Hitchcocks Forum

Out shopping on the Bullet Electra last week and on wellying the bullet out of the supermarket car park it slid to the left and tried to turn right back into the car park, Yes a rear wheel puncture, on investigation there were no sharp objects thru tyre and tube but the valve stem had started to tear away from the tube. The tube was a Michelin h/d filled with Goop tyre sealant, neither of these prevented a puncture, The conclusion we have come to is that the tube was falling due to old age, but we know it was no more than 5 years old, We have had in the past three Michelin van tyres fail because of whats known in the trade as Michelin dry rot, IE, the side walls fail because of not very old age, and we feel our tube failed for the same reason, Or did we suffer tyre creep. So two questions, has any body in RE land suffered tyre creep on a road going Bullet?, yes we know about rim locks, or has any body suffered similar problems with Michelin products.

Been using Michelin Airstop tubes in the Bullet and the Flash & a box that imposes far greater train on tyres. Never a problem, last for years.
I notice you say HD tubes. They are for low pressure off road use and not recommended for road use.
As for Michelin tyres I can make no comment as I have never used them

far greater strain not train
bloody stupid fingers

I have never suffered from either of those problems, but in the case of a inner tube you do not know how old it is when it is purchased, I know tyres are now date stamped but never seen it on a tube, I am also sure I have read on here that heavy duty tubes are really for off road use with low pressur as has just been said

Yes, I have had a Michelin (rear) inner tube fail due to tyre creep pulling the valve stem half off the tube. Also an Electra, Avon AM26 100/90 19 tyre used. Didn't lose contol of the bike, fortunately, and as it was less than a mile to go I managed to ride home at 5 mph with no damage to the wheel rim. The tyre itself was due for replacement anyway, so I was not worried about that.



As far as I can remember it was an ordinary Michelin tube, fitted at the same time as the tyre. There was a spate of rapid failures on far-eastern inner tubes a few years ago, which was reported in the classic bike magazines at the time. Michelin tubes were held out as the most readily available quality items less likely to fail, though evidently this also depends on the tyre staying put in the rim and not trying to pull the tube and valve apart, which I doubt any inner tube could survive for long.



A.

No tube can withstand a tyre creeping on the rim. Trouble is most riders have the valve stem fixed tightly to the rim instead of backing off the knurled ring back to the dustcap so that any tilting of the valve stem will be seen long before it becomes terminal/ catastrophic.

The Bullet workshop manual states tyre pressures: Front 32 PSI; Rear 36 PSI. Updated from the Handbook, from memory, which stated: 18 PSI Front; 22 PSI Rear, because of tyre creep ripping out the valve stems.

Beezabryan, Some of the Paris metro's have trains on tyres.

Second Beezabryan with leaving the valve stem nut loose, almost a necessity on the back wheel of the "Bullet", quick look and if its off the 90 needs fixing

hey Scaly, what tyres & tubes do they use and at what pressures?