Weird Tyre Problem

[mstraxs]

Hi Guys,

My first posting apart from my introduction a few weeks ago. So I have settled into commuting with my new ST2s and have had it a month now. I still feel the urge just to go for a cycle everytime I see it in the garage so not sure how long that will last! Had a couple of niggles so far. The first concerned the headlight. One day it wouldn't turn on at all. I ended up taking it off the bike and unplugging it and plugging it in 3-4 times then remounted it. I eventually contacted the shop I got it from and they contacted Swiss HQ. They did some fix over the 'airwaves' whilst I was at work and when I got home I switched the bike on and the light worked again! How cool is that that they diagnosed the issue from Switzerland even when the bike was turned off and locked in my garage at home in Jersey (UK).

The next issue though is weird. I went for a 45 mile cycle up and down the hills on this island last weekend. I got home and all was fine and set off the next day to commute to work only to find I had a flat rear straight away. So back into the garage and commuted to work in the car. I pumped it up when I got home and checked an hour later and it held the pressure. I then went for a test cycle, left it overnight and have now commuted over the last two days and it's still holding pressure. All I did since the flat was pump it up. So any ideas why it seems to have cured itself? My friend (a keen road biker) said it sounded like I had tubeless tyres and they just needed pumped up to form the seal again? Im pretty sure though reading on this forum the ST2s with Continental tyres came with a tube.

I attach my first pic from my ride this easter weekend and only mods so far are the thudbuster seatpost and the Abus Bordo Granit x Plus folding lock which i mount on the tube with the velcro tabs.

Thanks
Mark

 

[J.R.]

I'd bet you have a loose or bad tube valve core. Whether Presta or Schrader valve, both have removable valve cores. They're cheap. Might just need tightening. Sometimes a slightly bad core straightens itself out when attaching a pump and adding air. No guarantee it won't leave you stranded one day.

You have a beautiful place to ride there on Jersey. I've always wanted to visit the Channel Islands. Be careful that bike doesn't wake in the night to attack you in your sleep!

 

[mstraxs]

I'd bet you have a loose or bad tube valve core. Whether Presta or Schrader valve, both have removable valve cores. They're cheap. Might just need tightening. Sometimes a slightly bad core straightens itself out when attaching a pump and adding air. No guarantee it won't leave you stranded one day.

You have a beautiful place to ride there on Jersey. I've always wanted to visit the Channel Islands. Be careful that bike doesn't wake in the night to attack you in your sleep!

Sorry J.R. I thought i had replied to this. So I changed the tube which wasn't an easy job as the thing is so heavy. It was standard after getting the rear wheel off and I found it better to turn the bike upside down in the end. All seemed fine and it lasted all of 24hrs before going flat again! So this weekend I will need to change it again. This time I will take the tyre off completely and make sure there is nothing sticking in it that is causing these issues. Another thing I want to look at it the ends of the spokes internally as I know that sometimes they overlook finishing these off as no one ever seems them. Perhaps I have a sharp one? I have now purchased some 'slime' puncture proof tyres to try but of course nothing is ever puncture proof. I will keep you updated on progress.

 

[JRA]

Really curious why on a bike of this level of quality they don't come stock with tubeless technology? Perhaps those Stormer labeled rims are TLR and it is just a matter of converting. Not saying that tubeless is totally unable to flat but it does decrease the odds of it happening to an extent that tubes can't match no matter how many kevlar belts, tire liners and Slime it has. All of which add to rotating weight and reduce tire compliance that decrease traction and any passive suspension benefits.

 

[mstraxs]

Really curious why on a bike of this level of quality they don't come stock with tubeless technology? Perhaps those Stormer labeled rims are TLR and it is just a matter of converting. Not saying that tubeless is totally unable to flat but it does decrease the odds of it happening to an extent that tubes can't match no matter how many kevlar belts, tire liners and Slime it has. All of which add to rotating weight and reduce tire compliance that decrease traction and any passive suspension benefits.

True and I had thought of that. Again today on the commute to work my tyre deflated. I stopped and pumped up and it lasted the rest of the way, 8 hours at work and the 15 minute commute home! its jsut weird that it goes flat sometimes over the course of minutes, sometimes overnight in the garage and other times lasts 5 days without losing pressure at all.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Really curious why on a bike of this level of quality they don't come stock with tubeless technology? Perhaps those Stormer labeled rims are TLR and it is just a matter of converting. Not saying that tubeless is totally unable to flat but it does decrease the odds of it happening to an extent that tubes can't match no matter how many kevlar belts, tire liners and Slime it has. All of which add to rotating weight and reduce tire compliance that decrease traction and any passive suspension benefits.

ST2-S comes with top of the line DT Swiss rims that are UST (tubeless) ready out of the box. These are downhill quality rims. But the tires are continental that run tubes. Starting 2018, ST2-S comes with schwalbe Almotion. These are perfect high volume TL tires.

@mstraxs

Try changing the tubes and reseating the tires. As @J.R. mentioned, valves can be defective.

Best yet, go tubeless, you don't have to worry about all these.

 

[mstraxs]

ST2-S comes with top of the line DT Swiss rims that are UST (tubeless) ready out of the box. These are downhill quality rims. But the tires are continental that run tubes. Starting 2018, ST2-S comes with schwalbe Almotion. These are perfect high volume TL tires.

@mstraxs

Try changing the tubes and reseating the tires. As @J.R. mentioned, valves can be defective.

Best yet, go tubeless, you don't have to worry about all these.[/QU
Thanks for tha Ravi, I'm a bit curious though as to why they went with a tubed tyre then if they could have jsut gone tubeless? Also (excuse ignorance here) surely there is still puncture issues even with tubeless? I mean you go over a piece of glass with either tyre you will cut it and air is either going to escape from a tube or the tyre itself if you are tubeless? I just don't understand how being tubeless is better?

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Here you go...

Tubeless is certainly better but there are occasions where no protection can help. I had an instance when I was biking across the country, I think this was in South Dakota... the roads were double lane but the shoulders were narrow. Semi trucks shed small, sharp pieces of tire debris (and truckers call them crocodiles) and they often end up on the shoulders. I was riding on these shoulders and my rear tore goes flat.. this had Schwalbe Marathon Plus with 5mm Smartguard but the tire was deeply cut.. I had never seen a gash like that on a bike tire. Having tubeless in that situation would have left me stranded, but I was able to replace the tube and move on..

Even if you run tubeless and cut the tire deeply, you could just install a tube and move on..

I think you should give them a try...

 

[mstraxs]

HI Guys,

Just a quick update and hopefully last post to my puncture issues. So I took off the rear wheel. Took the tyre off the rim and turned it inside out. Literally cleaned the inside of the tyre and inspected it all very closely and found no issues, no cuts nothing stuck in it. I then re-attached it and fitted a new 'slime' tube. That was all a week ago and thankfully it seems to have done the trick. I went with the slime tubes as a recommendation from the dealer. I think I was just unlucky with the last couple of tubes perhaps having dodgy valves? I have ridden 200km so far this week with no issues.