As the title says, my rear tire blew out while my bike was just sitting in the office. The guy sitting closest to it had to change his undies i'm sure, it was pretty loud.

The only thing I can think of that caused it was too much air (I pumped it up to the max before I left home), then going from cold outside (cold for l.a. anyway) to a warm office = expanding air in the tube. It sucks, but i'm getting pretty proficient at changing tubes..

How large was the blowout area on the tube?

I've been busy so I haven't had a chance to check, but the hole in the tire looks like a nail puncture size. So possibly there was some debris in the tire? Dunno.. i'm just annoyed that I have to change it now.

< eyes my bike leaning against the wall of my office... >

poorly seated tire bead?

Highly unlikely that that blowout was the result of overinflation, assuming that you have a hook-bead rim (as opposed to the straight-sided rims that were common until the late '70s). The maximum pressure listed on the side of the tire represents a very conservative number compared to the pressure the tire model was tested to by the manufacturer. More likely, the blowout resulted from a cut through the tire cords. You may have cut the tire today, or the tire cords may have originally been cut or broken some time ago.

Had the same thing happen in my old one room apartment, ten feet from my bed, in the middle of the night. I was pretty sure that someone had fired a gun in the hallway, and almost called the police.

It was the middle of winter and I'd topped the tire off at a gas station on the way home. Inside the apartment was some 50 degrees warmer than outside, and the tube couldn't withstand the change in pressure. Plus the tire was old and worn; the sidewall went with the tube.

Scary as hell to have it blow while I was sleeping, but at least it didn't happen while I was cooking; I might've lopped a finger off or something.

That blows! Do you guys carry spares everywhere you go?

I had this one blow while riding about 16 mph. Sounded just like a shot gun.
It had been on the front wheel for 4 days with about 350 miles.

Take a look.

Yes. Patches too. There's a lot of debris on the streets of L.A. I get a lot of flats.

Crazy!

probably not due to over inflation then. possibly... a nail?

Check your rim tape.

Summer 2010. 20 year old Centurion Sport DLX. Cost to have bike shop re lube the bike and get it ready-$200. First ride...flat. Changed tube, got home. Next day, tube flat. Ended up going to thru 4 tubes. Finally figured out it was the rim tape. Replaced with plastic rim tape. Finally upgraded to rubber rim tape. No further concerns.

At my previous job a fellow bike commuter had this happen. It sounded like a shotgun in the building and scared a number of people.

+1

I had a couple of blowouts that happened while the bike was parked. Warm days, in the sun. Searching for the cause and it seemed that the hole in the tire corresponded with a spoke hole in the rim where the rim tape had punctured. Replacing the tape with something more substantial fixed the issue.

However, a rim tape puncture wouldn't damage the tire. I would guess that the hole in the tire caused the tube blowout. And, depending on how often you inflate your tires, it might even be a hole that had been there a while or even just a weak spot. I would expect that any item that actually punctured your tube would either cause an immediate blowout or a slow leak. The fact that the bike was parked and had recently been inflated makes it seem like the tube ruptured as the pressure increased.

Some do, and some don't. Some carry a patch kit instead of or in addition to a tube. If you want to be self-sufficient, being prepared to change a flat is a must. Also a pump or other source of air. But there are other steps you can take to minimize the risk like heavy duty tires or tire liners. For me, my commute keeps me fairly close to the bus route. I try to keep supplies with me, but it doesn't always happen, and I don't worry too much about it. But when traveling outside of bus hours, I make an extra effort to remember or run the risk of a long walk home.

It's hard to remember the last flat tire I got since switching to tougher tires, but the aggravation you can save by being prepared for a flat can far outweigh the annoyance of carrying extra supplies.

I haven't had a blowout, but I did have the valve stem rip out of the tube about 6 hours into an 8 hour workday once, for no apparent reason. That was the same week my minipump was stolen, so I had to walk home and bring my full-sized pump in the next day to fix it.

Strange things happen, I never had any issues before or after that one event.

I had a total tire blowout this summer while riding. Ripped the kevlar bead right off the tire.

First, you get props for bringing your bike INSIDE!! About 3 weeks ago, I changed TWO flats on the job. Good thing we carry that extra tube, and tire pump!! . What did you co-worker say??

What kind of tires are you using?

I do now!! I got lucky. About a couple weeks ago, I am riding a newly aquired vintage bike to work. Just so happens that the it had a seat bag with a spare tube, and because the new bike, and the rear tire was low, I carried the mini-pump with me. Well, low and behold, the rear didn't go, but I got a flat up front. But, I got a tube, pump and tire blades. From that experience, from that point on, I ALWAYS carry a spare tube and the mini-pump. It happened again a week later, and I am prepared again.

I think it goes without saying, that all of us carry tubes, patches and a pump..

Funny someone just warned about this over in C & V. He estimated that going from cold to warm could result in a 15psi increase in tire pressure, which could certainly cause a blowout.

Then again, he's in Corvallis, OR (outside temp 34°.)

+1

I don't carry tubes, but definitely, patches, tire levers, a sanding pad, glue and a pump.

Were the tubes latex?