P******e fairy... or something more sinister?

[PBancroft]

Yesterday leaving work, I got half way up the ramp out of the car park where we have our bike cage, and I notice the flat. Fine, think I, there's an LBS down the road so I'll get a new tube rather than use my spare. I pumped it up so I could roll the bike down without damaging the rim and off I set.

When I arrived at the shop, the tire was still rock hard. Odd, I thought, so I rode around the block just to test it. Still solid. I decided to ride up the hill (about a mile or so) and if it went flat again there was another LBS up there.

Tire was still solid when I got there, so I gambled it and went home and made it safe and sound. All very strange.

Today I leave work and what do you know? Another flat tire. This time it looks like the valve has been tampered with - the lock nut was undone, although the dust cap was replaced. If it wasn't for that I'd be tempted to think the valve was experiencing some sort of failure due to moving from the cold outside to the warmth of our underground carpark.

Now I think that someone with access to the bike cage has been fiddling with my bike.

Maybe I'm wrong. I'm going to change the tube this weekend just to be on the safe side, but I suspect that someone I have wronged in some way has decided to take vengeance upon my bike, or just a random person thinking it would be "funny"

 

[JiMBR]

"KILL THEM"

(ala Armstrong and Miller)

 

[downfader]

Have had my bike tampered with at work (also in a locked cage) I left polite notes as it lets everyone know some pleb is messing with bikes.

I also left a note recently when some silly woman stood on my rim breaking my valve through the rim at an angle. I also returned to the bike on monday and found that the gears suddenly didnt work and it cost me £9 to get repaired (as I dont have the tools to fix the front derailler)

I sympathise with you. I think this is often symptomatic of overcrowded cycle facilities. Ours is VERY overcrowded with often 2-3 bikes on a sheffield stand, plus all around the inside and outside of the actual cage itself.

 

[fossyant]

D lock the bugger..if you find them............

 

[hackbike 666]

I've had my bike fiddled about with at work more than once by some idiot who probably thinks it's funny.

 

[PBancroft]

I sympathise with you. I think this is often symptomatic of overcrowded cycle facilities. Ours is VERY overcrowded with often 2-3 bikes on a sheffield stand, plus all around the inside and outside of the actual cage itself.

Our facilities are kinda new. If anything we possibly have too many bike spaces - for the moment at least. Everyone has a rack to themselves, and there is another cage which has remained mostly empty.

There's a possibility I've inadvertently used someone else's space, but then... there are fifty more. That's local government for you.

 

[downfader]

Our facilities are kinda new. If anything we possibly have too many bike spaces - for the moment at least. Everyone has a rack to themselves, and there is another cage which has remained mostly empty.

There's a possibility I've inadvertently used someone else's space, but then... there are fifty more. That's local government for you.

In that case that would make them even more of a c*ck if they've tangled with your bike.

 

[summerdays]

Is there a way that you could park the bike with the valve in an awkward place - such as between the forks so that you could see if the wheel is subsequently spun a bit.

Or put a load of ok gunk stuff on the valve - so that they don't know what it is that they have covered their hands in (but it would need to be non-damaging to both the bike and you).

Each time have you found an actual puncture or just that the wheel is soft and needs pumping up?

 

[PBancroft]

Is there a way that you could park the bike with the valve in an awkward place - such as between the forks so that you could see if the wheel is subsequently spun a bit.

Or put a load of ok gunk stuff on the valve - so that they don't know what it is that they have covered their hands in (but it would need to be non-damaging to both the bike and you).

Each time have you found an actual puncture or just that the wheel is soft and needs pumping up?

The wheel is soft and needs pumping up, so it could be a slow puncture, or it could be a weird valve failure so the change of tubes might fix it.

If it does continue, I did think about putting something on the valve, not sure what though. I didn't think about positioning it between the forks - that's a good idea. I also might attach a luggage tag with my extension number asking whoever it is who has an axe to grind to not be so childish and to call me to discuss the problem.

 

[summerdays]

Well its the weekend today - so if you don't use the bike today it will be the same length of time - see if it goes soft?

 

[ComedyPilot]

Get some engineer's blue dye and smear it lightly around the cap/valve. Then the culprit won't know they've got it on their hands, and when they do you'll know who it is, they won't link it to your bike, and it's a sod to get off. Is the bike cage your work's only?

 

[BentMikey]

Get some engineer's blue dye and smear it lightly around the cap/valve. Then the culprit won't know they've got it on their hands, and when they do you'll know who it is, they won't link it to your bike, and it's a sod to get off. Is the bike cage your work's only?

Love it!!

 

[PBancroft]

Well, so far so lucky. This week there have been no punctures.

This could be the result of many actions:-

1. I changed my inner tube at the weekend, so the fault has been rectified through the replacement.

2. The perp can't find my bike - I moved it three spaces down the rack in case it was someone pi$$ed that I took their slot. However no one else has parked in it.

3. The perp no longer works for us. A number of contractors ended their employment with us last weekend.

I reckon number one is most likely. Odd though.

 

[bad boy]

Have had my bike tampered with at work (also in a locked cage) I left polite notes as it lets everyone know some pleb is messing with bikes.

I also left a note recently when some silly woman stood on my rim breaking my valve through the rim at an angle. I also returned to the bike on monday and found that the gears suddenly didnt work and it cost me £9 to get repaired (as I dont have the tools to fix the front derailler)

I sympathise with you. I think this is often symptomatic of overcrowded cycle facilities. Ours is VERY overcrowded with often 2-3 bikes on a sheffield stand, plus all around the inside and outside of the actual cage itself.

Spot on this really pisses me off I am not shy at work and have told people if my bike gets touched I will be out for revenge.

To the OP unfortunately it sounds to me that someone is definately messing with your bike, I would deal with it now thats not funny its our mode of transport and its dangerous also.

 

[garrilla]

I've had valves that have gone at just one spot on the join and have to be pressed in certain direction to have air escape. This has lead to sudden semi-flat.

Have you tried the valve in water? I put some air in, dip it in the sink and give the valve a good wiggle. Maybe you'll find something or maybe you can rule it out.