BANG!!

Nuggs

After finishing a 30-mile ride yesterday, I put my bike away and went inside.

Half an hour later there was a huge BANG from the garage. I thought our boiler had blown up!

It was actually my rear tyre exploding. A hole about the size of a £2 coin has been ripped out of the tyre (still, seems like a good time to order those GP4000s I've been hankering after).

I can't find any foreign objects and there's a double-layer of rim tape keeping the spokes out of harm's way.

I'm just thanking my lucky stars that (i) it didn't go while I was riding and (ii) the rim seems okay.

I'm stumped what could have caused it, especially while not being ridden.

Any ideas?

Scrumple

Stupid mice?

holmeboy

If you think about it tyres blown upto almost 100psi will exert 100 pounds of pressure per square inch, so that pressure is always there pushing against your tyre. So any weakness in the tyre ie small holes/tears will be under constant force and when you put the bike away in probally quite a warm place the rubber will soften as well resulting in the tyre giving suddenly. That's my theory anyway. i've also noticed when I get any of the cleaning fluid on the tyre sometimes the rubber seems to soften too!

cougie

Nuggs - check this out - I bought mine full price online - dammit : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... %26otn%3D2

LeighB

I had a tyre go like this whilst riding.
I was a few miles from home on my 25 mile training loop coming through a village at a steady pace when ‘bang’ the front tyre blew; I was pitched over the handlebars and landed on my head in the middle of the road. I picked myself up and a couple of people who were having a barbeque (can imagine the sausages going flying with the shock of the bang!) in their garden came out to help. My wife came out and picked me up in the car.
I had a sore head/neck, a very sore shoulder, a large bruise on my hip/leg and gravel rash on my arm/leg. The bike was ok apart from the tyre/tube.
Lessons learned;
Always wear a helmet, the impact of my landing broke my helmet; if I had not been wearing one it would/could have been a serious injury.
Don’t use ancient tyres as they don’t wear much on the front, the £20 cost of a new tyre is less painful than the potential injuries.
I was riding my fixed gear bike so my speed was limited, if this had happened down hill on my geared bike it could have been quite nasty, I’ve seen 50+ MPH on my computer.

Scrumple

There must be something fishy about the 2 for £15 on ebay.
So many decent fakes on there.

I'd be very suspicious... indeed.

Doobz

thanks for the link cougie - ordered a set myself - will see how they go

Ambermile

So - are those 2" or 700c? I need to get a pair of 26" slicks...


Arthur

Nuggs

Scrumple wrote:

There must be something fishy about the 2 for £15 on ebay.
So many decent fakes on there.

I'd be very suspicious... indeed.

I've been stung by t'bay a couple of times so I'm going to pass on that one, given the importance of decent tyres to my wellbeing!

Thanks for the link though Cougie...

ride_whenever

ambermile,

specialised fatboys are grippy fast 26" slicks come in 1.5", with a kevlar belt for protection

Ambermile

Thanks - I like the protection idea too! 3 punctures in 10 miles the other week!

Arthur

ride_whenever

the only stuff i've had go through them is razor thin shards of flint, that clearly follow me wherever i go!

Doobz

Ambermile wrote:

So - are those 2" or 700c? I need to get a pair of 26" slicks...


Arthur

from what I gathered its for a set of 23mm 700c tyres..

from the guys feedback about the tyres there has been nothing but good things been said about them so hopefully its one of those bonus's in life you cant let go..

Who knows.. I will report back when they arrive.. If they arrive :roll:

Ambermile

Ah. I have been looking at the Schwalbe City Jets and - because technically it's a mountain bike - Schwalbe Crazy Bobs.

Really though, since it *is* a mountain bike, would slicks make it much easier on the road or should I surrender and get a road bike? I have finally got this adjusted to fit me, got lots of (comfortable) options vis. hand positions, got brakes I trust in all weather and since I built it up myself it will be hard to let it go. Most of my day-to-day riding is around C or unclassified "roads" here in darkest Norfolk, where the suspension is pretty much a requirement.

Arthur

bigmat

I had a similar "bang" a couple of weeks ago, front tyre blew as I was doing around 25mph (fortunately in a straight line). Managed to keep it together. There was a 1cm long gash in the side wall of the tyre. Only inflated to around 100psi and cool weather so I'm blaming the tyres - GP4000, done less than 200 miles - grrrrr. Continental have sent me a new one, but no new inner tube (was an expensive latex one) and no explanation / apology for what could have been a serious crash had I been going downhill / cornering at speed.

keef66

Ambermile

I put City Jets on my (rigid) mtb, and the difference in terms of road performance was quite startling.

Still on the verge of buying a proper road bike though.

Rudd

I've had the same experience. I had just finised a surrey loop and was going home on the train. Bike was in the carriage not moving when the front tyre made a huge bang and deflated, woke most of the carriage up! I had 10 mins before we got in so changed the inner in the hope that I could cycle home. What had happend was that there was a 1cm slash in the tyre but it had not gone through the inner, hence the inner the poking out of the slash like a little hightly pressurised baloon. it was only a matter of time before it exploded and no need for the bike to be moving. Was very glad it had not happened when riding!

acorn_user

These problems sound like tubes being pinched against the rim and tyre. I had this happen to me in race this weekend. The tyre had held up fine all week, then when I got to the Keirin round it just blew up. I was lucky not to crash!

Nuggs

acorn_user wrote:

These problems sound like tubes being pinched against the rim and tyre. I had this happen to me in race this weekend. The tyre had held up fine all week, then when I got to the Keirin round it just blew up. I was lucky not to crash!

Not a chance of that in my case. The tube has been in for around 400 miles and is pumped up regularly (so no risk of a deflated tube wedging between tyre and rim).

Rudd's explanation sounds like the most likely here...

geoff_ss

If you do suffer a split tyre when out on the road a makeshift repair is easy if you have a polythene bag handy. If you wrap the bag round the inner tube where the tyre is split you can get quite a decent pressure (70/80 psi at least) which is good for miles. Don't forget to to replace the tyre when you get home though

Unlike the old wives tale that you can get home on a tyre stuffed with grass clippings this has worked for me in the past.

Geoff

Ambermile

keef66 wrote:

Ambermile

I put City Jets on my (rigid) mtb, and the difference in terms of road performance was quite startling.

Still on the verge of buying a proper road bike though.

, me too as I said :roll: Since I have a nice brushed aluminium frame with blue accessories, (and because they look good) I was looking at these. Yes, I know they are cheap - possibly too cheap but with armoured tubes they may be alright? Local too so I can go collect!

Please don't pan them on price though, it gets wearing to hear complaints on the one hand that people spend too much money on stuff and then on the other hand, stuff is too cheap!

Arthur