puncture caused by sunlight in car (???)

danlightbulb

Ok so here's the situation.

Last night I put my bike in the car, after checking it over and cleaning it etc. Tyres were fine, up to pressure, had been for weeks, no issues.

So i went to work this morning, bike in boot with seats down. All fine.

When I got back to my car after work, intending to shoot over Cannock for a ride, my rear tyre was flat as a pancake. Wouldn't pump up (I have slime tubes), so had to remove the tube. On inspection of the tube there is a 3mm long slit in the very underside of the tube. The bit that would face directly inwards to the rim.

So given that it had been fine for weeks, and it was fine when it went into the car last night, the only possible explanation I can think of is that because its been a very hot day today, and my car was parked in an open spot, it would have got hot and the wheel in question would have been in direct sunlight through the car window. My other wheel was hidden by the parcel shelf.

So is this feasible? Can punctures occur from just leaving a bike in a hot car?

Thanks

blister pus

Dunno. But an air tube / tyre that's inflated toward the upper end that's been lent on a hot house radiator makes a right old boom when it goes. Literally shreds the tube, blows the tyre off.

danlikesbikes

Never seen it myself but I do know people that have issues if their wheels are left in the car in hot conditions and it was pretty hot today with my car getting up to 26c.

Last year we did have someone park their bike up next to a chain link fence an the rear wheel was in the sun as we stopped for coffee and it just went bang all on its own. Not that I'm saying the sun caused it but is possible that the tube was old and possibly carrying some wear and the exposure to heat either from the sun or probably the sun heating the metal in on the fence which the tyre was touching.

kenan

Flames from a car exhaust will do the same thing, didn't think that bike rack through.

stubs

My car was parked in full sun all day today. Checked temp with office Elf and safety thermometer at about 4 pm, 52 degrees C dont know about a tube but that would make me deflate.

Hope this weather lasts we deserve it.

chazkayak

I had an airbed that exploded in the back of my van due to the heat.

It was one of the blue and red ones.....there was chalk dust everywhere!!!!!!

Good Old Bakes

Could the heat have melted the slime or caused it to liquefy, in doing so, caused the slime to 'unstick' a puncture which it had previously repaired?

danlightbulb

Maybe. Who knows. Wouldn't reseal though, but it had fully deflated and I don't think I could get enough air going in with my track pump for it to seal.

Lesson is let down my tyres if leaving in a car.

Plyphon

This is quite common in BMX, we generally have our tyres up to the limit for certain disciplines (And in some cases, even over). Heat is always an issue, I've had tubes on my BMX go pop from heat just leant up in the sun for a few hours.

100psi going bang is always fun.

BillyMansell

It happened to me with a road bike whilst in France last summer, blowing a large hole through both tyre and tube. Also the saddle had an air cushion built in and that blew as well.

timpop

It may have split there from the spokes getting super hot and the tube getting softer and expanding.