codersarepeople Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Hi all, I got my first EUC on Wednesday evening. I had some practice with a friend's so was able to ride that evening...I rode from my apartment to my office and back without incident. The next day, I rode from my apartment to my office. I had some trouble on the way and had a few minor crashes; I soon found out that the tire was completely flat. I'm unsure if the inner tube has a hole or if the tire just went flat. I had not yet pumped up the tire past how it arrived in the box. I attempted to follow a few videos online but my valve is too awkwardly placed to work. I'm unclear on whether I have a manufacturer defect or I messed it up in a crash or I'm just an idiot. Here are some pictures of my valve...I can't the valve extender through the hole behind the LED ring OR between the tire and the chassis. http://imgur.com/OWstWBr http://imgur.com/lwtqnPM http://imgur.com/3YRAdTt I contacted the seller (ninebotus.com) yesterday but haven't heard back yet. Any advice would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 That's weird. Usually the air valve points to the side as it has a bend in it. Maybe since you ran it flat the inner tube has shifted a bit resulting in the straight part sticking at that bad angle. I don't know whether you can let all the air out and reposition the valve (pull out more) or whether it's best to remove the tire and reposition the inner tube properly then remount it. Maybe someone who has changed out a tire can comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codersarepeople Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 At this point, pretty much all the air IS out. I tried moving it around with a pair of pliers, but it seems pretty stuck. I am a bit wary of using the pliers because I don't want to scratch up the rim with the metal-to-metal contact... I know nothing about removing the tire but I guess that's what I'll have to do next...Just frustrating if I have to send it back because of a bad inner tube on day 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 My Ninebot came with about 15 psi so first thing to do with a new unit is to check the tire pressure and pump it up to 45-55 psi for experienced riders. It's an easy mistake to make. One thing to try might be to have a helper stand on the pedal with the unit at an angle to compress the tire and try to gently wiggle the valve stem free. Here's a photo of mine from the battery side (blue handle mount facing right): It's a bit of a pain to remove and remount the tire, but people have done it. Maybe @SuperSport can offer some suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 1 hour ago, HunkaHunkaBurningLove said: It's a bit of a pain to remove and remount the tire, but people have done it. Maybe @SuperSport can offer some suggestions. @codersarepeople is going to have to, the only thing that would cause the valve to disappear inside the wheel like that is if the inner tube is completely flat. Assuming there was some air in it to start with then it is reasonable to assume it has punctured, either by a sharp object or pinching the tube against the wheel due to being ridden with the pressure too low. Does Speedyfeet have a video on changing the tire? https://www.youtube.com/user/SpeedyFeetUK , not having a Ninebot I haven't looked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Speedyfeet is like the Ninebot Encyclopedia. He's got a video for everything! Shame Ninebot has treated him so poorly of late. Maybe it might be best to wait for NinebotUS to reply back before voiding any warranties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSport Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Hey guys, sorry I just saw this. They are right, your tube has shifted inside the wheel because it was too flat. If you can hold the Metal Wheel with one hand and spin the Rubber Tire SLOWLY with the other hand, you should be able to get the valve stem at the correct position again (This only works when all the air is out of the tube so it's loose). When spinning the tire, the tube will also spin and get back into the correct position. Don't spin it too far either direction (1/4 - 1/2 inch), or it might pull the stem into the wheel and you will then HAVE to pull the tire to get it back. It should look like the photo in @HunkaHunkaBurningLove's post. When it's spun back to the correct position, you should be able to pull the stem out with your fingers to look like that photo. Then air it back up and it should be fine. When learning, you might want to run 35-40ish lbs, then when you get better, people tend to run about 45-55 lbs like mentioned above, depending on your personal preference. One other option is to take your wheel to a local bike shop and have them do this. They may charge $5-10, or it might be free. Either way, you will know it's right. Will take them about 5 mins. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codersarepeople Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 Thanks for the advice. I just tried your method, but I'm worried I can't get a good grip on the wheel...I have a pair of pliers but I don't have a piece of rubber or something to keep the wheel from scratching up. I might try a bike shop today and see if they can do it. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSport Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 51 minutes ago, codersarepeople said: Thanks for the advice. I just tried your method, but I'm worried I can't get a good grip on the wheel...I have a pair of pliers but I don't have a piece of rubber or something to keep the wheel from scratching up. I might try a bike shop today and see if they can do it. Thanks It's a good option. It will be done right, and you can see them do it for future repairs. Also, bike shops love seeing these things. My local shop was amazed by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codersarepeople Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 Update: I took it to a bike shop today. The guy tried for a while to pull the valve out some but couldn't get it to. Eventually he brought out a flexible extender so I could pump up the tire without straightening out the valve. He said it doesn't seem like I punctured the inner tube, so it's holding for now, and I bought the flexible extender for future pumps. I pumped it up to ~45 PSI this time and it seems to be holding, but I have a year of warranty in case anything goes wrong in the future. On the negative side, I've found I cannot ride anymore, as I learned at a much easier 15 PSI...time to practice some more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSport Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 20 minutes ago, codersarepeople said: On the negative side, I've found I cannot ride anymore, as I learned at a much easier 15 PSI...time to practice some more! Try 35 psi. It's considerably easier to ride. You can always go firmer as you get more comfortable. Just avoid curbs and sharp edges to prevent crushing the curb against the rim and possibly causing a flat or rim damage. I hope the bike shop didn't charge much. I'm really surprised he was not able to get it to extend out of the hole. It's not normally a very difficult process, especially for someone that does it all the time. Glad to hear you are riding again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Do you think there might be an issue with the bent valve stem being kinked inside the rim over time? That part of the tube where it connects to would likely be stretched where the bent part of the stem is. I wonder if the tube would develop a tear over time and end up leaking needing to be replaced sooner than later? