Warning: "Strongly Possible" Specialized Tube Defects
 

I should have posted this earlier. I had 4 Specialized tubes with seam splits. Yes, 4 and they all had seam splits. The last one blew out the front tire, the worst possible scenario. My only saving grace was that I was coming to a stop at a light. But that was it - I had enough.

All of the tubes were inspected and confirmed to be seam splits at my local Specialized dealer. It was very easy to see. The solution was to not just go with a different brand, but to be sure we were going with a different plant (as there are really only about 3 major plants that these tubes come from). Perhaps just a bad batch or maybe bad quality control? Whatever, I wanted out of this tube source.

I use Q-Tubes now and have not a flat since. The tubes feels more substantial to the touch, but bottom line is - no seam split flats in as many months. Take it for what its worth. But this little public service announcement of mine "seams" to be ringing true in another thread as well and decided to post it clean for others to see. (Pun intended)

I don't care (thread)

For the record, I was/am running 28's with 48mm stem.

I meant to post this in the Bicycle Mechanics forum where the other thread is. But just as well over here I guess?

Dear All,
I need to warn you regarding re-surfacing issue with Specialized Tubes type: Mountain Mullet Tube color: Black Size: 27.5/29 x 2.3-2.6" - I bought two of them, replaced by the shop when I've changed also the wheels. Tubes were installed by the mechanic, and upon inspection I had no idea what was the issue. To describe it shortly, I've received bikre ready, and it was like 4 to 5 days that it was not ridden, before the ride at 4:00 pm previous day I pumped it up a bit, and went sleep - at 1:45 am (almost 10h later) I was woken by enormouss hiss .... First I was hesitant to do/check anything as I was using Mavic Wheels that are UST ready, and have a bit small bead, hook-less short side... so I bought new wheelset (Rovals) and asked to install them again (this time tubes from local shop and rear tyre also ... new from local shop). Thanks for my intuition I've asked them (shop) to look for the cause... and LO AND BEHOLD ... 2mm hole i internal part where seam 'dots' (from side that points internal to the rim) those 'dots' are every 4cm to 5cm , some are barely visible, but this one... 'burst'. That is why it was 'rapid' and so loud (remember I did not rode a bike since wheeset+tyres+tubes change!).
For now it seems that the whole batch of 'Mullet' seems for me sketchy.

Odd choice to piggy-back your experience on a 12 year old thread.

Mullet isn't bad if it's fresh and fried.

A live mullet makes a great bait for Cobia, they love them.

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Business up front, party in the back.

Cobia is fantastic. I caught a 76 pounder while we were going after blue fish during a mullet run one year off the Juno Ball in South Florida in the late 70's. It was a massive mullet ball that was being attacked by a few small hammerheads, spinner sharks, lemon sharks, bluefish, amberjacks, tarpon, and various seabirds. They were getting decimated. We tossed a line out in the mayhem and somehow hooked into a Cobia, but we originally thought it was one of the sharks until we got it close to the boat. As I was reeling it in, it felt like it spit the hook, but there was still a lot of weight, so I kept reeling. What happened was a shark bit off about 8 inches of the tail, and estimated that it would have come in right about 82- 85 lbs. Right after we got it on the boat, a massive tiger shark appeared and he was probably looking for the rest of it.

There use to be a ramshackle bar that served food overlooking the channel in Biloxi that had some of the best smoked mullet. It disappeared long ago when the Casino's came. Found a similar place up in Canada up around Chibougamu or Baie-Comeau (can't remember which) that also had some smoked fish that I also think was mullet that was outstanding. Supposedly caught and smoked by the local indigenous people.

We’ll, there is still the Florabama where you con toss mullets.