it touches rim) was loose to I tightened it up at the same time.
But it didn't go down again, and 2 days later and 40 k riding still hasn't lost any pressure.

Any idea what could have caused this? Could it have been the loose bolt - whatever it is called (not the dust cap) I would have thought once I had a leak then it would not just go away. Should I just keep riding and check every day?
Most of my friends with bikes have tubeless tyres, so they don't really know much about running tubed.

I will be going away in a couple of days to work on an
Army Base so the bike won't be ridden for 7-9 days. If I have a real slow leak maybe it will show up then ??

Title: Re: Tyre pressure
Post by stock87 on 05/17/06 at 19:36:46

If you do have a slow leak it will show up in a couple of days. get some soapy water and put some around the valve if u see bubbles u have a leak. The valve stem is the most common place for failure.

Title: Re: Tyre pressure
Post by magicfairy on 05/17/06 at 22:38:11

duh - "bolt thingy" I meant the nut at the base of the valve stem was loose. :P

Title: Re: Tyre pressure
Post by azjay on 05/18/06 at 07:38:59

it could have been a small bit of dirt in the valve core, and it finally pushed/blew through, into the tube. no worries, kinda normal, valve caps are important to help prevent that. if you have a valve core tool, you could loosen 1/4 turn and retighten the valve core, to ensure it is secure. if the valve stem is torn, the tube will need to be replaced.

Title: Re: Tyre pressure
Post by Digger on 01/01/07 at 19:28:30

For future reference:

Re valve cores, it's not a bad idea to remove them and dab tiny amounts of silicone grease on the rubber surfaces. You will see two different seals you can apply the grease to.

I ride about 40K miles per year on my bikes and tires are my number one mechanical concern.