UKC

Hi 

I had a huge blowout (if that's what you could call it) from the back tyre on the way to work this morning, it was quite funny as the dog walking along the pavement jumped a mile ! Annoying though as I had to walk the rest of the way to work.

My bikes a Brompton, I was wondering if you would normally replace the Tyre given the pressure in the inner tube is around 70 PSI ? I'm not sure if the air coming out would damage the tyre. Its the second puncture this week. I checked the tyre last night but I couldn't see anything that would result in a puncture so it could be very small, what ever is popping my inner tubes.

Thanks

Jason

In my experience, loud blowouts are generally down to either a hole in the tyre or something major like that allowing the inner tube to touch the road (a similarly major issue on the inside of your wheel might have the same effect), or where the inner tube gets pinched between the tyre and the rim. If you can't see anything to obviously puncture the inner tube, I doubt it would be major enough to cause a loud blowout, usually smaller stuff causes a quieter puncture.

If the tyre isn't that worn and you're really sure there's nothing obvious in it (worth looking round the outside as well as the inside and pinch any small splits or holes to see if there's any broken glass or thorns in there) then I would get a new inner tube and take extra care that it isn't pinched between the tyre and the rim. I normally put a little bit of air in and then go around each side of the tyre pushing it away from the rim to check that I can't see the inner tube. 

Thats your problem, get a bike with real sized tyres  

Hope your ok

I've ordered a new tyre and inner tube, thanks for the advice

I know the passengers on the train don't really like my Brompton, I often get tangled up with other passengers, and I got tangled with a bloke and a woman this morning as they're bags and straps got caught up in the folded bike, lots of grumbling and frowns, I look at my other bike, a Marin and it looks huge now, and I don't think I'd have the guts to take it on the train.

I had about four punctures over the course of a day, on a cycling tour ten years ago.  Didn't suss out the cause until a day or two later.  I found a pin head sized hole in the tyre.  Not enough to let the inner tube through under normal riding conditions but enough to overstress it when i hit a good sized pot hole (or stone).

So the tyre went in the bin and the problem went away.  I've never forgotten that day (and neither has my cycling partner 😁)

Ah, the train journey commute problem with a bike.

If you only do it at one end then buy cheap bike, big lock, leave bike overnight at train station - I did it for two years in one busy train station and never had it nicked - just dont leave a shiny bike

If you use it at both ends of journey then it becomes a bigger problem, granted

Then you do what thousands of Dutch do and keep a bike at each end, surely?

To the OP, when you fit that new tyre be sure to dust everything liberally with talc so as to help get the sticky new rubber over the rim. It can be really hard with a small tyre with a wire bead.

Something small wouldn't cause a loud blowout. If the tyre isn't worn out it should be fine.

I broke a really expensive carbon rim trying to get a tyre on. It’s ridiculous how hard it is. 

Whenever I’ve had an explosive blowout like that the tyre has been badly damaged. 

looking at the old tyre, above the rim there is a frayed area I can see my finger when I put it behind the frayed area, the inner tube must have burst through there -

I got a new tyre and inner tube today, all fixed now

I would expect a cyclist posting on this forum to have the necessary finger strength to mount a tyre on a rim 😉

Luckier than me then. I used to ride to the local station in the morning, leave the bike locked up and get the train to collage then ride home after. I stopped the second time both my tyres were slashed. 

Last time this happened to me it was a small nick on the rim that had fretted away at the side wall.  I burnished it away with the back of a spoon before replacing the tyre.

I always found "local" stations (generally with less bikes left) more troublesome than larger "hub" stations that generally had lots of bikes left at them overnight

I do feel your pain though

fixed for now but check your pad alignment to make sure the pads aren't rubbing against the tyre or it will happen again..

By the same token an under-inflated tyre allows the rim to press down on the tyre wall and over time grit can abrade it away causing a burst.

Go tubeless or go home!

Ever tried putting on a new tubular 😀