Push Biking

[strawberry]

Hi all,

I got three kids = 3 bike

I got a bike = 1 bike

Every time day during these school hols I'm out pumping up tyres, usually in the middle of the day during the hottest. Consistently pumping up tyres and repairing punctures.

Any other fathers out there that can tell me where to buy decent tubes.

Regards Joe

[apetley]

Not sure where u can buy tubes as I am in the UK and presume u r in Thailand.

If you keep having punctures maybe it is not a tube problem.

Check that the pressure is correct, too high or too low is not good.

Riding style, kids often don't avoid potholes etc too well.

When u repair/replace a tube have you cleaned all the muck, nails etc from the tyre? If you keep getting a puncture in the same part of the tube thats a dead giveaway that theres still something sharp in the tyre.

A while ago Halfords in the UK were selling solid tyres, no tubes, had a sort of hardwearing foam construction. Not sure if they are available now. Would be ideal for a kids bike but not suitable for fast riding.

Andy

[Darth Bangkok]

my bike shop just closed down, but the lady recommended a new one to me. its on lad prao road just east of soi 101. its near so 101/3 or something like that. its just a local thai shop, so you won't get ripped off at like the shops that are more downtown.

i also have had terrible problems with tubes and tires like you described. some of it was my fault. one big problem i had was with the valves getting cut by the rim. at the new shop, the guy came up with a great way to solve it.

not sure how it has worked though, because i've only gone out on the bike 2 or 3 times since then!! but i think its fine. i'll find out on sunday when i check it out again.

[strawberry]

Thanks for that you don't happen to have the name of the tube.

I rode a bike back home in aus. and never had this problem.

it gets a bit serious cause I get sore lips from blowing and my bloody nose gets caught in the spokes.

Regards Joe

[Darth Bangkok]

i forgot the name because i threw out the box. i plan to go back in the next week or two for some spares to have around. usually the better quality ones they sell here are french brands, even though the tube might still say 'made in thailand'. even if the tube comes from france, the rubber probably still comes from here.

even the good ones take a beating here in thailand though. even quiet places in a park can wreak havoc on your bike. its hard to find a nice, smooth, safe quiet place.

another thing is, i have been told this a few times, although it doesn't make much sense to me. the humidity makes the tubes lose air. i always need to pump up the tires if i haven't used the bike in a while. last night i used it to go to the airport and back. the tires were pretty low because i hadn't used the bike in about three weeks. but they were fine after i filled them up.

i don't know how this could be. i thought my tubes were air tight and water tight!! but it seems to be the case. so lots of pumping up tires will still be part of your future - 4 bikes!!

[campbellS]

depending on the nature of the riding your doing, you could do the ol' street man's method of just stuffing the tires/tubes with something that is fairly squidgy, and wont shift around much ...though if you could ley your hands on the dense foam tyres metioned above, that'd be the best ticket. you know what, last night i had my bike stolen i've been leaving it out the front of pubs for years, left weeks on end, then just this once at a more main-street bus stop, and gone. in oz. little fugger, i'm keeping my eye out, so i can stick my leg out should i spot the blighter.