Road tire or tube blow up does it happen?
10-22-21, 03:09 PM
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I had a cheap hybrid/flat bar road bike years ago, with 700x25mm tires and fairly new tubes of the correct size, inflated to about 60 PSI. While riding on a paved path at about 10 MPH, the front tube suddenly burst, with a load bang and instant flat tire. Inspection revealed a manufacturing defect in the tube. It split along one of the lines where the mold comes together, opening a clean gash about an inch long.
The only other time I've had a tire or tube fail suddenly (not a slow leak from a puncture) was less dramatic. This was a nearly new Specialized All Conditions Armadillo, 700x25, I think, on my Trek 1100. I was at least 40 miles into a ride and had just come off of a long, fast descent, but had not been using my brakes at all. I heard and felt a rubbing from one spot on the rear tire's sidewall brushing against the frame (don't recall if it was the chain stay or seat stay). The sidewall showed no outward damage, but had somehow become weakened enough to allow a blister or hemorrhoid to bulge out. The bulged area was about the size of a nickel, and it protruded by maybe 1/2 the dimension of its diameter. The tire did not lose air, but it was un-rideable, and I had to call for a pickup.
The only other time I've had a tire or tube fail suddenly (not a slow leak from a puncture) was less dramatic. This was a nearly new Specialized All Conditions Armadillo, 700x25, I think, on my Trek 1100. I was at least 40 miles into a ride and had just come off of a long, fast descent, but had not been using my brakes at all. I heard and felt a rubbing from one spot on the rear tire's sidewall brushing against the frame (don't recall if it was the chain stay or seat stay). The sidewall showed no outward damage, but had somehow become weakened enough to allow a blister or hemorrhoid to bulge out. The bulged area was about the size of a nickel, and it protruded by maybe 1/2 the dimension of its diameter. The tire did not lose air, but it was un-rideable, and I had to call for a pickup.
10-22-21, 03:28 PM
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I never particularly worried about tubed tyre blow-outs, but I do feel safer on a tubeless setup. Earlier this year my rear tyre (tubeless with sealant) took a massive cut while I was at full chat on a descent and all that happened was a high pitched hissing sound and it very slowly started losing pressure while the sealant tried it's best to retain it. I'm pretty sure a tubed tyre would have lost pressure instantly in that same scenario.
10-22-21, 03:49 PM
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So, it looks it can occur primarily due to equipment mismatch or overheating from rim brakes. It sounds somehow encouraging, since both reasons can be avoided.
But what about tubes? Can they suddenly suffer critical failure due to aging? Is there a replacement period for them? I mean really a reasonable "good practice", not just obsessively replacing them 2-3 times a year for some extra security...
But what about tubes? Can they suddenly suffer critical failure due to aging? Is there a replacement period for them? I mean really a reasonable "good practice", not just obsessively replacing them 2-3 times a year for some extra security...
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10-22-21, 08:24 PM
#30
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This was my experience with a rear blow out, if you watch it in slow motion you can see clearly what happened.
I pedal striked which caused the tire to lift up, lose traction and slide. When it hooks back up the side force on the tire probably pushes the bead away from the rim for a split second and inner tube blows up instantly. For what it's worth, tube was latex pumped up to about 100 psi. Not sure if i would have saved it without the blow out but that obviously killed any chances.
crash at 35:10
I pedal striked which caused the tire to lift up, lose traction and slide. When it hooks back up the side force on the tire probably pushes the bead away from the rim for a split second and inner tube blows up instantly. For what it's worth, tube was latex pumped up to about 100 psi. Not sure if i would have saved it without the blow out but that obviously killed any chances.
crash at 35:10
Last edited by Ti473; 10-22-21 at 08:28 PM.
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10-22-21, 08:43 PM
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So, it looks it can occur primarily due to equipment mismatch or overheating from rim brakes. It sounds somehow encouraging, since both reasons can be avoided.
But what about tubes? Can they suddenly suffer critical failure due to aging? Is there a replacement period for them? I mean really a reasonable "good practice", not just obsessively replacing them 2-3 times a year for some extra security...
But what about tubes? Can they suddenly suffer critical failure due to aging? Is there a replacement period for them? I mean really a reasonable "good practice", not just obsessively replacing them 2-3 times a year for some extra security...
10-23-21, 06:20 AM
#32
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I had a tire/tube blow out once, front wheel. I was on the downhill side of crossing a bridge and was going 20 t0 25 mph. The wheel had an almost new Michelin 19mm tire and tube. I hit an expansion joint and the tire/tube blew out the side wall. I was fortunate that the wheel did not collapse and I was able to come to a bit of a scary stop. I do not know if the tire width had an effect, but I never used thinner than 21mm tires after.
