The Night(mare) before Christmas...

[dhd.evans]

My commute, 10 miles on a nice flat cycle track, has come stuttering to a halt over the last 3 weeks.

The preface to this story (for those with tl; dr syndrome) is that I've given up the bike until the new year due to endless frustration.

It all started with a puncture. Not a big one either. I'd run out of patches so had to wait until the weekend to get to a shop to get some, meaning I was on the bus for a week.

Puncture repaired that weekend and I was set to go. First ride in in the bleak winter, I hadn't realised that it was getting dark so early. That ride home was in the pitch black and I had to draft a roadie to see where I as going.

Next day, into work and I cycle down town at lunch to get new lights. Come back up the road and cycle over some fallen leaves and sticks only to hear a *pop* *hisssssssssss*. The seam on the tube has gone. Backup tube? No no, that'd be in my other bag. Good thing i've got my patches. Repair the tube, start to cycle home. Tyre starts to go flat.

Right. Fair enough.

I catch the bus home, pick the bike up later.

Have to wait until the weekend to get a new bloody tube. Week on the bus again.

Go to the LBS on the weekend, pickup some slime tubes. "I'm not having any more of that pissy hissy puncture malarkey" says I. Get home, things to do. Go to fit them Sunday night. Moto valves. farking Moto valves. They won't fit through the hole where my Presta valves usually go.

Grumble. Moan.

Wait until the weekend to get new tubes. Week on the bus. Again.

Go back in to LBS, swap the tubes, don't check the packaging. Go to fit them Saturday night and realise i've got mountain bike tubes that are about 2 feet too wide for my skinny 700c wheels. Grumble. Moan.

My darling lass goes in a week past Monday for me, swaps them for the exact tubes I need. Presta. 700c. Slime.

Install them on Monday night. Pump them up, they go flat.

The brand new Schwalbe Marathon I have? Yeah, buckled tyre wall and exposed metal rim.

Are you kidding me?

Up to Halfords Tuesday night, demand replacement. Tyre is a month old, barely 5 miles on it and is replaced. Take it home.

Put the tube in, fit the tyre and pump it up. Start to do some work on the bike when I hear a squeak. A worrying, high-pitched squeak.

Oh no.

*POP*

The 700c has burst. Simply burst. It was barely at 45PSi.

And so, I've given up. It's too bloody cold and this to-ing and fro-ing trying to get bits for the bike has really knocked me for six.

Here's to the new year...

 

[marinyork]

Sorry to hear you're having problems. I replaced a tube once for a mate who bought it from Halfords and it burst at low pressure similar to what you had. It's only one tyre, but I simply wouldn't trust Halfords tubes at all after that. I wouldn't trust halfords to touch a bike full stop. Sorry about your lucky but it sounds like you need a new LBS and not use halfords.

 

[MacB]

I feel your pain, things on a downward spiral and coming at you thick and fast. But it might be worth checking out some info online around fitting tyres, tubes and making sure everything is hunky dory. It's a shame the shop wasn't a bit more proactive in the first place as well. All this stuff is produced via a manufacturing process that will have an error rate so any of us can be unlucky enough to get dud stuff. But we also have our own personal error rate, whether due to lack of knowledge or if we rush a repair.

When I started out I managed the exploding tube in the garage bit and also ripped a tube using a lever to fit the tyre. I've also bought the wrong tubes, amongst other parts, and failed to properly check a tyre for embedded nasties after a repair.

Take some deep breaths, chalk it up to experience, check your technique/knowledge out and grab a stock of tubes from one of the online bundled deals, and then always carry a couple of spares.

 

[fossyant]

1 dodgy tyre and user error - no big deal. Get a few decent tubes, and a couple of repair kits and you'll be OK, oh and make sure they are in your bag.

Simple and less frustraiting ! Chill ! I'd rather not stop riding - sitting in traffic in either the car or the bus is mind blowing. Rather blow a tyre every day.

 

[gaz]

Sounds like you have been badly prepared for this situations. Get your preparation sorted and some decent rubber and i'm sure yo will be fine.

 

[BlackPanther]

I've been puncture free for 18 months/8,000 miles on my trusty Marathon plus tyres.

You've just been unlucky. How about if I can guarantee that you will not have any more punctures.....ever? Want to know more?

You just carry a spare tube, patches and pump you will never get a puncture. I also carry a spare chain which means that my chain will never break.

 

[fossyant]

I was soo stressed this Monday as I could not find my cycling glasses.... (hate driving to work now) Outside was 1 inch thick with crap sleet (not nice snow) and I was ready to go... no bike glasses.... found them once back home..not happy, a day driving. And yes even in those conditions.

 

[dhd.evans]

I'm not trying to claim that this wasn't my fault, just that it's been one frustration after another. And yes, it does show up my lack of preparedness I suppose - however, will rectify it after Christmas as it's only 4 days until I'm off until the new year!