Re: Very Slow Leaks.

On Mon, 05 May 2025 20:22:03 GMT, cyclintom <cyclintom@yahoo.com>
wrote:

On Mon May 5 18:28:41 2025 Roger Merriman  wrote:

cyclintom <cyclintom@yahoo.com> wrote:

I have very good tires on the BMC. (Gatorskins) But it has continuous
problems with slow leaks appearing first in one tire and then the other.
The wheels are Campagnolo Sirocco so it is unlikely that there are
imperfections in the rims and I use Specialized tubes whenever I can get
the proper size. And yet, when I leave the bike sitting for a month or so
one or the other of the tires is nearly fully pumped up and the other completely flat.
 
Anyone have any suggestions?
 

 
What are the punctures can you see any holes? Gatorskins are tough but not
impervious, could be the value be that a fault or just user error ie isn?t
fully closed and so on.

>
They look like hair thin wire punctures bot there are usually no trace of a wire in the tire inside or out. To even find them you have to pump the tube way up and put it under water and look for a very slow leak which mafes it almost impossible to patch. So I have to replace the innertube.

Try soapy water.  BThe DECREASE in surface tension allows larger
bubbles to form, which are easier to see:
<http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/surten2.html>
"Even though the soap film has less surface tension than pure water,
which would pull itself into tiny droplets, it is nevertheless strong
to be able to maintain the bubble with such a small thickness."

Slow leaks are difficult to find, but easy to patch once you find
them.


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Jeff Liebermann                 jeffl@cruzio.com
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