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kelp_strewn_rock
Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Wed 27th Aug 9:25pm Post subject: Puncture Repair Story |
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Had a puncture in the morning yesterday, so drove with my bike to Cyco in Ponsonby Rd, Auckland, rather than be late for work. Picked up last night, cost $20. Went to bike to work this am, tyre flat again. So drove with my bike to Cyco who repaired again. This time they replaced the backing strip which isolates the tube from the rim. Initially they wished to charge $30 for this, reduced to $17 after discussion. Went to hop on bike after work tonight, flat again. Had some time this evening so repaired the puncture myself, and found a piece of metal in the tyre. As I have quoted the name of the shop I will give my name too - Stephen Curham.
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rory161192
Thrashed
Joined: Mar 10, 2007
Posts: 1,344
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| Posted: Wed 27th Aug 9:39pm Post subject: |
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so you paid $37 for them to repair your punctures rather than do it yourself? You could have bought 4 new tubes for that price, and at least 5 puncture repair kits. Really, a job that small should be done yourself, then you only have yourself to blame - at no cost.
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kcids-naughty-account
Flogged
Joined: Jan 07, 2008
Posts: 2,180
Location: YE BOI
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| Posted: Wed 27th Aug 9:48pm Post subject: |
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and what might your point be Mr. Curham? 
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sifter
Moving forward
Joined: Nov 13, 2003
Posts: 10,701
Location: Wellington
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| Posted: Wed 27th Aug 10:01pm Post subject: |
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I ALWAYS check the tyre before inflating a new tube. Usually I leave the valve stem in, reinflate the punctured tube to see where the hole is, and then check the tyre in the vicinity of the hole for glass or gorse... They should have done this at the shop, which is no doubt the point Stephen was trying to make...
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mudguard
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Joined: Jul 08, 2003
Posts: 2,997
Location: Auckland's North Shore
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| Posted: Wed 27th Aug 10:04pm Post subject: |
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I went through three tubes putting slicks on my commuter. They were just way too tight.
Or the screwdrivers I was using as tyre levers were too sharp...
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sifter
Moving forward
Joined: Nov 13, 2003
Posts: 10,701
Location: Wellington
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| Posted: Wed 27th Aug 10:05pm Post subject: |
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Apparently thumbs only for mounting tyres...
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hickie
Back to the Jungle...
Joined: Nov 09, 2005
Posts: 1,975
Location: Down the Hutt
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| Posted: Wed 27th Aug 10:09pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, one way to learn some jobs are just better DIY...
As an aside, there is nothing like a cold Wellington southerly to teach you how to change tubes (including checking for object in the tyre!) in under 5 minutes 
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Spokes
Wrecked
Joined: Nov 13, 2005
Posts: 5,045
Location: Loving LA
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| Posted: Wed 27th Aug 10:09pm Post subject: |
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| sifter wrote: | | I ALWAYS check the tyre before inflating a new tube. Usually I leave the valve stem in, reinflate the punctured tube to see where the hole is, and then check the tyre in the vicinity of the hole for glass or gorse... They should have done this at the shop, which is no doubt the point Stephen was trying to make... |
I just use a little pen mark on the tyre works best, just if you move the tyre etc.
And thumbs only for fitting tyres, ever. Unless you hve a real tight one, then I have a tyre fitting tool.
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mudguard
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Joined: Jul 08, 2003
Posts: 2,997
Location: Auckland's North Shore
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| Posted: Wed 27th Aug 10:10pm Post subject: |
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I'd love to have seen someone mount these with their bloody thumbs, they were worse than a 2.6 24inch gazza I was trying to squeeze onto my big hit.
Like an article in mountain bike fiction, RC taking DH tires off with his bare hands. On god damned crack I'll tells ya.
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Commuterdin
Shiny
Joined: Aug 15, 2008
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Thu 28th Aug 12:15am Post subject: |
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Hmm I guess I would be annoyed at finding the bit of metal in the tire? I suppose you are annoyed that you never got any sort of recompense from the LBS? Are they not willing to reimburse you money? I don't understand why you then ended up fixing the tire yourself which is what you should have done in the first place?
