Tire Issue

[usranger74]

I started riding in 1962. I have never had a flat tire. But I now have a tire issue.

Last week after being out of town for 4 months I went for a short 100 mile ride. Before the ride I top my ties (f and b) off at 42 PSI.

Today I am getting ready for a ride to Pikes Peak and I ck my tire pressure. My rear tire is 17 PSI. So, in 7 days I have gone from 42 to 17 PSI.

I carry a air pump on trips. I am thinking of taking my trip to Pikes Peak and adding air each AM if needed.

What do you think? Is this a bad idea?

If I did not have the trip planned and going with others I would take it to a shop and let them find the leak or buy a new tire. The tire is a Command II with 11,000 miles on in and good shape.

[Bud2rat]

Checked the valve stem.

[Top Cat]

Well the first thing I would do is jack the bike up and turn the tire by hand looking for a nail or screw in it causing a slow leak.
If I found one in the tread I would plug it with a mushroom type plug and take a chance on the trip but would be uneasy with it.
If I found one in or near the sidewall I would get it to the shop and get a new tire.
Tires are your first line of defense.

Edit; after reading Roberts post I would do that first and my suggestion second

[Vulcan Bill]

If its a nail in the tire you can buy a plug kit at any auto parts store for under $10 bucks and plug it yourself in a just a few minutes. If its too large to patch consider installing a tube before throwing away a low mile Commander II.

[mick56]

Originally Posted by Vulcan Bill

If its a nail in the tire you can buy a plug kit at any auto parts store for under $10 bucks and plug it yourself in a just a few minutes. If its too large to patch consider installing a tube before throwing away a low mile Commander II.

11,000 is low mileage ! i would be on my 3rd tyre,heading for a 4th by then

[Platypusfetch]

Maybe a stuck schrader valve in the valve stem? I had that happen with a lower quality tire pressure gauge that I was using... It allowed the stem to sit askew ( slow air leak)
If the tread is good..... there are only 3 things to check....
Valve stem, tire carcass, and the bead..... I would guess that order from your description....
Soap and water would show off pretty quickly where it was leaking from....
Good luck

[Vulcan Bill]

Originally Posted by mick56

11,000 is low mileage ! i would be on my 3rd tyre,heading for a 4th by then

You can get 20,000 out of a Commander II rear tire. Be a shame to thrown one away at half life considering what they cost.

[cnc]

All of the above is good advice, I'd want to know where that air loss is coming from and fix it. What ever the cause, the air loss could increase at any time leaving you stuck some where at the very least or cause you to go down.

[VulcanE]

Like Norm said "All of the above is good advice". My rear tire used to leak down, and I would have to add air every day. I checked everything and couldn't find nothing, so I decided to replace the stem coming out of the wheel, and that fixed the problem, but like I said before, I couldn't find a leak anywhere, but the new stem fixed it.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by mick56

11,000 is low mileage ! i would be on my 3rd tyre,heading for a 4th by then

Seriously Mick you hittin the sauce again
11,000 divided by 3 = 3,666 miles per tire.

[redjay]

Check to make sure the valve is tight in the valve stem.

[redjay]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Seriously Mick you hittin the sauce again
11,000 divided by 3 = 3,666 miles per tire.

You do not get the same mileage out of a tire in the U.K.
The roads are very twisty and hilly so you are hard on the brakes, tires and suspension.

[cnc]

Originally Posted by VulcanE

Like Norm said "All of the above is good advice". My rear tire used to leak down, and I would have to add air every day. I checked everything and couldn't find nothing, so I decided to replace the stem coming out of the wheel, and that fixed the problem, but like I said before, I couldn't find a leak anywhere, but the new stem fixed it.

Dish soap mixed with a tiny bit of water in a sprayer can often pin point leaks you can't hear or see.

[mick56]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Seriously Mick you hittin the sauce again
11,000 divided by 3 = 3,666 miles per tire.

No sauce today mate I said 3 heading for 4,but that's about right,i've had Avon Cobra's and Venom's wear out in that time,and their whitewall's are £130=$207,each! http://www.tyretectrading.co.uk/avon...wall-rear.html

I use Maxxis now,they are £87=$136 and last just as long,i could wear a back tyre out in under 2000 miles if i rode hard all the time,no problem. Like Redjay said our road's are more like a racetrack to us,and some of us treat them that way I would get bored shitless just sitting there at a constant speed for mile after mile on American road's.
http://www.tyretectrading.co.uk/avon...wall-rear.html

[smokey]

I had a car tire that would do the same thing, turned out to a small screw that had just enough length to make a pin hole for the air to escape, patched it and no problems since. I would first replace the valve stem, the rubber seal may be leaking, then if that does not solve the problem, as others said, look at a small screw on nail, they are sometimes hard to spot. I have a TPMS on my bike, best investment I made and it is very accurate.