Continental Inner Tube Issue - heads up!

meanredspider

Replaced the inners on my V because the valve stems were the Kenda smooth-wall style and my track pump (possibly because of wear from threaded stems) won't stay on them at pressure. Anyhow fitted some Continental tubes I bought from Wiggle (always to blame) in a 10 batch offer

10 x Continental Quality Road Long Valve Inner Tube 700x25-35 Cross 28 Presta 60mm

Went to jump on the bike this morning and both tyres were flat. On checking, it turns out that there seems to be a pin-hole in both valve stems which I'm guessing is a manufacturing fault. If you have the same tubes, it might be worth checking.

Not a great way to start a Monday morning.

meanredspider

Does anybody know if these tubes have removeable valves? The one thought I had was that maybe the valve isn't tight (poor in itself - I don't carry anything to tighten valves) but I didn't notice flats on the valve this morning

TommyEss

I think all the continental tubes I've had have had removable valve cores, yes. And my traack pump can sometimes unscrew them to boot!!

tgotb

Yep, same here, all my Continental tubes have removable valves. Thoroughly annoying (until you want to put a valve extender on, of course!)

You get tools to tighten them up when you buy valve extenders. A thin adjustable spanner would also do the job; I've never managed to do anything other than a temporary job with pliers...

meanredspider

Might be that then - to be honest, I didn't look too closely as I was just in a rush to get the two flats sorted.

I doubt my track pump undid them as it's the push-on type (and I used it the once to inflate the tyre). If the valves are loose, it's pretty poor from Conti. I don't know how many on here (except for screw-on pump users) check the tightness of the valves before use. I certainly never have, least of all my spare I carry. I expect the tube to be good to use out-of-the-box.

team47b

Had one valve (front wheel) pop out going 32kph, so snake bite on tube, not Conti's, but changed to a conti, which came undone with the screw on pump, and even came undone unscrewing the dust cap!

So not just Conti's, I now check all valves with a small pair of needle nose pliers (carefully)

Did buy the Conti tube from wiggle...

Fireblade96

I'm running exactly those tubes on the Pompino, and so far they've been no bother. Much better than others I've used.

And yes, I think I sourced mine from Wiggle when they last had them on offer.

meanredspider

Fireblade96 wrote:

I'm running exactly those tubes on the Pompino, and so far they've been no bother. Much better than others I've used.

And yes, I think I sourced mine from Wiggle when they last had them on offer.

Yes - I bought them because they've been the best tube I've used - just frustrated with this problem. Will take a close look at them this evening.

Fireblade96

Just a thought - could something in your track pump nozzle have holed the stems ?

meanredspider

Fireblade96 wrote:

Just a thought - could something in your track pump nozzle have holed the stems ?

I don't think so. I had no issues with the Kenda stems that were on there before nor the other brand (name escapes me) that I swapped them for. I think loose valves is the most likely culprit.

bobinski

i had a valve blow on a conti tube and then over space of a few weeks had problems with 2 valves coming loose when removing a screw on pump hose. Put it down to my own cack-handedness but have now moved to vitoria tubes. Fingers crossed ...

meanredspider

Screw-on pump hoses are the work of the devil. If I were forced to use one, I'd use tubes without removable cores.

Rigga

I had the same problem the other day with my new conti tube, got a flat, fitted new conti tube pumped up with my mini pump (screw on) and came to unscrew it and unscrewed the whole valve.This happened twice until i nipped up the valve core with some pliers i was carrying (thank god!).

meanredspider

Rigga wrote:

pumped up with my mini pump .... twice

Forearms like Popeye now?!!

ToeKnee

Rigga wrote:

I had the same problem the other day with my new conti tube, got a flat, fitted new conti tube pumped up with my mini pump (screw on) and came to unscrew it and unscrewed the whole valve.This happened twice until i nipped up the valve core with some pliers i was carrying (thank god!).

+1 .. not had any other problems with them.

meanredspider

Checked them this evening - loose isn't the word. For whatever reason there is a tiny hole in the stem near the very top of the stem itself - this is where the air was coming from. When the valve is screwed fully home, this hole is blocked off.

ddraver

I know - I ve had this problem a lot, on both road and MTB tubes - I assume it must be deliberate but I ve no idea why, do that many people need valve extenders?

meanredspider

Interesting reply from Continental's UK agent. Basically they say I should have checked the cores before use as they don't always come tight enough. Given that the inner tubes come with some specific instructions for use, which don't include this check, is this a reasonable response or a cop-out?

Follow-on questions
- how's your average consumer supposed to know?
- how tight is tight enough (torque spec)?
- how come the factory isn't capable of doing this consistently?
Etc

Should I be pressure-testing my Continental tyres before use too as could they not be made properly too?

cyclingprop

The pack literature may need an update, but it's not really that big a deal is it?

meanredspider

cyclingprop wrote:

The pack literature may need an update, but it's not really that big a deal is it?

