Exploding bike tube
 

Hi guys, I have a dilemma
I was riding in the city the other day and my bike tire deflated, took it home to find it had a tiny puncture so I covered that and re-inflated it. Then it popped again as I was inflating it so I looked around and found it had popped in the same place pretty much, upon closer inspection I found that there was a chip in the rim and it was a bit sharp. So I smoothed it out as well as covering it with tape to ensure it wouldn't puncture it again.

Then I put a new tube in (because this one was covered in patches) and pumped it up where it deflated again. This time I decided that I would try a new tire also.

Using this new tire I no longer have problems with the tire deflating, but rather they explode when I haven't even hit 60psi.

That's right, I am approaching 60 psi, and the tire explodes and nearly deafens me. I have tried this with two different brand tubes on the same tire.
Is it possible that the tire is causing the explosion? Possibly the tire is too tight for the tube? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated because this is driving me insane!!!!!!!

Thanks in advance,

I've had this happen to me. My problem was the tire bead not seated or hooked into the rim properly. I even saw the tube poking out between the rim and unseated tire bead, but before I could release pressure, it blew out. Make sure you are using the same diameter tire and if you are, make sure it's bead is seating into the rim before inflating too high. Check the tire/rim contact area at each 10 psi.
Also make sure the tape that you put on the rim to cover the chip is not causing the tire bead not to seat.

How old are your rims?

check your spokes and their nipples for any too long or sharper areas.

Been there! Got my first new bike (a Fuji newest 4) in YEARS last year. The tech said keep 120 Lbs. in the tires. Pumped the one tire, as I walked away BOOM! Scared the S&^T out of me! Sounded like a gun shot. Side of tire read 90lbs. The LBS replaced the tube free when I took it back.

No laxatives needed that day!

Be sure to check your rim for any foreign (sharp) debris. And run your fingers around the inside and outside of your old tire. You'll find the culprit in there that started your descent into Dante's Bike-Shop. Other than this, check that you seat the tire-bead correctly and that you're not pinching the new tube. This can be helped by installing the tube, inflated enough to retain it's proper shape, into the tire before wrestling the tire up and onto the rim.

I've only had a tire pop like this when I had a rim tape issue. The result was a big hole on the underside of the tube.

Since you've already replaced the tire and the tube, and I'm going to assume that you've now checked that the bead has been properly seated when you reinflate it, make sure you're not pinching the tube when you reinstall everything, but BEFORE you do this, check your rim strip to make sure that it is completely covering all of the spoke holes. A tube getting "sucked" into a spoke hole will cause it to go boom. Also, I would, just for the sake of it, replace the current rim strip with some cloth tape rimstrip. Good luck!

I have seen three things cause repeated tube 'blowouts,' where the tube literally pokes out and explode.

1. Improper tire installation. As others have said, make sure the bead is seated all the way around on both sides, that the tube is not visible at any point between the rim sidewall and tire, and that the tire is the right size.

2. A cut or damaged tire. A cut big enough for a bit of tube to poke through, baloon out, and pop will usually give you a jagged-edged hole in the tube. If the cut is longer, the puncture tends to be a very dramatic shredded tube. This often happens because a tire sidewall is cut by a misaligned brakepad, or by the side of the rim. One well known manufacturer of good quality tires had a bit of a reputation for metal beads mysteriously separating from the sidewalls of its tires and causing multiple puntures. If a tire is damaged and causing blowouts, or even a bit of tube starting to bulge through, it needs replacing.

3. Too much pressure. Pumping a tire well beyond its max. rated pressure can suddenly (and loudly) blow a tire off a rim. High pressure tires will often blow off below their max rated pressure when mounted on old-fashioned straight-wall (non hook-bead) rims.

This happened to me once last week and it TERRIFIED me and scared my neighbor in the next apartment.