Bicycle Mechanics - NEWBIE: Tire Problem Question?

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mseanschmidt
05-04-08, 03:25 PM
Any help on this would be greatly appreciated as I continue to try to learn WHY things happen on my bike so I can do more things myself and stay out of the LBS!

I had a rear flat last week on my set of ProRace 2 tires. I changed the tube and rode a quick 20 mile ride on Thursday and 35 hard ride on Saturday. I just went out for a ride an about 10 miles in, on a decent, I felt a weird feeling from my rear tire. I cautiously braked and pulled over to the side of the road. I was SHOCKED to see that a 1.5-2 inch portion of my tire on one side of my rear wheel was bulging out from the rim??? I let some air out of the tire and just like that it popped right back into the rim. I used a CO2 cartridge to get about 90-100 PSI into the tire. It looked fine with no bulge any longer. HOWEVER, I went right home and the rear wheel felt weird but it may just be my mind playing tricks because of the problem.

So, can anyone explain to me WHAT HAPPENED??? Why it happened, how to prevent it and how to properly fix?

Thanks for ALL your help!!!!

HillRider
05-04-08, 03:54 PM
It sounds like you didn't get the tube completely tucked inside the tire when you fixed the first flat but I don't understand how you managed to ride 55 miles before the problem showed up.

Anyway, the usual cause of what you experienced is having a small section of the tube caught between the tire and the rim. Inflation to full pressure then allows the tube to push a section of the tire off the rim. The normal result is an explosive failure of the tube so you were lucky.

In the future, when you change a tube, go completely around the rim on both sides to be certain the tube is completely enclosed in the tire before you inflate it.
mike
05-04-08, 04:04 PM
It sounds like you didn't get the tube completely tucked inside the tire when you fixed the first flat but I don't understand how you managed to ride 55 miles before the problem showed up.

Anyway, the usual cause of what you experienced is having a small section of the tube caught between the tire and the rim. Inflation to full pressure then allows the tube to push a section of the tire off the rim. The normal result is an explosive failure of the tube so you were lucky.

In the future, when you change a tube, go completely around the rim on both sides to be certain the tube is completely enclosed in the tire before you inflate it.

Ha ha. Yup. That is a tire hernia ya got their fella.

Hillrider explains the deal well. ALSO, you have to make sure that the tire bead is seated under the rim flange. After you get the tube in the tire and the tire on the rim, put about 5 psi or so into the tire. Use your hand to push the tire down onto the rim. This will help get the tire's wire bead to seat under the rim flange so that the tube doesn't pop out between the tire and the rim.

I laugh but truth be told, I learned this the hard way too.