Anyone ever buy a defective tube? A few months ago, I bought a 26", Chinese-made, Wallmart special. I had a flat today, and when I removed the tube, I could see little tears all along the top. Since the inside of my tire is smooth, I cannot imagine any problem other than a bad tube. I have never over-inflated the tire, or added any kind of stop leak.

well , given its wally world, I doubt they will believe you.
Ill say it too, Might be an installation , User, Error .
did you only use your hands to put the tire back on?

Nope, not pinched with tire lever. These are a series of tears all along the very top of the tube. The tears are about a 1/2" long and occur about ever 4 or 5 inches for about 1/3 the length of the tube.

Your description of the tears occuring at regular intervals reminds me of failures I have seen caused by a failed rimstrip... although these obviously happen along the inside.

Also, defective tubes (which I am told do happen but never to me as fare as I can recall) generally do not last months before failing.

Do you have a picture of the holes?

Edit: Also, very odd that there are multiple failure points... one hole is enough to let the air out, and with no air pressure there is nothing pushing the tube against something that could cause a flat.

Uh, buy a new one and move on

Buy a "better" one and move on.

I purchased my 2011 Felt road bike new, just over 4 months ago in late September 2012. Since then BOTH tubes have just spontaneously sprung leaks and lost all air within seconds. Both times happened while the bike/tires were just sitting stationary, and both of them sprung leaks in exactly the same spot, about 1/2" away from the base of the presta valve. Also heard someone else with a 2011 Felt have the same problem. I think they got a bad batch of tubes. So yes I definitely think a tube can be defective.

But like others said, buy a new tube and move on. I've had great luck with the Bontrager tubes carried by my LBS.

Problem found. Mr. Tuffy liner had gotten brittle with age and developed cracks that rubbed against my tube and caused the problem.

Yup, I've had a number of "baddies" before; usually they're the cheapies, proving the old adage "you get's what you pays for!". Mine have mostly been a weakness where the valve is bonded into the tube. Some of them have given up soon after getting them up to pressure, a right P.I.T.A. when it happens to both of the spares you're carrying!!!

- Wil

Your flat protective strip was made from cast irony.

Seriously. It's a tube. I go through half a dozen a year, and I patch them until the patches overlap. Pay six bucks and go ride,

Weird there are multiple failure points, but yes, bad batches hit the shelves every once in a while.