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSport Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 3 minutes ago, HunkaHunkaBurningLove said: Do you think there might be an issue with the bent valve stem being kinked inside the rim over time? That part of the tube where it connects to would likely be stretched where the bent part of the stem is. I wonder if the tube would develop a tear over time and end up leaking needing to be replaced sooner than later? I believe that's an accurate assumption. I'm still surprised the bike shop was not able to get it where it belongs. That's strange. Maybe another bike shop would be in order? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 I wonder whether they might not have wanted to dismantle the shell to gain access to the tire. They probably tried to do all the work through the little peeky hole. It's probably not possible without removing the half shell like in that second video above I'm thinking. With the elbow of the stem inside, I wonder whether going over bumps might end up ripping the tube there as it's not supported properly by the tire. Hard to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSport Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 Maybe. I've turned my stem by grabbing the wheel and tire. Sometimes you need to press in on the tire all the way around to loosen it, but they should know that. Thwy may have had a good reason. I also agree that they likely would not want to dismantle the wheel, not being familiar with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codersarepeople Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 I have been worrying about this today as well. I plan on getting a second opinion tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes. Any idea about whether removing the shell would void the warranty? I already removed the outer plastic casing but not the entire half shell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSport Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Depends on your dealer. If you bought from SpeedyFeet and you called him before tearing it down, he usually kept the warranty in place. I've also heard of others doing this, but it would totally be up to the vendor that you'll be getting warranty work done by. I've done it without removing either part of the shell, so maybe there's more involved here than it just being slightly stuck. Make sure next time that the air is completely removed, then squeeze along the bead of the tire all around both sides to be sure it's loose, and then try spinning it gently. Again, this should be second nature for a bike shop, but I was not there, so I'm not sure what they ran into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 If it can be done without removing the shell definitely go that route. I thought the tire would have too much friction even though the tube is deflated. Did you empty all the air out of the inner tube? Maybe give it another try shifting the tire clockwise with the front facing to the right. How do you hold the motor stationary while you move the tire @SuperSport? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSport Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 I just grab the wheel with one hand and tire with the other. If it's tight, you can put a little soapy water to loosen it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codersarepeople Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Final update: I took the wheel to a second bike shop and the guy assured me that 1) it wouldn't bend the rim and 2) it wouldn't cause a tear. But I didn't trust him, so I went to a third bike shop, where he was able to essentially use @SuperSport's method and get the valve back in place. Unfortunately, it seems I had already pinched the inner tube, and by straightening out the inner tube and valve, I opened up the kink I had created, so the inner tube won't hold air anymore. Luckily I live relatively close to ninebotus so I'm going to try to take it in for a replacement later this week. Quite a bummer way to start with EUC's :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Aw that's too bad. . I was hoping you could get it all straightened out. They should put a big warning in the instructions that the wheel ships with low tire pressure and that users need to pump it up before use as you just can't see it when riding. It's good that you live close to Ninebotus. The inner tube doesn't cost that much, and hopefully labor charges won't be too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Ong Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 I knew I dread this day when it came. I have a flat tire. Completely out of air and the valve is shifted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxLinux Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 On 8/20/2016 at 0:52 AM, HunkaHunkaBurningLove said: I don't know whether you can let all the air out and reposition the valve (pull out more) or whether it's best to remove the tire and reposition the inner tube properly then remount it. I've never had this issue with an EUC tire, but several times I have had this occur with hand truck tires. With the tire completely deflated, I can use needle nose pliers to grip the valve stem and pull it out to its proper position. That's the first thing I would try if this happened to one of my EUC tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 1 hour ago, Marvin Ong said: I knew I dread this day when it came. I have a flat tire. Completely out of air and the valve is shifted Well it's nothing to dread as it sounds like it's not too bad of a job to change the tube or tire. I'm sure it will happen to all of us sooner or later so here's your chance to give it a try. Watch some of the videos and work through it with some help maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codersarepeople Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 I got the tire replaced today. It turns out I had actually caused the tear in the inner tube in my attempt to readjust the valve. Be careful if you're shifting the valve! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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