PERFORMANCE TUBES???

OK-I love spending $2 on tubes, but I'm starting to think I get what I
pay for.

When Performance tubes are on sale I pick up a dozen or so, other times
I pick up Contis or Torotellis or Ritcheys (pardon spelling, it is
late) when they are on sale--though they are never as cheap as
Performance Tubes. So I usually use 2 Performance tubes to 1 brand
name tube. Use two sets of wheels equally.

This year I've had 3 valves pop off/ fail at the casing (at the
base)-twice when being inflated and removing the pump head-once when
just laying in the back of the car (slow leak from base after ride.)
All 3 tubes-Performance. Hmmmm.

Any validity to my hunch that Performance tubes, esp. where valve meets
the tube, may leave something to be desired.

Jay K wrote:
OK-I love spending $2 on tubes, but I'm starting to think I get what I
pay for.

When Performance tubes are on sale I pick up a dozen or so, other
times I pick up Contis or Torotellis or Ritcheys (pardon spelling, it
is late) when they are on sale--though they are never as cheap as
Performance Tubes. So I usually use 2 Performance tubes to 1 brand
name tube. Use two sets of wheels equally.

This year I've had 3 valves pop off/ fail at the casing (at the
base)-twice when being inflated and removing the pump head-once when
just laying in the back of the car (slow leak from base after ride.)
All 3 tubes-Performance. Hmmmm.

Any validity to my hunch that Performance tubes, esp. where valve
meets the tube, may leave something to be desired.

Back when I exclusively mountain biked, I had very good luck with
Performance brand tubes -- even the lighter types (like Lunar Light and
Ultra Light).

Lately with P-brand /road/ tubes, however, I've been less than pleased. The
standard weight ones are OK I guess, but the lighter ones have either failed
like you describe (at the valve) OR right out of the box with pin holes
(twice!). At least they took 'em back and gave me new ones; haven't
installed them as yet.

For my money, Michelin Race Lite tubes are the best in terms of moderate
cost, light weight, and decent durability. (Trek brand tubes pretty good,
too.)

YMMV, BS

Jay K wrote:
Any validity to my hunch that Performance tubes, esp. where valve meets
the tube, may leave something to be desired.

I've had three Performance 700c tubes (just their standard tube, not any
of their super light models--haven't tried those, don't want to) fail on
me in the last couple of years, all at the valve stem where it meets the
tube.

Fortunately, all three have occured while the bike was just sitting
there after (or before) I was going to take it out on the road, or once
while I was actually pumping with a floor pump. I suppose it could be
the tube, or my pump attach/detach techniquze.

I've had better luck so far with REI's Novara brand of tube as well as
other, "no name" Taiwan-made tubes. I haven't tried any European brands.

--
I do not accept unsolicited commercial e-mail. Remove NO_UCE for
legitimate replies.

Jay K wrote:
OK-I love spending $2 on tubes, but I'm starting to think I get what I
pay for.

Any validity to my hunch that Performance tubes, esp. where valve meets
the tube, may leave something to be desired.

I bought the 3 for something about 5 years ago, and I may have to order
something from Performance to get some more -- I used the last of those
three this spring. No real issues with the tubes; as I recall, I
punched a tire lever through one, tore one stem off (that could have
been user error OR faulty tube), and couldn't patch the other one when I
got a leak right next to an older patch.

So no, no real problems with that batch. Later batches might have
different stories.

Pat

Jay K wrote:
This year I've had 3 valves pop off/ fail at the casing (at the
base)-twice when being inflated and removing the pump head-once when
just laying in the back of the car (slow leak from base after ride.)
All 3 tubes-Performance. Hmmmm.

I've not used Performance tubes, but I had the same problem with
Specialized 700x20c-28c tubes. I think I lost 5 or 6 tubes that
way in the first year. I would have given up on the tubes except
for the fact that I'd bought a pile of them on sale, and they are
the smallest tubes I've found which claim to be a fit for 28c tires
(so I can fit an extra spare in my seat bag).

I've not had a similar failure in over a year, however, since I
began throwing away those knurled valve stem nuts and installing the
tubes without them. I think I've had only one flat on this bike
since I chucked the nuts, and that one was caused by a tack which
came through the tire.

I'm not sure how (or even if, to be honest) the valve stem nuts could
cause this failure. I'm almost positive I wasn't over-tightening
them, I'm paranoid about not being able to get the nut off by hand
after a flat and so I would check that the nuts were just barely
finger-tight even time I put air in the tires. What I've observed
about this particular tire/rim/tube combination, however, is that
no matter how hard I try to get the valve centered over the rim hole
and the tube stuffed evenly into the tire all around, by the time
I get the tube inflated to full pressure without the nut the valve
almost always ends up cocked over at a bit of an angle. This didn't
happen with the nut on the valve, of course, since the nut forces
the valve to come straight out the hole. Forcing the valve straight
will necessarily be accomplished by stretching the tube at the base
of the valve, and I guess this extra stress at the base of the valve
could contribute to the demise of the tube.

In any case, you might try and see if the tubes last longer without
the nuts on the valve stems.

Dennis Ferguson

Jay K wrote:

This year I've had 3 valves pop off/ fail at the casing (at the
base)-twice when being inflated and removing the pump head-once when
just laying in the back of the car (slow leak from base after ride.)
All 3 tubes-Performance. Hmmmm.

Any validity to my hunch that Performance tubes, esp. where valve
meets
the tube, may leave something to be desired.

I've had a couple Performance tubes fail in the same fashion. Since
I've been changing inner tubes for 30 years, I don't my technique is at
fault.

The local Performance also sells Bontrager-branded tubes. These have
been fine.

Jeff

I bought 10 for a bit less than $20 a few years ago. Two or 3 had
actual punctures. The rest all failed at the base of the valve...

Jay K wrote:
OK-I love spending $2 on tubes, but I'm starting to think I get what I
pay for.

When Performance tubes are on sale I pick up a dozen or so, other times
I pick up Contis or Torotellis or Ritcheys (pardon spelling, it is
late) when they are on sale--though they are never as cheap as
Performance Tubes. So I usually use 2 Performance tubes to 1 brand
name tube. Use two sets of wheels equally.

This year I've had 3 valves pop off/ fail at the casing (at the
base)-twice when being inflated and removing the pump head-once when
just laying in the back of the car (slow leak from base after ride.)
All 3 tubes-Performance. Hmmmm.

Any validity to my hunch that Performance tubes, esp. where valve meets
the tube, may leave something to be desired.

I had some Performance tubes two years ago and stopped using them after
valve-stem failures, and had the same problem with Michelin ultra-light
tubes. They are such crap I use 'em as bungees to tie things up with,
never again to ride on.

For my nickel the best value in road tubes is Kenda ultra-light. I
first tried these 5-6 years ago and they've proved extremely reliable
on all my roadie and fixie bikes. I prefer U/L's because they save
weight and roll up more compactly.

Another use for them... I have this cat that insists on chewing cords.
They make great conduit!

Mike Yankee wrote:
I had some Performance tubes two years ago and stopped using them after
valve-stem failures, and had the same problem with Michelin ultra-light
tubes. They are such crap I use 'em as bungees to tie things up with,
never again to ride on.