Halfrauds inner tubes...
Halfrauds inner tubes...
Author
Discussion

Tribal Chestnut

Original Poster:

3,001 posts

212 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
...are utter w*****nk.

Just p1ssed away the best part of a tenner on replacing the tube on my dear Mother's bicycle.

The existing tyres on my old Trek 7000 were almost twenty years old, so thought I'd replace those whilst swapping the front inner tube. No problems with the rear, tyre off, old tube (not twenty yrs old) still in good nick so it's gone back in, new tyre on, wonderful.

New Halfrauds tube in the front, tyre back on, try & pump it up, won't hold any pressure (this was Sunday). Tyre off & I've somehow got a pinch flat in the process.

New tube bought today, exactly the same thing happened.

It seems the tubes are made of condom thickness rubber & the quality, like everything else, has dropped massively over the last ten years. Rip-off Britain indeed.

Now I need to get yet another tube, but will not be getting it (nor any other bike bits & bobs) from that sh*te hole. Bunch of mars bars.

Edited by Shaw Tarse on Tuesday 13th August 18:42

Jimbo.

4,224 posts

219 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
Or you're getting it wrong. It's an inner tube. Chances are it comes from the same factory as Continental, Specialized, Cheng Shin etc, etc, etc, so won't be any worse or any better than the rest of the market...

WarrenG

345 posts

227 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
done it myself with a continental inner. If you don't make sure all the inner is clear of the rim when you push the tyre bead over, pinch flat is the result - it's your fault, not the tube sadly. I've had more of these since getting folding tyres (like 3 months ago bought my first ever?!) than in decades of wire bead tyres.

have fun.

Tribal Chestnut

Original Poster:

3,001 posts

212 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
So it must be a coincidence then that I've only had this problem with their current tubes, not with the old tube that went back into the rear and never before over God knows how many tube changes & patches.

I would insert the 'scratching chin' smiley here, but I'm using my sh***y iPhone so I can't.

SuperHangOn

3,486 posts

183 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
Funnily enough when I was collecting my mtb from the bike shop yesterday, there was a girl whinging that a Halfords inner tube punctured straight away, he replied something along the lines of "to be honest the ones we sell are just the same, it must've been put on wrong". Nuff said.

Mine are from asda, Halfords is way too posh for me.

BTW Kevlar belted tyres or the schwalbe marathon plus are what you want for avoiding punctures.

deadtom

2,769 posts

195 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
sorry OP, but in my experience (which I'd reckon is not inconsiderable; I am a bicycle mechanic) it is pilot error 90% of the time when a tube gets punctured while fitting.


RCBRG

603 posts

171 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
having spent over 3 years as a bicycle mechanic at halfords, i can tell you there is nothing wrong with their inner tubes, when fitted correctly. in that time i did not have one single problem with a brand new tube when i fitted it

Maty

1,234 posts

243 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
Been using halfords finest since 09 when I bought my Cube HT, no problems here, user error.

Disco You

3,749 posts

210 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
User error.

groomi

9,331 posts

273 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
I always put a couple of pumps of air into it to give it a little bit of shape before squeezing the last section of tyre on.

Digger

16,864 posts

221 months

Tuesday 13th August 2013
quotequote all
groomi said:
I always put a couple of pumps of air into it to give it a little bit of shape before squeezing the last section of tyre on.
As above, then always used to massage the tyre quite hard from the side with both thumbs, first one side then the other, before a final pump up.

Westy Pre-Lit

5,088 posts

233 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
Give the tube some shape before fitting and never use levers.

Insert tube.

Work your way around the wheel starting from the opposite side of valve entrance. i.e. Valve entrance is last place to roll the tyre over.

Push the valve back in towards the rim a few times to seat it once tyre is on.

Check all around between the rim and tyre for on any bits of tube sticking out.

Pump up.

Simples smile

Edited by Westy Pre-Lit on Wednesday 14th August 07:50

Berz

406 posts

222 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
Westy Pre-Lit said:
Give the tube some shape before fitting and never use levers.

Insert tube.

Work your way around the wheel starting from the opposite side of valve entrance. i.e. Valve entrance is last place to roll the tyre over.

Push the valve back in towards the rim a few times to seat it once tyre is on.

Check all around between the rim and tyre for on any bits of tube sticking out.

Pump up.

Simples smile

Edited by Westy Pre-Lit on Wednesday 14th August 07:50
Then do it all again so that the valve sticks out straight!

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
PS
It's Halfords, not Halfrauds

Tribal Chestnut

Original Poster:

3,001 posts

212 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
Jimboka said:
PS
It's Halfords, not Halfrauds
Is it really? Bugger me you're clever.

Tribal Chestnut

Original Poster:

3,001 posts

212 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
Well, I purchased two more tubes from a little shop just south of Cambridge today & fitted one this evening, using exactly the same methodology as before, and, lo & behold, the wheel is now back on the bike, complete with a fully inflated inner tube.

I think I'll stick to the conclusion that I drew previously, even if you lot believe it to be wrong. smile

Digger

16,864 posts

221 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
Westy Pre-Lit said:
Give the tube some shape before fitting and never use levers.
What do you use instead of levers?

Jimbo.

4,224 posts

219 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
Digger said:
What do you use instead of levers?
Iron thumbs!

Westy Pre-Lit

5,088 posts

233 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
Berz said:
Then do it all again so that the valve sticks out straight!
Soon as I finished writing that I turned the computer off to leave for work. The second I hit the off button, my thoughts were "Bugger I'm gonna cop it now, I've got it round the wrong way. laugh

Westy Pre-Lit

5,088 posts

233 months

Wednesday 14th August 2013
quotequote all
Jimbo. said:
Digger said:
What do you use instead of levers?
Iron thumbs!
This ^

Gotta be 'ard as nails in this business.