Flat tyre dilemma

[Mon Ami Mate]

I haven't ridden my bike since September - a fatal combination of no time, no opportunity and, more recently, a broken ankle. Just went out to the garage for the first time in weeks and started it. To my surprise it started off the battery. However, I noticed that my 200 mile-old front tyre is half flat. A visual inspection shows no nerg nail. This presents me with a bit of a problem, because it's several miles to the nearest filling station. I've never ridden with an under-inflated tyre before. Would you:

a) Ride it at walking pace to the filling station (bearing in mind this is a ZZR1200 - it's a heavy old bus)
b) Phone a bike shop and play a sympathy card (It's over-due for its first MOT and really needs an annual service in any case)
c) Light a match, close garage door and walk away whistling
d) Something else I haven't thought of yet

[BliarOut]

e) Borrow a footpump

[Mon Ami Mate]

BliarOut said:

e) Borrow a footpump

Can you be round in an hour? I'll put the kettle on.

[black-k1]

Option e) looks best to me.

Riding with a front tyre low on pressure can be hard work.

[sjtscott]

Get a footpump, I have one for just this purpose at home has got me out of scrapes with slow punctures.
Best not to take the p*ss riding on an underinflated front. I'd imagine that re-breaking that ankle again wouldn't be top of your list should you have stability issues and come off!
Maybe you have a dodgy valve in the front? I had that on an old bike.

Also do you not have at home recovery like the AA?
This means that I can then phone them to help me out when the footpump won't help for flat tyres or worse!

[BliarOut]

Mon Ami Mate said:

BliarOut said: e) Borrow a footpump Can you be round in an hour? I'll put the kettle on.

Gloucestershire

F) Go to garage in car, fill up with petrol and buy electric pump for a fiver.

[dern]

If it *looks* half flat rather than measures half pressure then you've probably got next to no pressure in it and it'll be lethal to ride on. The walls of tyres at this time of year are very inflexible and for it to sag takes a lot. My rear tyre on my blade only had a third pressure in it when I rode it to work last week and it looked fine but handled like I was riding on marbles. I wouldn't ride a bike with reduced pressure in the front.

I'm with the other, get a foot pump and a tyre pressure gauge if you haven't already got one.

Mark

[Mon Ami Mate]

BliarOut said:

Gloucestershire

All right, two hours then.

Can't drive because of my broken ankle. Was seriously considering going out on the bike instead. I'm sure my consultant wouldn't be happy, but it's the right ankle, so I can do without it on the bike.

[BliarOut]

Not one of your better ideas MaM, you're non weight bearing for a reason

Would now be a good time to mention the bow in my leg from premature accidental weight bearing?

[zzr]

I have ridden mine with a flat front for a short time before, but I wouldn't do it with a broken ankle!! ZZR's don't ride to bad on flat fronts it's the back they hate. If it's got more than 15psi in it, it should hold up.

[Mon Ami Mate]

BliarOut said:

Not one of your better ideas MaM, you're non weight bearing for a reason Would now be a good time to mention the bow in my leg from premature accidental weight bearing?

Well, it's already knackered - it's the fourth time it has broken in the same place - the first time from being knocked off a bike by a taxi driver, the following two times from playing rugby. I don't think it'll get much worse and I'm bouncing off the walls after being housebound for five weeks already.

On reflection it probably isn't a good idea to ride with an under-inflated front - I'll try and cadge a lift from a neighbour to Halfords. Assuming the tyre then holds pressure, and assuming I can get a boot on the foot, at least then I'll be able to do some Christmas shopping this weekend and bang on the doors of some opportunistic late payers next week...

[catso]

BliarOut said:

e) Borrow a footpump

or;

d) get one of those 12v compressors thay sell in garages for about £6 - works off your car lighter plug

[Mon Ami Mate]

Just got a deluxe version from Halfords and now have a fully inflated front tyre. Worried about the cause now though - the tyre is brand new and has no nails or foreign bodies in it. I guess the most likely cause is either a bad valve or poor beading between the tyre and the rim. Either way I think I need to take it back to the shop.

If the weather's alright tomorrow I'm going out for a ride...

[Mad Dave]

If this happens again, I would just ride it - carefully - to the garage. When I passed my DAS I was so excited that I jumped on my Bandit and rode off. After noticed it was a bit 'wibbley' on the bends I checked the pressures - 9psi a piece

[catso]

Mon Ami Mate said:

Worried about the cause now though

I got some alloy valve caps a few years ago, came out to ride the bike and my rear tyre was flat I checked the tyre for leaks and couldn't find any, turns out the 'O' ring had come out of the seal in the cap and was pressing the valve deflater letting the air out.

I put the platic valve caps back on and have not had the problem again - Function is more important than bling!

[Mon Ami Mate]

catso said:

Mon Ami Mate said: Worried about the cause now though I got some alloy valve caps a few years ago, came out to ride the bike and my rear tyre was flat I checked the tyre for leaks and couldn't find any, turns out the 'O' ring had come out of the seal in the cap and was pressing the valve deflater letting the air out. I put the platic valve caps back on and have not had the problem again - Function is more important than bling!

I had exactly the same experience a few years ago and always use cheapo plastic caps as a matter of course as a result. Whatever the cause, the tyre may be written off because the sidewalls may have been weakened. There was only 5.5psi in the tyre...

[brummiewedge]

High speed can cause the valve to open under centi force. For instance in the IOM TT races plastic caps are not allowed, always insure your valve caps have the O ring in them. I actually had a front tyre deflate on the warm up lap at Mallory once and cheap tacky ally cap was at fault. If your tyre has deflated over time this could also mean that your tyre is slightly porous, or even the rim! but more likely the tyre. This is not a big deal just check your pressures regularly. And just a little anorak for you Red o rings on the valve core springs have a greater sping tension than the black ones!