I finished my ride Saturday and left the bike in the car so that I can catch the World Cup game. Later that afternoon I take it out and the front tire is flat. I think to myself "Self, the tire seemed to be OK when I finished the ride so it was either a very slow leak or it got hot in the car and temperature rise cause a pressure rise (highly doubtful, but others claim it has happened)". Anyway, Tube 1 is a goner.

I check the tire inside and out and find nothing. I put a new tube on and pump it up to 100 psi. Five minutes later, BAM, Tube 2 gone.

This time I recheck the tires very carefully and use tweezers to extract very small embedded rocks and glass. New tube, 100 psi and BAM. Tube 3 gone.

I give up on the old tire and put on a new one with a new tube. Pump to 100 psi and BAM. Tube 4 gone.

OK, it must be the wheel. Actually, it wasn't. It turns out that the rubber/plastic rim strip had blown a hole at one of the spoke holes. At each of the other spoke holes, a very nice cup had formed. My hypothesis is that the increased temperature of the car really did increase the temperature enough to raise the pressure enough to burst the rim strip. There ain't no pressure rating on rim strips.

I went down to the LBS the next day and the mechanic says that they never use rim strips, they just use rim tape. So there's your lesson learned - Don't Use Rim Strips.

I spent yesterday afternoon patching tubes.

Actually, I feel fortunate that it didn't pop on a ride.

Cliff