[amol4184]

Originally Posted by phi

[b]
One more week, a few short rides, and the puncture came back like clockwork.

This sounds like a good candidate for tubeless! Did you take a look at how those punctures looked like? e.g. two small holes, seam separation, crack. Apart from poor quality tubes improper inflation will also cause punctures. But sometimes its just plain bad luck too. I had one such bike which, on average, will have punctures twice a month. Changing tires, tubes nothing helped. After I sold it, I decided to go tubeless despite my apprehension about the added headache but that immediately ceased my punctures.
But again if you are going to have a puncture you WILL have a puncture.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by phi

A Rant on Repairing a Bicycle

Need to check that little wobble now!

You mentioned the repeat punctures were on the seam, but you never mentioned (or maybe I missed it) whether they were in the tyre side or the rim side. In my experience, rim tape can be a culprit (more so on road bikes with mych higher pressure) in weakening the tube at the dimples of the spoke holes that form over time. But the tube gets weakened (it develops thinned out bulges in exactly the same spoke hole pattern, and eventually one gives way) over quite some time. In your case it was instantaneous. That points to more an installation thing than a tube thing. In my opinion. Even cheap local tubes like Ralco and GRL and Hartex etc. never simply just give way like that. I've done over 50,000 km on the first two.

Cheers, Doc

[phi]

Originally Posted by amol4184

This sounds like a good candidate for tubeless! Did you take a look at how those punctures looked like? e.g. two small holes, seam separation, crack. Apart from poor quality tubes improper inflation will also cause punctures.

Originally Posted by ebonho

You mentioned the repeat punctures were on the seam, but you never mentioned (or maybe I missed it) whether they were in the tyre side or the rim side. In my experience, rim tape can be a culprit (more so on road bikes with mych higher pressure) in weakening the tube at the dimples of the spoke holes that form over time. But the tube gets weakened (it develops thinned out bulges in exactly the same spoke hole pattern, and eventually one gives way) over quite some time. In your case it was instantaneous. That points to more an installation thing than a tube thing. In my opinion. Even cheap local tubes like Ralco and GRL and Hartex etc. never simply just give way like that. I've done over 50,000 km on the first two.

Thanks, I will consider tubeless if I get the issue even with the new tube.

It was 1-2 small holes right on the seam, every time. And it was on the rim side every time, though not at the same location.

I have this suspicion that they procured tubes from someone, and these came from old stock which had degraded. My tyres are 700x35C, and they were probably pushing what they had with them. If I remember correctly, they charged me around Rs.800 for the tube. I agree that a new tube (even a local one) would not have failed the same way.

Maybe an installation issue, but I suspect they will get caught out like that multiple times, given their reputation as an established specialty bicycle store. Even I, at best an amateur, took care to ensure that the tube was not pinched anywhere.

Improper inflation is also an unlikely cause. The recommended pressure on the tyre is 50psi, and the range is , and it was filled to 50psi every time.

[ebonho]

If a tube is bad, it will be equally likely to give way at either seam. Or even more likely at the valve.

Cheers, Doc

[phi]

Originally Posted by ebonho

If a tube is bad, it will be equally likely to give way at either seam. Or even more likely at the valve.

I hope it does not occur again with the new tube. So far so good.