Puncture on the inside of the tube
I picked my bike up today from the bike shop where I'd taken it on Thursday for a service. Everything looked, sounded and felt good as I rode home.
I was almost at the end of my journey when I noticed something wasn't right at the rear of the bike. I stopped and felt the rear tyre... yep, it was flat. I had a quick look at the tyre surface to see if I could find any entry wounds, but could see none. The bike shop had to put in a new tube and change a couple of spokes and I started to wonder whether this might have been the cause.
Well, I've just taken the tube out and the puncture is on the inside of the tube: a little half moon slit, much like a sharp fingernail would make, with a little hole at one end. Clearly, it's nothing I've done or ridden over, so it's either a faulty tube or the puncture was made at the time the tube was put in. I've had a cursory feel on the inside of the rim and can't feel anything sharp.
Should I be able to take it back to the shop and have them fix it free of charge?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by David Arnold on -
I would be knocking on their door first thing tomorrow
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Permalink Reply by Torsten Bunge on -
Yep, get them to fix it
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Permalink Reply by Clive Palfrey on -
If you don't know what caused the puncture how can you blame the shop?
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Permalink Reply by Patrick O'Kane on -
How long was the ride home? Tubes are consumables, I would just fix or replace it and go for a ride. keep the old tube and if you get another puncture in the same place then take it back to the LBS.
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Permalink Reply by Eugene Suleau on -
10km. It's not beyond fixing myself.
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Permalink Reply by snappy_don on -
I reckon it's most likely a problem with the rim tape not covering a spoke hole.
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Permalink Reply by crickets on -
Spokes are too long or rim tape is shagged. Inspect (match puncture spot to point on rim), work out whats up.
If it is spoke length, go back to shop.
If its rim tape shagged out and not protecting tube, suck it up.
But if you are getting flats on the inside of your tube, something is wrong, and simply replacing the tube won't fix it. Given that the shop jut replaced spokes it is clear they have messed up somewhere. Anyone that tells you otherwise doesn't know what's up.
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Permalink Reply by Christo B1 on -
It's not worth loosing friends over, but sounds like the tube probably got "pinched" by the lever when the tyre was put back on. Definitely give them a call and see what they say. If it was my shop I'd at least give you another tube for the sake of future business
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Permalink Reply by crickets on
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Pinches (like you describe) tend to be immediate. Like, immediate after inflation.
Do not look past the spokes and rim tape. If its the spokes or tape, it will keep happening. Over. And over. And over. And over. And over.
But I agree. Not worth losing friend over but definitely worth working out what is going wrong, and fixing it.
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Permalink Reply by Christo B1 on
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Oops. Agreed. Should probably read the post properly before I comment. Either way call them back!
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Permalink Reply by Darryl on
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It sounds more like the rim tape. If it is it will keep happening until the tape is replaced. I'd take it back to the shop & discuss it with them. The tape isn't very expensive & they may offer to replace it. If not it's not the end of the world, just buy one.
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Permalink Reply by rossmg on -
Sounds a bit like a "snake-bite" - wheel takes a whack and the tube gets cut by the rim bottoming out. Have had them a few times when MtBiking that's why people run tubeless tyres. One usually gets 2 cuts that appear as parallel "lines", the tyre typically deflates very quickly.
Still, I have had a few times over the years "mysterious" pin-prick punctures on the inside of my tube with no discernible cause. A quick patch and away :-) Go figure.
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