The points raised by others here is valid. If you are going to ride a bike any distance particularly if you are commuting or going off-road, touring or long distance road cycling you have to learn to change a tire. It takes me around 10-15 mins to change a tire in the cold.
I am a rubbish bike mechanic, but I can fix a tire, chain, replace cables and other stuff not because I enjoy doing it I don't, but because if you are 10km from home in the middle of the night you need to be able to get yourself and your bike home. I'm more than happy letting my LBS do the servicing every 2500-3000km so i don't have to, but if the sh*t hits the fan I'll make it home.
I would check out the Late Great Sheldon Brown's site: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ it has pretty much everything you need to know about bikes.
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Trail
Worn
Joined: Aug 15, 2008
Posts: 883
Location: Chch
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| Posted: Thu 28th Aug 8:51am Post subject: |
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That is pretty dissapointing service. Sure charge for the first time, but if if was not fixed first time then subsequent repairs should have been fixed for free, especially if it was something that was missed by the mechanic.
Checking the tyre for things that will still cause punctures is a pretty basic first step in fixing a puncture. It sounds to me that the shop needs to train some decent mechanics and learn some customer service!!
As to all of you on your high horses about "should have done it yourself" get real!! He said he took it in there because he was running short of time. To have it then go flat again... I too would have taken it back and said fix this!! If it had gone down again and I had found the piece of metal in the tire that was the problem I probably would have taken it in and shown them, and asked for a refund of my original money plus the tube to fix it!!
If they were still not admiting it was their fault I sure as heck would be telling everyone I knew to avoid the shop...
Mistakes will be made by mechanics, but charging again when it was their mistake and still not getting it right definitely deserves an apology!
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phunk
Mangled
Joined: Feb 28, 2004
Posts: 12,031
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| Posted: Thu 28th Aug 9:04am Post subject: |
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 Reading comprehension is not high on the list of most vorbers priorities.
That sucks you got tihsty service and forced to pay for it.
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radical_edward
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Joined: Mar 10, 2004
Posts: 3,792
Location: The not too distant future...
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| Posted: Thu 28th Aug 9:21am Post subject: |
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| Trail wrote: | | Checking the tyre for things that will still cause punctures is a pretty basic first step in fixing a puncture. It sounds to me that the shop needs to train some decent mechanics and learn some customer service!! |
In my experience, it is usually the shop rat that fixes punctures. For whatever reason, the bike came back and the tyre should have been checked thoroughly at that point. The shops mistake was assuming that the puncture was fixed correctly the first time. A faulty rim strip is a sensible next port of call if the tyre and tube are OK.
One of the benefits of patching tubes, rather than replacing the tube outright is that you are forced to take the time to look at the hole in the tube. This will help you diagnose what caused the puncture in the first place. The amount of times you hear the 'got a flat, threw the spare tube in and 20 metres later, I got a flat again' story....
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jeremyb
BRAP BRAP BRAP BRAP
Joined: Jan 12, 2003
Posts: 32,883
Location: Derailled
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| Posted: Thu 28th Aug 9:22am Post subject: |
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| mudguard wrote: | I'd love to have seen someone mount these with their bloody thumbs, they were worse than a 2.6 24inch gazza I was trying to squeeze onto my big hit.
Like an article in mountain bike fiction, RC taking DH tires off with his bare hands. On god damned crack I'll tells ya. |
Depends on the rims and your technique, I can get many DH tyres on and off by hand
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Trail
Worn
Joined: Aug 15, 2008
Posts: 883
Location: Chch
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| Posted: Thu 28th Aug 9:29am Post subject: |
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| radical_edward wrote: |
In my experience, it is usually the shop rat that fixes punctures. For whatever reason, the bike came back and the tyre should have been checked thoroughly at that point. The shops mistake was assuming that the puncture was fixed correctly the first time. A faulty rim strip is a sensible next port of call if the tyre and tube are OK. |
I agree. However the bike shop should have been able to tell from the sort of hole in the tube (and location of said hole) that it was something sticking through the tyre and not the rim strip that was causing the problem.
I have no problem with the bike shop getting the "boy" to fix stuff... they just need to be prepared to face up to any mistakes that might be made by someone who is still learning.
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