Front tyre.....

[dave the german]

Always used to change my own but local small bike shop is just around the corner from me (or maybe I'm just around the bend from them), but I always just take the wheel in and always check pressure before I put the wheel back - he's usually close to what I want so no probs

[bricking it]

Try Trading standards and see what they say ?

[boxerscott]

Fer Fcuk sake what is wrong with doing yer own tyres. It aint quantum measurement!! Easy peasy why blame someone else when you can blame yourself for being an idiot

And - how did that trip south go, when you went on your holidays a couple of years ago - Chris?

Al

errrr.... well we are still married, but that was a prolonged re build and maybe I forgot to "spanner up" the rear wheel. Point is I can blame myself for that and take responsibility for it, do tyre fitters blame themselves for marking your rims, under/over inflating , putting wheel wrong way round and not torking up brake calipers? Generally I think not. I am not taking piss about anyone who has a busy schedule and trusts the pros to do their job but it is a common moan and it is really easy to change your own tyres. Taking time out to go and pay for a botched job is also frustrating. Balancing and Nitogen is a load of cock, the only time a wheel is balanced is when it is perfectly horizontal and vertical on that spinner in the garage (if it is working properly). That is rarely the operating theatre on the road. and under load. Besides those sticky on things look shxt anyway.

[cornishflat]

It shows...maybe.... that some general tyre fitters can be a little lax when it comes to bike tyres. Mine are done by a guy who runs a small bike shop. He is a dyed in the wool biker who all does track days, bloody quick too. He takes the care with fitting...no bashed rims....balancing with the wheel on a spindle as seen in pit garages. No bargain basement prices, but a top notch service.

[boxerscott]

I am with you all the way, however he may actually cause the loss of some ones life, confront them.

Me personally I do not use the most economical option.

I always use PDQ i could get my tires probably 15% cheaper elsewhere but I trust these guys.

Our life may depend on it.




"slparry"]

Fer Fcuk sake what is wrong with doing yer own tyres. It aint quantum measurement!! Easy peasy why blame someone else when you can blame yourself for being an idiot

In the past I've done it loads of times, often on the top of some Welsh moor replacing an inner tube on a dirt bike too.

However, as I've gotten older I'm less inclined to get the tyre levers out, when I can ride in and have a new set fitted for little more than doing it myself. Tell me do you take the wheels off your car and fit the tyres yourself

The only reason I'm hesitant about snitching to this guys boss is I don't want to get the guy in trouble or lose him his job.

[/quote] No I do not, tried it once, that is a job I leave to the pros. Over inflation is required to get the beads to pop onto the rims. My new front took 65 psi to do that. I have had in the past gotten up to 90psi in a rear before they popped. May be the guy over inflated with the valve in then forgot to adjust? I think you should represent yourself to the company, the fitter would benefit from having his methods scrutinised?

[bigblackfalco]

Any decent tyre shop should actually ask YOU what pressures you want in them prior to fitting!

[nab 301]

[ I have had in the past gotten up to 90psi in a rear before they popped. ?

Tyre soap ?

[boxerscott]

Tyre soap indeed, but the wrong kind, it was a specialist lube that race crews use, it dries quickly and offers resistance to the tyre spinning on the rim. I was not quick enough but a liberal spraying of silicone spray helped.

[Boxermed69]

As has been said, the fella needs telling Steve, before some poor bugger has a big off as a result of his ineptitude. 4.2 bar vs 42 psi: the Specsavers comment was probably spot on - reading the wrong scale.

A few years back a friend was out following his mate when he suddenly swerved all over the shop before managing to stop in a handy layby. Turns out he'd had the (rear) tyre replaced the week before. The 'new' valve body had split about halfway through causing the tyre to deflate pretty much instantly. On inspection the rubber was so perished it was disintegrating when rubbed. The feckers (a local independent bike shop) must have been using ancient valve assemblies, or been storing them in the sun or summit. What really gritted my shit was that numpty bollocks just had a replacement fitted and left it at that! So muggins came over all public spirited and told the shop what had happened. Salesman got my hackles up with his 'prove it' attitude, but the boss at least appreciated the potential for disaster (and me bleating to Trading Standards) and got the linbin full of valves and, amusingly, instructed matey to check each one. He also stated, without prompting, that he'd be looking to contact those who'd had new valves fitted recently. Right result. I'd feel bloody awful if I'd done nothing and later heard that someone had been maimed or killed as a result of these defective valves.

Mike.

[slparry]

Eek ..... sounds like a very near miss Mike?

A riding friend of mine, Kath, whose Dad is a friend of the owner of the tyre fitting centre has passed the message along the grapevine to the owner. I will however be triple checking mine from now on tho'

I could of course take my business elsewhere, but when I had the incident with the ZX12R they didn't argue, and paid for the repair which to me says a lot as anywhere can have a problem, but sadly many get all aggressive and fight the customer over it.

[dave the german]

talking of sudden deflations, when I got my bike serviced I'd just put on those dust caps with pressure indicators. The guy told me to take them off and throw them away - seems they're too heavy and at high speeds the tops can come off causing a sudden deflation also he told me about car tyre places fitting bike tyres and using valves meant for cars - seems they're too long and can snap easily at high speeds

[slparry]

talking of sudden deflations, when I got my bike serviced I'd just put on those dust caps with pressure indicators. The guy told me to take them off and throw them away - seems they're too heavy and at high speeds the tops can come off causing a sudden deflation also he told me about car tyre places fitting bike tyres and using valves meant for cars - seems they're too long and can snap easily at high speeds

he's right Dave they're hideous

[Daveg2812]

When I had a new front fitted last year to a loose wheel, picked it up from the guy who works from a unit at the back of his home. He was having his tea when I called, but still asked what pressure I ran, checked it and popped in a quick squirt of air before handing it over. It shouldn't be missed, I'd go back and tell them.

[Dai wiskers]

talking of sudden deflations, when I got my bike serviced I'd just put on those dust caps with pressure indicators. The guy told me to take them off and throw them away - seems they're too heavy and at high speeds the tops can come off causing a sudden deflation also he told me about car tyre places fitting bike tyres and using valves meant for cars - seems they're too long and can snap easily at high speeds

You can get small plastic one's these are what i use the metal one's are twice the length and weight avoid the metal one's