somewhere in america
member of the unknown
- Location
- South Carolina for now
This actually covers two topics so I thought I'd put it here;
Back to the tire issue.
So here's the whole story.
Front tire was very low and I've had problems keeping air in it . First time, I didn't have the money to buy a pump so I took it to the LBS (side note; there used to be another LBS in Clemson I HATED going to, the manager was an a$$ and must have hated his job or something cuz he could't crack even the tiniest of smiles. He would charge for the smallest thing, I'm pretty sure he charged people just to walk in the door.... you know to cover the bell expense). Fortunuately, I find out they went out of business and find a new place is open. I'd like to say a few words here about the new place (first impression. Very friendly and willing to chat AND my favorite part, their shop is right on the sales floor not secreted away in some dark unknown where you have no idea what they're really doing). So I take my bike to the new place and ask how much for a pump because I didn't really have much money so he shows me what they have and how much but he says "why don't I fill the tire for you and when you can afford to buy a pump come back"... and he doesn't charge me for the air OR his time. I told him how happy I was they were here and the other place was gone and he said the manager from there was now working as a manager at a restaurant (all I can say to that is he better learn to smile real quick cuz people at a rest. Won't stand for that kind of attitude!).
About a month or two later I was able to buy a pump and I spent $45 which is a lot to me but I feel it's worth it in the long run.
So now it's a couple months later and I join this forum for laughs and hope a bit of motivation and low and behold I start feeling like I want to ride again. Well, for those of you who don't know, I live in a travel trailer (caravan) and have limited space (my avatar proves that) so I was keeping my bicycle under the awning outside but the front of the bike wasn't entirely covered and we've had an unusal amount of rain this year so the bar wrap kept slipping. I had taken it off and brought the bike inside (so I could hit the wheel with my knee whenever I cook). So earlier this week I decide I want to go for a ride this weekend but I need to sort out the wrap and fill the tires with air (first time with presta). So I rewrap the bar tape adding double sided tape since the sticky was washed away and fill the tires with air. 9 or so hours later, pssssshhhhhht all the air comes out of the front in one fell woosh and 2 hours later so does the back one. So, even though I don't really have the money to spend I deside to go to the LBS and get 2 tubes and new tire levers cuz mine are too flimsy for this bike. At this point I believe it's the valves that are bad, so I come home and replace the front fill the tire and then go write a list of what needs to be done over the next 2 weeks. I go to bed and at 6 something this morning I wake up to something I think is air coming out of a tire but it could have been in a dream so I get out of bed to feed the dogs and cat and check the tire and yep, air is gone. So I check online to see when BikeStreet opens and go back to bed. Get up at 9:45 take the front wheel with the tire and tube still on, the old tube and my pump to the shop. They take the tire off test both tubes and low and behold ....... drum roll please, it's the rim tape!! Yay. Not.
So when I had first bought the bike I knew seeing as how it was cheap that they either would have not put rim tape on or skimped on it so when I checked I was actually surpised to find it did have rim tape but it was cheap thin crappy stuff so when I had the drive train swapped out for a set of 20 yr old shimano 105 I also had the rim tape replaced. Well the front was dry rotted (from sitting in the rain) but that really wouldn't have matter so much as the tape was a non sticky rubber type that was to wide for the very narrow channel.
So here is the best part, they replaced the rim tape with a really nice heavy woven sticky kind that fits the channel, the tube, checked to make sure the pump I bought was ok .... all for FREE! I bought rim tape for the back wheel even though they said I could probably use electric tape but I just thought what they did was above and beyond and great business practice. In the bike business word of mouth will make or break a shop and they obviously know this (of course they're also the only shop within a 20 mile radius) but I will tell people about them (not just on this forum....lol which really wouldn't help them).
so that's my story.
The End
Back to the tire issue.
So here's the whole story.
Front tire was very low and I've had problems keeping air in it . First time, I didn't have the money to buy a pump so I took it to the LBS (side note; there used to be another LBS in Clemson I HATED going to, the manager was an a$$ and must have hated his job or something cuz he could't crack even the tiniest of smiles. He would charge for the smallest thing, I'm pretty sure he charged people just to walk in the door.... you know to cover the bell expense). Fortunuately, I find out they went out of business and find a new place is open. I'd like to say a few words here about the new place (first impression. Very friendly and willing to chat AND my favorite part, their shop is right on the sales floor not secreted away in some dark unknown where you have no idea what they're really doing). So I take my bike to the new place and ask how much for a pump because I didn't really have much money so he shows me what they have and how much but he says "why don't I fill the tire for you and when you can afford to buy a pump come back"... and he doesn't charge me for the air OR his time. I told him how happy I was they were here and the other place was gone and he said the manager from there was now working as a manager at a restaurant (all I can say to that is he better learn to smile real quick cuz people at a rest. Won't stand for that kind of attitude!).
About a month or two later I was able to buy a pump and I spent $45 which is a lot to me but I feel it's worth it in the long run.
So now it's a couple months later and I join this forum for laughs and hope a bit of motivation and low and behold I start feeling like I want to ride again. Well, for those of you who don't know, I live in a travel trailer (caravan) and have limited space (my avatar proves that) so I was keeping my bicycle under the awning outside but the front of the bike wasn't entirely covered and we've had an unusal amount of rain this year so the bar wrap kept slipping. I had taken it off and brought the bike inside (so I could hit the wheel with my knee whenever I cook). So earlier this week I decide I want to go for a ride this weekend but I need to sort out the wrap and fill the tires with air (first time with presta). So I rewrap the bar tape adding double sided tape since the sticky was washed away and fill the tires with air. 9 or so hours later, pssssshhhhhht all the air comes out of the front in one fell woosh and 2 hours later so does the back one. So, even though I don't really have the money to spend I deside to go to the LBS and get 2 tubes and new tire levers cuz mine are too flimsy for this bike. At this point I believe it's the valves that are bad, so I come home and replace the front fill the tire and then go write a list of what needs to be done over the next 2 weeks. I go to bed and at 6 something this morning I wake up to something I think is air coming out of a tire but it could have been in a dream so I get out of bed to feed the dogs and cat and check the tire and yep, air is gone. So I check online to see when BikeStreet opens and go back to bed. Get up at 9:45 take the front wheel with the tire and tube still on, the old tube and my pump to the shop. They take the tire off test both tubes and low and behold ....... drum roll please, it's the rim tape!! Yay. Not.
So when I had first bought the bike I knew seeing as how it was cheap that they either would have not put rim tape on or skimped on it so when I checked I was actually surpised to find it did have rim tape but it was cheap thin crappy stuff so when I had the drive train swapped out for a set of 20 yr old shimano 105 I also had the rim tape replaced. Well the front was dry rotted (from sitting in the rain) but that really wouldn't have matter so much as the tape was a non sticky rubber type that was to wide for the very narrow channel.
So here is the best part, they replaced the rim tape with a really nice heavy woven sticky kind that fits the channel, the tube, checked to make sure the pump I bought was ok .... all for FREE! I bought rim tape for the back wheel even though they said I could probably use electric tape but I just thought what they did was above and beyond and great business practice. In the bike business word of mouth will make or break a shop and they obviously know this (of course they're also the only shop within a 20 mile radius) but I will tell people about them (not just on this forum....lol which really wouldn't help them).
so that's my story.
The End
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