garage sale GT said:
I have had a wire bead tire completely blow out at 15 mph or so. I was able to stop safely. The completely flat tire stayed on the rim and allowed at least a little control.
Has anyone had a complete blowout with a kevlar bead tire while rolling? What happens? It would seem the tire comes off the rim and you crash.
It all depends on how tight the tire is on the rim. FWIW, kevlar beads don't stretch signifcantly, but wire beads will. Also, whether or not the bike is easily controllable depends on a few things:
- Whether the tire is on the front or back
- How fast you're moving
- The road grade, crown, and surface
Be it tubular or clincher, a tire that's gone completely flat is not fun to ride at speed, especially when the squirming of the tire between rim and road really gets going. With both tire types, if you get that total flat in a corner, especially a corner with speed, you'll be lucky to walk away, let along walk away with skin left on your pointy or fleshy bits.
2 years ago, a braindead driver forced me onto the shoulder of a road (I was moving at about 25 mph or so.) and into a 1-2 inch deep slot in the pavement, a slot that was none too straight. The clinchers died instantly, and when I came out of the slot onto the road, control was something that didn't really exist. The tires had kevlar beads, and the beads stayed seated.