VeloNewbie

Hey guys. I have been a long time lurker here. I finally signed up. You guys are awsome. Anyway, I was trying to figure out what my first posting would be. I just figured it out about an hour ago.
I was out for a ride about an hour ago, and I was descending a pretty steep hill that is in my usual route. I began "sprinting" down and all of a sudden, the loud hiss of my front tire blowing out on me stopped me pretty quick. I had virtually NO time to react, and hit the ground. HARD. Then slid a few feet on the asphalt. Now my leg looks like a tiger clawed me(chainring), my *** and elbow have an abrasion(hopefully they wont scar). So im in pain as I type this.LOL. I knew I probably needed a new front tire but I didnt think much of it because theres a tube in it also. Okay, the tire was a little dry rotted. I live in the inner city, but I didnt see any glass or nails or anything. What would cause a tire to just quickly blow out?!
Thanks guys

sd790

Uh, dry rot maybe?

bsektzer

How's the bike?

Stomper

The tire was disintegrating as you were riding and at the critical point it blew out. You're very fortunate. If that had happened in major traffic. . . Safety trumps adventure, especially on roads and in the inner city.

antmeeks

Any number of things could cause a sudden blowout... pinched tube, torn sidewall, etc., etc.

You should always carefully inspect the condition of your tires and make sure they are inflated to the optimum pressure for your weight based on manuf. recommendations --- before every ride.

Before. Every. Ride.

VeloNewbie

Thanks for the quick replies guys. I guess I am fortunate. It crazy because I JUST turned off of a busy road. I just put a new tire on the back and looked at the front and figured it could go for a few more miles. WRONG. Now im in pain because of it! LOL. Im running 700x23c on mavic cxp33. I weigh 150 and keep the pressure at 105. Too much?
Yeah I learned my lesson, now I am going to start paying more attention to my tires, tubes and pressures. It hurts bad.

VeloNewbie

BTW, I believe my bike is okay. I did manage to scrape up some bar tape, and scape my shifter. I just hope the frame isnt bent or cracked or anything.

sd790

Glad to hear you're okay. Heal up well and get back out there!

generalkdi

I don't think the pressure had anything to do, your tire was just at the end of his life. How much many did you have on it?

Ancient Mariner

I've always been a bit paranoid about tires, and as soon as I have any question at all, I replace them. That's just me, and I'm positive I've thrown away some tires with a lots of useful life remaining in them. My reasoning is that a tire failure like yours almost never turns out well, and in the overall scheme of things, they're a lot cheaper than a trip to the emergency room.

I'm glad your injuries weren't serious, and hope you're back in the saddle as soon as you get a new tire.

105 psi is not a problem. I'm a bit over 200# and run slightly higher pressure than that on the rear.....just under that on the front.

cyclezen

big bummer!
sorry to hear about your crash.
there are good threads in the archive on how to treat rash.
no way for anyone to guess what caused the flat, but if yo uexpect some sort of equipment failure, then it's always good to look over the equipment real close and maybe deduce a 'cause'
heal well
welcome

zandoval 

Maintenance and inspections are a constant for all riders - Allot of the inspections I do are when I first start my ride - And i feel no guilt (nor the ones I ride with) about stopping to check out some sqeak or creak...

Do remember that road burn is a real issue - Years ago a little road burn was not a big deal - But now days a high percentage of road burns leads to MRSA infections - If your burn is not doing well after 48 hours get to your Doc ASAP for antibiotics - Remember that Honey is an excellent hydrocoloid and for burn dressings that means washing vigorously with soap and water then a thick layer of honey then a cotton dressing - The next day comes the hard part and that is soaking the dressing long enough for it to gently slide off before you wash gently and apply another honey dressing...

Let me know if you need further information... Road Burn can be a real bummer...

gamby

I had a front tire blow out due to dry rot last season. I was lucky enough to come to a controlled stop, though. Sidewall gave out.

Now I know to chuck them if there's dry rot.

escarpment

I still have scars on both of my elbows from a crash, or series of crashes, this summer. scar on my temple from a fall 3 years ago.
Remember that the condition of your front tire is much more important then your back.

heal, keep riding, try tagaderm if you are afraid of scars but beware of the juices it will produce.

welcome to the 41

VeloNewbie

Thanks for all the replies. You guys give alot of useful information.Ive been riding for a year now and I come from(still involved) a background of racing motocross. I forgot how dangerous a bicycle can be!LOL. I think I will heal up ok once the rashes dry out a little. It all happened QUICK! I remember grunting once I relized I was sliding on pavement.LOL.Probably wont do much at work today because my calf is still sore from the chainring. I will be picking up a new tire and tube sometime today. Im not sure what to get yet. I have a Vittoria Zaffiro on the back right now thats new. The front tire was close to the end of its life but I used bad judgement and tried to get a few more miles out of it. I was just being too lazy to change it. Im just glad my bike is not seriously hurt!

sd790

You don't want your road rash to dry out! It will heal much faster if it stays moist. Read up on proper care and get yourself some Tegaderm. The search is your friend here.

ahsposo 

Are you sure you're in the right forum?

eippo1

I work at a shop and always do my best convincing people to spend $20 for a new tire because of dry rot. The chances for injury are just too great because bikes are fast machines. Always spend money on new rubber if there is any doubt. Hospital bills are a lot more expensive.

VeloNewbie

Well I can assure you now that nobody will have to tell me twice to buy a new tire. LOL. I picked up some of that tegaderm. Man that stuff is hard to find! I have never tried the "moist" healing procedure so I will see how it comes out. I also got a new tire and tube. The guy at the LBS talked me into getting the Specialized Roubaix Armadillo Elite tire. It seems pretty tough. Any of you run those tires?

contango 

Reminds me of a comment Lennard Zinn made in his book on mountain bike maintenance along the lines of how replacing a part might seem expensive but it's cheaper than brain surgery.

banerjek

This is true, but it is a PITA, limits activity, and incurs noticeable cost to keep moist wounds clean. Let it dry unless you really have a lot of rash and it's bad. It will take 3 times longer to heal, but you won't have to be nearly as careful and it's a lot less maintenance.

sci_femme

Armadillos are considered the gold standard of puncture resistance. However, there are multiple opinions (here and in Commuting forum) that they do not grip well when wet and are fairly "dead" as far as ride quality is concerned. When both of these wear out, treat yourself to a pair of Conti 4-seasons, best place to buy is ribblecycles.com, almost 45% cheaper that stateside. Puncture-resistance is comparable to Armadillos, grip, ride, weight, etc. are beautiful. Contis run small, so 25 might still fit.

And remember - best (not necessarily newest) tire always in front.

Good Luck

SF

surgeonstone

Wrong, a good dressing can be left in place undisturbed for 1 week, hurts far less, prevents infection, will leave a better scar and in the end will be worth the cost. Ignore good science for dated remedies at your own risk.
Some choices- Duoderm- 1 dressing stays in place for 1 week, Mepilex bordered foam, Polymem- excellent. Any of the above can be used with or without a touch of Bacitracin. Google each to find the best price.

surgeonstone

Sounds like you probably had your share of falls riding motocross. In cycling, flesh invaribly meets pavement. Keep on truckin and learning.

DiscTruckerMF

maybe, but it had a tube in it duh??