alcjphil

If your front tire blows out, the last thing you should do is to apply the front brake.

InvertedMP 

As said before, glad you are ok brotha! Go tubeless! Eliminate the variable of pinch flats, and carry a spare tube in case you need to get home in the event of a large flat. I do so many crazy things, but bombing down hills on a road bike still isn't one of them, I can't get past the pudge factor.

asgelle

There is no variable of pinch flats. Pinch flats are user error; either for running too low a tire pressure or too small a tire. And this wasn't a pinch flat.

77Eric

Sorry about your crash and glad you are OK.

I agree about possible installation error and not pinch flat but will offer up another scenario. If your brake pads are misaligned they can come into contact with the sidewall of your tire. This can be due to a poor brake adjustment and/or brake pad wear causing their alignment to change. I know your tires were quite fresh but those Conti sidewalks are pretty thin.

I had this happen to me twice this year before I figured out what was going on (not at high speed and I didn’t go down). I was using GP4000’s and ee brakes.

If you still have the tire I’d examine the sidewalls very closely (use the tube to find the blowout spot if you had your label aligned). Also inspect your brake pads. If they show a raised area on the upper/tire side of the pad they were misaligned. If that doesn’t get corrected the same thing will happen again...

DaveSSS 

Hit something large enough, like rocks on the road, or a deep enough pothole or pavement mismatch and a pinch flat may occur. It doesn't always mean that the tires are too small or pressure too low. Riding in the Colorado mountains, rocks on the road are my most common problem. It's hard to miss every one.
I've had two pinch flats in the last 9,000 miles and no other punctures. I weigh 135, and use 25mm tires with 80-85 psi.

drewtk

Wow, glad to hear it wasn't worse, but it could have been a lot worse. Also glad to hear you're back on the horse and riding again. I can somewhat relate because one of my other hobbies is racing cars. I totaled my race car a few years ago, crashing into a concrete wall. I bought a replacement car but I was definitely tentative the first few times I drove it, and the first few races in it. But you slowly learn to trust your vehicle and yourself again.

On the tire pressure, try using Silca's online tire pressure calculator. I have found it to be pretty accurate. You do need know the actual width of your tires, not what's stated on the sidewall.

asgelle

That's exactly what it means if you pinch flat. What else could it be?
Exactly, knowing you'll inevitably hit rocks and potholes means you either prepare with the appropriate tire size and pressure or take responsibility for your pinch flats.

eduskator

I don't think you ''need'' to go Tubeless to avoid that. I think you were just really unlucky. Perhaps it is manufacturer default in the tube, maybe you hit something, maybe your tube was under-inflated... It could be lots of things.

Take the necessary time to recover, both physically and mentally, then get on that bike again & ride it like you stole it! If you don't trust the setup, perhaps it would be time for new tires, new rims or even both. Riding on a bike you don't trust is one of the worst thing you could do, so don't hesitate to replace components if it can help.

Racing Dan

You dont know that, and you managed to completely ignored the point, - that "bad luck" if often the result of ppl running too fragile tyres and tubes (latex?), and carbon rims, that are prone to popping, get cuts, overheating etc. In essence setting them selves up for accidents that at first glance appear as just "bad luck".

asgelle

The fact that there was a loud noise means the tube burst outside the tire. There are only a few ways that can happen.
In other words, it isn't bad luck at all but user error.

SurferCyclist

There is when the rim tape extends into the spoke holes and causes a pinch flat. This happened to me recently. Maybe I should have changed the rim tape before this occurred(been on wheels a couple of years) but then again replacing rim tape not exactly top of list of things to check on bike as far I can see.

Also, everyone seems to think for sure it was a pinch flat. Maybe inner tube just failed because well, on occasion that happens too.

asgelle

Not everyone. I don't know how you could have read through this thread and think that. In any case, it wouldn't matter how many people are wrong, if there was a pop or bang, the tube was outside the tire and that's not a pinch flat.

RedBullFiXX

Glad you are ok Erik

Had a similar incident recently, 25mph, tipped it into the corner and POP
Front flat, TL tire, Hookless rim (HUNT), Vittoria tire stayed on the rim, fully seated
Slid the rear to maintain control to the inside shoulder of rocks and boulders on the road down from Baldy Village
Not fun, saved it though
Just a slight nick on the rim, and frame
Changes the perspective of how much "Fun" do I want to have on decents

Cyclocross at speed !!!

Rhondito

(Pick up a pair of cycling gloves, pal.)
Glad your injuries weren't worse - that could've turned out nasty.

JayKay3000

Give yourself time. The physical and mental scars will gradually fade as you slowly rebuild your confidence on hills. In 3 to 4 months you'll be back to normal.

Rogerogeroge

That isn't a friggin pinch flat! A pinch flat happens when the compression force is so great the tire and tube bottom out on the sides of the rim, resulting in small holes (not a slash) on each side of the tube, and it's often referred to as a snake bite.

OP: That's terrible luck, I know of a similar story personally. Best thing you could have done is use the rear brake hard and stay off the front brake. But to minimize these possibilities, this is where yearly maintenance pays off. Even if you don't have a flat all year, take off the tire and inspect the rim tape, make sure the spoke holes are covered. Also inspect the tire. When my tire wears out (which is the rear tire), I always put the new tire on the front and move the front tire to the rear. You always want the best tire on front. And again, periodically inspect your tires, tread and sidewall a few times each year. Really no need to periodically replace the tube - I've seen a few batches of bad tubes, so replacing a tube actually adds an element of risk. A new tube is really just as likely to fail (like a split seam in the tube, which you seemed to have) as an old tube. And I take it that wasn't your first ride on that setup, which pretty much rules out faulty installation. Not a pinch flat!