Picked up my Subway 8 from Halfords on Saturday, only managed a quick tour of the car park, and no ride on Sunday, so it was straight back to commuting on Monday morning. Disaster, same thing happened, got a flat at roughly same distance from work. Couldn’t face asking a workmate, yet again, to come out and rescue me, so got a taxi to deliver myself and the bike to work. At least I was on time, 1st time in 5 attempts, all due to flats on the back wheel, what is going on?

Couldn’t find any sign of a puncture externally? Once 09.00 am., came I was on the phone to Halfords, told them I’d be taking another taxi, again at their expense, and would be dropping my bike to them, during my break at 11.oo am., for them to sort out, and FIX!!

I rang them again in the afternoon, they said the inner tube had split, and they could not find out why? That they had decided to go back to basics, they had removed the green slime, the self sealing inner tube, and the new rim tape they had put in?? That they had put back ordinary rim tape, and a bog standard inner tube, that they had done this because they could find nothing at all wrong with the wheel itself, ergo it must be down to one of the things that had been added. I understood their logic, and said I’d pick up the bike on my way home from work.

When I eventually picked it up, the manager had a quick word with me, and said that if it punctured again, in similar circumstances, i.e., no intrusion from the exterior of the tyre, I would have to take it to an independent bike shop for a report as to what was causing the problem. I pointed out to him the opposite fact, i.e., that if I did not get a similar puncture, the cause would be found, i.e., Halfords faulty installation of either the green slime, or their ” manufactured ” rim tape set-up.

The good news is, I haven’t had a repeat flat, (touch wood), since, and that’s 2 days now, 44 miles later. It’s been pretty stressful mind, riding all the time with the fear a puncture could strike, at any time, and constantly looking down at the rear wheel, imagining the tyre feels soft???

I’m sure I’ll need counselling for awhile. Perhaps, Halfords should be made to foot the bill.