pdlamb

I ride almost entirely on roads, and I've had three road bike tires blow out on the sidewalls. One was a defective new tire -- the manufacturer replaced it with no questions beyond "Can you send us a picture?" One was a slight bulge on an older tire -- didn't last the night after I re-mounted it and inflated it. The last was an old front tire, about a year on the bike (6,000 miles). It was fine when I left in the morning, plenty of tread left, and blew out two miles from home after a metric ride. My takeaway from the last one was that I should have rotated tires when I replaced one of the rear tires.

The rest have been blowouts from the tread, or the edge of the tread. A couple were from a bad tire batch; the tread delaminated. One was hopeless, I had to get a ride home -- didn't count it, and didn't even try to boot that one. The other one was small enough to get home and change the tire quick before any more tread came off the threads. One was a cut just at the edge of the tread (tan sidewall). The last was one of those borderline puncture, looked like a 1/4" self-threading screw. Tyvek boot, not secured with cement, only stayed in place about 2-3 miles.

djb

you know, I equate this to how the more we do something, it's logical that there are more chances of X or Y happening. Given how much you ride, it seems that these were a combo of bad luck (batch of tires) and then just stuff that happens. None are particularly overly weird, I guess just luck of the draw compounded by the fact that you ride a lot in a year.
Look at car tires, I didnt have a car flat ever, until one year on the old car I had, I actually got new tires (had always had older cars with older tires) but a few months after I got them, got a flat on the highway and did the sidewall in....nearly all covered by the manufacturer "wear" warranty so got a new tire free, but kinda goofy that it happened with essentially new tires driven totally "grandma like" .....so there you go...

KC8QVO

Thanks for the info and stories all.

It has come up a few times to not trust tires I've had issues with. I agree - I put a new set of tires on yesterday. I will take the old tire I haven't had an issue with yet as a spare (which ironically is the more worn tire of the two). I also have 2 tubes, a patch kit, and 2 pumps (one is a combo co2/hand pump, the other is a Topeak Turbo Morph Digital - big pump, mini floor pump with hose and foot peg). I like the idea of redundancy and a backup for the backup.

The tires I got are Kendas. They are not very expensive tires. Originally I was going to get one as a spare. The tires that were on the bike were Continentals - from when the bike was new (6 years old, 2014). The Continentals are higher quality tires than the Kendas, no question. I hope the Kendas will hold up loaded.

Inspections are important. Every time I look at the bike I'm inspecting it. Hard to explain that one, but from working with equipment all my life its just what I do. Whether its a boat, a truck, trailer, bike, what have you - I look at it and I'm inspecting it.

Case in point - when I was on my shake-down ride I noticed a strap on a rear pannier that wasn't "right". It is one of the side straps that tensions the small compartment's flap closed. The flap wasn't tight and the strap was blowing in the breeze. Mind you, I noticed it looking backwards and down while riding the bike. When I stopped it was immediately apparent there was a problem - there are 3 bolts that hold the pannier mounting strip with the hooks on it on to the pannier body. One of the 3 bolts fell out. Luckily, the bolt was still in the mount strip and the backing washer (plastic disk with a nut in it) was at the bottom of the inside of the pannier. It still took about 10-15 minutes to fix as I had to empty the pannier.

In any event, new tires are on the bike and I'll take a spare with me.

csport

Ortlieb, s​​​​​​elf-tapping screws with torx head? Been there too. There is an article on them on CGOAB: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/...Qs#pic_2871118 -- the guy replaced them with regular bolts and nuts.

ClydeClydeson

It is important to know & fix the cause of the blowout before inflating the new/repaired tire - tire bead slipping off the rim is almost always installation error. Before the tire is brought up to pressure, work your way around the rim and ensure the tube is not trapped between the tire and sidewall of the rim at any point.

A sidewall tearing away from the bead could be caused by a manufacturing defect, but can also be caused by a maladjusted brake pad (caliper brake pads migrate up the rim toward the tire as the pads wear, a dented rim can leave the tire closer to the brake pad at one point) or riding on an underinflated or flat tire.

pdlamb

I think you're right, large number of miles and very low probability, I've still had something every 2-3 years. You can thank me for my contribution to keeping the average where it is when you haven't had those problems.

But you got me thinking. What are the odds one of those kaboom moments happened coming into the projects, and another one happened passing a shooting range??

djb

first of all, thankyou. Keep it up please (touch wood touch wood touch wood)

secondly, funny. Although I get what you mean, being Canadian, or at least where I live, means totally different environment, gun stuff is super rare.

the few times Ive heard bike tires blow spectacularly, it always amazes me how loud they can be. LIke you say, gunshot loud.

djb

very good point on the brake pad thing, certainly not unheard of. I know I've caught myself luckily badly adjusting things when putting new pads on and realizing it would rub--especially with low tire pressures and the tire bulging outwards more on impacts.

rydabent

I carry a flat package of tire boots in my trunk pack along with other tire repair needs. They take up virtually no room. They will take care of 99% of tire blow outs.

davidad

I am 77 and had been riding since the end of 1990. I retired in 1998 and had thought about a self supported tour, but I remarried and changed my plans. I have done mostly week long supported rides and a few week long rides with friends. We camped and moteled it.
In '09 I participated in a cross country ride until I fell outside of Litttlerock and bruised my ribs. This ride was the 42 Below ride sponsored and supported by 42 Below Vodka.

djb

neat that you got into touring in your mid 60s, very cool. You've got about 20 on me, but that is the neat thing with biking, that if you take care of your knees and stay active, its something that can be done for a long time in ones life.
The trips Ive done in N America, or France or wherever, like I said, I generally started the trip with almost new tires, so I knew I at least had the wear factor covered. Also, even when I started touring, kevlar protection or similar was starting to be in tires to help with flat protection, so that helped a lot too. My trips have mostly been always on paved roads, or good dirt roads, so I knew the risk of damaging a tire was pretty low if I always kept an eye over what I was riding and avoiding the worst stuff. I also knew that in developed countries, getting a new tire at a bike store would be straight forward, so that also was another reason I never used to take a spare.

again though, I'll touch wood on something dumb happening if Im not being attentive.
someone here on this forum has good advice, that if youre going to take a spare, take the lightest one possible, as the chances are low that youll need it, so tat least youre carrying around the smallest lightest tire in your pannier.
I still think its a good idea to carry one if in more remote areas or in undeveloped countries, Im glad I carried one on some of my trips.
Still, we always have to figure the risks involved and weigh these against carrying more stuff.

happy and safe riding