Narhay

Update: changed the rim tape to Scotch 8898 and no more exploding latex tubes.

Installed a set of michelin air comp latex tubes a week ago on a bike with no spoke holes (campagnolo zonda wheelset) and had no issue. Put some chalk powder on them, half inflated, seated the tire and pumped up to 100psi. Went for a ride no problem.

Just tried to install a pair of vittoria latex tubes on a different carbon rim with hard plastic rim tape. Tire was loose enough that I didn't need tire levers to install. Same procedure as above. Between 60 and 80 psi each time BANG like a gunshot. Nearly deafened my toddlers who wanted nothing more than to help dad pump up his bike tires.

Inspected the hole in the tube...two large holes in the tube. Felt around the rim tape and new tires as of 20km ago to find sharp bits. Nothing. Tried the next tube. Same result. Switched to a Michelin latex tube thinking those Italians don't know what they are doing and bang! Three tubes, a pile of money and some ringing ears. One hole, two holes and three holes in the tubes all in different spots on the rim.

Threw the old butyl tube on there and it pumped up without complaint just as it had been before trying to change the tube. I have changed hundreds of tubes in my lifetime and other than a few tire lever induced holes I have never blown up three tubes in a row before.

What am I doing wrong? Maybe incompatible rim tape? Seems like the holes are on the interior and sides of the tube.

AnkleWork

First, stop doing the same thing over and over. Examine the holes carefully for evidence. Exactly where are the holes?

TimothyH

What about different spots on the tire? Are you moving the tire relative to the rim when the tubes are removed or does the tire stay on the rim when you swap the tube?

Switch tires front to rear and repeat. Does the problem follow the rim or the tire?

Different rim tape on front vs rear? Try changing rim tape?

Narhay

Rim tape is same front and rear. I have run out of tubes to try at this point. The tire didnt change spots...just one bead came off to put the tubes in and out.

dsbrantjr

IME tubes only explode with a loud report when they are not constrained by the tire, like when they get trapped under the rim. Perhaps your tire-changing technique needs refinement.

WizardOfBoz

To me, one clue might be that you didn't need tire irons to put the tire on. Correct tire size? New-to-you brand or model of tire? Could the tire have not seated?

prathmann

Agreed. Somehow a portion of the tube got outside the tire where it then instantly expanded and blew up. I'd suspect that either part of the tube was pinched between the tire bead and the rim and worked its way out when you pumped or part of the tire bead wasn't seated properly in the rim and momentarily lifted up allowing part of the tube to escape. In the latter case the tire bead frequently pops back into the rim once the tube has exploded. The fact that you found the tire to be a relatively loose fit on this rim makes this second possibility more likely.

Andrew R Stewart 

I helped a club rider and customer last weekend wit his 5th flat of the weekend... He was really frustrated in not finding the causes. He and others looked many times for a bit of something in the tire that wasn't found before. Like many non experienced he (and the others) didn't fully understand all that can happen to a tire/tube/rimstrip/rim system to fully understand what was really going on.

By looking at the last flat tube I could see that the hole was on the rim side of the tube. First lesson is then to find the hole in the tube and how it interfaces with the tire/rim. The tube had slight bulges/indications where the spoke access holes in the rim were and the hole lined up with these. Then we looked at the rim strip and found it to be snaking side to side within the rim's base. having off from center spokes meant these access holes were also along one side of the rim and that the rim strip wasn't fully covering these rim spoke holes. The tube would chafe against the edge of the spoke access holes that were slightly not fully covered and abrade, causing the flats.

So what he learned was to seek the location of the hole within the tubes arrangement WRT the rim and tire. Then look at that aspect for a failure and the relative reason for a failure t that location. This is not rocket science but does need a certain amount of logic and systematic thinking. Of course when you've seen thousands of flats over decades this is second nature. When I teach flat repairing it is this logic I try to get across.

Now having said all that when one uses the most fragile stuff this all becomes even more vital. There's a reason why latex tubes are not common place. The marketing of their ability to lesson weight and soften the ride is small compared to the likelihood of frustrating flats. Andy

seamuis

Narhay

Right pink - toward rim, 12 o'clock position
green toward tire bead 9 o'clock position
left pink toward tire. 3 o'clock position.

Right pink and green both have stippling of some kind next to the holes. Left pink seems clean.

seamuis

cny-bikeman

I see nothing that definitively shows tube faults. To me, the one on the right is typical of what happens when the tire bead lifts off the rim - a mounting problem. The multiple dimples and holes in the middle one are quite odd, but I see some of the same effect on the right tube. Could it be caused by rim protector with sharp edges? The left looks to me like the result of the tube being caught under the bead, another mounting problem. It is odd. When you say "half inflated" I assume you mean the tire. It's not clear if you inflated the tubes enough to give them shape before installation - especially critical with latex.

Narhay

They were blown up to give them some shape. I am going to try some new rim tape and spend a few minutes massaging the tire bead next time.

The tire itself seats fine with the butyl tube and I have changed it out a couple times now. Just the latex...

andrewclaus

I inflate the tube to give it some shape when I put it in the tire and to mount the first bead and center the tube in the rim. But after the second bead is most of the way on, I almost always need to completely deflate the tube to finish mounting, certainly on a road bike. Then, if I'm not familiar with tire and rim, I inflate a few pumps, and visually check around both beads, squeezing the bead together, to make sure the tube is not pinched in there. Then I will inflate slowly and check that the bead is seating properly and evenly. Disconnect the pump and spin the wheel in your hands, looking for high and low spots on the bead.

Sy Reene

?? I never need to use tire irons to put a tire on.. this is not unusual.

seamuis

Narhay

Tire and wheel in question with inflated butyl tube.

Are some rim strips incompatible with latex tubes?

masi61

masi61

WizardOfBoz

Agreed, but the OP seemed to imply that the fit was loose. Oh! I guess he was saying that he used the proper procedure and didn't damage the tube. Still for putting on tubeless tires I sometimes feel a tool would be useful. But to your point:

seamuis

Narhay

It is a thicker piece of blue plastic rim tape. I will get some scotch 8898 and see if that helps.



I sacrificed one of the tubes to make some patches. They seem to be holding up ok so far.

trailangel

Huh?

redlude97

Those look like tubes that were pinched between the rim and the bead. Even if the tire and tube go on smoothly the tube can be pinched when inflating, especially if the tire fits on loosely. It gets trapped at the bottom between the bead and the rim. With latex tubes this is a common failure. I always inflate to ~30psi and run a lever along the perimeter of the bead to check and make sure the tube is fully inside of the tire. Not an issue with the thicker butyl tubes as they don't get trapped in the same way

Crankycrank

+1. It's been a few years since I was using latex tubes but I seem to recall they required a little extra finesse and inspection before inflating to make sure they weren't caught under the bead.