Originally Posted by
jnbrown
Has anybody actually blown a tube using rim brakes?
I've never had one blow off on my tandem but I did on my single bike back a few years back. I think it really depends on the type of riding you are doing. I was on a long, steep (6-15%) curvy descent. It was fast too, 50+mph. Luckily I felt the tire go out of round (ie thump,thump, thump), got the bike stopped and got off just in time to watch it go BOOM! The tub actually pushed the nearly new tire (Conti GP3000?) right off the rim before it exploded.
I agree with jnbrown that variation in wheel diameter/tire diameter can be a significant contributor to the problem. Some tires go on some wheels very easy and not on others. On that bike it was always very easy to put the tires on by hand. I personally feel that contributed to my case.
Since I've had that happen on my single bike, I take no chances on the tandem. I do a lot of fast technical descents and that is something I don't want to have to worry about.