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When tires go bad!

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Old 07-07-14, 07:32 PM
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When tires go bad!

I was on my way back from a 30 miler, and started as a little thump thump...then got bigger, then each bump would shift the bike to the side.

Still had 8 miles to go, but finally called it and had the wife bring me my spare tire (I'm on Vacation, but I brought one with me). 15 minutes later I was back on the road.

Tire is a 700x35 Bontrager H2, and it has 2800 miles on it, so I think I got my moneys worth
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Old 07-07-14, 07:36 PM
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Carry a spare tire on your bike.
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Old 07-07-14, 07:43 PM
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These aren't foldable...guess I could get and oddball just for the emergency.
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Old 07-07-14, 07:58 PM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
Carry a spare tire on your bike.
I carry one around my waist
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Old 07-08-14, 07:35 AM
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congratulations on the mileage!
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Old 07-08-14, 09:33 AM
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My wife got a flat, she fixed it. She then told me that 'something wasn't right' with her wheel. Since her rims can be difficult to mount a tire on, I figured it she didn't notice the bead wasn't seated right, or a twisted tube.
None of the above, her tire looked almost like yours. About the same mileage too. It was toast.
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Old 07-08-14, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Homebrew01
I carry one around my waist
Or around your shoulders:

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Old 07-08-14, 11:14 AM
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I had a tire develop a bulge at mile 80 of a century a couple years ago. The tires were only a couple months old, too (Vittoria Zaffiro).
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Old 07-08-14, 11:50 AM
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I have well over 5000 miles on my Zaffiros. Go figure.
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Old 07-08-14, 11:54 AM
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Originally Posted by johnlp37
I have well over 5000 miles on my Zaffiros. Go figure.
Showoff!
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Old 07-08-14, 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by johnlp37
I have well over 5000 miles on my Zaffiros. Go figure.
Many of my friends swear by their Vittoria tires but I had bad luck with them. Aside from getting the dreaded S-bulge, the frequency of flats was more than normal for me and they were very difficult to mount on my wheels (Mavic Open Pro).
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Old 07-08-14, 10:45 PM
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hmmmm, makes me think. I have about 2800 miles on a set of 38mm H2's with lots of life left in them or not. Maybe ill put my rear to rest after the Seattle to Portland this weekend.
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Old 07-09-14, 06:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Eric S.
Many of my friends swear by their Vittoria tires but I had bad luck with them. Aside from getting the dreaded S-bulge, the frequency of flats was more than normal for me and they were very difficult to mount on my wheels (Mavic Open Pro).
I've had this same experience with Panaracer Paselas, which many swear by as well. I have a generic problem with Bontrager anything.
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Old 07-09-14, 07:52 AM
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That tire still looks serviceable to me. Was there anything wrong with it besides going flat from a puncture or something?
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Old 07-09-14, 09:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Looigi
That tire still looks serviceable to me. Was there anything wrong with it besides going flat from a puncture or something?
A tire with an S-bulge may hold air to get you home, but it's toast. The structural integrity of the tire is gone.

In my case of getting one 80 miles into a century, I finished the ride but the tread had worn down to the cord by the end.
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Old 07-09-14, 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Looigi
That tire still looks serviceable to me. Was there anything wrong with it besides going flat from a puncture or something?
I don't think it was even safe to ride on. Still held air, but the bump and side movement was dangerous. Especially in traffic. Wasn't going to risk it.
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Old 07-09-14, 12:21 PM
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Originally Posted by Eric S.
A tire with an S-bulge may hold air to get you home, but it's toast. The structural integrity of the tire is gone.
That's what I wss thinking too.

I've seen lots of bicycle tires that had no visual defects but a little "S" curve in the tread. That means the caseing cords have been cut or broken. When that happens, it's only a question of time how soon the tire fails completely. It's always easier to replace the tire in my shop than it is to replace it somewhere on the road so that's what I do.
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Old 07-09-14, 01:27 PM
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The pic looks to me like the S bulge was due to deflation. If it's still there while inflated, i.e. something wrong besides just going flat, then it's not OK.
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Old 07-09-14, 06:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Looigi
The pic looks to me like the S bulge was due to deflation. If it's still there while inflated, i.e. something wrong besides just going flat, then it's not OK.
The photo shows the tire fully inflated at 80 PSI. And it had a huge hump, which was like riding over huge cracks in a sidewalk...constantly!
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