Flat Tire Repair – Constant Punctures on My Rear Wheel

Debbie has a Giant bike, but she keeps having punctures. She has been to two bike shops and bought heavier tires and flat protection strips. She wants our feed back to sort it out and here are our suggestions, but it’s a tricky one to solve from a distance

Question:

I have a Giant OCR2 and keep getting flats on my rear wheel. I have purchased heavy duty tires and a liner to protect the tube from road hazards, but still keep getting flats – like every 40 miles or so. I think I’m also feeling a little swaying from the back of the bike. But neither myself or two dealers could find any defects with the wheel – just random punctures in the tubes. HELP – I need to RIDE!

Hi Debbie,

You say you have invested in heavy duty tires and protecting liners, so there isn’t much more you can do in that direction. This leaves the inside of the rim to check over, look for any sharp spokes that might be sticking through or any sharp bits of metal that might be on the inside of the rim, check all round thoroughly for anything that may cause the punctures. Be careful not to cut yourself and run your fingers around the inside of the wheel rim, you will find anything sharp, but don’t cut your fingers off doing it!

The other reason may be that you are riding without enough air in the tires; do you have a good pump with a pressure gauge? If not get one and make sure you are at the recommended pressure for your tires, you will find the pressures on the side of the tire. Your bike will run easier and you will have less chance of punctures and damaging the rim. If you have been riding with soft tires this could explain why you are feeling a swaying effect as you ride as this could be the rim wobbling on the soft tire.

Be very careful where you ride, punctures can be caused by many things, cut hedges as well as glass, if you bump up over things this can cause the inner tube to be nipped by the rim and tire. Do you ride with a bag on the back? This can also squash down the tire and give more chances of punctures.

Read our step by step guide on how to fix a puncture

Let us know how you get on and if you find the cure?