Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

to expect the brand new inner tube on my buggy to NOT keep going friggin flat!!!!!!!!!

24 replies

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/07/2007 16:03

Spent £32 last week on replacing all the inner tubes on my Urban detour buggy. The day after the tubes were replaced one of the tyres was flat as a pancake again. I was not impressed but i took the wheel back to the shop (incurring train fare). The spotty teen took it away and I was presented with a fully inflated tyre 5 mins later.

I took it away put it back on the buggy and used the buggy today - we walked to the next village (50 mins away). Went to the shops and park etc. On the way home the tyre completely flat again!!! This time i am stranded 50 min away from home with buggy, shopping, 2yo and 1yo (ds on buggy board). Next to a busy A road which the buggy kept veering dangerously close to as the pavement is so friggin narrow!!! Arrggghhh....

So had to flag down passing local he helped me get taxi no. and I had to pay £7 to get home.

I am soooooo annoyed it was bloody dangerous today I could have lost control of the buggy. As it is I am out of pocket and still without a usable buggy. Is is unreasonable of me to consider asking for compensation from the bike shop? When I took the wheel back they should have replaced the innertube - I think the re-inflated the dodgy one!

OP posts:

EnidJane · 10/07/2007 16:08

essential

EnidJane · 10/07/2007 16:08

it is possible to do it yourself you know

hatrickjacqueline · 10/07/2007 16:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

EnidJane · 10/07/2007 16:12

me too

the foot pump kind (soooooooooooooooo much easier and quicker)

Original poster

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/07/2007 16:15

I usually have the pump as well but ds had been rummagin around in the basket I think as I found the bicycle pump in his train set box when we got home!!!!

I have bought some of the slime stuff and intended to do the wheels tonight - but I still think there is a fault with the innertube surely the gunk couldn't fix a slow leak or dodgy valve????

OP posts:

Original poster

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/07/2007 16:20

I can fix my tyres but the tyres were 3 years old and well patched so I wanted to have a fresh start - especially as I use a buggy board and that puts added strain on the wheels. Very heavy children + shopping + narrow bumpy tracks and pavements - surely that shouldn't mean continual flat tyre....

OP posts:

bran · 10/07/2007 16:21

The gunk will fix a slow leak, I've used it in the past. But if the inner tube is brand new then get the shop to replace it as it's not fit for its purpose.

I would phone and speak to the manager and make a fuss about the train fare and taxi fare and see what they suggest. They might just courier a new one out to you. If you do have to go back into shop then don't hand over the dodgy one until they bring the new one out.

aDad · 10/07/2007 16:22

Could be something sharp on the inside of the tyre that keeps grazing the inner tube when weight is put on the wheel? Might explain it?

aDad · 10/07/2007 16:23

not that i know anything about it, I mended my first EVER puncture a couple of weeks ago!

EnidJane · 10/07/2007 16:24

i foudn the gunk stuff pretty useless (we have loads of blackthorn on the lanes)

the stuff I linked to is brill for preventing punctures if sharp things are a problem

Original poster

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/07/2007 16:39

Thank you for replies btw - I just want to drink a load of red wine and then give the bike shop manager a lot of grief!!! But being a well brought up girl I won't

maybe there is a prob with the wheel rim - i am willing to consider other possibilities - but I always go for the most obvious first.

OP posts:

Original poster

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/07/2007 19:00

Actually i think I will go with the red wine urge....

OP posts:

JoshandJamie · 10/07/2007 19:15

My phil and teds is exactly the same. I have paid for so many new inner tubes because we tried using puncture repair kit to no avail. Eventually spent money on getting the slime inner liners, have the wheels thoroughly checked etc etc. One trip out and flat as a pancake again. I have now spent close to £80 just on getting flat tyres sorted out and it's still flat and I still don't use the buggy. Money well spent I feel. not

Original poster

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/07/2007 19:22

Oh gosh JandJ - that is terrible - then is it a problem with the buggy? Perhaps a new wheel is required- I really hope that is not the issue with my buggy.

Is it always the same wheel that gets a flat?

OP posts:

JoshandJamie · 10/07/2007 19:26

I did order a new wheel (an additional £25) because the original was bent out of shape which is why I thought it kept getting punctured. But now it's the other one that's getting flat. I'm actually too embarrassed to go back to the shop and complain because they already think I purposefully push the buggy through thorns for shits and giggles.

hana · 10/07/2007 19:32

YOU MAY STILL oops have shards of glass and thorns on the inside of the tire bit ( not the innertube) unless these are pulled out, you'll keep getting flats. you need to have a good feel round the inside of the tire for the sharp bits

(have you never changed a flat? gets expensive otherwise it sounds like!)

JoshandJamie · 10/07/2007 19:47

We did try change it ourselves but after it repeatedly went flat figured we must be doing something wrong. The guys at the bike shop don't charge to change it, they just charge for the new tube. They have checked and rechecked for thorns/glass in the tyre itself - and did find thorns, removed them all, went back over it and still it goes flat. I WANT SOLID TYRES!!!!

amidaiwish · 10/07/2007 20:15

JandJ get on to P&T direct. their customer service is really excellent. tell them what you've done/paid out, bet they sort it for you.

Original poster

bigmouthstrikesagain · 10/07/2007 20:22

Just spent an extremely fruitless and frustrating 1/2 hour attempting to blow up my tyre - the inner tube flatly refuses to be anything but flat! I am giving up the attempt to repair and will make the trip to the bike shop again tommorrow- I can see no alternative.

I sympathise en'tire'ly with you JandJ - but I love my buggy it is such a dream to push when the tyres are ok. Oh bother.

OP posts:

JoshandJamie · 10/07/2007 21:06

Goodluck Bigmouth - sorry for hijacking your post with my buggy woes. Sounds like your day was poop. I've not been stranded yet at least.

3andnomore · 10/07/2007 21:26

DefinaTELY GET GREEN SLIME into the tyre after next repair, even if occasionally you end up with a flat tyre, it will "repair" itself , so you just have to pump it up, iykwim...Asda does the green slime, so does Countrywide, and probably every shop that sells bikes

GreebosWhiskers · 10/07/2007 21:44

I didn't know about green slime - will deffo give it a go. I've spent about £60 getting the inner tubes on my Phil & Teds replaced. I love my P&T but it's a pita when it gets a flat.

We actually got a big metal staple in the tyre yesterday at the kiddies playpark Cue a very wobbly ride for ds to Motor World to get it replaced. The guy was lovely - tried repairing the tyre (with no joy) so he replaced it & only charged for the new tube & not the puncture repair kit. I couldn't believe it when he charged me £3.99 - I'd been paying £7.99 a time at the bike shop!

3andnomore · 10/07/2007 21:57

NOt sure if it is of any importance, but the countrywide slime stuff is actually also suitable for heavy things like Tractors, etc...so, not sure if it is any better then the Asda stuff...we certainly have not had any probs wiht our Adventure Buggy Venturer since.

Original poster

bigmouthstrikesagain · 12/07/2007 08:21

Hello Thank you all for your helpful messages

I went to the shop yesterday and they replaced the tyre as well as the innnertube and now my bugy has one super sexy brand new tyre and two old worn out looking ones (hope they aren't getting an inferiority complex?)

I have had the new tyre filled with the gunk stuff and am in process of filling the other tyres myself.... hopefully that will sort it.

I discovered last night that my bicycle pump was b*ered which might explain why I was unable to inflate the innertubes before so i was being a bit unreasonable but there was a problem with the wheel honest

OP posts:

Flip