Bicycle Mechanics - New inner tube problem

Hi there all,

I was in a minor crash yesterday which bent my front wheel. Having checked for any damage beyond that myself and not found any i proceeded to change the wheel and the inner tube which had been damaged, i haven't changed the outer part of the tyre itself. My problem is that the inner tube seems not to have inflated properly in one section, resulting in an area on the front wheel that is pretty flat whilst the rest of the tyre is fully inflated. Have i done something wrong and can i sort this out or do i need to go back to the shop and get another inner tube? Or is it that my tyre also needs replacing?

Also i'm having my bike professionally looked at tomorrow so hopefully they'll agree that no permanent damage was done.

Any help you can offer would be gratefully appreciated,

Dan

Possibly a twisted or pinched tube...?
Remove tube, inflate partially, and re-insert.

I would have the wheel looked at first before taking it out for a spin.

It's a new wheel i fitted today. Is it possible there's a problem with it?

It's a new wheel i fitted today. Is it possible there's a problem with it?Like I said, perhaps you didn't install the tube correctly.

Thanks, will try the tube again. If i still manage to mess up i can get the professionals to sort it tomorrow when they check it over for any crash damage.

Hey, just an update. Re-fitted the tube and it was still the same so i inflated the tube by itself whilst it was off the wheel and there's 2 areas which don't stretch at all, the tube around it inflates fine but because these sections aren't inflating correctly the surrounding tube bulges out. Think the tube is defective. Am i right because i plan to take it back tomorrow

Hey, just an update. Re-fitted the tube and it was still the same so i inflated the tube by itself whilst it was off the wheel and there's 2 areas which don't stretch at all, the tube around it inflates fine but because these sections aren't inflating correctly the surrounding tube bulges out. Think the tube is defective. Am i right because i plan to take it back tomorrowI think this is normal...what you're describing. The areas that have thicker rubber usually don't stretch as much and bulge out like the rest of the tube. Most tubes when inflated by themselves do that.

Really? Ok then, it seems to be over a 4 or 5 inch area and another one of about 1 inch.

The tire bead isn't seating correctly. Park as a tool for that.
http://www.parktool.com/images/products/productimages/det_PTS-1_action_200589_63158.jpg

Thanks for all the feedback. Since I had to send my bike into the shop after the crash to check over my frame etc. so I'm getting them to look at the tube and the tyre as well. They should be able to sort it out and since the guy who hit me is paying for the damage it's all good.

Dan

Hey guys, the bike shop concurred that the new inner tube was faulty and have replaced it and given me a spare for free, not that i was paying anyway... Can't complain really. Thanks for all the feedback, i'll be sure to head back here if i have any other problems.

D

As Dan stated, I'll bet the tire is not seated in the bead at all well. Doesn't matter if it's a Huffy or a High End bike, this can happen on any tire and wheel combination. Sometimes you can roll the bead in with your hands, and other times you need a tool like Dan shows in his post. This is something that many people overlook and has the potential for problems down the road.

Chris