Inner tube problem - Seeking advice

**maria41** · #1 7 Nov 2005

Hi everyone! I have a (maybe silly) question. My tyres deflates slowly and get flat within 3 weeks.
I got new tyres and inner tubes fitted in April and this is when it started. I then went back complaining there was something wrong with the inner tubes and got them replaced. The garage said there was nothing wrong with the inner tubes they fitted in April. Now I have the same problem with the 2d set of inner tubes. I never in the past, with any bike, had to get the pressure checked every week! This is a bit silly but does anyone have the same problem? Is that normal? I only use the bike in town and small mileage.

**Bill Ryder** · #2 7 Nov 2005

Hi, maybe somebody is secretly letting the air out of your tires? If you ride daily for three weeks there will be some pressure drop but the tires should not go flat. Try spraying some soapy water around the valve stem area to see if you get bubbles.Specificaly check the valve core. Otherwise perhaps the shop can immerse the rim a bit at a time looking for bubbles that would indicate a sloooww leak. You didn't say if they were mags (some old mags take tubes) or spoked wheels but both can develop corrosion that can damage a new tube.

**DougieB** · #3 8 Nov 2005

blow one up and leave it in your house. does it go down? You could always put something on the valve cap (honey/shoe polish?) and see if it's tampered with.

**maria41** · #4 8 Nov 2005

Thanks. These are very good idea! I will check if someone is tampering with them with some sticky stuff on the valves as this crossed my mind although who could do over several months?! The shop gave me the old tubes (which had the same problem) so I will do as suggested and check in water again, although according to the shop they couldn't find anything wrong at all with them. Thanks gain!

**DougieB** · #5 8 Nov 2005

what about filling the top of the valve with talc, then if anyone tampers with it and lets air out that would also blow out the talc. Easy to check, and less messy than smearing honey over your valve caps.

DougieB - Anti-Tamper Enterprises Inc.

**JonStobbs** · #6 13 Nov 2005

I've had this same thing before.All inner-tubes and tubeless tyres will loose pressure over time,but i found the cheap tubes to leak quite a bit more than the Michelin or Conti tubes.What you could do to cure it,is use one of those airosol "tyre repair/re-inflator" things that you get from most garages.It'll leave a sealant inside the tube that will seekout and seal-up and micro-leaks.Or insist on the thick enduro type tubes being fitted every time you get a new tyre fitted.

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Just going for a short ride on my bike....

**lecap** · #7 5 Oct 2006

I had exactly the same problem with cheap crappy porous tubes here. Changed to good quality (Bridgestone) and no more problems.

**maria41** · #8 5 Oct 2006

I sorted the problem by ... getting rid of the bike last year! Well I did not sell it for that reason of course!
Anyway, I think it was probably low quality inner tubes (thanks Infinity!).
I tried at the time to use one of those spray of "ultra seal" but it did not improve.