10-23-21, 07:11 AM
#33
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I've got two bikes with michelin 28mm tubeless tires and 19mm fulcrum racing 3 disc brake wheels using about 65 psi air pressure. The two bikes have shared 5,000 miles of riding and speeds over 50 mph many times. I hit 54.9 yesterday. I've hit one rock big enough to bend the rim a little, but no loss of air or puncture occurred. With tubes, I've had pinch flats from hitting some small rocks. In a 7 year period I rode 35,000 miles in the Colorado mountains with rim brake bikes and never had a tire issue. I've never found a descent where I have to ride the brakes.
10-23-21, 07:27 AM
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You may want to take a look at what's going on inside your wheel.. 7 flats in that concentrated of an area -- I can't imagine just fluke coincidence. If nothing going on with the wheel, then I would have tossed that tube 4-5 flats sooner -- seeing them all happening in the same part of the tube would speak faulty tube to me.
10-23-21, 07:46 AM
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Hitting sharp granite gravel can rupture a tire and immediately release the pressure. This has only happened to me maybe 10 times over the years and only two crashes as a result. I ride a lot and also on crappy roads, so, it is a pretty rare issue. Sealant slows the inevitable down but whether you go down depends on the speed, road surface, and your agility.
Tube defects usually are poor seams and lose air slowly. I have never had a butyl or latex tube fail in any spectacular way.
Tube defects usually are poor seams and lose air slowly. I have never had a butyl or latex tube fail in any spectacular way.
10-23-21, 11:06 AM
#36
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You may want to take a look at what's going on inside your wheel.. 7 flats in that concentrated of an area -- I can't imagine just fluke coincidence. If nothing going on with the wheel, then I would have tossed that tube 4-5 flats sooner -- seeing them all happening in the same part of the tube would speak faulty tube to me.
10-25-21, 12:22 PM
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Redbullet, I had been researching the Conti Supersonic tubes some time ago. They've been used extensively all over the world. Came across a number of reviews on various websites where people had blowouts from the tube failing catastrophically. If I recall correctly, most of these failures involved the tube failing with a linear failure (along the circumference). No road hazards involved, just tube failure, presumably due to the extremely thin material. This would result in the type of incident you referred to in your original post.
10-25-21, 12:45 PM
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Also, regarding burping of road tires, here's a personal incident about a year ago: Emonda SLR with Bontrager Aelous RSL 37 TLR wheels fitted with Vittoria Corsa Speed TLR 25c tires, setup tubeless with Stan's regular sealant. Tried to toss an empty packet of gel into a dumpster I was passing. Was a little too vigorous with my toss, and momentarily lost control. While regaining control, the rear wheel skidded sideways violently. The tread on the Corsa Speed resisted the violent sideways force and very shortly thereafter felt the tire going soft. Was going only about 10 - 12 mph, and was able to stop and dismount safely. Noticed the tire had become 'unbeaded' in the area where it was in contact with road (as evidenced by road rash on the tread). Wife brought me a spare bike and a pump so I could finish my ride (yes, I owe her big time). Was able to pump up the tire without even adding more sealant and continued on home. Note that even in this instance I didn't lose the air instantly. Although I lost all the air quickly, it was a gradual process and I was able to safely stop the bike.
Last edited by BikeOnForever; 10-25-21 at 12:49 PM.
10-25-21, 12:55 PM
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Really.
There's an interesting discussion in the latest Velonews 'Technical FAQ' column regarding burping in road tubeless tires. It is discussed that burping of high pressure, low volume (road) tires is more likely to result in a completely flat tire than on low pressure, high volume (MTB) tires, and how this can be safety issue in some circumstances. Jan Heine wrote a blog post titled "The trouble with 'Road Tubeless'" about this same issue. In a recent edition of his Marginal Gains podcast, Josh Poertner of Silca interviewed representatives from Maxxis tires and Stan's No Tubes, and they discussed that there are not yet any universal standards for road tubeless tires and rims, and aren't likely to be for some years.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________
This weekend I had a nice ride planned with some climbing. Climbing of course mean descending. I was descending a steep climb (roughly 20-22%) at about 30 MPH when my front tubeless tire instantaneously blew off the rim.
The descent was new pavement with no debris.
It all happened so fast. A loud bang, the noise of my rim on the asphalt, then sliding and tumbling down the road with my bike.
The tire was a Specialized Turbo 2bliss mounted on a Giant SLR-1 wheel. The tire is 2 months old. The wheel is 2 years old.
The bead did not rip out of the tire. In fact I remounted the tire. Im not going to ride it, I mounted it to see what the level of damage was.