It's not so much the IFU but the fact that poor assembly has to be covered by the consumer. It's like asking you to check all the lids on supermarket products you buy are properly attached and blaming you if it leaks all over your car seat

ddraver

cyclingprop wrote:

The pack literature may need an update, but it's not really that big a deal is it?

When the valve core come off with the pump (or worse a CO2 cartridge) having just pumped it up during a race, it's a pretty big deal. For 1, I switched manufacturers.

cyclingprop

meanredspider wrote:

cyclingprop wrote:

The pack literature may need an update, but it's not really that big a deal is it?

It's not so much the IFU but the fact that poor assembly has to be covered by the consumer. It's like asking you to check all the lids on supermarket products you buy are properly attached and blaming you if it leaks all over your car seat

Actually that would only count if they came pre filled. Same as lots of things, some assembly required, check nut tightness at 50 miles, etc

meanredspider

cyclingprop wrote:

Actually that would only count if they came pre filled. Same as lots of things, some assembly required, check nut tightness at 50 miles, etc

So you'd be happy if you bought a factory wheel and it came with a loose spoke? Or a rear dérailleur with loose jockey wheels? I'd mind a lot less if the valve came as an unfitted part - then it would be clear what's expected of the consumer. Saying that the factory sometimes manages to assemble it completely and sometimes doesn't is, to me, very poor. And, if you aren't going to assemble it correctly, then label it

team47b

I felt it was a good idea to check tightness of eveything on my new bike before my first ride, thought it was my job to do this, and was pleased that CRC had done it all correctly, it was not necessary but it's my skin that's at risk of being spread on the tarmac, BUT like CRC I didn't check the tightness of the tube valves, front wheel valve popped out going downhill, scary thing for a first ride.

It is the responsibility of the seller to sell stuff that is fit for the purpose, but common sense says it's worth double checking, but what else did I miss?

meanredspider

team47b wrote:

I felt it was a good idea to check tightness of eveything on my new bike before my first ride, thought it was my job to do this, and was pleased that CRC had done it all correctly, it was not necessary but it's my skin that's at risk of being spread on the tarmac, BUT like CRC I didn't check the tightness of the tube valves, front wheel valve popped out going downhill, scary thing for a first ride.

It is the responsibility of the seller to sell stuff that is fit for the purpose, but common sense says it's worth double checking, but what else did I miss?

Yup - I'm all for taking reasonable responsibility BUT if I'm an engineer, a lifelong cyclist, I do 99.9% of my own bike maintenance, I prepare and race cars and so on, and I'm not thinking to check that the valve is properly fitted, what chance do many of the rest of the consumer population have? I only hope that Conti take more care with the manufacture of my bike & car tyres.

Fat-Boy-Roubaix

Wish I had seen this before, spent a soul destroying hour at the roadside last night with these tubes and road drive screw on pump removing the core and said core being stuck inside the pump. Not only that once inflated and back on the bike both my spare conti tubes were intantly flat within moments.

I had a 4 mile walk home in front of me bar a fantastic cyclist stopping and insisting on giving me his brand new specialized tube (THANKS), which went up perfectly and stayed up. Never ever again.

pangolin

Had continental cores come out twice using lezyne screw on pump (pump is otherwise lovely!). Both times managed to get the core out and back in the tube (used little leatherman squirt to tighten - very handy tool!).

Bit annoying. Not the end of the world though.

meanredspider

Fat-Boy-Roubaix wrote:

Wish I had seen this before, spent a soul destroying hour at the roadside last night with these tubes and road drive screw on pump removing the core and said core being stuck inside the pump. Not only that once inflated and back on the bike both my spare conti tubes were intantly flat within moments.

I had a 4 mile walk home in front of me bar a fantastic cyclist stopping and insisting on giving me his brand new specialized tube (THANKS), which went up perfectly and stayed up. Never ever again.

I can empathise with that frustration - been there myself with the Lezyne pumps (which I personally think is a silly system) but Conti really don't help either. It's bad enough getting a flat and repairing it (especially this time of year) but then to be fighting to keep the valve core in is soul-destroying

Thanks for reminding me that I need to check the core on the spare I carry.

sketchley

Had this on a few conti race 28s in the past, also on schwabbe tubes as well. Pair of pliers does the trick.....

pangolin

It is the main reason this is kept next to my topeak tool

Fat-Boy-Roubaix

Sketchley wrote:

Had this on a few conti race 28s in the past, also on schwabbe tubes as well. Pair of pliers does the trick.....

Thats about the only thing I do not carry with me.