My 4th flat tire on my bike, please help.?

I have had my bike for 2 years with no problems with getting a flat tire. In June I had a flat and thought no big deal and changed it out. I only had that tube for about a week and it went flat. I checked and both flats are in the same spot, right where the valve stem is.

I asked my local bike shop and they said my rim looks fine and sold me a new tube and sent me on my way. I had that one for about a month and it went flat yesterday so then I went to a different bike shop and they sold me some tape to put on the inside of my rim instead of the rubber insert I had in mine. So last night I put the tape in and a new tube and about 10 miles into my ride today I got another flat. That is 4 flats in about a month. I haven't checked yet but I'm guessing it's right by the valve stem just like the other 3. Any ideas of what is going on and how I stop this from happening again? I'm tired of walking home.

I inflated the tube to 35-40 psi like it recommends on the tire each time.

What type of flat are you getting? Is it a pinch flat (snakebike) on the bottom of the tube? Somewhere near the top of the rim? Tread surface?

It's hard to help you out without knowing more, but it sounds like you have an irritating problem! I suppose you've already inspected the tire to make sure there isn't anything protruding into the tube, right? Feel very carefully with your fingertips. If htere's anything rough or pokey, scrape it off or pull it from the rubber.

Also, if the leaking is happening right at the base of the valve stem, it might be that you're being too rough while pumping or taking the pump head off. Mini pumps are notorious for causing this, but some floor pump heads fit tight and are hard to remove. Even good rim tape won't help much if this is the problem....you just have to be more gentle. Check out the metal on the valve hole in the rim, too. You can use a small file or a scraper to smooth out any rough edges left behind from where the manufacturer drilled it out.

Hope that helps some...if you can tell any more about exactly what's happening to the tube, post it up and maybe there's something else we can help with.

Is the hole in the tube or in the stem? If it's the stem you need to make sure the stem is going straight through the hole in the rim and inflate a little more maybe 45 psi. If it's in the tube check the inside of the tire and the rim for debris or spokes poking through the rim too far.

what caused the flat may still be in the tire. Also you may not be putting the tube in all the way and get a pincher flat.

It's your rim, either there is a spoke that's sticking out and pocking the tube. or your rim is just defectual... your store must be dumb because you don't just get flat tire's like that...

35-40 psi is little, i pump up my tire's 100psi's each. (i ride a bmx 60min and 110 max psi.) never got a flat.

don't be scared to ''blow'' or ''pop'' the inner tube... you can blow it really really big... it's really amazing seing how big it can get, i suggest buying a cheap one for a dollor and just blow it aloth with a car air pump and you will see it can get like a foot long circle all around... so don't worry about ''putting to much air''

it's all on the tire, the rubber, read it, it should say the minimum psi and the max psi to put, usaly put 10psi less.

i really say change the rim. but that's your choice.

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Edit : where the ''stem'' to inflate is, the rim ''hole'' to put the stem on might be sharp and slowly cut the stem ting. try sanding it to make it flat.