Did I get taken for a ride on tires?

[Sakeopete]

To start I know nothing about cycling except to get on a bike and peddle. I bought a decent aluminum bike ten years ago but didn't ride it much mostly because every few days the tire go flat (my excuse for laziness). Anyways I took it again to a higher end bicycle shop and had new tubes and tires put on it. I then took my bike to stay at my condo in Bangkok where I will get more use. The first ride the side wall of the new tire blows out *%&#@!*&!. My bike has quick release wheels so I took them off and headed to a high end shop that sells GIANT on Ram Intra and asked for new tires.

 

They put some impressive looking Kenda Small Block 8 tubeless 26" tires I didn't ask about price as bicycle tires are usually inexpensive. Anyways when the bill came they charged me almost Baht 8000! Damn that's expensive out of boredom I looked them up on the net and they sell in the USA for around $36 I think I was taken for a ride. :-(

[bobfish]

Did they convert your rims and mount your tyres tubeless?? 

[coldfusionPaul]

There hasn't been a Giant dealer on Ramintra in years. Perhaps you're thinking of another shop? 

 

8k sounds quite high for tires. As the other posted suggested, did they change wheels to accommodate tubeless tires? Did the previous ones use tubes? In any case the bill should be itemized.

Edited August 21, 2016 by coldfusionPaul

[Stew41]

Massive rip albeit quite good tyres. They must have replaced the rims as well to be tubeless compatible? Which in itself was completely  unnecessary...........base level stuff like Maxxis would have been more than fine. Name of store?

[Sakeopete]

2 hours ago, coldfusionPaul said:

There hasn't been a Giant dealer on Ramintra in years. Perhaps you're thinking of another shop? 

 

8k sounds quite high for tires. As the other posted suggested, did they change wheels to accommodate tubeless tires? Did the previous ones use tubes? In any case the bill should be itemized.

The dealer is below Ram Intra Expressway not far from 304 ramp ( World Bike -629 ถนน ประดิษฐ์มนูธรรม Khwaeng Lat Phrao, Khet Lat Phrao, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10230 ). Unfortunately I bought them weeks ago I will look for the bill when I go to Bangkok again.

The wheels are the ones I brought they didn't change them however I don't know if they were modified my bike didn't have tubeless tires before the Kenda's.

[Sakeopete]

4 hours ago, bobfish said:

Did they convert your rims and mount your tyres tubeless?? 

They mounted the tires but I didn't ask if they are tubeless. TBH I didn't know to ask about it I only noticed they say tubeless while I mounted the wheels back on the bike.. They spoke zero English at this World Cycle so all I asked for was good tires.

[bobfish]

8k sounds ott anyway, but can't be sure just how much without knowing what work and replacements were carried out. 

Sadly, this may be part of a learning experience, hope it doesn't put you off riding your bike !!!!

[bobfish]

Btw, easily tell if your tyres are set up tubeless by looking at the valves. A quick google search will help. 

[coldfusionPaul]

world bike? i switched from giant to specialized because of world bike (though i still buy my top peak stuff from them, no choice).

 

yeah world bike is expensive but they're not that expensive & i've never seen them screw somebody over that much. doesn't sound quite right. there must be other items on the bill. if not new wheels, maybe spokes, brake pads, etc.?

[Sakeopete]

2 hours ago, coldfusionPaul said:

world bike? i switched from giant to specialized because of world bike (though i still buy my top peak stuff from them, no choice).

 

yeah world bike is expensive but they're not that expensive & i've never seen them screw somebody over that much. doesn't sound quite right. there must be other items on the bill. if not new wheels, maybe spokes, brake pads, etc.?

I didn't take my bike to them only my wheels they came back looking exactly the same except for the tires. The spokes are still dirty so they didn't change them.

[coops]

Sounds like the Giant shop along by the Chalong Rat expressway, on the way to Crystal, Central Eastville etc, etc... and eventually does get to the Ram Intra Rd...

Sounds expensive, but first you say you had new tyres with tubes, then tubeless... so maybe they were converted to tubeless?

 

(Not sure how you'd see if it's tubeless apart from deflating and taking a peek in the tyre - I run tubeless road tyres and use the retaining nut to seat the valve internal seal a bit before inflation... so they look pretty much like the usual tubed tyres? Maybe you could tell the difference between the valve to tube and the tubeless valve seat through the rim hole... )

 

Anyway - I'd recommend Bike Station on Phattanakan Road, friendly, English speaking and good value

http://bicyclethailand.com/bike-station-in-bangkok/

 

A friend had 2 new tyres fitted at Bike Terminal out nearish the Sky Lane - fitting was free, just pay for the tyres - fairly typical service for Thailand I'd say...

 

If you don't have a track stand pump you should get one, and a couple of cheap but solid plastic tyre levers... then look around Youtube - changing tyres is easy enough (tubeless can be a faff... but no problems on my Stans Notubes rims).