Tire blew off rim today
Moderator: robbosmans
I have using Vittoria latex tubes since last October. No problems not even one flat. Initial impressions were slightly better ride quality and perhaps lower rolling resistance. Today I was going downhill about 30 MPH heard a bang and suddenly I was riding on my front rim. It was a bit scary but luckily I was going staight and was able to stay upright. When I stopped and looked at the wheel it was obvious the tire blew off the rim. I had not ridden this bike for a while and when I pumped up the tires last night they were pretty low. Maybe the latex tube got under the tire bead? The tires are Schwalbe One and fit pretty loose. Do I need to check the tube everytime I pump up the tires if they were low? I am a little squimish now because if I was going around a curve I would have been on the ground. I am thinking butly tubes might be safer in this respect.
Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓ Broad Selection ✓ Worldwide Delivery ✓
www.starbike.com
-
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2018 2:16 am
Mate, we going to need some pics. This is the internet ...
If the tire was loose on the rim, then it is very possible the bead pulled away ever so slightly allowing the tube to get pinched. It is also possible the tube was pinched from the initial install and thanks to the durability of the latex tube, it took quite some time for the tube to give way. I have had that happen a couple times with light weight, high performance open tubulars, but the blow out was significantly more exciting as the tires sidewall was ripped open when the tube let go.
- Michael
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"
"People should stop expecting normal from me... seriously, we all know it's never going to happen"
It's nothing to do with the tube. If it's trapped you would have a flat before the tire blows off.
Did you do a spin test at half pressure before you pumped it up good? The bead should be nice and even all around.
It's also possible the bead is damaged but I haven't heard of such a thing.
What is possible however is that you happen to have the rare circumstance of installing the tire a bit poorly, having a slightly undersized rim diameter and using a slightly oversized tire diameter. Boom.
Also the rim could have been overheated and become deformed.
Possible? This hasn't happened to me. I'm just trying to think about your problem. Hope you find out what it was.
/a
Did you do a spin test at half pressure before you pumped it up good? The bead should be nice and even all around.
It's also possible the bead is damaged but I haven't heard of such a thing.
What is possible however is that you happen to have the rare circumstance of installing the tire a bit poorly, having a slightly undersized rim diameter and using a slightly oversized tire diameter. Boom.
Also the rim could have been overheated and become deformed.
Possible? This hasn't happened to me. I'm just trying to think about your problem. Hope you find out what it was.
/a
Latex tubes expand and it is recommended to change them every year. Mine had expanded before that period. Heat also plays a role on that and with carbon rims it's even worse, but I assume you use aluminum. Were you dragging the brakes by any chance? Glad you didn't fall.
Definitely imo the tube creeped underneath the bead, probably as you say because the tires were loose and it found a tiny gap when pumping up. Latex can creep into the tiniest cracks hence the cautions when using latex tubes with clincher rims and the tube is exposed to such things as getting under the bead, under the rim strip, etc. Butyl is less likely to be able to do that but the same thing can happen if you catch the tube under the bead somehow. And no, it does not follow that the tube would have blown instantly upon pumping up, especially with latex. Latex make for nice inntertubes but you have to be extra careful when using them with clincher rims. You were lucky. No worse feeling that have your clincher blow off a rim at speed while descending. Good for you for keeping your wits about you and managing to stay upright. Is the rim destroyed?
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ
Latex tube certainly can survive for a long while before it gone flat on repetitively hard cornering etc. That flat can also be quick explosive. Then if the tire is quite loosely sit on pinched tube, it can roll off.
a tube failing inside a tyre will not be explosive
the inner tube is only providing an airtight seal, the tyre (and for a clincher the rim, rim tape etc.) is what holds the pressure
a tyre failing or coming off the rim will be explosive because without the support of tyre+rim the tube will immediately burst
once a tube fails, either the tyre can deflate slowly or the bead can unseat and the remaining pressure will release with a bang
above is the suggestion that the "sidewall was ripped open when the tube let go", no, the likely scenarios are: i) the sidewall failed and the tube burst; or ii) the tube lost pressure, perhaps the rim failed or the bead failed or the bead unseated, whatever it was, the end result was the sidewall got damaged running flat
the inner tube is only providing an airtight seal, the tyre (and for a clincher the rim, rim tape etc.) is what holds the pressure
a tyre failing or coming off the rim will be explosive because without the support of tyre+rim the tube will immediately burst
once a tube fails, either the tyre can deflate slowly or the bead can unseat and the remaining pressure will release with a bang
above is the suggestion that the "sidewall was ripped open when the tube let go", no, the likely scenarios are: i) the sidewall failed and the tube burst; or ii) the tube lost pressure, perhaps the rim failed or the bead failed or the bead unseated, whatever it was, the end result was the sidewall got damaged running flat
Yup. The same thing happened to me when I ran latex along with clinchers a long time ago. When latex tubes fail it comes with a loud bang, much like like a balloon popping. I believe the explosive nature of latex is the reason why the tire came off. I had the exact same failure. This is also why I’m against running latex with clinchers. Some of my latex tube failures consist of six inch long gashes. These failures must be quick and sudden, hence the explosive nature of the failure. When air is released in a sudden way it can create a lot of force in a very confined area. When running butyl tubes air can be released quickly but never with a bang. I highly suggest that you give up on latex for the sake of your own safety. To achieve a very close level of ride quality and rolling resistance to latex, I suggest the Conti Supersonic tube. There’s a very good reason why Conti puts latex tubes in their racing tubular tires but they don’t sell a stand-alone latex tube that one can use along with a clincher tire. Conti cares about your safety above corporate profits.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Here’s a low motion video of a latex balloon popping. It explodes so quickly that you need a 10,000 FPS high speed camera to film it.
https://youtu.be/abz0EvMrckk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
https://youtu.be/abz0EvMrckk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yes but that’s an uncontained situation. In a clincher situation, latex is very good at creeping into the tiniest of crevices (between the bead and rim, under rim strips etc.). That is what eventually causes the blowout. It can sit just under the bead for a while but when it goes it’s very likely it will blow the bead off the rim with it.
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ
I suggest to the OP to do the spin test at half the pressure before going high. Look carefully that the bead is seated at the same height around the rim.
I also suggest to do the "pinched tube check" by going to around 20-30psi and simply pinching the tire with your hands looking along the sides to see if the bead is clear all around on both sides.
First the latter, then the first.
For sticky tires/tubes use talcum powder. Put some pressure in the tube before mounting it and try not to twist it.
/a
I also suggest to do the "pinched tube check" by going to around 20-30psi and simply pinching the tire with your hands looking along the sides to see if the bead is clear all around on both sides.
First the latter, then the first.
For sticky tires/tubes use talcum powder. Put some pressure in the tube before mounting it and try not to twist it.
/a
Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓ Broad Selection ✓ Worldwide Delivery ✓
www.starbike.com
^That should be standard practice regardless of the tube you’re using. But with latex it is harder to ensure everything is “ok”, as it is much more adept at getting into the tiniest cracks than butyl is, even if it was ok upon inflation.
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