Posted on by mb

Valve Core Issue

Flat this morning in the rain. 35 degrees and dark. Of course I needed to be home so Jen could get in her swim workout. Pulled the wheel tire and tube. Sloppy mess. Got the new tube on with no issues. Pump pump. Unscrew the Lezyne from the valve – and the core comes out with all the air. Screw it back in tight. Pump pump pump. Same results. 5 tries later manage to get the pump off and only lose 1/3 the air. WTF? This is the second flat on these tires – same issue last time with another tube (from the QBP). Seems the threads down on the valve core are messing up the whole works. Grabbed a coffee to warm up then took it easy to get home so I didn’t pinch flat.

Only to be locked out. My keys are probably sitting where I dumped my bag to change the tire. Amateur.

But – mobile WordPress is good for these situations… Aside from the fact that I’m standing outside my house cowering from the rain feeling that wet cold seeping in. Glad I put on the RainLegs this morning. Helped to keep me that much warmer.

Going to have to research the valve issue a bit and figure out WTF is going on. Pretty sure the way my CO2 threads on I’d have the same issue. And I’ve never seen this on the IF – but I’m pretty sure I’m running a different brand of tube. I do use a different Lezyne pump model but it uses the same method for attaching to the tube.

6 Replies to “Valve Core Issue”

  1. Mike, I think there has been some chatter about those Lezyne pumps gobbling up valve cores…do they make another model that clamps on instead of screwing down?

  2. I’ll be seeing those weather conditions later this week. hoping for no mech issues as that’s the absolutly worst time. my rain legs have delaminated some around the ahem, junk area. duct tape has helped and they seem no worse off. still better than full pants.

  3. This morning was ugly in South Burlington at 4:45. I can’t imagine getting a flat on my way to work this morning with that cold rain.

    I’ve also got a Lezyne pump with the screw-on chuck. Uh-oh….

  4. Email consensus seems to be this is a QBP tube issue… I’ll have to try with another brand. As I said – I don’t have this issue with the IF using road tubes, and when I’ve helped folks on the road its never (thankfully!) happened.

  5. @fxdwheel –

    mine are in good shape, nearly new. i’ve had them out 3-4 times. found them a bit too warm in the summer for anything but a casual utility ride into town… but shoulder seasons they are great.

    @aaron –

    yeah, i ran the bike from leddy to the bagel place on north ave (where i usually stop anyway) to change the tube in some brighter light. i couldn’t do it trailside – too nasty. a gent walking out of the cafe simply huffed ‘that sucks’ as i wrestled the fixed wheel off. i commented that it beat driving and having my car breaking down. tubes are cheap – even if i had to walk the 2 miles home… which thankfully didn’t happen.

    but – no commuting for me save the walk from the bedroom to the office. so i get out every morning for a ride or run. lately on the bike it has been an intervale / bhs / ethan allen park trails / dirt loop with some climbing up into town.

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