Ill be changing to clinchers, but Im also looking to see if anyone else had experienced a tubeless blowout and if anyone has ideas on a cause.
There's an interesting discussion in the latest Velonews 'Technical FAQ' column regarding burping in road tubeless tires. It is discussed that burping of high pressure, low volume (road) tires is more likely to result in a completely flat tire than on low pressure, high volume (MTB) tires, and how this can be safety issue in some circumstances. Jan Heine wrote a blog post titled "The trouble with 'Road Tubeless'" about this same issue. In a recent edition of his Marginal Gains podcast, Josh Poertner of Silca interviewed representatives from Maxxis tires and Stan's No Tubes, and they discussed that there are not yet any universal standards for road tubeless tires and rims, and aren't likely to be for some years.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________
This weekend I had a nice ride planned with some climbing. Climbing of course mean descending. I was descending a steep climb (roughly 20-22%) at about 30 MPH when my front tubeless tire instantaneously blew off the rim.
The descent was new pavement with no debris.
It all happened so fast. A loud bang, the noise of my rim on the asphalt, then sliding and tumbling down the road with my bike.
The tire was a Specialized Turbo 2bliss mounted on a Giant SLR-1 wheel. The tire is 2 months old. The wheel is 2 years old.
The bead did not rip out of the tire. In fact I remounted the tire. Im not going to ride it, I mounted it to see what the level of damage was.
Ill be changing to clinchers, but Im also looking to see if anyone else had experienced a tubeless blowout and if anyone has ideas on a cause.
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10-25-21, 09:51 PM
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??Ώ????Ώ?
Never happened to me, but I am wondering
Scenario: Ride tires (and tubes) in good shape, in mid recommended pressure interval and no tough obstacles visible on the road. But still: tire (or tube) blows up on fast descents, while riding straight line or cornering. Does it happen? What can generate it? Can it be avoided?
Scenario: Ride tires (and tubes) in good shape, in mid recommended pressure interval and no tough obstacles visible on the road. But still: tire (or tube) blows up on fast descents, while riding straight line or cornering. Does it happen? What can generate it? Can it be avoided?
Hey OP: Why are you asking?
Hey everybody else: Given that the question is "Can totally hypothetical tires, under conditions that should not ever make them blow up, suddenly blow up?" ----why isn't your answer "Basically no"?
(Note they aren't asking something like "Saw this happen, seemed like it shouldn't have happened, anybody know why it might've happened?" Or "Here's a brain teaser for you...")
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10-25-21, 10:20 PM
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...one of the tire beads came apart. It appears the rubber bead was thin at a section of the reinforcing wire. On close exam you can see the edge of the wire showing through the rubber. Its a simple defect but from now on, on all tires I get, I am going to go over the beads with a bright light and magnifying glass regardless of the manufacturer.
No injuries but it was a long walk back home... Ha
No injuries but it was a long walk back home... Ha
Defective tires and tubes and tubeless tires are becoming more frequent now. Be careful...
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10-25-21, 10:28 PM
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I found it handy to carry a Spare Folding tire.
Under top tube near fork.
Under top tube near fork.
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10-26-21, 10:32 AM
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To Tempocyclist:
AMEN!
Also, Remove your tires periodically to check them and the Inner Tube where the stem enters the tube to see how it is holding up. Replace yearly an minimum.
But the steady pressure of the levers in a long down hill is a no-no! I live and ride in Boulder, CO and the Rockies are a constant place I go.
I had one bad crash where the tire (a wire bead) came apart because I wasn't checking and riding the Gatorskin in the dirt. Just be careful!
DK
AMEN!
Also, Remove your tires periodically to check them and the Inner Tube where the stem enters the tube to see how it is holding up. Replace yearly an minimum.
But the steady pressure of the levers in a long down hill is a no-no! I live and ride in Boulder, CO and the Rockies are a constant place I go.
I had one bad crash where the tire (a wire bead) came apart because I wasn't checking and riding the Gatorskin in the dirt. Just be careful!
DK
10-26-21, 11:57 AM
#47
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Just trying to assess the risks and prevention, based on others' experiences, if I replace the tire well before reaching worn indicators or other visible signs. A road bike tire often holds more than 3 times bigger pressure than a car tire and it is probably 6 times thinner. Many years ago I rode tubulars and when the first flat came, I was amazed to see what a "paper thin" I had on my wheels. Clinchers and tubeless today are just a little bit thicker...
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10-27-21, 10:19 AM
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Hey... I like that. I'm gonna give that a try. Hoping it does not interfere with my DT shifters. If it does I think I'll move it back under the seat with the same configuration...
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10-27-21, 10:28 AM
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another one.
Ready for a 900 mile tour
Ready for a 900 mile tour
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