Faulty Performance Tubes

I'd be for checking your rim tape and the condition of the valve stem hole.

People periodically talk about "bad batches of inner tubes" and I suppose that's possible, but my personal experience has always been that something else is causing the flats.

Retro Grouch said:

I'd be for checking your rim tape and the condition of the valve stem hole.

People periodically talk about "bad batches of inner tubes" and I suppose that's possible, but my personal experience has always been that something else is causing the flats.

That could be the cause, but the hole is located directly on the top of the tube (against the tire, opposite of the valve stem hole). Therefore, I would think that bad rim tape or something on the rim could not have caused these two holes on the exact same spot on the tube. Also, I did check all of the tape and valve stem hole anyway and there is nothing there to cause me to believe that it could do anything to the tube.

I pretty much find everything about Performance faulty. FWIW, if there was set of tubes that had production flaws, you are more likely to experience multiple tube failures as it's more likely that the tubes you bought came from the same production run.

alienator said:

I pretty much find everything about Performance faulty. FWIW, if there was set of tubes that had production flaws, you are more likely to experience multiple tube failures as it's more likely that the tubes you bought came from the same production run.

That's kind of what I was thinking happened to me. I have one more tube that I bought with that bunch that I will be using. If it gets a leak in the exact same spot again even though I rotated my tire on the rim between 1-2 inches I think I can be fairly certain it is a production flaw.

koch711 said:

I was just wondering if anybody has ran into any faulty Performance tubes? I recently purchased three Performance 700x19-23c tubes for my road bike and have had 2 flats on them.

The first flat started to leak during a ride and slowly went flat after a few miles. I found a very little leak on top of the tube (above the stem) where there is the rectangular shaped seam. It appeared that the seam had split right at the corner. I had previously had a piece of glass in my tire about an inch from that location so I checked the area for any glass that could have been left, but there was absolutely nothing left in the tire that could have caused it.

So, I then threw in the 2nd Performance tube and had no problems for 3 more 30 mile rides. Then, after finishing another 30 mile ride the other night I was taking my bike out of the vehicle and noticed that the tire was flat. It had been about 3 hours since the ride and must have went flat within that time. I pulled out the tube and noticed that there was once again a very small leak right on the seam of the tube in the exact same location as previously. Just to be sure I once again checked for glass or anything else sharp in the tire and found nothing. I also don't think it was anything that had stayed in the tire because I had taken off the tire between leaks and had not replaced it in the exact same location on the wheel.

I have one more tube from Performance to use and am slightly afraid of using it because I'm really beginning to think I bought a bunch of defective tubes.

Sorry about the really long post, but I was just wanting to be as detailed as possible to see if anybody else has had similar problems or has any suggestions for me.

It could be a bad batch of tubes or it could be a bad installation job (I know, sorry, but it happens to the best, and do you really want to be known as the best bicycle tire changer around?). It might even be you've just been unlucky lately.

I bought a tube once from one of these on-line places. It wouldn't take air, had a hole straight out of the box. To their credit the seller replaced it straight away, no questions, no fuss. All I had to do was call it to their attention.

2 old 2 go slow said:

It could be a bad batch of tubes or it could be a bad installation job (I know, sorry, but it happens to the best, and do you really want to be known as the best bicycle tire changer around?). It might even be you've just been unlucky lately.

I bought a tube once from one of these on-line places. It wouldn't take air, had a hole straight out of the box. To their credit the seller replaced it straight away, no questions, no fuss. All I had to do was call it to their attention.

I am actually not that great at changing tires quickly, but I'm just not sure that is the problem. I don't know what I could do to make a tube get a hole in it in the exact same spot (same spot on the little square patch of rubber above the stem) two times in a row. The second time I got a hole it didn't go flat until after 90 miles (3 rides). This part of the tube can only touch the tire and I rotated the tire in between flats. I'm not saying it is completely impossible that I am causing it, but I don't see how I could be. I did take the tube back to Performance and they thought it was probably faulty too. I felt really cheap taking back a $2 tube, but I was more interested in seeing if anybody else had the same problem as me.

koch711 said:

... I don't know what I could do to make a tube get a hole in it in the exact same spot (same spot on the little square patch of rubber above the stem) two times in a row. ...

I don't either. It does sound as if you had a couple of bad tubes. It happens. Fortunately, as you point out, the bike shops know this too and are good about replacing them.

koch711 said:

That could be the cause, but the hole is located directly on the top of the tube (against the tire, opposite of the valve stem hole). Therefore, I would think that bad rim tape or something on the rim could not have caused these two holes on the exact same spot on the tube. Also, I did check all of the tape and valve stem hole anyway and there is nothing there to cause me to believe that it could do anything to the tube.

Sorry, I misunderstood your original post. In that case, do you make a point of lining up your tire label with the valve stem. If you do, I'd suspect a hidden thorn or piece of glass or something in the tire. If you don't, I'd suspect the tubes too.

Retro Grouch said:

Sorry, I misunderstood your original post. In that case, do you make a point of lining up your tire label with the valve stem. If you do, I'd suspect a hidden thorn or piece of glass or something in the tire. If you don't, I'd suspect the tubes too.

I used to line up the tire label with the valve stem, but I decided not to do that after I saw the first tube get a hole or split right on the seam. I had taken the tire off the rim to check for things in it between the two flats and I know I could not have put it back on to the mm to get a hole in it in the exact same spot.

I will be using another Performance tube tomorrow on a 70 mile ride so I'll see how it does on it. I will have a backup with me and there will be plenty of people there that should have spares if something happens. T

Thanks everybody for their comments.

Several of us tried a lot of their Lunar Lite tubes, because the originals only weighed 50 grams, but got too many seam and valve stem leaks, to buy any more.

lks said:

Several of us tried a lot of their Lunar Lite tubes, because the originals only weighed 50 grams, but got too many seam and valve stem leaks, to buy any more.

That reminds me, I also did have a leak in one on the valve stem too while I was airing it up. I'm sure I put some pressure on it, but it seamed to get a hole way too easy. I should invest in buying some better tubes, but the Performance shop by me only sells one other brand and it is about 2-3 times as expensive.

I had one faulty Performance tube. It was an Ultra Lite tube. I didn't even go out with that tube. It blew up while pumping it for the very first time. Luckily the store isn't far from where I live, so I took it back and got a little thicker one. It has been working ok.
I grew skeptical of anything light weight when it comes to tire or tube. Continetal GP3000 (not a cheap tire) worn out only after little over 1000miles and start showing thread under the rubber tread. Even a cheap Performance Forte tire lasts many more times longer than that.

"These cans are defective! They're springing leaks!"

allgoo19 said:

I had one faulty Performance tube. It was an Ultra Lite tube. I didn't even go out with that tube. It blew up while pumping it for the very first time. Luckily the store isn't far from where I live, so I took it back and got a little thicker one. It has been working ok.
I grew skeptical of anything light weight when it comes to tire or tube. Continetal GP3000 (not a cheap tire) worn out only after little over 1000miles and start showing thread under the rubber tread. Even a cheap Performance Forte tire lasts many more times longer than that.

I weigh 140lbs and ride bad roads. I get 3k-4k miles out of my Michelin Pro2 race tires and rarely get a flat in my Continental 50 gram Race Supersonic 28 tubes. If an object can make it thru the tire, no tube is going to stop it no matter how thick it is.