Originally Posted by
Jeff Wills
Here's what happens when you let a rim go too long. I barely felt a bump when I started the ride- 15 miles later... KABOOM. The rim let go with a louder bang than I'd ever heard. Fortunately I wasn't going fast and I was able to walk to a nice bagel shop to await rescue.
How many miles were on those rims? As is the case with jetliner crashes, a few spectacular failures will hog all of the attention when there are a million non-failures.
A wheel is more likely to require replacement for worn cups or impact damage to the rim than for a sidewall blowout.